NEW! FIVE-STAR SINGLETRACK TOUR: British Columbia XC

What if you wanted to design the best mountain bike holiday in the world, and price was no object?  

What you'd end up with is something like the Deluxe BC trip , a mountain bike holiday that is quite simply the best in the world, bar none.   The trip includes 10 nights of accommodation in backcountry lodges, gourmet meals, floatplane trips, sweat lodges, hotsprings, and just about everything you need to experience the best mountain bike vacation in the entire world!   We've chosen some of the best b ackcountry lodging in Canada, and added some of the best-kept riding secrets in British Columbia, all in the quest for the best possible mountain bike vacation money can buy, for the discerning rider who demands the best.

The trip also includes 2 mornings of skills instruction in Fernie: we'll spend the first 2 mornings of the trip working on MTB skills with our certified instructors, then head back to our lodge for lunch on the deck. After lunch, we'll have full afternoons of riding on the massive trail network of Fernie.

Day 1 (Saturday). Arrive Calgary/Fernie
Your guide will meet you at Calgary Airport at 4:00 pm (at meeting Point A, on arrivals level).   You'll stop for dinner in Calgary before the scenic 3-hour drive to your room at Island Lake Lodge, underneath the spectacular Lizard Range, 10 kms from Fernie.   Island Lake Lodge is a world-renowned cat-skiing lodge in the winter, and a perfect base for our mountain bike adventures in the summer.  

Day 2 (Sunday). A first day in Fernie.
After a good sleep and a gourmet breakfast in the main lodge you'll build your bikes and have an easy warmup ride for about 2-3 hours, starting with a 10-km downhill towards Fernie. We'll sample up some local trails, have lunch in town then head up to the Ridgemont area where a huge spiderweb of trails offers up plenty of options for singletrack fun!   We'll return to the lodge at around 5:00 pm.   for another gourmet meal and a hot tub under the stars!

Day 3 (Monday).   More Fernie Fun.
After breakfast, we'll ride right from our lodge to awesome trails like 'Roots and Roots Extension'. These trails are hand built by the locals and offer a good physical and technical challenge, which is certain to 'stoke up' our appetite for more. After a full morning of riding, we'll stop for lunch and fuel up for a big afternoon of biking.   After a full day's worth of singletrack feasting, we'll head back to the lodge for a late afternoon drink on the deck before dinner.

Day 4 (Tuesday).   Baldface Lodge.
After breakfast at the lodge, we'll say goodbye to the Rockies and head west, through the Purcell and Selkirk ranges, before arriving in Nelson, one of the prettiest towns in all of BC, located on the shores of Kootenay Lake.   From there, we'll take you to an awaiting helicopter for a spectacular sightseeing trip over Kokanee Glacier, before dropping you off at Baldface Lodge at 7,000 feet while the van brings your gear and bikes.

You'll check into your private cabins (4 to a cabin) with spectacular views of the mountains before suiting up for an afternoon of freeriding on Baldface's spectacualr trail network, designed by world-famous freerider Mike Kinrade.   After our ride, we'll meet for a delicious gourmet dinner in the main lodge and a soothing sauna or hot tub under the stars.

n.b. freeride bikes are included with our stay at Baldface Lodge.

Day 5 (Wednesday). Baldface Lodge, pt. II
The riding is so good up here, we'll stay for another full day.   It's a short push up into the alpine, where a spectacular ridge ride awaits at over 7,000 ft., with panoramic views of Kokanee Glacier, the Bonnington Range, and the Selkirk Ranges.   After riding on the ridge for a while, we'll drop into the trail network, through lush forest, alpine meadows coloured with flowers, and challenging singletrack descents of up to 6,000 ft.   The shuttle will be waiting for us with cold beverages at the end of the day, for the ride back up to paradise!

Day 6 (Thursday). Rest Day and Hotsprings
Situated in the Selkirk Mountains, on the shores of Kootenay Lake and overlooking Kokanee Glacier, Nelson is one of the prettiest towns in all of British Columbia.   We'll spend the morning enjoying the sights and sounds of Nelson and have lunch in town before heading to Ainsworth Hot Springs (where you can swim through a cave with 44 degree water)   to soak our tired legs.   After the hot springs, we'll drive to remote Glacier House Lodge, a remote lodge located near Revelstoke. We'll check into our private cabins, each outfitted with fireplace, TV and patio, before heading to the lodge for a delicious BBQ dinner.

Day 7 (Friday). Keystone Standard Basin
It's time to tackle another epic: the Keystone Standard Basin ride in Revelstoke. This incredible ride is a one-hour's drive into the backcountry north of Revelstoke, alongside Lake Revelstoke.   The ride itself is 6 hours of sheer alpine bliss: buffed singletrack and jaw-dropping scenery.   After the ride, we'll head back to Glacier House lodge to enjoy another relaxing wilderness night.

Day 8 (Saturday).   Shuswap Singletrack
We'll set out frm Glacier House after breakfast for a 1 ½ hour drive to the town of Salmon Arm, on Little Shuswap Lake, where we'll hop on our bikes for a spectacular ride on the brand-new Shuswap Trail.   The trail, once completed, will circle around Shuswap Lake, spanning over 380 km.   We'll ride just 30 km of it today, with smooth, fast singletrack, tight switchbacks, and spectacular views of the lake from over 3,000 feet up.   When we're done, the van will pick us up for the quick 30-minute drive to Quaoot Lodge, a first nations lodge near Chase, BC.   When we're done eating, cultural director Ernie Phillips will introduce us to the culture of native North Americans with a fascinating sweat lodge ceremony, renowned and revered by Canada's First Nations for its therapeutic and healing properties.

Day 9 (Sunday).   Tyax Lake Resort
We'll hop in the van for the 4-hour drive to Tyax Lake Resort, situated in the remote Chilcotin Mountains, north of Whistler.   This is one of the most spectacular lodges in British Columbia, located on the shores of a beautiful alpine lake.   We'll have an entire deluxe chalet to ourselves for the next 3 nights, and a massive network of world-class singletrack at our disposal.    We'll get a taste this afternoon as we head out from the lodge for a scenic 2-hour XC spin, before retiring to the main lodge for dinner.

Day 10 (Monday). Alpine Adventures in the Chilcotins.
Some have called it the best ride in Canada.   Some have called it one of the best rides in the world.   Whatever you call it, the epic descent from Spruce lake to Tyax Lodge will stay permanently etched into your memory as one of your best mountain bike experiences ever.   Our day starts at the Tyax Lake dock, where pilot Dale Douglas will meet us to load the bikes into his floatplane (we'll take two trips of five each).   After loading the bikes, we climb in, close the door and get ready for the ride of our lives!   The experience of taxiing down the lake, picking up speed and waiting for liftoff is as thrilling as it gets.   Once we're in the air, we'll have incredible views in all directions, and we'll fly right over the trail we'll be descending on.   After dropping us off at Spruce Lake, we'll hit the trail.   The Spruce Lake trail is fast, smooth, scenic, and all-out fun: 5 hours of singletrack bliss.   This is one ride to make all your friends permanently jealous.  

When we get back to Tyax Lodge, we'll recap the incredible week that was with drinks over a gourmet dinner and beers in the lodge hut tub, overlooking the lake.

Day 11 (Tuesday).   Return to Vancouver.
On our final day, we'll depart Tyax Lodge with tears in our eyes as our epic trip comes to a close.   The drive to Vancouver is 4 hours, passing through Whistler and the Sea to Sky Highway.

n.b. if you wish to prolong your holiday with a stay in Whistler, your hotel in Whistler can be booked directly through our website, as well as a shuttle to Vancouver airport.