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| Rocky Mountain Adventures - Rockies/Fruita/Moab |
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| Average Rating: 5 out of 5
No. of Reviews: 1
RRP: £1,000
Year: 2006 Description: 14 nights. Guided mtbing based in the Rockies with a 4 day trip to Fruita and Moab.
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|  | | Posted: 20/10/06
Updated: 25/10/06 | | 'Fantastic holiday, still dreaming about it.' | | Strengths:
Rode some incredible trails, sublime single track, downhills that went on for miles. Guides were excellent, friendly and flexible. | | Weaknesses:
Would have liked another week as I felt I had acclimatised to the altitude half way through the second week. To be fair RMA do offer extensions, I wish I'd explored this. | | Overall:
My only previous experience of organised mountain biking in America had been a day in the Nevada desert with an american Las Vegas based company. It wasn’t good, consequently as the departure date for my holiday approached a niggling dread began to fester in my gut. Would I be stuck for two-weeks with super-fit macho competitive xc-racers with egos that dwarf the Rockies?
To my relief my Rocky Mountain Adventure couldn’t have been more different.
The guides Martin, Kath and Sophie made an excellent team and complimented each others strengths exceptionally well. They had the right mix of skills, flexible client centred approach and were a good laugh. The other bonus is you don’t have to worry about being the only woman on the trip.
We were based in Breckenridge, Colorado for most of the holiday, but had a trip to Utah to ride Moab and Fruita.
Accommodation in Breckenridge was good, comfortable, clean and well equipped, including good washing/drying facilities and a hot tub and hammock in the yard for relaxing post ride. The town itself had a wide choice of places to eat, drink and shop. We took our own bikes, but there were plenty of options for hiring in Breckenridge. One of our group brought an empty cycle bag with him in case he found a bargain.
The riding round Breckenridge was fantastic, sweet flowing singletrack which always offered the option of a shortcut or an extra leg with an awesome downhill and included a lung busting uphill! The short cuts ranged from easy direct single track, bike path or bus. For instance, we rode the Peaks Trail from Breckenridge to Fresco, the ride culminates in an awesome FIVE-MILE downhill. Once we’d relaxed over lunch in Fresco some of our group opted for an awesome five-mile climb back up the Peaks trail, others took the flat cycle path and we caught the free local bus, our bikes on the rack out in front.
The riding in Fruita was fantastic, but Moab was the most extraordinary of my life, doing the legendary Slickrock trail and Porcupine Rim. The Slickrock trail is possibly the most famous and unique trail in the world. The red sandstone is so incredibly grippy you can ride up near vertical slopes without slipping. The Porcupine Rim was also incredible with four miles of technical, but manageable, climbing before 12 MILES of descent. This was initially on rocky jeep track with numerous drop-offs and finishing with the most exciting single track I’ve ever ridden. Both these days would be in my top 5 groundhog days.
Pandering to those of us who hated riding up hill, but loved descents, our ever accommodating guides took us to Keystone Ski resort which becomes an brilliant mountain biking venue in the summer. For $29 or £16 we got a days unlimited up-lift to a variety of trails including a 7 mile cross country decent to much shorter and steeper double black routes.
Were there any bike bargains? Definitely, a bike that can cost you £3000 at home will only cost you $3000. What you save on a bike and gear could pay for your holiday. BUT… Check your insurance to make sure it’s covered in case your luggage goes missing on the way home. It happens. It happened to one of us.
So now I’m dreaming of endless hard packed singletrack and saving for Rocky Mountain Adventures 10 day trip to Moab.
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| | | | Performance | | 100% | | Reliability | | 100% | | Value | | 100% |
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