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Ultimate Singletrack Mountain Biking
If your passion is singletrack, this 100% off-road route is impossible to beat! Our exceptional itinerary includes world-famous locations - places featured in so many inspiring bike magazines and films, such as Fernie, Golden, Revelstoke, Nelson, Kananaskis and Rossland, the mountain bike capital of Canada. There are flowing trails, rooty trails, steeps and ridges to ride, coupled with awesome views, barbeques, hot springs and the exceptional Banff National Park. Using a mixture of lodges and hotels, you'll experience the real BC bike scene and be blown away by the quality of the riding. The final day's ride at Jumping Pound/Cox Hill will be permanently etched in your memory - and that's guaranteed. This fantastic journey through Canada's wilderness represents the zenith of current mountain bike riding, set within stunning Rocky Mountain scenery.
The trip also includes 2 mornings of skills instruction with an optional 3rd morning: We'll spend the first 2 mornings working on MTB skills with our certified instructors, then head back to our lodge for lunch on the deck. After lunch, we'll have a full afternoon of riding on the massive trail network of Fernie.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Saturday). Arrive
Calgary/Fernie
Your guide will meet you (idealy
mid afternoon) at Calgary Airport and drive the group to our lodge in Fernie.
This is our base for the next few days of Fernie trail riding. Tonight
we'll dine in one of Fernie's excellent restaurants.
Day 2 (Sunday). A first day in Fernie
After a good sleep and hearty breakfast you'll build your bikes
and we'll spend the 1st morning working on mountain bike skills with our
instrcutors. More advanced riders will work on advanced skills, while less
experinced riders will work on intermediate skills. After returning to the lodge
for lunch, we'll head up to the Ridgemont area where a huge spiderweb of trails
offers up plenty of options for singletrack fun! We'll return to the
lodge at around 5:00 pm. Tonight's dinner will be a communal one, as we
get to know each other around the kitchen!
Day 3 (Monday). Fun in Fernie
After breakfast, we'll ride right from our lodge to the skills
park for another morning of instruction. After a full morning of skills work,
we'll stop for lunch and fuel up for a big afternoon of biking. We'll
head out for another crack at the trails of Fernie, then we'll head back to the
lodge for a late afternoon drink on the deck before dinner.
Day 4 (Tues.) Rest Day in
Fernie
After breakfast at the lodge, we'll have
an optional morning ride up Dem Bones or another skills session. After
returning to the lodge for lunch, you'll have the rest of the day off to explore
the wonderful town of Fernie. There are myriad options for outdoor fun in
this recreational paradise, including river tubing, whitewater rafting,
horseback riding, chairlift-assisted riding at Fernie Alpine Resort, fly fishing
- you name it!
Day 5 (Wednesday). Rubberheads and
Smugglers
After a scenic 4-hour drive through
Kootenay Pass, we arrive at the town of Rossland. A myriad of shuttle
opportunities (using our van) will allow us to do up to 7 trails in this
mountain bike paradise.
Day 6 (Thursday). Seven Summits.
Seven Summits is one of the best trails in Canada, and has
recently been voted one of the 'Top 10 trails in the world.' The trail is an
epic - up to 8 hours - and, like the name suggests, we visit 7 mountain tops in
the Rossland area. This is alpine singletrack at its absolute
best!
Day 7 (Friday). Rest Day in the
Kootenays
Situated in the Selkirk Mountains, on
the shores of Kootenay Lake and overlooking Kokanee Glacier, Nelson is one of
the prettiest towns in all of British Columbia. We'll spend the morning
enjoying the sights and sounds of Nelson and have lunch in town before heading
to Ainsworth Hot Springs.
Day 8 (Saturday). Sweet Slocan
Singletrack
Situated deep in the Slocan Valley,
New Denver is the jewel of the Kootenays: a charming mountain town
surrounded by massive peaks, on the shore of a spectacular lake. We'll
spend the day exploring these trails before driving to our lodge in
Revelstoke.
Day 9 (Sun.) Keystone Standard Basin
It's time to tackle another epic: the Keystone Standard Basin ride
in Revelstoke. This incredible ride is an hour's drive into the backcountry
north of Revelstoke, alongside Lake Revelstoke. The ride itself is 6
hours of sheer alpine bliss: buffed singletrack and jaw-dropping scenery.
After the ride, we'll head back to our lodge for a BBQ dinner.
Day 10 (Monday). Revelstoke riding/Roger's Pass
The singletrack on Mt. Macpherson is everything an avid mountain
biker could want: challenging climbs, fun downhills, and a huge network
to satisfy all levels. After the morning's ride, we'll hop in the van for
the 90-minute drive to Golden via spectacular Roger's Pass and the Illicilaweat
Glacier. We'll spend the next 2 nights at our deluxe lodge in the
mountains.
