The Ultimate Peru MTB Adventure 12-days
Hot-springs, world-class terrain and culture on the ultimate MTB adventure tour with Ausangate!
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Our 12-day MTB adventure tour in Peru is crafted for avid mountain bikers looking for the full South American mountain biking adventure experience. On a trip that takes you through Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Ausangate, you can expect epic enduro-style riding, stunning scenery, and cultural immersion. You’ll tackle more than 12,200 m/40,000 ft. of descent and ride through ancient ruins on historic Incan trails that are over 500 years old. Six of the twelve days will be shuttle-assisted ride days; one of the ride days will be high altitude XC riding; two travel days for arrival and departure; and the three off-days will be used to travel, rest, service bikes, or explore places like Machu Picchu.
Mountain biking in Peru is a bucket-list item for tons of riders around the world. Book with Haku Expeditions to bike Cusco, Sacred Valley, and beyond! Not for nothing did pro MTBer Brett Tippie call his 10 day Cusco MTB adventure tour with Haku “one of the best mountain bike trips he’s ever been on.” Check out the itinerary below for this once-in-a-lifetime mountain bike holiday. Peru is waiting!
Ride Description: Since this is an intermediate to advanced level 12-day mountain bike adventure, you’ll be hitting all kinds of gnarly South American terrain, from narrow singletrack next to cliff sides, to burly stairs, to rock gardens.
(Psst — if you can’t fit in a full 12 day mountain bike vacation, check out a 7 day MTB adventure tour!)
Day by Day
Welcome to Peru! Today we will pick you up from the airport and shuttle you to your hotel. Today you can rest, put your bike together and get ready for the MTB Adventure tour at hand!
You can stay in Cusco or the Sacred Valley which we can discuss when you book.
Lodging Included
Get excited, because today is the first ride day of your epic Peruvian MTB adventure tour! In the morning, we’ll pick you up in our private shuttle and take you to the Sacred Valley, about 20 kilometers north of Cusco, to give you your first taste of the Andes. We’ll head to Lamay, a steep valley dotted with small adobe pueblos, and shred downhill singletrack for 13 km. We’ll take on ancient Incan trails, chunky Incan stairs, and natural hits with plenty of free-ride open sections at the top. The burly Inca stairs will be sure to get your blood pumping before finally dropping into Lamay village.
When we finish riding this first Lamay trail, we can either hit it again or ride any of the other many trails that are in Lamay Valley; one of our favorites is Lamay 3, where we’ll shuttle up through some breathtaking scenery to ride a fast and fluid MTB trail with switchbacks, a gnarly rock garden, and views of the famous Huchuy Qosqo. This one also ends in the town of Lamay. We will sleep in the Amak hotel in Huran.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Lamay 1
Distance: 16.78 km/10.42 mi
Max Elevation: 4334 m/14219 ft
Elevation descent: 1386 m/4547 ft
Ascent: 71 m/233 ft
Lamay 3
Distance: 7.22 km/4.5 mi
Max Altitude: 3542 m/11,620 ft
Ascent: 277m/908 ft
Elevation descent: 574 m/1942 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Sacred Valley AMAK
Food included: B, L, snacks
Today, we’ll hit the wide-open scree fields — check out pro MTBer Geoff Gulevich’s gnarly GoPro video from this part of his Haku mountain bike adventure. The shuttle will take us up to the Lares pass where we’ll hike our bikes up to 4462 m/14,600 ft. From there, we’ll rip free ride lines through the scree and ride down verdant mountainside down we hit an ancient Inca singletrack trail. We’ll pass high-Andean alpaca herds as we descend to the town of Calca, where we’ll finally have a chance to catch our breath after our dreamlike ride through the high country. There are many versions of the Lares trail. We can choose to ride it twice, or even a different version, if we have the time.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Lares with the scree field and waterway
Distance: 20 km/12.5 mi
Max Elevation: 4446 m/14,587 ft
Ascent: 184 m/603 ft
Descent: 1482 m/4862 ft
Lares Inca Trail section
Distance: 7.56 km/4.7 mi
Max Elevation: 4227 m/13,868 ft
Ascent: 55 m/180 ft
Descent: 566 m/1857 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Ollantaytambo
Food included: B, L, snacks
Time to rest up once again! After the Lamay and Lares rides, you’ll be ready for a day to eat, sleep, and rejuvenate. Or, if you’ve still got enough energy, you can visit places like the Temple of the Sun and the Wall of the Six Monoliths within it, or the Inca Granaries of Pinkulluna up on the hillside.
