For thousands of years, Spanish farmers moved their livestock from valley farms to graze in the high Pyrenees Mountains for the summer months. This movement created hundreds of incredible livestock trails, now rediscovered, and uplifted by local mountain bikers in search of adventure. This unique history of Spain has helped create a vibrant mountain bike scene you need to experience.
The trails crisscross over million-year-old sea beds, across wine-rich regions, through abandoned middle-age villages and along rocky foothills, before meeting the rugged Pyrenees mountains — the natural border between Spain and France. The terrain offers up the perfect ingredients for an awe-inspiring mountain bike trip. Technical singletrack riding in the heart of the Pyrenees is topped off with mouth-watering Spanish cuisine (‘tapas’ included), local wine pairings and fascinating, rich cultural experiences. Descend 4,000 vertical meters in one day, pedal by 1,000-year-old castles and take countless photographs — the memories you’ll create on this ride will not be forgotten.
Is This Ride For You?
You are a skilled mountain biker who loves a good challenge, long descents and a fair amount of pedal assisted pedaling to keep you in shape! You’re fine breaking a sweat if it means incredible views and getting off-the-beaten-track where the chances of seeing another mountain biker are slim. You thrive off epic descents with the help of your pedal-assisted mountain bike. You’re comfortable riding rocky terrain, including rock slabs, loose rocks, grippy rock, slippery rocks — rock on! You’re comfortable riding for up to 6 hours a day, for multiple days. You have a solid, well-maintained do-it-all trail E‑MTB. (with roughly 130–160mm of travel, dropper post and beefy tires. Rentals are also available). You love eating like royalty, trying new foods and learning about the local culture and history of the destination you’re visiting.
*e‑MTB is included in trip price.
Itinerary
Day 1. The Outskirts of Ainsa
We’ll pick you up from our partner hotel in downtown Barcelona at 11:00 am or from the Barcelona airport (BCN) at 12:00 pm.
To begin the trip, you’ll get to know the terrain and familiarize yourself with the area by traveling on the historic paths closest to the medieval town of Ainsa. These paths, some of which were included in EWS 2015 and 2018, feature classic drops and powerful climbs—perfect to give you a taste of what lies ahead in the next few days. This entire area, with more than 300km of trails offers variety and a range of options that you’ll get to explore in the following days.
Upon arriving in Aínsa, you’ll meet your guides, review the week’s itinerary, get your bike set up, and enjoy your first Spanish dinner together.
There will be an option to go for a quick ride close to town to get your legs spinning and warmed-up for the incredible week ahead!
Day 2. Valle del Ara
Rise and shine!
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then suit up to ride!
On the second day, we’ll travel to the area of La Solana in the Ara River valley. Depopulated because of a reservoir project that was never completed, this area has a mix of trails between forest and medieval stone walls and many uninhabited towns—or inhabited by people who fled the big cities in search of the tranquility this area offers.
After the ride we’ll head back to the hotel and get ready for a very special dinner and an amazing introduction to Spanish cuisine. Bring your appetite!
Day 3. La Fueva
Good morning Aínsa!
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll spend another day exploring the incredible trails around Aínsa.
Only 15 minutes from Ainsa you’ll find the Valley of La Fueva, always under the watchful gaze of the the fortress high above in Muro de Roda (“the wall of Roda). This fortress-castle will be our hub for the day, as many trails begin and end there.
This region has a strong Mediterranean climate, which you can see in the vegetation and rocky terrain. After the ride, we’ll enjoy a cold post-ride beverage and cheers to another day on the trails!
We’ll head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner in Aínsa.
Day 4. Guara
Rise and Shine!
We move to the south of Ainsa, to the region of la Sierra de Guara, known for its incredible ravines and Mediterranean forests—and the amazing trails between them.
Trails with hundreds of years of history await us, and to finish the day, we’ll visit a wine cellar where we’ll taste the excellent wines from this region in the Pre-Pyrenees (the foothills of the Pyrenees).
Dinner is on your own tonight and the guides can make recommendations on the best restaurants in Ainsa. Explore on your own or join other riders.
Day 5. Sierra de Arbe
We’ll enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then head south of Ainsa, an area that hides the beautiful town of Abizanda. from where the route that will take us to travel the best trails of the Sierra de Arbe, surrounded by Mediterranean forest, we will travel trails where the main characteristic is its conglomerate rock, such as marbles
Day 6. Abandon Villages in the North Sierra de Guar
Today we go to Nocito, a remote place without a doubt, with a very special energy—a place whose many kilometers of trails between abandoned towns and small rivers with natural pools make it a perfect place to ride.
Day 7. Wild Nocito
After waking up in the tranquil village of Nocito, we’ll take a route among stone trails that offers rolling terrain and some fun descents. We’ll continue traveling through the mountains, between abandoned villages and on trails with abundant history.
Day 8. Walls, Wines & Trails
On the way back to Barcelona we will explore Tremp, an area of the Catalan pre-Pyrenees famous for its large limestone walls and delicious wines.
In addition to being a climbing paradise, and thanks to the local riders, they now have undoubtedly some of the best descents in the Pyrenees.
You will find yourself riding trails full of rock and sandstone. You will be impressed by the excellent work the local trail builders accomplished.
We’ll check in to our hotel in Benasque, enjoy a final dinner together, share stories, and say “Salud” to an amazing adventure!
Day 9. Last Day, Best Trails in Tremp
For the last day, we expect without a doubt some of the best trails in the area. Technical trails that are a blast to ride. Though this is the last day, it will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
We offer a complimentary shuttle back to Barcelona. We will drop Riders off at the Barcelona airport (BCN) or provide a drop-off to our partner hotel in Barcelona in the late afternoon.
The following data represents a typical itinerary, but adventure travel can be unpredictable, and our Guides may need to make last-minute changes to ensure your enjoyment. Inclement weather, road closures, changes to the itinerary to accommodate requests, and other issues may affect the itinerary. The ride data represents an ‘average’ itinerary and may differ when you show up to ride. Our guides make every effort to stick to the itinerary as posted, but your safety is our #1 priority.
Day | Hours of riding | Distance ridden | Elevation gained | Elevation lost | Highest elevation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 16 | 4900 | 0 | 0 |
2 | 5 | 21 | 5900 | 0 | 0 |
3 | 5 | 20 | 5600 | 0 | 0 |
4 | 4 | 14 | 4300 | 0 | 0 |
5 | 6 | 25 | 5900 | 0 | 0 |
6 | 4 | 19 | 3900 | 0 | 0 |
7 | 4 | 17 | 5200 | 0 | 0 |
8 | 5 | 21 | 5200 | 0 | 0 |
9 | 4 | 19 | 5900 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 40 HRS |
Picture Yourself Here






































