Fast Line, La Palma (Spain)
Steep, technical, exposed, lots of hairpin bends, hardly any room to brake. If you love that, you have to ride the Fast Line on La Palma. At the top, there are fast, wide bends covered in pine needles that steal your grip. The trail doesn't take long, it gets steep after just 100 metres. Very steep and plunges downwards like a rollercoaster. It leads through a gully down the mountain towards Santa Cruz and gets steeper and steeper. Exposed hairpin bends with nasty steps widen the pupils. Cacti on both sides of the trail exacerbate the consequences of falling. Anyone who makes it down here smoothly has earned a beer and tapas. By the way: the volcano has now calmed down and bikers can return to the island.
God Speed (British Columbia, Canada)
Every mountain biker knows Whistler or has at least heard of it, but the north of the country is the insider tip! At God Speed, the name says it all. The trail accelerates through its five kilometres as if there were no tomorrow. Over the slopes of the Desous Mountains, north of the town of Williams Lake, it plunges down to the banks of the Fraser River. It has it all: steep sections, loose, dusty bends, tricky hairpin bends - and of course the crazy view of the wild Fraser River. This is where people fell into the gold rush in the middle of the 19th century.
Flying Carpet (Morocco)
Goats trampled the trail into the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, near Marrakesh. Berms, off-road jumps, technical sections - embedded in breathtaking scenery. For 35 kilometres, the single trail winds its way through the slopes, which glow in the most incredible colours. The trail starts on a huge yellow sandstone slab with massive grip, later you roll through red hills like on a marble run, then you curve through waves of black terrain. A trail builder couldn't have done it better - a ride like on a magic carpet.
Cieneguilla Trail (Mexico)
I have lost my heart in Mexico! Never before have I seen an area where there are so many incredibly good trails so close together. The best one is called Cieneguilla. It was created for the enduro races organised by the locals. It starts in the jungle and is very flowy. The tyres dig into the fluffy soil. The further down it goes, the more technical it becomes. You roll over rocks and red clay, later through steppe. So much vegetation in one trail - that's also incredible. My tip: home-made tacos and homemade mescal. You can get them from the locals at the end of the trail.
Torridon Classic (Scotland)
Here in the Scottish Highlands, fox and sheep say goodnight to each other. You can't get much more out in the sticks than here in the north of the British Isles. Slowing down in your head, speeding up on the trail - it's a healthy mix. A must-do is the Torridon Classic, near the village of the same name, Torridon. You need a day for this trail, good rain gear and plenty of power in your legs. I say: every metre of elevation gain pays off. The descent is enchanting, the landscape looks like something out of a fantasy film, and the burgers with chips and Guinness beer in the Torridon Hotel at the end are awesome.
>> All the trails from this story and many, many more can be found here on trailforks.com <<
