Welcome to Switchbacks XC-AM

• We offer lift-assisted, guided XC, All-Mountain singletrack holidays from May to October from our base here in Bubion, Southern Spain.
• Average weekly climbing 2000ms; average weekly DESCENDING 15,000ms all on singletrack.
• 2012 marks our 11th anniversary!
• Although aimed at the more experienced rider, we offer FREE SKILLS TUITION that gets near beginners tackling even the hardest of obstacles and trails. You can learn years of riding technique in a matter of days. This makes our holidays unique in that you get incredible riding while learning and progressing as a rider.
• 74 web and magazine write-ups and counting…

About Switchbacks

What do we offer you

• Endless singletrack descending!
• Support vehicles that shuttle you most of the way to the top for an average 20 minute warm-up climb.
• Daily singletrack descending: average 3-5 hours.
• FREE SKILLS TUITION.
• Customised rides to your needs so that you can go home a better, more confident rider.
• Singletrack and/ or fireroad climbing: average 1 hour per day.
• Guiding, airport transfers, accommodation, fully stocked workshop, bike wash, TV, DVD, breakfast & lunch supplies, laundry facilities, terrace, salon, selection of spare parts, etc.(Villa)
• Lots of beers , snacks and energy bars.
• Fully Stocked workshop.
• Full suspension bike hire (available on request)
• From 4-hour rides to all-day epics, Switchbacks Bubion has an endless supply of singletrack, fast-rolling descents to rocky and technical riding.
• Started 11 years ago by Michael Saunders, Switchbacks is a Spanish registered company constituted under Spanish law, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (Registro de Turismo Activo/Junta de Andalucia) and complies fully with all legal, financial and insurance requirements. Our official registration number is AT/GR/00087. We offer fully qualified guided riding in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Trails

Lift-assist all-mountain descending

• Weekly average of 15,000 vertical metres DOWN (video)
• Weekly average of 2,000 vertical metres UP
• Empty trails: no queues,  no braking bumps, no fire roads and nothing groomed.
• Terrain best characterised as dry, dusty, fast and flowing to rocky and a fair few switchbacks thrown in. (photos)

• Our trails, like those for skiing, are coded Blue, Red and Black. The majority of days will include all three levels with a steady development to red/black runs as the week progresses. For those worried about the black runs we can show you a few simple techniques that will get even beginners riding the most advanced trail conditions by mid-week. (MTB Skills coaching – contact us for more info)

Trail Names

• We have more than 30 named trails, here are a few examples:
• Blue: Crusty Dropouts, Flowtastic, The Don Juan, and Punctured Lung
• Red: Cresta Run, Demoraliser, Bryan Adams, Prodigal Son and Cop Killers
• Black: Abject Terror, John Thomas, 4 6″ Only, Lemmings and 57 Switchbacks

Location

Bubion, Sierra Nevada, Southern Spain

• 36° 57 min 0 sec, -3° 21 min 0 sec, 1350ms, population 357.
• Hot and sunny from May to Oct, can be very cold and snowy the rest of the year.
• A full suspension bike with a minimum of 5″ of travel is advised.
• Shorts and factor 50 sun cream during the day, maybe a hoodie for the evenings with little to no chance of rain.
• Moorish/ Berber architecture dating back 1000 years. (Bubion)  
• Set in the Poqueira Valley with views of the highest mountains in Spain to the north and Africa to the south.
• 4 excellent restaurants.
• Several bars, bank machine, super market.
• Most importantly has 3 brilliant singletracks dropping directly into it and 4 leaving!
  Prodigal Son, Punctured Lung and Hysterectomiser, Petrol Head, Wakey Wakey, Main Street and er hasn’t got a name actually.

Blog

Sun and more sun

Late rain and snow has turned to scorcio and more scorcio. Flowers are out and the peaks are topped with snow = the tracks are super grippy.

May 12, 2012

Check out our new DH video here

http://vimeo.com/40162292

April 12, 2012

Switchbacks on Facebook

For more info about us please ‘Like’ us on www.facebook.com/Switchbacks

April 3, 2012

Dave returns!!!

Dave ‘The Machine’ Irving is coming back for another seasons guiding here in Bubion. With a Cat 1 roadies licence, veteran of 10 years racing elite in both XC and DH in the US of A and now a winters worth of ‘new skool’ DH guiding down in Malaga under his belt – he is going to be faster than ever. Don’t even think about trying to catch him – either up or down!
Great to have you back man.

March 27, 2012

Switchbacks sponsors Irish Enduro Series

If you are entering the 2012 Irish Enuro race series you will be letting yourself in for a chance of winning a free holiday here in Bubion. Check details here:
www.irishendurochamps.com

March 21, 2012

Dirt Magazine Interview

Check out the latest issue number 121 for a story on – well me – mind, don’t expect much;) Also check out the spine….

March 1, 2012

1 x 10?

Decisions decisions? What to do, have got all the bits to try a new SRAM 1 x 10 combo – probably a 32 – 36 ratio. Mind am a bit worried that I might not be able to make it up my favourite climbs – Flowtastic and John Thomas. Maybe I should just get a bit stronger…..

February 29, 2012

MTBers Organised!?

Who would have thought it? You lot are getting so sorted that the spring is almost already fully booked and Sept is getting there too! Not that I am complaining, just might want to get your bookings in early this year to avoid missing out.

February 5, 2012

10% for Participants

We are offering for a short time only, 10% off a Switchbacks AM holiday for all those who took part in the CRC/ Switchbacks holiday give-away. Contact us for more details

January 27, 2012

Look out for our flyers in your next CRC order

January 24, 2012

Costs

• Switchbacks guided weeks for 2012 cost 495€
• 445€ for returners or groups of 5 or more.
• 375€ long weekend costs: includes 4 nights & 4 to 4. 5 days riding.
• Costs include: FREE tuition, guiding, full-time vehicle shuttles and support, airport transfers, breakfast and lunch supplies, beers and snacks, energy bars, TV, DVD, docking station, laundry facilities, fully stocked workshop, kitchen, salon, terrace, etc.
• You will need all your regular riding kit plus elbow, knee/ shin pads, about €150 spending money, and INSURANCE – a proof of medical insurance covering you for mountain biking and/ or extreme sports just in case. No insurance – no riding! For European citizens this must be supplemented by a European Health Card available online

Contact

• We check our email regularly and will contact you shortly.
• If you do not hear from us in 4 hours you may have been blocked by our anti-spam software, or our reply to you may have been likewise blocked by yours.
• If you have not heard from us please SMS us on 0034 660 623 305.