Today would also be a great day to visit the historical crown jewel of Peru, Machu Picchu — check out our optional Machu Picchu add-on. If you think you would like to explore the ancient Incan citadel, let us know and we’ll set up an excursion for you, complete with a tour!
Lodging: Hotel in Ollantaytambo
Food included: B
Today is, in a word, hardcore. We’ll hit Patacancha, which is famous for being one of the highest-altitude enduro races in the world at a whopping 14,500 ft, with rock gardens and narrow dirt switchbacks. As such, any bucket-list-worthy MTB adventure tour in Latin America wouldn’t be complete without it!
The course is split up into five stages, with tons of free-ride lines and cross-country-type terrain. There are multiple trails you can ride here — we’ll ride the section from the top all the way down past Patacancha and into Huilloc. There, we’ll have a home-cooked lunch with a local family. After that, we’ll ride a trail exclusive to Haku Expeditions though Huilloc alto before doing a local favorite Pumamarca. We will ride back into town and then pack up and head to Cusco!
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Patacancha Enduro
Distance: 17.3 mi/27.9 km
Max Elevation: 4435 m/14,552 ft
Ascent: 138 m/ 452 ft
Descent: 1551 m/ 5089 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Cusco
Food included: B, L, snacks
Today, we’ll hit some more trails without which your Peru MTB adventure tour would not be complete. The locals love these, so you’re in for a treat. Brujo is one of the sickest trails in the area — it’s an epic Enduro trail with some climbing and pedaling at over 3960 m/13,000 ft of elevation, boasting lots of rock gardens, ridge lines, and a few steep sections. The views are some of the best in the area and will leave you breathless for your last day of riding. When we finish Brujo, we can either ride the trail again, or head over to one of Cusco’s new trails, El Pastor. This trail has by far the most exposure of all the trails we have ridden and offers unrivaled views of the city.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Brujo AKA Milky Way
Distance: 8 km/5 mi
Max Elevation: 4225 m/13,860 ft
Ascent: 50 m/164 ft
Descent 846 m/2765 ft
El Pastor
Distance: 8 km/5 mi
Max Elevation: 4220 m/13,846 ft
Ascent: 141 m/462 ft
Descent: 954 m/3129 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Cusco
Meals: B, L, D, Snacks
The day starts at our Cusco shop at about 9:30 am. We’ll head out to the majestic area of Ausangate, a three-hour drive from Cusco. We will arrive at the home of a local in a very remote area in the Peruvian Andes, where you’ll be staying and eating. There will be a delicious Peruvian lunch waiting for us at the house. After eating, we’ll take a short, 3km hike or bike ride to acclimatize ourselves to the elevation; it is perfect for getting our body warmed up for day two. When we get back from the hike, we’ll enjoy some hot tea– the weather at this altitude is often pretty chilly! Dinner is at 7pm, after which you are free to sleep, or to visit the hot springs (if you dare!).
