Do you ever feel like you’re just riding in circles on your local singletrack? If so, a guided mountain bike tour in a far away place is just what you need in 2012. Aside from getting to shred new dirt, most multi-day guided trips allow you to focus on riding while leaving boring details like eating and sleeping to someone else.
There are dozens upon dozens of guided mountain bikes trips and tours available all across the planet! If you want to do a little research to find the trip that is right for you, spend some time with The Google, or just go to our mountain bike trips page.
But to whet your whistle for adventure and give you a small taste of what sort of guided mountain biking opportunities are out there, here are six dream-worthy expeditions that you could take this year.
Inca Trail: Sacred Rides
Photo: Sacred Rides.
One of the keys to Incan domination was their extensive network of roads and trails they built throughout the Andes. According to some estimates, the Incas left behind over 10,000 km of trails and roads. Thousands of those kilometers still remain, making Peru possibly “the world’s best undiscovered mountain bike destination,” according to Sacred Rides.
That claim doesn’t seem to be much of a stretch, either. The Olleros trail, for instance, is hailed as the world’s longest downhill, dropping 11,000 vertical feet from the tops of the mountains all the way down to sea level! This trip incorporates many other epic trails, as well as some historical exposure including a visit to the famous city of Machu Picchu (not included in trip price).
For more information on this trip, check out the Sacred Rides website and a ride report that was previously posted here on the Singletracks blog. Also, there’s a version of this same trip that’s much more freeride-oriented that you can learn more about here.
Cost for this 10-day adventure: $2,495 CAD.
Durango to Moab: Hermosa Tours
Photo: trek7k.
Durango and Moab are two very well-known mountain bike destinations–you’ve all definitely heard of them. What you may not know is that between Durango and Moab lies some of the best singletrack that the famous Colorado Trail and La Sal mountains have to offer!
Hermosa Tours offers a 6-day guided trip from Durango to Moab that includes more pristine singletrack than you can shake a pedal wrench at!
In addition to its remoteness, one of the most appealing aspects of the trip is the numerous climate zones that you will travel through: everything from high-alpine to desert.
Cost for 6 days: $1,295
Trek7k did a similar trip a couple of years ago with a group of friends, except they did it without guides by using the San Juan hut-to-hut system. Cost for a 7 day hut-to-hut journey with San Juan is $850.
You can read about trek7k’s journey here:
The Ultimate BC Adventure: Sacred Rides
Photo: Sacred Rides.
Who hasn’t dreamt of riding in British Columbia? BC is basically the best place on earth to ride a mountain bike, and over the course of this 13-day trip, Sacred Rides will guide you on some of the best singletrack BC has to offer.
You may have not heard, or at least not paid much attention to, some of these towns before: Fernie, Rossland, Revelstoke, New Denver, and Golden. As Sacred Rides puts it: “Leave Whistler and the North Shore to the tourist hordes – interior BC has all the goods, with a tiny fraction of the crowds. On many of the trails we’ll ride on this trip, we’ll be the only ones out there. . .”
From shuttle run repeats to all-day epics, this trip will deliver up the BC goods to you on a silver platter!
Cost for 13 days: $2,995 CAD.
Sawtooth Singletrack: Western Spirit
Photo: Western Spirit.
This trip is your ticket to the sweet stash of singletrack in Idaho’s Sawtooth Range. Starting in Sun Valley and then heading deep into the mountains, you will be surrounded by hundreds of miles of singletrack trails… and you’ll have a chance to sample about as much as you can handle! Get ready for many miles of technical riding at elevations of 6,000-9,000 feet.
Cost for 5 days: $1,225
Treasures of the Himalaya: Sacred Rides
Photo: Sacred Rides.
The Himalayas.
Just the name of this mountain range conjures up mental images of the perpetually snow-covered peaks towering high in the sky, higher than any other mountains on the planet. This trip will take you near some of these massive peaks on historic trails that have been traveled for hundreds of years. You will see two valleys with astonishingly different ecology, one of which is the deepest valley in the world. In addition to the epic Himalayan riding, you’ll also get to experience the rich culture and history of the region.
Cost for 12 days: $2,895 CAD
Sedona: Hermosa Tours
Photo: Hermosa Tours.
By the time February, March, and April roll around, it has been a long winter in many parts of the country. What better way to spring back into the mountain biking season with an early-season trip to the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona? With miles upon miles of singletrack ranging from historic routes to purpose-built trails, Sedona is guaranteed to make the memories of those wet, snowy months fade from your mind.
Cost for 5 days: $1,795
Of course this is just a sampling of the multi-day mountain bike trips out there so tell us, what one mountain bike trip would you love to go on this year?
See Also: “10 of the Best Guided Mountain Bike Trips in the USA [2024]“
5 Comments
Jan 10, 2012
Jan 10, 2012
I spoke with one of the guys from Hermosa Tours when they were in the planning stages for the Durango to Moab trip. The route this trip takes is completely different from the San Juan route since they're basically sagging you and your gear between singletrack riding destinations. So instead of a true point-to-point trip, the Hermosa trip is more like the others listed here. Plus, unlike my Durango to Moab trip which was 80% forest roads, this one is mostly singletrack.
This website has over 100 guided MTB trips listed, just choose "Mountain Biking" from the activity menu on the right side of the page.
Apr 1, 2012
Flagstaff's main trail system is on the San Francisco Peaks, just north of town. Arizonas tallest and most beautiful mountain, a dormant volcano. Don't miss Jedi, Supermoto and many more. Where Arizonans escape the summer heat and ride.
The Rainbow Rim and East Rim trails on the north rim of the Grand Canyon are all about world class views. Rainbow is more scenic as you're looking into the main part of the Grand Canyon at the view points in a pine forest. The East Rim Trail is part of the epic 817 mile Arizona Trail and is a more fun trail thru spruce/fir/aspen forest. Much less known.
Jan 10, 2012
Jan 13, 2012