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Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday

Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday

The Wildest Pyrenees Mountain Biking Trails

The mountain biking across the Pyrenees is something special and the Spanish side is largely undiscovered by riders outside of Spain. Our Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday draws on our experience to link up the best mountain bike trails in the Pyrenees, link together the best shuttles and put them together in this fantastic tour. Many trails are old walking paths linking ancient villages, long since deserted, and the rides have an epic feel as we venture into the real backcountry of the Pyrenees.

Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Tour

  • €1595/pn
  • 7 nights
  • 6 days guiding
  • 15,000m descending, 3,000m climbing
  • Breakfast, 2 lunches, 4 evening meals
  • Single room €300
  • Transfers from Barcelona

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During this week’s mountain bike holiday we generally get around 15,000m of descending with around 2,000 – 3000m of climbing. Overall this trip is organised in a very similar way to our High Pyrenees holiday.

PHOTOS | BACKCOUNTRY PYRENEES MOUNTAIN BIKE HOLIDAY

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Sierra de Guara One Of Europe’s Least Populated Places

This mountain bike holiday will take you through Tremp, Ainsa (Zona Zero) and finally into Guara with a population density lower than Siberia. Guara is one of the hidden gems of the Pyrenees, with amazing trails which wind through some real wilderness. This is one of our favourite places to ride on the planet, just remember to bring your A-game.

The Rocky Flow Trails Of Tremp and La Pobla

One of the newer riding areas in Spain, the area around Tremp has quickly become a local favourite. Crazy rock slabs, amazing flow trails and mind-bending rock features. All linked together with our dedicated shuttles.

Put simply this is some of the best mountain biking available on the planet.

Extra Information About Your Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Tour

Details

What’s Included?

    What is included?
  • Transfers from Barcelona.
  • Full Van Support and Unlimited Shuttles.
  • All breakfasts, two lunches and 4 evening meals.
  • 6 days of riding.
    Basically this trip includes everything apart from.
  • Evening beers. A beer is around €2.
  • Three Evening meals. One on Monday night in Benasque to let people go out and sample to town. Typical price would be €15-20 for dinner and drinks. Also the last night, because we are near to Hondarribia and San Sebastián and often people want to go out for pintos there.
  • 4 Lunches. We don’t include the lunches just to give us more flexibility for the rides we do.
The Guiding

How We Guide In The Backcountry Pyrenees

  • We have 2 guides each day to let us manage the group better.
  • We have a support team of 2 or 3 drivers with 4×4´s for the first half of the trip. They assist with lunches, run the shuttles, and assist in case of emergency. After that we have two basqueMTB drivers and vans for the shuttles.
The Biking

What is the biking like in the Backcountry Pyrenees?

The Biking

It is intense but fun and if you are looking for a challenging mountain bike holiday it will suit. It is very comparable to the High Pyrenees. There is some challenging climbing but around 80% of the riding is downhill. If you like the idea of riding long, wild trails and being out in the wilderness, with few amenities and just the mountains around you, this could be the mountain bike holiday for you! The trails suit very confident intermediate to expert riders

During the week we have some climbs, all shorter than half an hour. You need a decent level of fitness for these climbs but also to enjoy the quantity of descending there is each week.

    Highlights

  • Two days taking in the highlights of Tremp.
  • The amazing, rocky trails in Guara where few bikers venture but is one of the most amazing areas for riding in.
  • Some famous Ainsa grey-earth trails.

What Bike Do I Need?

A capable trail bike with 140mm of travel or more is the minimum. The guides will be riding 150mm/160mm Enduro bikes. Electric bikes work really well here.

Logistics

Arrival

  • Airports and Train Station: Barcelona.
  • Times: You can arrive any time before 13:30 if you want to use our transfer.
  • Transfers: Transfers take around 3 hours. Private transfers can be organised too.
  • Car: You can drive to Ainsa.
    • Departure

      Our transfer will leave the hotel around 9am, getting you to the airport for 12:00. Please book a flight that leaves after 13:30, or stay on to enjoy Barcelona for a few days.

Accommodation

Locally Owned

We stay in different hotels during this trip and as always we aim to use quality, locally owned accommodation. Each stop is different but all hotels have Wifi, Bike Storage and are right next to the trails!

Backcountry Pyrenees Accommodation Photo 1 Backcountry Pyrenees Accommodation Photo 2 Backcountry Pyrenees Accommodation Photo 3 Backcountry Pyrenees Accommodation Photo 4
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive to Barcelona and Transfer to Tremp
Arrival, pick-up at 1:30 and we have a 3 hour transfer to Tremp.
Day 2 – Ride in Tremp, Stay in Tremp

The riding in Tremp and La Pobla is best described as a mixture of rock, flow and awe. Amazing spines, huge slabby rocks, brilliant trail building and amazing views will make sure you fall in love with this Pyrenees mountain bike gem.

As always on any of our trips there are dedicated, unlimited shuttles through the day to ensure you get to see all the best trails.

Tonight we have a big meal and drinks by the pool.

Day 3 – Ride in Tremp, Stay in Castejon

Carefully linking some amazing trails lets us mix shuttles and trails to enjoy some spectacular riding which takes us to our destination for tonight, at the foot of the Benasque valley. The trails today are mixed, wild and packed with fun.

You will be exhausted by the end of the day and tonight we enjoy a meal in the hotel and a drink before an early night.

