Mountain biking holidays
For a great idea of the riding here why not take a look at the biking gallery by clicking on the "Gallery" option in the menu.
Altitude Adventure is based in the in the Cerdagne valley of the Pyrenees Orientales, one of France’s well-kept secrets. This great area is situated just 15km from the Spanish border and 30 km from the classic mountain arena of Pas De La Cassa in Andora.
Adventure Trails trips - £425 per week
This area which takes in the Cerdagne and Capcir valleys is singletrack heaven and lends itself perfectly to classic trail riding with about 400km of marked VTT trails and endless unmarked trails, that’s where our local knowledge comes in. We know routes to suit everyone from short steady rides to all day adventures. With singletrack descents of over 20km available to play on, you are sure to finish every day with a huge grin.
Altitude Assisted trips - £495 per week
For 2010, we will be offering you the opportunity to ride our favourite trail descents ... maximum downhill time with minimum effort on the ups! We'll uplift you to (as near as possible) the start of some truely classic gravity trails. Then you can take advantage of the Telecabine uplift systems in the nearby bike parks of La Molina or Les Angles giving classic alpine free ride conditions. If you book as a group we are happy to mix uplift and bikepark days to suit your tastes. We can even run day trips to Vall Nord Bike Park in Andorra (with a small fuel suppliment).Click on the names for links to the stations.
For these trips we recommend all riders have an understanding of bike park riding and wear rider protection.
To run these weeks or long weekends we require a minimum group of 5 riders. The price for the week is £495 per person or £75 per day for short breaks. Price does not include lift passes, but we have negotiated reduced prices for our customers.
Altitude Assisted trips are available from mid June to the end of September.
What we offer.
We offer the choice of week long holidays or long weekend breaks on an all inclusive basis for meals and drinks and including free airport pickups (Depending on airport and length of stay).
Free guiding every day except Wednesdays and free daily transfers to the area chosen for that days biking.
We can assist with mechanics and bike setup. We have some spares available for purchase.
We can arrange bike hire at very competitive prices. Kona hardtail and full suspension (various travel options available).
Riding Riding Riding Riding .......
Mountain Biking in the Cerdagne and Capcir valleys
Due to the shape of the valleys and the height of the plateau we have an amazing variety of trails on offer, from singletrack descents of awesome proportions, alpine bikeparks and all day rides which are truely epic.
To give a flavour of what is on offer below are details of a few of our favourites.
Circuit of the Galbe
A classic big mountain day which defines the term "Mountain Biking". This ride has it all. Fantastic sceenery, a big climb and an amazing 1100m singletrack descent. We start at the Ski station of Formigueres and climb up and over the Serra de Mauri (2412m) before descending to a well earned coffee stop at the beautiful Refuge de Camporells. Another climb then leads to the famous Estany de Diable (the devils lake) where we stop for lunch and then start our descent. 1100m of the finest mountain singletrack you will ever ride leads us back down to the valley floor and a well earned beer at the bar in Formigueres to finish. An epic day out!
The Scorpion Tail
This is an amazing ride for switchback and singletrack officionados. Click on Videos to watch the helmet cam footage of this ride. Starting from the “Mouli” or skipping the first climb by transferring to the Col de Llose we cruise the northern Tet valley ridge to our high point at 1800m. From this point on it’s down hill all the way on some of the best singletrack you will ever see. Hairpins by the hundred, tight lines bordered by big drops , flying through forest and traversing open ridgelines this trail has it all, finally exiting into the pretty village of Thues Entre Valls after dropping more than 1400m. Depending on the start point the ride can take up to 4 hours with the final descent taking over an hour and a half!
Big Stick
An all day classic. Starting at the “Mouli” and finishing with a dip in some natural hot springs this ride ride has big downs and big ups. First up is a 40 min singletrack descent down the south side of the Tet valley featuring some very technical trail before we climb stiffly up to the village of Prats Belague. After a brief stop to top up bladders at the village springs we cruise up the stunning “Orri Valley” to the start of the final climb proper. 400m of vertical later we top out at the “Collets d’Avall” at 2000m with the option of another 400m of climbing to the top of the “Coll Mitja” or starting the descent back down the west side of the Coucouroucouil ridge. The best description for the first 3km of this descent is “steep!” followed by cool flowing singletrack all the way back to the van parked way below in the village of Fontpedrouse giving a total final descent of over 1000m. From here we have a quick change and straight into the natural hot spring perched on the beautiful valley side to ease those aching muscles.
The Descent to Olette
Check out the video of this descent featuring Danny Milner from MBR magazine.
This is the classic local ride with our own special trail added on to make it even better. We start the ride from "the Mouli" crossing the valley to Mont Louis and then climbing up throught the Commando firing range (keep your head down!!). Once up we stop for lunch with a spectacular view accross the valley towards the border ridge, before starting the descent. What a trail! the descent starts at just shy of 2000m at the Serre de Clavera and we drop 1400m (about 12km) all on amazing singletrack (including our own cleared trail named 007 as it is a well kept secret) to finish at the bar in Olette. This is a favorite of everyone and people come back again and again just to ride it.