Day 11 (Tues.). Canyons and Campfires
Today we
ride in Golden on the 'Moonraker' trails. These smooth trails leave right from
the campsite and feature spectacular 2000-ft-deep canyon scenery and challenging
climbs.
Day 12 (Wed.). Golden grins
Definitely a big-grin day with some major vertical descent and
technical delights on offer! We'll have breakfast at the camp, load our gear and
bikes and then drive to the summit of 'Mount Seven', Golden's premier ride,
which rears 1300 metres (4000-ft) up above the Columbia Valley. When we're done
here we head into Golden for lunch and load up the van for the drive to
Kananaskis. We take time out en route with a stopover in the beautiful and
world-famous town of Banff.
Day 13 (Thurs.) The best section of
singletrack trail ever !!!
The 'pot of
gold' ride, this is the incredible, amazing, scintillating and stunning Jumping
Pound / Cox Hill Ride. Rated in several guidebooks as one of the best rides in
the whole of North America, this incredible trail will live on in your dreams
for years after you ride it! We finish riding in the early afternoon and with
huge grins fixed on our faces we'll hop in the van and head back to Calgary.
Tonight we stay in a Calgary hotel and celebrate the best riding we've ever
likely experienced, drink a beer (or two) with our new friends and relive the
many, many highlights of a simply fantastic
trip.
Style of route: Singletrack
Ability Level: 2 / 3 or higher (see
below)
Most of our rides are singletrack (i.e. natural trail - not a tarmaced road), with a challenge component: challenging climbs with moderate to technical descents (depending on the trip). With the exception of our mountain bike skills camps, all of our tours are designed for experienced mountain bikers with at least 2 years of regular mountain biking experience under their belts. If you have less than 2 years experience, but are adventurous, fit and willing to learn you may also be suitable for some of our trips.
Our tours are designed to help your mountain biking progress by challenging you within safe limits. All of our BC and Peru trips now feature skills coaching at the start of each trip, to help you progress and prepare for your adventure.
If you are interested in taking part in our
adventures but aren't quite ready yet, consider signing up for one of our
mountain bike skills camps.
Ability Guidelines
Please read the following ability guidelines carefully, and if you
are unsure if a trip is right for you, please email or
telephone.
Each trip’s ability level is the minimum level required for that trip.
Level
1
You have limited experience with off-road mountain biking,
but you may have done some road riding. You are physically fit, adventurous, and
want to learn more about how to mountain bike properly. This level is generally
restricted to our skills camps.
Level
2
You have been mountain biking for at least one year or have
decent general riding skills and good fitness. You are capable of controlling
bike speed and direction on moderate singletrack. You ride once a week during
the summer and are prepared to train to prepare for your trip. You can ride two
to three hours in a day.
Level
3
You have been riding for at least two years, are confident
in your climbing and descending skills and are in good shape. You ride two to
three days a week and can handle moderately technical terrain such as small logs
and rocks. You can ride three to five hours per day.
Level
4
You have been riding for over four years and are confident
riding all types of terrain and distances. You ride as often as possible and can
handle technical terrain and some stunts, such as log rollovers and small
bridges. You can descend steeps, climb for hours (XC trips) and can ride
multiple, long days in a row.
Level
5
You are a mountain bike god(dess). You can ride up to seven
hours per day and live for mountain biking. You can handle very technical trails
both up, and down.
Dates 2008: 7-19 June (limited availability), 19-31 June (good
availability), 9-21 Aug (sold out), 30 Aug-11 Sep (good
availability).
Price Indication per person -
2008
USD2335 - USD2349 / GBP1150 - GBP1190 /
CAD2395
The base currency is
the Canadian Dollar, payment in any
other currency may involve an adjustment for currency
fluctuations.
What is Included
All land transport, full board accommodation (some camping)
starting with dinner on day 1 and finishing with lunch on the last day, fully
supported / guided biking service with English speaking
guide.
What is NOT Included
International or local flights. Personal Insurance, personal
medical kit, airport taxes due locally, alcoholic and canned / bottled drinks.
Any personal expenditure & tips.
Airfare (from the
UK)
As a guide, the international airfare
should be about GBP450 to GBP650 (high season) for economy class - London /
Manchester to Calgary and return. Book early to obtain lower prices on flights.
We can give you guidance on best options.
Travel Insurance (UK Residents
only)
Comprehensive personal insurance,
including search and rescue is required on this trip. We only recommend the
policies issued by the British Mountaineering Council
www.thebmc.co.uk
We are unable to advise residents of other countries about
insurance as insurances are always peculiar to each country. You must buy your
insurance from a company based in your country of
residence.