It’s cold outside. Most Freeriders are head over heals about the decent snowfall here in Austria. I, for myself, have been fighting an ugly cold for over three weeks now and would rather go outside and ride my bike. My efforts to start early with the prep for next season came abruptly to a halt. And patience isn’t my friend these days. But, it is a good time to look back at last year’s adventures and make plans for new ones to come!
There is a solution for everything
Good thing – it’s not cold everywhere in Europe. Destinations like the Canary Islands or Madeira hold several mountain bike hot spots. Last April, I had the pleasure to spent some time on La Palma and ended up on pretty exceptional trails.
La Palma is one of the best destinations to start the mountain bike season. Thus, I joined a group of seven guys for a week of ‘Enduro’. I had started quite late with my training and only had made some distance with the road bike just weeks before. So the plan was to work on my endurance and technique.
One week, five trails – so Enduro
I had booked the guiding at the Bike Station La Palma in Puerto Naos. The program was promising. I was looking forward to five days packed with diverse trails and technical challenges.
My expectations were high, but were readily met. The micro climates and different terrains were impressive. We biked through rainforests, over lava fields, sand and rock gardens. I quickly realized, that sliding through sand and loose stones is not my cup of tea. But man, I loved the rocks slides and the famous lava stream bed!
The week was a good preparation for what would come later in the season. I learned a lot and the experiences gave me confidence for the upcoming the Enduro One Series.
This year, we will also flee for warmer temperatures. Home remedies for the cold, please my way! I have-to-get-ready! T-21!