Black Dog
Named after one of the local Pyrenean semi-wild sheepdogs which took a liking to one of our friends (if you know what I mean), this trail cruises up hill and down dale through some stunning scenery giving a 3ish hour ride on trail which leaves you amazed at it’s quality. A steady climb from the village of Angoustrine gets you up to the start of the first descent which is a technical affair weaving it’s way down through rounded granite boulders until your arms are as pumped as your legs. You pop out into the village of Dorres with it’s Roman hot baths before starting a challenging singletrack climb to the “Chapel de Santa Maria”, perched in a beautiful location overlooking the Cerdagne valley. From here we cruise on some wild singletrack past ancient farmsteads to the top of the descent down to La Tour de Carol on the pass to Andorra. This descent is a mixture of hairpins and flowing trail letting you really open it up. When we hit the bottom we pick up one of the many irrigation canals that traverse the hillsides for some exciting riding back to the awaiting van.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The name says it all! Pretty much down hill for 25k of singletrack this 3 hr epic takes us through (literally, if you count the mine tunnels) some breathtaking scenery on some of the narrowest trail you will ever ride. Starting at the “Mouli” you drop straight into singletrack mode as you wind your way along the “Balcon de Tet” trail and drop down to St Thomas le Bain. From here a very short climb links you to some fast flowing hairpin trail down past Fontpedrouse and along the side of the river Tet. Another short climb allows access to the “tunnel run” a section of old mines and interconnecting paths perched precariously high above the Tracks of the “Petite Train Jaune”. From here more narrow trails wind their way along the valley side until the final knee trembler as you enter the “Gorges De Caranca” by a spectacular mine tunnel and hanging pathway 300m above the rapids below. A boulder strewn hairpin descent down the cliffs gives access to the river-side path which exits the gorge and allows a deep breath to be taken as you freewheel to the van.
This is a small selection of what is on offer. We tailor each weeks riding to the groups desires and abilities and make use of the massive selection of trails available to us to ensure each group is well satisfied. We can also make use of chairlift uplift facilities to access some areas you wouldn’t normally get access to or to play on the downhill courses in the local ski stations.
Our mission is to use our local knowledge to guide you where you would never have guessed trails existed and to give you some idea of the massive variety on offer in this undiscovered area.
The type of mountain biking that we do make our routes of a reasonably high technical standard, therefore we are unable to recommend our holidays to beginner mountain bikers.Many of our routes are day rides and can pass through some great alpine terrain.
If you are booking as a group we will tailor the rides to your groups ability or where possible split groups into differing ability levels. When booking please be honest about your ability level as this helps us to plan your weeks holiday better allowing you to get the most from our local trail knowledge.
All routes are mapped using MemoryMapTM electronic mapping and guiding is offered as a free service by Offroad Training Consultancy trained Guides. At the end of your holiday you can leave with a DVD showing footage of your riding and MemoryMap downloads of the rides you have done.
What we do on our guided rides is up to you. We don’t set out with a specific plan at the beginning of the week. We will make the best use of the massive variety of trails available to us in the Cerdagne and Capcir valleys to ensure that each day gives great riding and a different perspective on the area. Our aim is simply to take you somewhere you may not have found without us. We know the area inside out, where to stop for lunch, where the good views are, where the next drinks stop is.
Based on weeklong holiday guests transfer day being Saturday. We aim to guide rides on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. For long weekend guests not booking the complete chalet, we will provide route plans and suggestions for Saturday riding.
Bikes
We ride and recommend Scott Genius and Ransom full suspension bikes. For the majority of trails that we ride these types of bike are ideal for your comfort and enjoyment. This does not mean that we see this as a minimum requirement however a good quality front suspension mountain bike should be.
Bikes are available to hire locally however we always recommend bringing your own bike from the UK, as it is always safer to ride unusual trails on a bike that you know and trust (and that the brakes are on the correct sides).
Before coming on holiday we recommend that you have your bike serviced at your local specialist store to ensure that everything is in good working order. Although we have our own workshop your fellow riders will not thank you for delaying their riding whilst you service your bike. For minor repairs you will be welcome to use our workshop and for more major repairs we will arrange assistance through one of the nearby bike shops if possible.
Bike and clothes washing facilities are available.
Riding Level
To get the most out of your holiday we recommend that you should be capable of riding in arduous terrain for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Many of our rides are full day outings and can pass through some spectacular alpine terrain. This does not mean that we are trying to wear you out, we will ride to the ability of the group and ensure that you get the best from your holiday.
The type of mountain biking that we do make our routes of a reasonably high technical standard, therefore we are unable to recommend our holidays to complete beginners.
The minimum age for participation in accompanied rides is 16. All riders under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
We welcome family groups and will be happy to recommend family friendly cycling routes in this area for outings with younger children, or other activities and places to visit for non-cyclists.
Kit
You will be riding daily in a hot environment and we would highly recommend that you use energy or hydrating drinks and carry energy bars. Unless your bike has a lot of bottle cages we would recommend that you carry a hydration pack with about a 2 litre capacity. We use SIS products and highly recommend them.
Carrying a pack also allows you to carry your other essential trail spares that we would expect you to have (tubes, pump, multi-tool, brake pads, food, waterproof jacket, spare clothes etc).
Please remember to bring a few different sets of riding clothing and a fully waterproof jacket as you will be riding in a high mountain environment. We do not recommend sleeveless riding tops, as they don’t offer much protection from the sun or rocks. We also recommend full finger gloves for extra grip with sweaty hands and protective eyewear.
Remember “No Helmet No Ride” your helmet must be ANSI or Snell approved.
Other Activities
As well as this area offering classic biking from our base in Saint Pierre Dels Forcats there is also the opportunity to take part in many other Alpine activities using local guides...