Lodging: Local home at base altitude of 4,373 m/14,347 ft
Food included: B, L, D, Snacks
Rise and shine! Today we’ll wake up bright and early for a 6:30 am breakfast, and head out at 7 am. There will be locals to accompany us, who will carry any additional gear we may need and help push our bikes when we cannot pedal. The hike up to the MTB trailhead is about 15-20 minutes; since the route is at a very high altitude, we’ll just take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
There will be a lot of pedaling today, with a combination of ascents and descents. After about an hour, we’ll come across the calm, emerald beauty of the first of many stunning glacial lakes of the day, with a hulking glacier just on the other side of it. As we continue on, high alpine alpacas will be grazing on either side of us. On the way down, we’ll ride by more glacial lakes and stunning views of towering, 6096m/20,000ft snow-capped mountains. We will end the trail at a set of hot springs, where we can relax before heading to lunch with our local family. After lunch, you are free to relax or head back up to the hot springs. We’ll have a light dinner and be free to sleep, hang out, and take in the beauty that even the Incans knew.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Ausangate XC Trail
Distance: 20 km/12.4 mi
Max elevation of 4876 m/15997 ft
Ascent: 655 m/2148 ft
Descent: 579 m/1899 ft
Lodging: Local home
Food included: B, L, D, snacks
Today we will have breakfast between 8-8:30. We will head out around 9 am to the Radar trailhead. Bill and Nic were the first to ever lay tracks on this crazy, seemingly never-ending enduro -style trail in the South Valley of Cusco, and from the moment they did it, they knew they’d have to share with other adventurous riders. After lunch at a local restaurant, we can either head back to Cusco or get one last Urban DH trail in before we call it a day.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Radar
Distance: 18.8 km/11.7 mi
Max Elevation: 4,468 m/14,658 ft
Ascent: 94 m/309 ft
Descent: 1367 m/4,487 ft
Urban DH MTB route
Distance: 6.52 km/4 mi
Max elevation: 3,770 m/12,368 ft
Ascent: 21 m/69 ft
Descent: 399 m/1,309 ft
Lodging: Hotel in Cusco
Food included: B, L, snacks
Get some rest today, you’ve earned it. Maintain your bike, eat, sleep, eat some more, sleep some more — all activities essential to the success of any MTB adventure tour. Riding at high elevation actually burns twice the amount of calories than at lower elevation, so load up on Peruvian superfoods like maca, tarwi, quinoa, and chia.
But if you aren’t too sore, there’s tons to do in Cusco. Visit the stunning ruins of Sacsayhuaman or experience the colorful authenticity of the San Pedro Market, just a quick 8-minute walk from La Plaza de Armas. There, you’ll find ladies in traditional dress at tiendas selling nectarines, nuts, and plantains, and other kiosks selling alpaca jumpers and pachamama dolls. Try foods like lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) and anticuchos (beef hearts) and indulge in local fruits like lucuma, granadilla, and chirimoya. If you have a soft spot for the arts, check out the contemporary tapestries at El Museo Maximo Laura or the ancient artifacts in El Museo de Arte Pre-Colombino. If the possibilities for today feel overwhelming, come by the shop, and any of our guides can give you tips on how to make the most of your day in Cusco!
Lodging: Hotel in Cusco
Food included: B
Today will be a sweet grab-bag of at least five trails in Cusco’s backyard (and some even in Cusco itself!). Today, you’ll encounter a thrilling variety of terrain — anything from jumps and berms to urban stair sections. And watch out for that occasional lost tourist!
There are tons of trails to choose from, including some of the few trails in Peru that were actually built specifically for mountain biking. Many of these trails are used by local Cusco mountain bikers. They throw their bikes on a bus for just a couple of soles and ride them for the day. We can tailor which MTB trails we want to ride depending on the group’s skill and energy levels.
Check out pro MTB rider Geoff Gulevich shredding one of the day 4 trails here.
