Trip 05 - España

Day 1

After filling up on a full English at the cafe near to the hotel we headed to Lyndon's place to sort out our riding equipment and choose one of the Yamaha 250cc TTR bikes that we would be using for the weekend. The first few hours of the morning gave Lyndon the opportunity to access each of our trail riding capability so that he could tailor the route to be taken over the course of the weekend.

Initially the whole group of eleven headed into the woods along a relatively easy track to a motor cross track where the group divided into two. Advanced and Novices. I chose to stay with the novices and I was glad I did. Lyndon decided to take us to an area of woods that was quite technical to assess each one of us through the narrow winding track through the trees lined with rocks. One by one we made our way up the small ascent with us either stalling the bike or losing our balance and falling off.

The point of the exercise was to learn the basic techniques to control the bike whilst climbing and descending various inclines. To tackle an incline the technique is to lean forward to stop the front wheel leaving the ground whereas when descending shift the weight to the rear so that when using the front brake to slow down on a loose surface the front wheel does not lock.

The rest of the day was spent riding through the foot hills of the Sierra De Las Nieves Natural Park along the gravel tracks to our overnight destination the Marbella Gun and Country Club near Monda. It had been a long and tiring day practising our new riding skills and I really enjoyed the cold beer waiting for us at the country club.

Mileage - Approx 20 miles

Early morning down by the misty lake 

View down the picturesque valley

Day 2

It was gone 11:30am by the time we left the Gun Club with Lyndon deciding to head north following the fire tracks that climb into the higher hills and I was able to apply the technique of standing with my arms loose just feathering the throttle and using the torque of the engine to control the speed of the bike along the winding undulating gravel track ahead.

No longer did I feel like I was hanging onto the bike once I had found the correct balance of leaning forward and letting my legs take the weight. Everyone in the group was now moving a lot faster as we gradually climbed up the track clinging to the side of the mountain and into the clouds that had descended around us obscuring what was probably a fantastic view from the 3200ft we were riding at.

It was now mid afternoon and we had a decision to make. Lyndon suggested that we could stay out on the trail and stay at a hotel he knew near the fresh water reservoir lakes or head back to Alhaurin el Grande. After a brief discussion amongst the group it was decided that most wanted to stay out for the extra night. The rest of the afternoon was spent riding across country to the Hotel La Posada Del Conde near Ardales.

That evening, still wearing our riding gear we made our way to a restaurant Lyndon usually uses for a lunch stop when in this area. We all enjoyed our beers and food in the warmth before all piling into the back of an old Land Rover to be taken back to our hotel driven by the owner of the restaurant!

Mileage - Approx 49 miles

Tiny gets some help descending a difficult steep slope from Dom

Day 3

Following our unscheduled night out and a breakfast of ham, cheese, bread, jam and tea we waited outside for Dom to join us so he could show us some of the new tracks he wanted to try out. While we waited Lyndon was having a joke with me about secretly using my GPS to record where we had been so that I could start my own trail riding business in competition!

Once Dom had arrived we headed off down to the shores of the lake to take some photographs of the group in the early morning sun with the mist quickly disappearing to reveal the hills beyond. After our brief stop it was time to head into the hills along the gravel laid tracks to seek out the 3000 year old graves that can be found at the side of the tracks. Rising higher and higher into the hills we came across a herd of goats being driven down the hillside by a man using a small trail bike giving us a chance to stop and take in the view behind looking down the hillside.

After filling up all the bikes with petrol Dom headed off across country and back into the hills along the unpaved roads that connect the small villages. We climbed up to a small church on the top of a hill at 2035ft where Dom explained that once a year there is a feast organised to bring together the young people of the surrounding villages. From this viewpoint we could make out the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance. From here we made our way back down the hillside toward the small town of Alora where we stopped for our lunch.

That afternoon we all faced one of the most difficult sections when we had to cross the Rio Guadalhorce with its fast flowing water over the rocks below the surface. Lyndon went over first and then waded back into the river to help each of us when we attempted our crossings. He told us to ensure that we hit the kill switch if we lost our balance and fell in the river so that the engine didn’t suck in any water. One by one we entered the river with the water rising to our knees and I found I could only just touch the floor with my toes. Slow I made my way across picking my way through the submerged rocks eventually reaching the bank on the other side. Mike wasn’t quite so fortunate and went over but remembered to hit the kill switch.

Mileage - Approx 61 miles

Jim and Paul tackle the river crossing

  Tiny makes it over with only wet feet but Mike takes an early bath

Day 4

Not many groups make it to the fourth day, according to Lyndon and he was quite impressed with our stamina. I had a few bruises from my many tumbles but I was looking forward to our last day.

Our first destination of the day was the motor cross track, which we saw on the first day. This time we would be doing a lap of the steep banked corners and rutted track. The lap record is 35 seconds but we were never going to beat it but that wasn’t the point. Everybody had improved over the previous three days and going round this track proved that, something we never dreamed of tackling on the first day.

Next came the Canyon run with a steep descent into a dry river bed. I went first controlling the bike with the front brake and leaning back to reach the bottom. Following the sandy track we then had to face a steep ascent to get back out. I made my run, accelerating building up enough speed to get me up the incline. Keeping my weight forward I started to climb but was forced off course by the rutted track. The bike came to a stop about half way up. I struggled to get the bike restarted and maintain clutch control, but I eventually managed to get to the top.

Geordie Way is so named after a group from Newcastle attempted this difficult and muddy track through the woods on a rain soaked day, taking around two hours to complete approximately half a mile of track. This gave us an idea of how difficult it was going to be but Lyndon explained that if we tackled it in sections we would get to the top. The narrow track meandered amongst the trees giving very little room for error. We would have to be committed keeping the bike under control. I found myself at the front, which was probably the best place to be because I didn’t have to watch has each one of us attempted the climb. I managed to get to the top, only stalling the bike once and without falling off the bike. The sense of achievement I felt at the top was unbelievable. It became a team effort getting everyone else to the top as we all help each other by pushing and picking the bikes up the hill. Lyndon was impressed with our teamwork and camaraderie in tackling Geordie Way.

Mileage - Approx 8 miles