Andalucia Spain Jan 2005 with FreerideSpain
Whistler bike park has that impossible to break lure but now we have returned to somewhere in Europe, and the flights are even booked for another return in July as we speak.
Yes we love FreerideSpain The story from 2004 gives you the setup, so what's changed for 05.
Southern Spain hadn't seen anything like it before. Snow on the beach, frozen Oranges weighing down trees, and frozen pipes creating frozen sculptures all around.
We even put beer in the fridge to warm it up at night...mental.
Check out that fountain yes it really had frozen in the form of its jets, and that was taken on a bright sunny afternoon at 2pm.
Still the riding was superb and dry, oddly enough the region has only had 2 days rain in the past 3 months, so I guess they deserve some payback.
Made a few trails interesting when barreling round a corner to find your self on sheet ice, comedy moments a plenty.
As with most houses in the area, there's no heating so that lead to an almost nightly homage to the Calor gas fire and a great excuse for an early escape to the pub.
Guide Nick, was a new addition on us, and a superb addition to the whole set up. We didn't get to sample his legendary soup making skills but the offer of head-cam filming of our exploits, and crashes was snapped up, and looks superb.
Mid week the boarder dudes hit the slopes of Pradellano north of Granada, Simon drops you off no problem for a days fun.
It cost us 20 Euro's each for the kit hire and 30 for the days lift pass, and as you can see the slopes were packed (pic is about 2 pm) and there's about 60 Km's of runs too.
Apres ski, or mid ski if you were as knackered as us is great value compared to French resorts too, beer at usual Spanish bar prices is one hell of a distraction, as were the sunbathing babes.
That night we also hit the local Disco/English bar which Freeride are using more and more, one nights rest for hard working Emma saw us stuff our faces with superb food and plenty of Riocja. Free Internet access there led to this rambling though. JacksRant
The old favourite routes we've already discovered were supplemented with some new crackers, the Orange proved superb at blatting down the trails here, and was fun wrestling round the tight switchback's.
Caught a superb over the bars flip right on DVD too...oops.
There's loads of great Pic's over on the Photopic Gallery, have a whizz through them but click the ones below for my absolute favourites in their full glory.
So come on Plumsters get saving for 2006 how can you justify not going.
Oh and IanW.................nice lights mate, know which I'd choose
So what's the Cola Cao Challenge..........you may ask, but we are not telling...he he he.
Its going to be Mental