MTB Adventure Tour Trail Stats:
Here are just a few examples:
Steep and techy mtb route Santa Maria
Distance: 5.6 km/3.5 mi
Max elevation: 3860 m/12,664 ft
Ascent: 79 m/259 ft
Descent: 600 m/1967 ft
Enduro All Mountain MTB route Desmuellada combo
Distance: 7.32 km/4.55 ft
Altitude: 3776 m/12,388 ft
Ascent: 48 m/157 ft
Descent: 450 m/1476 ft
Urban DH mtb route with jump sections
Distance: 6.52 km/4 mi
Max elevation: 3,770 m/12,368 ft
Ascent: 21 m/69 ft
Descent: 399m/1,309 ft
Yuncaypata Classic MTB route
Distance: 7km/4.5 mi
Max elevation: 3769 m/12,365 ft
Ascent: 61 m/200 ft
Descent: 449 m/1473 ft
Steep flow Long Live Broggi MTB route
Distance: 2.4 km/1.50 miles
Max Elevation:3776 m/12,388 ft
Ascent: 9 m/30 ft
Descent: 238 m/780 ft
Distance: 7.25 km/4.50 mi
Max Elevation: 3957 m/12,982 ft
Ascent: 90 m/295 ft
Descent: 577 m/1893 ft
And these are only some of them! As you can see, there are a lot of options for today, and the fact that we have a private shuttle means that we’ll be able to bag a ton of them with ease. Once we’re worn out, we’ll head back into Cusco for a cold beer and a shower.
Lodging: Hotel in Cusco
Food included: B, L, Farewell Dinner
General Information
What’s the price? And what’s included?
The price is $2,495 per person with guaranteed departures! Hop on one of our preplanned mountain bike trips or bring a friend and choose your dates!
Included in this price are:
Not included:
NOTE: As this is South America, things like route closures, weather, labor strikes, and landslides can cause unexpected changes in plans, so your cooperation when our itinerary needs to be flexible is appreciated.
Peru’s currency is called the Nuevo Sol. You’ll be able to exchange US currency for the Sol easily in Cusco. The exchange rate often fluctuates between 3.7 – 4 sol per US dollar.
We recommend you bring cash. Peru is still a cash society. Most people don’t have bank accounts as Peruvian banks charge up to $15 per month just to have the account open. So, services like Venmo, Pay-Pal, and Apple Pay aren’t used here. Most local stores, taxis, and local restaurants are cash only.
ATMS charge around $8 to take out $60-200. Banks only allow a small withdrawal daily. Thus, it’s probably a good idea to withdraw a good sum of cash before you come to Peru unless you have a bank that returns the ATM fees. You can also try the app called ATM hero and do a little research before you come to decide if an ATM card or cash is best for you.
The USD, EURO, CAD cash you bring should be non-ripped bills. Small rips or bills that are written on are not accepted for exchange.
Seeing as Peru is a cash society and it is difficult to withdraw large amounts of cash, we require your balance be brought in cash.
TIPPING: Local restaurants generally do not require a tip, however, leaving a few soles is a nice gesture. Tourist restaurants are generally a 10% tip.
Tipping your guide in Peru is generally 10-15% of the price you paid for the tour. Drivers are generally the same amount in soles. (If you tip a guide 200 USD the driver would get often 200 soles) Tips should always be based on performance and are never obligatory.
Each person is required to have a specific travel/trip insurance outside of your credit card or regular medical insurance.
You should get comprehensive coverage with trip interruption/cancellation and with personal liability. Mention all activities that you will be involved in such as mountain biking, hiking at high altitude and whatever other activities you may have planned.
We do not provide refunds. If you should get hurt or sick not only will travel insurance cover your medical expenses it will also cover the lost portion of the trip. Make sure you have trip interruption or trip cancellation included! South America is famous for people striking and shutting down all activities. If you miss your Machu Picchu trip, Galapagos or any other side trip, or even your flight due to strikes the insurance will cover the loss or additional costs that are incurred.
Check out our blog on travel insurance and why it is a must for any South America Vacation!
We include airport pick up and drop off at the Cusco airport with your mountain bike.
On this 12 day itinerary we include arrival day and departure day. You can fly in on day 1 and oout on day 12 if you prefer. 11 nights of lodging is included.
A driver will be waiting at the Cusco airport for you with a sign with your name. He will not arrive early. If you flight arrives early please wait for him to arrive at the original scheduled time of arrival.
We offer to pick you up any date you arrive. Therefore, if you would like to arrive early we will pick you up and store your bicycle for you. We also offer to take you to the airport on any date you leave from Cusco. We do not offer this service from another area such as the Sacred Valley.
