Off the brakes and I pedal hard out of the corner, the next switchback already in sight, slightly obscured by the dust of the rider in front of me. It’s another loose one and the drop off the edge is even bigger this time. Don’t look down, look where I want to go, I think to myself. Brake. Lock up, the back wheel skids slightly. Damn, too hard. A couple of pedal strokes and I make it round the corner, too slow though. As usual! Pedal, pedal, pedal and I’m flying down the next section of off-camber singletrack dodging rocks and bushes and staying well away from that edge as we hurtle down the hillside…

And so begins another week with Freeride Spain, a small mountain bike holida company based in Lanjaron in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains. After the roaring success of a week with them in November 2005, we just had to go back!

After a hassle-free flight from the cold and grey UK, we landed in warm Spanish sunshine and were met at the airport by our hosts Simon and Emma and whisked off to the spa town of Lanjaron, just 45 minutes drive away. After a carbo-loading pasta lunch and bike unpacking and rebuilding, we were soon ready for our first ride in the far more civilised Spanish weather. It may have been a silly early start that morning, but getting in a ride on the first afternoon is certainly worth it! Freeride Spain is all about earning your downhills, so we began with a gentle one hour climb to Pedro Calvo, one of the many springs dotted all over the nearby mountains – ideal for a breather and Camelbak refill session.

Still laughing out loud at the fact that we were actually there riding sunny Spanish singletrack, the route led us down local singletrack ‘Cactus Run’ and ‘Pipeline’. Fireroad climbs gave way to singletrack descents, complete with sketchy loose corners, rock gardens and steep sandy chutes. A technical traverse led us to more flowing singletrack which skirted the mountainside and presented a constant reminder of just how far below one small mistake could land you – Spanish singletrack is not for those with vertigo! A spin back on the road to town completed the afternoon’s 18 mile loop.

Apres-ride

And so to some post-ride recreation. After Emma’s hearty meals each evening Lanjaron was ours to explore. What at first seems like a sleepy ghost town with little to offer can come alive at night however, and especially so on this Easter weekend. A firm favourite with ever-peckish mountain bikers was the ‘Ham Bar’ (no idea what its real name was!) and its generous tapas with every drink. Suddenly the idea of drinking beer in such small glasses made sense!

With evenings spent propping up local bars, relaxed morning starts are also one of the key themes, making it feel like more of a holiday than riding weeks often do. After a hearty breakfast, we headed out at around 11. Whilst some days start straight from Lanjaron, other rides begin with some assisted climbing, driving to a nearby mountain village to start the ride.

Four years of trips to the Alps have been great, but in my opinion, they barely even touch Spain. With long fireroad or short technical climbs, miles and miles of singletrack of all varieties, rock gardens, switchbacks, steep trails, hair-raising mountain-side trails even great street riding, it has something for everyone.

Six of the Best

Some Spanish highlights:

Google Mountain A local epic ride from Lanjaron with two monster climbs – the first on gentle fireroad for about an hour and the second on less gentle fireroads for about an hour and a half. Both are well worth it for the mind-blowing switchback descents though, which just go on and on. Oh, and the rocket-fuel-esque coffee in the town at the bottom of the first descent wasn’t bad either!

Tello A two hour-plus gentle fireroad climb out of Lanjaron which then drops down miles and miles of first smooth, then rocky singletrack down the valley. Switchbacks, stream crossings, rock gardens along the way and the “Wristbreaker” or “Brutus For Men” brutal technical rocky singletrack sections to finish.

Bubion About 45 minutes drive from Lanjaron, a fantastic day’s riding on inspirational mountain-hugging singletrack, including super-technical rock gardens and switchbacks. Some fantastic Spanish street-riding is included too, as you bomb down narrow alleyways, steps and cobbled streets to link singletrack gems.

Trevelez Probably the highlight of the week, starting in apparently the highest town in Spain. The ride which starts with a few kilometres of gentle fireroad climbing before dropping down what is surely the world’s most perfect singletrack – a smooth, swooping ribbon of dirt between rocks, trees and alpine meadows. Oh, and the “unrideable switchback” (only conquered by three people, I’m told). The trail descends on down through woodland, hugging the mountain side before dropping down through rockier technical sections and into a small village for a well-earned coffee stop. Then on down super-rocky switchbacks into a canyon before starting a 20 minute hike-a-bike out the other side – try and ride it if you can! Miles and miles of super-fast fireroad, interspersed with singletrack sections then lead back to Orgiva and home.

Orgiva A fairly short local ride out of Lanjaron, up the concrete hill, over the local ridge and back. Can take in the Wristbreaker en-route before dropping down narrow rocky singletrack and then steep loose chutes into Orgiva.

Granada The daddy of all routes, short yet epic. Includes all manner of trails, from singletrack climbing to technical rocky descending, much of which will have you concentrating harder than ever before, trying not to look at the enormous drop off the edge of the mountain most of the way round. A lunch stop half way precedes a flying descent down woody then more rocky trails before entering the moonscape valleys on the other side of the valley. Insanely tight, loose switchbacks lead you down and around the mountain side before heading back on the other side of the valley and dropping down towards Granada.

All in all, a week with Freeride Spain just cannot be put into words or recommended highly enough! With Simon’s unique (!) sense of humour, Emma’s fab cooking and Eoin and James’s fantastic guiding, there really is nothing left wanting. You don’t have to be super-fit as the pace can be gentle, it’s up to you, and start times and so on are pretty relaxed. Add in some of the best singletrack in the world, and it’s a dream mountain biking holiday, one which I’ll definitely be returning to many more times!