2016 mountain bike tours reviewed

Rider reviews of our 2016 mountain bike tours around the world

It’s been a bit of an unusual year right across the globe, to say the least, but despite all this we’re really happy to look back on a very successful year of mountain bike tours in 2016.

We welcomed our first groups of riders to New Zealand and Chile + Patagonia, who had an absolute ball in our new southern hemisphere destinations, as you’ll see below, along with rider reviews from all of our 2016 mountain bike tours across this beautiful planet of ours.

Read on to find out what our riders thought of their experiences with us, and get some inspiration for your 2017 mountain bike tours…

Andalucía, Spain

“This trip is perfect for people looking to experience a mix of Spanish culture, fantastic food/drink, and of course, great mountain biking. The guides really make the trip special. They keep you entertained, introduce you to the Spanish way of life, and lead you up and down some little known Sierra Nevada mountain bike trails. This is a trip we will remember for the rest of our lives. Thanks H+I for all of the memories. We will be back for more!” Bretani and Chris, USA

>>Take two minutes to watch our Spain mountain bike tour video, and start dreaming of sweet Spanish singletrack!

Himalayas of Nepal

“H+I are the gurus of guiding! The trip to earthquake rattled Nepal was nothing short of epic, these guys know the country’s they guide in because they have locals on the ground but also because they have the modern methods & systems to make it a special experience. I’ve booked again!” Mark, New Zealand

>>Here’s a great little piece of drone footage from the Lubra Pass descent to whet your appetite!

Torridon + Skye, Scotland

“This is a Bike Tour with a capital B. H+I Adventures did an amazing job putting this together. Very professional and friendly from the first contact to the last goodbyes. I did the trip in May 2016 and the weather was with us all week, not a single drop of rain during the week. The trip included variable trails from flowy singletracks in Fort William to open mountain trails in Torridon. The trip is categorized as Advanced+ and that it was too. Long mountain days require good physical condition and for rocky technical trails you need to know how to dance with your bike. This was what I was after and I surely got it. I can still remember the feeling and views at the top of the mountain before starting 10km decend down. The landscape and views in Scotland are just amazing, truly epic. A very nice collection of accomodation and restaurants visited during the week. The other members of the group were really nice and the whole trip felt like a trip with good friends. Euan as our guide always did what was the best for the group. He picked the most suitable trails for us and was always there to give a hand if any technical problems with you bike. With H+I Adventures you can just do what you love, ride the bike, all the rest is taken care of. Surely not my last one with them. It was marvellous! Thanks Catherine and Euan” Marvellous Mike, Finland

Namibia, Africa

“Incredible trip and a great way to see the country as no other tourist will see it. The trip covers a huge area with very diverse terrain and climate. The temperatures ranged from 5C to 48C, and parts of the trip were in the areas that look exactly like the photos that Curiosity sent from Mars. The riding is not technically challenging, but you need to have some technical mountain bike skills and training to actually enjoy it. The heat, loose sand, rocks, gravel and very thorny vegetation add some extra challenge and opportunity to learn. Be prepared for long rides in vans as the distances are vast and only very few roads are paved. The highlight of the trip is Damaraland with out-of-this-world terrain and night skies. Etosha park is also a high note as the sheer number and the diversity of animals you will see is astounding. We enjoyed meeting the local people, tasting the local food (oryx! pinotage!) and the fact that in most places the water was safe to drink from the tap. Big thank you to H+I Adventures and our local guides for this experience.” Sasha, USA

Yukon, Canada

“OK, the beautiful flow singletrack in great scenery is a given. Add on top of that uplifts to take the sting out of every day, excellent guides who bring the history and culture of the region to life, delicious food right on the back of the Yukon culinary Festival, luxurious accommodation, plus two nights of the best aurora light show. This is a must do, and I will be back!” Gareth, UK

>>Watch our Yukon video and get a glimpse of adventure in Canada’s wild north

Slovenia (Austria + Italy)

“I had an amazing experience on the Slovenian Alps to Adriatic ride – our guides Danijel and Marco were fabulous and incredibly patient of a slow rider like myself 🙂 Every part of the tour has been thoroughly considered to give a wonderful experience, be it through the riding, the impressive scenery and the food and accommodation. I would highly recommend H+I to anyone looking for a riding adventure!” Lissa, Australia

