This is a quick report on our recent visit to Spain to learn to trail ride.
I have ridden bikes on road for the last 15 years but the nearest I have been to off road riding is on campsites, usually on wet grass with a heavily laden 12GS and it’s always been a bit hairy! I was discussing this with my mate James over a beer or two who said he hadn’t been on a bike for 20 years but fancied a bash at a bit of trail riding, Perfect! So we hatched a plan and took the plunge!
We booked 3 days riding with Riders of the lost trail http://www.ridersofthelosttrail.com who operate out of a town called Cortes de la Frontera in Andalucía a couple of hours from Malaga.
We were quite apprehensive about what the riding would entail but we needn’t have worried! Phil who runs it is a star! he guided us through from novice to competent trail riders within just 3 days! We were riding DRZ400s which after dropping them several times proved to be bomb proof and Phil provided all the gear which meant we could just take hand luggage on the plane.
Phils knowledge of the trails and interaction with the locals is superb and his tips on riding were a great help for both of us. We rode over 100kms a day and as a novice off road that is plenty enough.
This is James (he-man) limbering up for the morning ride!
This is me having a bash at a slippery stream
We called this the road of Death as there was about a thousand foot drop off the edge!
And this is James and Phil having a rest and admiring the view
me crossing a bridge after a long day on the trails
We were always happy to stop for Lunch which was included and this was at local restaurants enroute in one of the many Pueblos Blancos, the food was spot on and usually consisted of three courses from the local menu, soft drinks and coffee.
The accommodation provided was great and sat at the top of town overlooking the valley and even had free wifi. The village has some good restaurants and bars to wind down in (get lashed!) and swap stories of the day’s events and we spent each evening reflecting on the days riding.
The View from our apartment
I would recommend “riders of the lost trail” to anyone taking the plunge off road (or experienced riders looking for miles of trails) as both a great experience and beautiful environment to ride in. It’s given me the confidence to have a bash at more serious stuff on my GS other than just campsites and it was great fun!
When we left i promised Phil i would do a bit of a write up here, but i'm sorry Phil i had to include your quick dismounting technique at the end of the Video!
We will definitely be going back soon!
Here’s a little video of our trip (it felt a lot faster and steeper than it looks!)
http://youtu.be/aljYz9l8uio
I have ridden bikes on road for the last 15 years but the nearest I have been to off road riding is on campsites, usually on wet grass with a heavily laden 12GS and it’s always been a bit hairy! I was discussing this with my mate James over a beer or two who said he hadn’t been on a bike for 20 years but fancied a bash at a bit of trail riding, Perfect! So we hatched a plan and took the plunge!
We booked 3 days riding with Riders of the lost trail http://www.ridersofthelosttrail.com who operate out of a town called Cortes de la Frontera in Andalucía a couple of hours from Malaga.
We were quite apprehensive about what the riding would entail but we needn’t have worried! Phil who runs it is a star! he guided us through from novice to competent trail riders within just 3 days! We were riding DRZ400s which after dropping them several times proved to be bomb proof and Phil provided all the gear which meant we could just take hand luggage on the plane.
Phils knowledge of the trails and interaction with the locals is superb and his tips on riding were a great help for both of us. We rode over 100kms a day and as a novice off road that is plenty enough.
This is James (he-man) limbering up for the morning ride!
This is me having a bash at a slippery stream
We called this the road of Death as there was about a thousand foot drop off the edge!
And this is James and Phil having a rest and admiring the view
me crossing a bridge after a long day on the trails
We were always happy to stop for Lunch which was included and this was at local restaurants enroute in one of the many Pueblos Blancos, the food was spot on and usually consisted of three courses from the local menu, soft drinks and coffee.
The accommodation provided was great and sat at the top of town overlooking the valley and even had free wifi. The village has some good restaurants and bars to wind down in (get lashed!) and swap stories of the day’s events and we spent each evening reflecting on the days riding.
The View from our apartment
I would recommend “riders of the lost trail” to anyone taking the plunge off road (or experienced riders looking for miles of trails) as both a great experience and beautiful environment to ride in. It’s given me the confidence to have a bash at more serious stuff on my GS other than just campsites and it was great fun!
When we left i promised Phil i would do a bit of a write up here, but i'm sorry Phil i had to include your quick dismounting technique at the end of the Video!
We will definitely be going back soon!
Here’s a little video of our trip (it felt a lot faster and steeper than it looks!)
http://youtu.be/aljYz9l8uio
