Muir's Tours - Biking Canada

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.