>>Watch the video of our Slovenia adventure, from Alps to Adriatic

Cairngorms, Scotland

“Incredible, Inspiring, Magical, Uplifting, Life Changing…I could go on and on about the attention to detail and the love and professionalism that the H+I Adventures staff and mountain guides pour into each and every tour they offer but instead take my word for it and pick the adventure and location that suits you and your group so you can start to truly live for today instead of always finding a reason to not chase your passion and experience what the great sport of Mountain Biking has to offer. My Guide “Jono” instilled Safety, Confidence, Respect, Team work and Fun factor into each and every mile we rode in the Cairngorms. Thanks again Catherine for everything you and your team do and I look forward to my future trips with H+I!” Chance, USA

Chile + Patagonia

“The behind the scenes research that went into organizing this tour was evident with approaches taken to access the rides and the comfortable accommodations. This trip would have been next to impossible for us to organize on our own. The local guides were very knowledgable and accommodating too. Ernesto, our Chilean guide, is an expert mountain biker, but also passionate about the flora and fauna in the Chilean countryside. He took the time to explain the significance of the Araucaria trees and even showed off a “baby” Goliath bird eater spider on his arm…creepy but cool! We also spent an evening experiencing an traditional Mapuche meal and welcoming ceremony. With elements of adventure, ecotourism and cultural tourism, I thought H+I delivered an exceptional experience. There was a lot up uphill climbs on roads, but you were rewarded with incredible downhill, single track descents, satisfying the adventure part of the experience. Well done!” Michelle, Canada

>>Get a taste of adventure in Chile + Patagonia in our tour video

The Andes of Ecuador

“Simply fantastic! My third trip with the H+I team and once again they more than delivered on every element. The organisation, the accommodation, the food, the guides and most importantly the trails…oh the trails! How long were those descents??? So much fun and so much variation. The scenery was simply stunning and the itinerary allowed perfectly for acclimatisation to the altitude. Phenomenal. Special thanks also to all our guides and driver, you know who you are. What a beautiful country! I will be back.” Andy, UK

Coast-to-coast Scotland

“This trip exceeded our expectations – the scenery, the technical trials, the bogs, the midges, the incredible food, the delicious local brews, the long days on the bike . . . what a ride! We came to Scotland intermediate riders and left being able to ride down some of the craziest single-track I’ve ever seen – big, loose, and baggy! We loved the journey aspect of the trip. After multiple long days on the bike – through rivers, bogs, bothies, and up and over and around mountains – it felt like such an accomplishment to roll into Applecross and dip our toes in the sea. The logistics were seamless, the guides friendly, knowledgable, and skilled riders/mechanics, and everyone at H+I was an absolute pleasure to work with. We can’t wait for our next H+I adventure!” Christa, Hong Kong

>>Take a look at the video of our coast-to-coast adventure with Matt Hunter and Thomas Vanderham

New Zealand, South Island

“This is an awesome journey, no other way of describing it. New Zealand is a helluva long way from anywhere, but worth every air-mile. H&I have brought together a fabulous selection of rides, linked together by a great road trip across the stunning scenery of South Island – a simply a magical place. The logistics were seamless, the guides fantastic and the riding,was absolutely superb. Euan, Ash and Liam were brilliant company, and made the whole experience safe, exhilarating and, above all, huge fun.

Bike skills coaching by Ash along the route was brilliant, and I really appreciated the way in which we quickly came together as group. The Old Ghost Road lived up to expectations as an epic ride, but there were many other incredible days, not least Mount Pisa, and the beech-forest rides of Craigieburn. Mile after mile of fast & furious single-track through the stunning back-country South Island – Shred Heaven!

Anyone looking for a truly epic mountain bike adventure through magical landscapes should have this trip high on their ‘must-do’ list.” Julian, UK

Tastes + Trails of Scotland

“The H+I team surpassed all expectations and we would not hesitate to recommend them glowingly. First rate organization all around. My wife and I were pretty excited about the trip, but a little nervous going in never having done something like this, and being reasonably fit athletes but with little real mountain biking experience. We had absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Our group was fantastic and our guide Chris was outstanding. A common thread in our group was good fitness, lots of road bike experience, but relatively limited MTB history. Over the course of the week, under Chris’ guidance, encouragement and instruction we grew as riders, accomplished things none of us would have believed possible before (or even after) Day One. Most importantly, we had an incredible time riding through never ending eye popping scenery. Staying at unique and comfortable accommodations each night with well organized and thought out dinner plans was the icing on the cake each night. We will definitely be back to ride with H+I Adventures again and will gladly recommend them to friends.” Mike, USA

>>Discover our Scottish Tastes + Trails adventure