Some familiar sights there eskay. I can smell the goats on that top one! It’s a bit of a climb, especially in the summer. With a bit more climbing above the goat farm you pick up a good single track descent towards the Playa Quemada direction. Back there in June next year

Hi Eskay, I’ve been to Lanzarote and Playa Blanca loads of times.There are no decent maps OS standard but I got hold of “Lanzarote Tour & Trail” map , its 1:40000. This map has all of the walking trails on it and other than the military maps is probably as good as you can get.
From Playa Blanca you’ve 3 off road routes North. The best way is using the GR131 to Las Brenas. There is the coastal path to Salinas de Janubio and the coastal trail from Papagayo. I usually used the Papagayo route to get back to PB.
From Las Brenas its a double track to Yaiza or up the hill to the quarry by the Femes roundabout and a single track to Degolada. From Degolada you can pick up a steep single track up to Atalaya de Femes ( missing the bike ban road) and descend to Yaiza or over to Casitas de Femes. Also from Atalaya, descend into Femes, climb Pico Aceituna and descend a single track (exposed in places) to the fish farm at Playa del Pozo via Casitas de Femes. You can get to the fish farm from trails at Yaiza.
I usually ended up in Playa Quamada before returning via Papagayo.
From Las Brenas theres a trail from the GR131 across to Maciot Bajo, opposite Bajo is a climb to Degolada del Portugues, from the goat farm at the top you climb Pica Redonda for a steep single track to the coast or an easier one down route 20 , Barranco de los Dises.
The map will make these routes a lot clearer. There are trails all over, its just a case of exploring. Theres loads more routes I haven’t listed

Late December19 suffered a grade 3 AC shoulder separation. I wasn’t operated on but the good advice I got was to seek out your local rugby club physio and get physio ASAP. This is a common injury and regularly seen by rugby club physios. If this is what you’ve got pain with find a good physio. I was back on my mtb within 6 weeks and no frozen shoulder. My shoulder has a lump where my collarbone sticks out, but getting the arm out of the sling and stretching/execising the shoulder is an absolute must .

Forgot to add, at the bottom of the Maxiavalanche descent as you pop out onto a carpark, theres a few hoses to wash the bikes down. You’ll all end up with a soaking. This is very near to a decent bike shop and just opposite the “Commencal Spot”, a great place to park the bike and have a couple of well earned beers

Another here for calling Martin at https://www.singletracksafari.com/the-guiding-team/ . We went in September last year. Vallnord was done on the first day which is also the location of the Maxiavalanche course. There is however much more natural, far better stuff IMHO, that Martin will show you round. We stopped at Hotel Del Pui in La Massana. This is bike friendly and has a very secure bike store within an a locked underground garage opposite the hotel. There is a bus service from Barcelona to La Massana, don’t imbibe to much beer before getting on the bus, its a longish journey and doesn’t stop until it gets to Andorra La Vella!

For pubs, go to Laugavegur and down towards the harbour. Happy hour seems to vary but is between 4pm and 8pm where beer is £2.50 / pint. Drink the local beers and the price is similar to UK town centre bar prices. We liked an afternoon pint or two in the Public House on Laugavegur. Its a stag weekend so none of this “saving yourselves for later”. Go native and try the putrid shark and shot of a Black Death. A nice slice of grilled Minke whale and lobster soup is available at a small,rustic cafe by the harbour called Saegreifinn.