This trip begins and ends in Cusco Peru. You will want to look for flights to Cusco (CUZ) which will always require a layover. Layovers are often in Bogota or Lima. Layovers are often long and arrivals to Lima are generally around 2am-3am. If you choose a flight all the way to Cusco then you only pay once for your mountain bike which is the first flight you take.
You can also fly into Lima and spend a night there before flying out in the morning. If you choose that option let us know so we can help with your bicycle logistics. This requires that you pay a second time for your bike. Latam charges $35 USD on national flights.
Check if you need a visa for any of the countries you may pass though such as China. Some countries require it even when passing though, others will allow you to stay in the airport in a special area without leaving. Be sure of your layover countries visa requirements.
Before booking flights look into how much baggage you are allowed and how much an oversized bag will cost you. All bicycles are oversized. The price ranges so check this before booking the flight. We recommend you call the airline beforehand.
IMPORTANT: Generally anytime you land in another country you need to get your luggage and rescan it or re-check it for security purposes. Every country is different so check ONCE YOU ARRIVE, do not count on the front desk lady who checked you in at your first airport. In Lima you must re-check your bags/bike. Make sure you have enough time during your layover for migracions and the bag check.
Cusco is at very high altitude so we suggest arriving early if possible to acclimatise.
We recommend you bring a full-suspension all-mountain, trail, or enduro bike.
These days, the trail bikes have become more like enduro bikes and the enduro bikes have become more like DH bikes. Therefore, what we recommend is a full-suspension mountain bike with 140mm or more of suspension in the front and rear.
We also recommend that you have a tubeless tire setup and tires such as Maxxis Minion, Highroller, or Assegai.
For the bike:
Our Mountain bike tours include breakfast from your hotel and lunch on ride days.
All of our MTB rides include lunches at local restaurants or meals in the homes of locals who live on the trail. All of the food we eat for lunch is produced locally and more often than not organic.
Most meals are a large bowl of soup followed by a main meal. The main meals are generally meat, chicken or trout along with rice, potatoes and vegetables. Most lunches do not contain flour. In the case that you do not eat meat you can get a plate that has rice, eggs and fried plantain. All of our meat is free range, grass fed and produced by local farmers with small farms.
If you have dietary restrictions please let us know so we can help you plan for the trip accordingly.
We provide snacks for the ride days. However, Peru does not have the same high calorie snacks that most developed countries have. Feel free to bring extra energy bars for the trail if you think you may want snacks you already enjoy!
We provide water for the rides. You will need a bottle or camepack to fill.
This mountain bike trip does not provide dinner (Except the farewell dinner of course!) We have chosen to do this so that you can choose where you want to eat at night. Cusco has an amazing food scene and there are many places to choose from!
Reviews
I’ve crossed off a lot of locations on my mountain bike bucket-list: Alps, Rockies, PNW. Along the way I’ve used a number of different guides and outfits, but the time and trails shown to us in Peru by Haku Expeditions was another level of adventure. Our 10-day MTB adventure tour was unlike anything I’ve experienced, with daily 3000m shuttles, the flexibility for as much or as little riding as we wanted, and exposure to the traditional Peruvian way of life in a respectful manner. To top it off, the trails were beyond good — real singletrack — real corners — endless flow on ancient trails.
For me, the highlight was the Ausangate Loop and expedition. With the 6384m peak poking through the clouds above us and avalanches rumbling down glaciers in the distance, we rode high speed alpine singletrack past glacial lakes and towering scree fields. By the time we were back at the hot springs, I had re-added Peru to the top of my list.
Traveling to Peru with Haku was absolutely incredible, Bill and Nic are truly amazing people and embedded in the local communities and riding scenes.
Our trip took us 10 days and gave us three unique expeditions culminating with a 3 day trip to Ausangate where we stayed with locals, rode epic terrain, saw amazing scenery and enjoyed the natural hot springs.