Day 4 – Ride Benasque and Ainsa. Sleep in Ainsa

Today we take a short transfer and ride in the area between Castejón and Ainsa, sampling some of the best trails in the area. We will have time to ride some of the amazing EWS trails in Ainsa.

Tonight we sleep in Ainsa and you can explore the old town and historic castle.

Day 5 – Ride in Ainsa and Guara, Sleep in Guara

This is the grande finale of our trip, the amazing, rocky riding in Guara. This is one of our favourite places on the planet to ride, big rocky features and one of the least populated places in Europe. Tonight we sleep in a lovely little reformed house, in a village with only 6 residents and big views of the mountains.

Highlight today will be the Horsemen descent. This is a challenge but a lot of fun, with huge slick-rock carpets packed with features.

Arrival, pick-up at 1:30 and we have a 3 hour transfer to Tremp.

Day 6 – Ride in Guara and Stay in Guara

Another day in paradise! Today we spend another day shuttling in Guara. There are so many trails to ride that one day is not enough. We will go a little deeper, exploring the trails around Nocito, where you can be sure to find some favourite trails.

A highlight of today is the Spunkkentrakken trail, which lasts forever and has too many corners to count!

At the end of the day we will enjoy sitting in the little bar and having a drink while we watch the sun set over the Tozal de Guara.

Day 7 – Ride in Guara, return to Ainsa

A final day in the mountain bike paradise of Guara! We will ride some of the trails around our accommodation and finish with an amazingly long descent taking us towards Ainsa.

Highlight today will be the Guaso descent. One of the longest, most fun trails you will ride anywhere. It is never steep, winding through the foothills of Guara with the snow-topped Pyrenees as a constant backdrop.

A short, scenic transfer takes us to Ainsa where you will spend the last night.

Day 8 – Return To Barcelona

On Saturday morning we will transfer everyone back to Barcelona airport, ready to catch and afternoon flight home. Or if you want you can spend a night or two in Barcelona.

Insurance

    It is essential that you organise your own insurance to cover yourselves and your personal belongings. This should specifically cover mountain biking. We need you to pass us a copy of the insurance for all members of your group. No insurance means no ride.

    We recommend that your insurance should cover:

  • Trip cancellation. We won’t cancel, but you might have to due to injury etc.
  • Your bike for theft and damage.
  • Your luggage.
  • Emergency medical cover.
  • Rescue, including helicopter.
  • Getting you back home if needed. This is a big one, if you have a broken leg for example you might not be allowed on a commercial flight.
  • We will be riding marked trails, with a guide, the Pyrenees trips get up to almost 3000m and the Basque Coast 2000m.

We have a deal with Yellow Jersey, using the code BASQUE10 for UK residents.

For non-UK residents our guests say good things about World Nomads World Nomads.

FAQ´s
  • What weather can I expect?
    • The weather in the Spanish Pyrenees allows year round mountain biking. In winter the days are generally cold, however the skies are generally clear and this is a very dry part of Spain with around 330 days of sunshine a year. Temperatures are higher in autumn and spring, but you can expect general temperatures of around 10-20degC.
  • I’m vegetarian / vegan / pescatarian.
    • If you eat fish it is easy. If you are vegetarian it needs a bit more management just to make sure we coordinate menus to get some variety. If you are vegan there are going to be some limitations for you but we can totally do it. Please let us know when you book.
  • What are the minimum numbers, and can I book as an individual?
    • No problems to book as an individual. We don’t have minimum numbers to confirm trips.
  • How much riding is there?
    • We don’t limit the riding. We aim to be finished by 6pm, but sometimes offer more riding to those who want it. There are multiple shuttles each day.
  • What is the difference between the High Pyrenees and the Backcountry Pyrenees?
    • The High Pyrenees is in Autumn when there is no snow up high and rides in the higher mountains. There is some hike-a-bike.
    • The BCPyr is lower, with long descents but no hike-a-bike. This is wild riding, amazing natural flow, big rocky slabs and technical.
    • High Pyrenees – Rides in Val d´Aran, Benaque, Bielsa, Ens and Loudenville.
    • Backcountry Pyrenees – Rides in Tremp, Castejon de Sos, Ainsa and Guara.
Reviews
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BasqueMTB
Average rating:  
 9 reviews
 by Tim Taylor
Authentic Backcountry Experience

The trip was fantastic from start to end. The guiding and standards of trails, food and accommodation were all perfect and made the backcountry experience totally authentic. Riding through abandoned villages and the terraced trails was incredibly memorable. And the guides and other guests made it too for me.

 by Jac Marquis
Solo Female Traveller

Riding holidays can sometimes be daunting for solo female travellers, but the guides worked hard to bring the group together and make sure all guests were included and had fun. The guides, the hosts at the accommodation and the other riders were all very inclusive and welcomed and encouraged all of us.

 by Carole Beaton
4th Trip!

This was our fourth trip with BasqueMtb and it just keeps getting better and better! We love that they are always working on ways to improve their trips with everything from accommodation to quality of trails.

 by Vincent Bottema
Best Mountain Bike Holiday Ever

Best mountainbiking holiday ever. I want to go back since the very moment I stepped in the car back home.

 by NickCummins
Best European Trip

Really really amazing trip, one of the Best European trips I've ever done.

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