Having replaced my rear tyre and given the bike a lubrication service, I was keen to get out on the trails. I chose an old favourite route that starts and finishes from my house in la Drova.
The initial few kms are along the valley bottom on good rocky trails, but then the works begins…the next 20 minutes is simply a question of low gearing, and steady but sustained pedaling. The ascent track is not particularly technical but is quite steep. However, the rewards are the superb views across the Sierra de Valldigna down to the Med.
Once up onto the Sierra de Marxuquera (generally 700 metres above sea level) the trail levels off and meanders through typically Mediterranean scrub. There are usually a few eagles soaring above the cliffs which adds to the beauty of this place.
Having enjoyed an easy few kms, it was time to climb steeply once more up to the highest point of the Sierra. The going was rocky and demanded attention but the surroundings were stunning. The bike was riding well over the rocks too – it´s always amazing the difference a good service makes!
I stopped for a break on the top and enjoyed the peace of the late spring morning. There wasn´t a sole around, all I had for company were the Skylarks. Having rested and rehydrated I then enjoyed the long descent down to the remote mountain village of Pinet where I called to the bar for a cold (small!) beer. I remember the first time I visited Pinet a few years ago. I was searching for the bar so opted to use the “find the church, find the bar” technique – never fails!
Pinet is located at the end of a long valley. The only way out (other than a very long road ride) is a very steep climb back onto the Sierra. Having ran out of excuses to linger further, I set off. As I climbed the semi-surfaced track, the skies were full of Bee Eaters – beautifully colourful birds that breed in the hills around here. A further 20 minutes of hard work placed me once more high on the Sierra from where I enjoyed my second long descent of the day. This track is relatively wide but quite steep and rocky. Again, care is required, especially at one point just before a hairpin where the trail suddenly becomes much steeper. As it always the case, all too soon the descent was over and I arrived in the old farming village of Pla de Corrals.
After a steady pull over the pass and back into the La Drova valley I arrived back home…34kms of superb cross country mountain biking.