The riding was incredible, the scenery was amazing but what truly sets Haku apart is the people. When you travel with Bill and Nic you are part of their family and hence part of the community, they are thoroughly invested in the fabric of the community and it offers you such a candid and unfiltered view of this beautiful country and the people who make it so special.
Not only that, they are so incredibly well organized and thoughtful about every stage of the trip. From the food, snacks, accommodations, travel, scheduling, spare gear, bike support, airport transport.... it's a DIALED program.
Going with a group of core friends was great and allowed for a really cool bonding experience during a time when it meant the most. I will always remember this trip and the people I met along the way, I cannot thank Bill and Nic enough for this experience.
Do yourself a favour and book Haku.
This 12-day mtb adventure tour in Peru is for avid, intermediate to advanced mountain bikers who practice downhill, enduro, or XC-stye riding and want to be challenged and amazed with world-class terrain.
Mountain biking Peru is no walk in the park; this tour is not for beginners . If you’re new to mountain biking, check out some of our less demanding trips, such as our Inca Legends ride or our Andes to the Amazon tour.
Our 12-day MTB Adventure Tour is ideal for you if:
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Haku Expeditions donates 1% of all profits to support local education programs.
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What’s the price? And what’s included?
The price is $2,495 per person with guaranteed departures! Hop on one of our preplanned mountain bike trips or bring a friend and choose your dates!
Included in this price are:
Not included:
NOTE: As this is South America, things like route closures, weather, labor strikes, and landslides can cause unexpected changes in plans, so your cooperation when our itinerary needs to be flexible is appreciated.
Our Cross Country MTB tours take you from one spectacular destination to the next. On these, you’ll cycle literally across whichever country you’re visiting. For instance, check out our Andes to the Amazon tour, where you travel from Cusco to the Peruvian Amazon.
Our current XC vacations are made up of long-distance rides on backcountry roads. If you are looking for XC singletrack, get in touch with us, and we’ll set up a one-of-a-kind MTB tour suited to your needs.
How we define XC: Anywhere from old logging or fire roads to rolling singletrack, Cross Country trails are generally long distances with both ascents and descents. While trails may be somewhat technical with rock gardens and tight switchbacks, they generally do not have intense steep rock gardens like those you might find in DH or Enduro racing.
An XC bike is often lighter with a slacker head tube angle for better climbing ability and tends to not have a dropper post although the trend is changing. Usually it will be a hardtail or a full suspension bike with a smaller amount of suspension — 100-130mm.
Most XC riders do not wear pads such as elbow or knee pads and wear a half-shell helmet.
Our MTB expeditions are multi-day trips that involve camping, hiking and/or local home stays in the mountains with cooks and porters. At the moment Haku Expeditions offers one complete mountain expedition and also two packages that combine an MTB vacation with a smaller expedition nestled in it.
The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.
At the moment we do not offer a 100% DH trip. Contact us and we can make a custom trip for you! Below, you’ll find our Enduro MTB tours listed that are mostly all downhill and can be done either with a DH bike or an Enduro bike.
How we define DH: DH riding – or Downhill riding — is regarded as an intense, extreme kind of cycling, made for advanced riders who love to navigate roots and rocks and huge drops with furious downhill speed. It requires a stellar sense of balance and technique and a bike with slacker geometry.
The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.
Our Enduro/All-Mountain MTB tours are by far our most popular trips to date. While some of them focus more on descent like Ecuador and Peru, others include plenty of pedaling such as those in Colombia and Nepal.
How we define Enduro/All Mountain: Enduro mountain biking, also known as All-Mountain biking, emphasizes technical ability. If you’re looking for a more adventurous ride, this is the kind of ride for you; usually, an Enduro/All-Mountain trail will involve adrenaline-pumping downhill mountain biking along with sustained climbs.
Enduro riders need bikes that can take burly drops and rugged technical obstacles efficiently while still being light enough to climb with; they almost always use full-suspension bikes with wide tires and longer rear and front suspension travel. Dropper post is a necessity and standard. The front suspension can be anywhere from 140mm to 170mm. Full-face enduro helmets and body amour are a must for Enduro racing.
