“How hard is this ride?” We believe describing the difficulty of each trail or ride should have the baseline understanding that,
1. Mountain biking is hard.
2. You are outdoor, athletic, adventurous and the type of traveler looking for a adventure
3. You are looking to find the right ride to challenge you while maintaining safety.
We have adopted the IMBA trail symbols (Green Circle, Blue Diamond, Black Diamond and Double Black Diamond) but added our own twist. Each Ride has a Technical rating as well as Fitness challenge. A key piece to remember — the ratings are relative to the adjacent trails, or in this case, Ride. For example, Green Circles are easier than Blue Squares. Where this rating system is often confusing is when there is an assumption the ratings are intended to be equals across different trail networks. You may have a Black Diamond in your hometown that you shred all the time. That doesn’t mean when you go to British Columbia and ride a Black Diamond, it will be the same.
Our rating system will help you navigate the difficulty and differences between our Rides. Rides are designated with the average Technical and Fitness ability for the full multi-day experience.
The Technical — Typically, green Rides are safe for beginners. Green Rides may have both avoidable and unavoidable obstacles. Trails are generally low grade, wide, consistent surface texture and have minimal features. You are likely to come across unavoidable obstacles 2‑inches or shorter, which is small enough for mountain bike tires to simply roll over. More challenging than tarmac, but in general, a wonderful Ride for those riders new to mountain biking or looking for a casual experience.
The Fitness – You should be ready to spend 2–4 hours per day on the bike. Mileage may be up to 30km/20 miles and elevation gain will be under 500m/1500feet. On e‑MTB tours, numbers will be higher, however the approximate effort would be considered similar to a standard Green Circle ride. If you get on your bike once a week, you will be just fine. However, when preparing for a Ride, you will benefit from more rides and time in the saddle.
The Tech — In general, blue trails are narrower than green trails, encounter unavoidable obstacles such as roots, rocks, and drops that are up to 8‑inches tall. You will want to have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of mountain biking including body positions, powerful braking, cornering, riding on varied terrain, steep sections and experience riding trails that requires line choice. Airtime is not mandatory, but you will find yourself on trails with alternate lines giving you the option.
The Fitness – Blue should be considered a good deal more effort than our Green Rides. You should be able to handle 3 to 5 hours in the saddle covering up to 45km/30miles and be able to pull off a big day of 1000m/3000feet of elevation gain. Managing fuel is important as well. You should have a good understanding how your body responds to multiple days on the bike. We will help with positive coaching, a manageable pace and plenty of trailside snacks.
The Tech — The Black Diamond Rides are suitable for riders looking for that edge. Maybe it’s the edge of a drop, the edge of a cliff, or singletrack requiring focus and fast reactions developed from extensive experience riding “the edge”. You will find yourself on steep trails of varied surfaces. In the Pacific North West that could be slick roots and loam, in Nepal you will find exposed granite in the Mustang Valley and in Guatemala it maybe narrow stairways through cliffside villages. While airtime is rarely required, the ability to find the backside or clean a tabletop should be comfortable or in a state of progress. Obstacles on Black rides are likely to be outside the range of your bikes ability to cover your goofs with its awesome suspension and grip.
The Fitness – A Black Fitness ride will test you. Aside from needing to be able to manage up to 6 hours on the bike, day after day, including distance up to 50km/30miles and elevation gains up to 1750m/5000feet of climbing, you will be adding extra challenges along the route like periods of hike-a-bike and the extra effort required by the whole body to safely dance with your bike over technical terrain. Generally, riders who are up for a Black Fitness ride, likely spend time on the bike a couple times each week.
The Tech — The Black Diamond Rides are suitable for riders looking for that edge. Maybe it’s the edge of a drop, the edge of a cliff, or singletrack requiring focus and fast reactions developed from extensive experience riding “the edge”. You will find yourself on steep trails of varied surfaces. In the Pacific North West that could be slick roots and loam, in Nepal you will find exposed granite in the Mustang Valley and in Guatemala it maybe narrow stairways through cliffside villages. While airtime is rarely required, the ability to find the backside or clean a tabletop should be comfortable or in a state of progress. Obstacles on Black rides are likely to be outside the range of your bikes ability to cover your goofs with its awesome suspension and grip.
The Fitness – A Black Fitness ride will test you. Aside from needing to be able to manage up to 6 hours on the bike, day after day, including distance up to 50km/30miles and elevation gains up to 1750m/5000feet of climbing, you will be adding extra challenges along the route like periods of hike-a-bike and the extra effort required by the whole body to safely dance with your bike over technical terrain. Generally, riders who are up for a Black Fitness ride, likely spend time on the bike a couple times each week.
Start Planning Your Sacred Ride
Designed for mountain bikers of all skill levels who crave adventure and shivers-down-your-spine amazing trails, our Mountain Rides feature epic riding on some of the most revered and sought-after slices of mountain on the planet, with heaps of other incredible travel experiences to write home about.
Finally holiday together without compromise! Our new Bring-Your-Partner Rides are designed for experienced mountain bikers with partners who don’t mountain bike.
For the mountain bikers we’ll have incredible singletrack riding; for the partners we’ll have lots of fun activities, from hiking to cultural adventures, yoga, spa activities and more. We’ll also have plenty of fun activities to do together!
Gravel Biking. The name is both perfectly fitting and misleading at the same time. The surface will be gravel, paved, dirt and even smooth trail. When you toss your leg over a gravel bike, you buy a ticket to endless routes nearly void of cars, with access to remote and breathtaking destinations. The ride will have you hooked.
Our Women’s Rides have been designed by women who ride, for women who ride (or for women who want to try mountain biking!)
Our gals only rides are designed to offer guidance, practice, time and encouragement in the company of like-level riders. As a seasoned rider, with years of experience under your tread, we also know pedal time is progress time, allowing you to cover and explore more trails in unique destinations around the globe.
Challenge yourself, learn new skills, experience unique destinations and laugh out loud with us on one of our epic mountain bike adventures for women!
Explore incredible destinations around the world with a little extra boost on our e‑mountain bike rides. You’ll cover more ground, conquer longer climbs and discover new trails, cultures and landscapes with the power and possibilities of our e‑mountain bike fleet.