On Saturday 12th May I was fortunate enough to provide a day of guided mountain biking for a couple from Palma de Gandia. Both of them keen, fit and active, Alison had booked the trip as a gift for her husband´s birthday. We began the day with a coffee in the Valle de Albaida from where the ride began before getting the only sustained climb of the day done before the sun was too high in the sky. Both riders soon began to feel comfortable with the bikes and were [...]
On 10th April I had the pleasure of providing a guided biking trip for a family group who were holidaying in Spain. The group comprised 4 adults and 2 children, both aged 10. Although some members had mountain biking experience, others didn´t so we opted to do a trip around the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. Although the route was 34km in length, it was flat with no technical terrain. Each member of the group hired a mountain bike from us, and after some last minute checks, we began [...]
As it´s the time of year when thoughts are turning to the warmer months ahead and of holidays in the sun, we´re all thinking of how we can maximise our precious free time and of course value for our hard earned cash. These days, more people are opting for a vacation that provides the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities rather than just a beach holiday or sight-seeing trip. However, it´s often the case that to indulge in a favourite hobby whilst away, one has to opt for a specifically organised [...]
In preparation for the forthcoming season, I have been working on a new Guided Mountain Bike Route that will now be added to our portfolio. This is one of our tougher routes as it includes some very steep ascents and takes in a remote and high mountain pass. I´ve been working on this one for a while, essentially trying to join up various off-road sections to form a circular route that minimises the amount of on-road work and makes the most of the rural tracks and trails. After 3 or 4 [...]
Today, I had the pleasure of introducing Mark, the owner of a local country hotel to the joys of mountain biking. Although he´s an active sportsman, and a keen runner, he´s never been out on a mountain bike. He admitted to having been keen to give mountain biking a try for a while, so a day of guided mountain biking from La Drova, our home base, proved to be a great introduction. He was provided with a helmet and fully equipped Trek mountain bike. Following some initial instruction on bike [...]
Albufera de Valencia is a Natural Park just south of the city of Valencia. The area covers over 21,000 hectares and comprises a huge fresh water lake of 3,000 hectares in surface area, rice fields, reed beds, coastal wooded areas and a series of smaller ponds and canals. Although not an area associated with mountain biking (ie. it´s flat!) it can provide a good easy day out amongst some unique habitats. That´s exactly what Caroline, the lady who chose the route wanted – a good ride out that was comfortable [...]
I had the pleasure of taking a couple from Yorkshire out biking in the mountains of the Albaida region of Valencia today. They fancied a high level route to make the most of the stunning views in this area. The route that I chose has a tough start and climbs 400 metres in the initial 4km. However, for this time of year that´s perfect as provided that you´re out in good time, all the hard work is done before the sun is high in the sky. We set off at [...]