1 – The Haku Christmas Drive, which includes yearly clothing giveaways, shoe drives, and a public hot chocolate panettone lunch.
2 – School supply giveaway for children of the High Andes.
3 – Bringing bread and fruit to kids living at elevations where none is available.
4 – Facilitating connections between local organic farmers and local restaurants.
5 – Affordable MTB classes for locals taught by professional coaches.
6 – Sustained commitment to hiring out locals to work as drivers, office workers, etc., allowing a great amount of flexibility for family commitments, and paying them fair, livable wages.
7 – Donating 1% of all profits to help educate children in a technical field such as carpentry.
8 – Helping young adults begin a small business working in their technical field or purchasing products from them to help them get started after high school.
1 – Getting your heart rate up isn’t really your thing, and you rarely (if ever) exercise. Your idea of a perfect vacation is total relaxation: sitting on a beach, sipping a mojito, and just generally vegging out.
2 – You don’t necessarily work out regularly but you aren’t averse to the idea of doing something active. Although you don’t exercise that often, you don’t necessarily consider yourself out of shape.
3 – You exercise one to two times a week but do not have a normal schedule that keeps you biking or doing other activities weekly. You don’t go to the gym or train for any specific sports but you lead a relatively active lifestyle by biking, hiking, skiing, or whatever it may be. For biking: climbs and long descents give you some trouble and you tend to get tired after about 2-3 hours on the bike.
4 – You exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued.
5 – You exercise at least 4 times a week and are an avid athlete that is consistently in good shape. You’re more or less game for any kind of adventure. For biking: you’re comfortable with being on your bike for 5-7 hours a day.
6 – You live and die for exercise, sweat, and suffering. You only want to climb higher, go farther, and prove how much of an animal you are. Steep climbs, long descents and big days are something you are looking to do more of and you can’t wait for your next adventure.
Beginner:
You’ve been riding a mountain bike for a couple of years or less and you’re most comfortable on smooth single-track and wider, forgiving doubletrack. You like rides with scenic views; you like both ascending and descending on well-maintained, safe trails. You’re looking for an active but relaxing mountain bike vacation; you’re not into jumps, drops, super steep trails, rock gardens, roots or taking big risks on your bike.
Intermediate:
You’ve got two plus years of experience mountain biking on single-track trails under your belt; you’ve gotten pretty confident behind the handlebars and are beginning to expand your mountain bike abilities. You like riding most types of terrain, and you’re comfortable both climbing and descending on single-track trails with smaller technical features such as rocky sections, small drops, and small steep sections. You aren’t trying to walk on most of the trail and are looking to take small risks with things like speed, jumps, rock gardens, and stair sets to improve your skills as a mountain biker.
Intermediate Tech:
You’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.
Advanced:
Ten plus years of experience riding single-track, freerides and biking of all sorts. You live for steeps, jumps, rock gardens, techy trails, long descents, big ascents and discovering new terrain. Mountain biking is one of your passions and you are ready and confident to do what you love in a new and challenging place. You can handle anything we throw at you — jumps, rock gardens, steps, technical descents, tough ascents, etc. Biking is a central part of your life. For you, the bigger the challenge, the more excited you get.
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Last November I went on the trip of a lifetime. A group of my closest childhood friends visited Peru on a 10-day mountain bike trip. It was nothing short of FUCKING AMAZING. Having grown up riding bikes, I love every aspect of the sport that consumes my personal life. But that wasn’t what I was most excited for, it was to experience a new culture, a new landscape, and take in the raw elements of Peru. And doing it with close friends while welcoming each and every person we crossed paths with along the way. The Ausangate adventure day did just that - It revealed the true heritage and culture of the country, in a setting that was not surrounded by tourism. The raw experience of Peru that I was seeking, came during those 3 days at 10,000+ elevation.
Bill and Nic are complete legends and accommodated all of our needs flawlessly.