Mountain biking makes you hungry, so where should you eat in and around Ainsa? During or after the ride you can to treat yourself to the food the area has to offer. If you don’t eat meat you will have a hard time in Ainsa. It is hard to eat vegetarian here let alone vegan, maybe a good topic for a future blog.
Of course you can have pizza in La Tea or in La Creperia, for great tapas with a beer go to the Sie7e bar (all open the whole year round) and you should definitely should have un menu (around 15 euro, they come with a bottle of wine) in one of the restaurants but let me share you my selection of places to eat in Ainsa and around.
I'm not guiding yet. Why?
People all over the world are affected by the COVID-19 crisis, us included. It has been and still are intense time for us and the world. After more then three months the Spanish state of alarm was lifted on June 21 and most of the European borders opened again.
Which ment that I was allowed to guide again. When I look at my Instagram feed, I constantly see happy messages of other guides and bikers in Spain and Europe that they can guide again. Not me I am not ready to guide again. There are a few reasons for that
Unbeaten Adventures in Up/ Down mountainbike magazine
it is an honour to be in the mountain bike magazine that helped me become the mountain biker I am today
I am humbled to be in the Up/ Down mountainbike magazine with an article about all the beauty Ainsa & Zona Zero has to offer. And beyond stoked that I am on the cover too, that to me was a huge surprise. Up/Down mountainbike magazine was a huge inspiration for me back when I still lived in the Netherlands and now I appear in it myself.
The 5 best things about mountain biking in Ainsa, Zona Zero
I am going to add some mountain biking excitement for when the corona crisis is over and we can welcome you back to Ainsa again for some epic mountain biking. Here are the 5 best things about mountain biking in Ainsa, Zona Zero that are waiting for you are allowed to travel to the Spanish Pyrenees again.
What skill & fitness level do you need for riding in Zona Zero & Puro Pirineo?
Experience “The Dutch Enduro Week” in images and vlogs
In short the Dutch Enduro Week is a mountain bike trip where we show you the best of Zona Zero and Puro Pirineo over 5 days of riding. Some days are shuttle assisted and some are 100% pedal yourself. We sleep in Ainsa old town with one of our local partners and have a trip to the local Rondadora brewery. This week is not exclusive for mountain bikers from the Netherlands. If you happen to look for a mountain bike trip during that week in Ainsa, you are invited to join.
My take on the Zona Zero badlands
Youtube is full of POV shots from the trails in Zona Zero. Some are nice some are less interesting. The badland trails just 2 km from my house are very popular to ride with a GoPro. On a nice Sunday afternoon I thought I had a take on filming the badlands but not with my GoPro, but with normal camera and a tripod. This is stage 4 of the 2018 Enduro World Series race in Ainsa.
Ainsa, Zona Zero through the eyes of a client.
The joy of being a mountain bike guide in Ainsa, Zona Zero
What is it like packing up your life and moving everything to a new country to start a new business doing something you love? Just read on
Ever since my studies 20 years ago I wanted to work in the mountain bike industry. I studied Product Design and when one of my fellow students started working at Ghost bikes, I wanted to work in the bike industry as well..
Where to eat after your mountain bike ride in Ainsa? Updated for 2021
Mountain biking makes you hungry, so where should you eat in and around Ainsa? During or after the ride you can to treat yourself to the food the area has to offer. If you don’t eat meat you will have a hard time in Ainsa. It is hard to eat vegetarian here let alone vegan, maybe a good topic for a future blog.
Of course you can have pizza in La Tea or in La Creperia, for great tapas with a beer go to the Sie7e bar (all open the whole year round) and you should definitely should have un menu (around 15 euro, they come with a bottle of wine) in one of the restaurants but let me share you my selection of places to eat in Ainsa and around.
The mountain bike weather in Ainsa, Zona Zero
Spring and Autumn are the best and most beautiful seasons for mountain biking in Zona Zero. With temperatures around 20 degrees or a little hire it is a bliss on the trails here. The colours of the fresh green leafs and the blooming flowers in spring are stunning. And you just can’t beat the autumn colors of nature in Sobrarbe.
The #vanlife mountain bike vlogger
Since we moved to Ainsa we met a some amazing people. Three weeks ago I said goodbye to Andrew and Alix also know as McTrailrider and miss McTrailrider. They are traveling through Europe in their motorhome. Earlier this year they started to make their living from vlogging. They review all the mountain bike trails they ride during their travels. It was great riding with Andrew, specially because we share similar ideas and values about riding our mountain bike. This blog is about the relevance of the #vanlife mountain bike vlogger.
Video: My Bike Takes Me To Amazing Places! by McTrail rider
It is always amazing to feel when things click. Andrew and I really connected on our first ride together. So on his last day in Ainsa we went on another bike ride. We explored the El Confesionario trail also know as the ride to the pussy of the world/ El coco del mundo. This trail was new for the both of us.
Of course Andrew filmed it all and he threw in some amazing drone footage of Morcat and the Confesionario as well. Enjoy watching!
Video : An Unbeaten Mountain Bike Adventure by MacTrail Rider
Andrew also known as the McTrail Rider was in Ainsa, Zona Zero last month. Together with his girlfriend Alix, he travels through Europe to ride as many cool trails as possible and share his experience on his McTrail Rider YouTube channel.
A few weeks ago I contacted him via Instagram and we went out for a ride together. I showed him the la Caparra trail - ZZ-011 (Trailforks) and he showed me how to do proper switchbacks on my hardtail mountain bike.
The 3 best mountain bike trails for beginners in Zona Zero
Which trails can you ride in Zona Zero when you are new to Enduro mountain biking? Zona Zero has a map with ZZ Light trails. The map contains 6 trails varying from family trails over dirt roads to pretty difficult. You can find some of the easier trails on the normal big Zona Zero map with 20 Enduro trails. They probably made the big map before the Light version.
I personally selected 3 trails for you when you just started with Enduro mountain biking. They are fun, challenging enough and they have great views. As I mentioned before you’ll find easier trails, but these 3 trails give you a good start of your Enduro career.
Why hire a mountain bike guide in Zona Zero?
Imagine arriving to a place were there are more than 1.000 kms of amazing mountain bike trails. All the trails have something to please all the biking tastes, rocky, fast, flowy, technical, forest…you name it we have it here. The views, the trails, the experience will have you wanting for more! If you want to have the best mountain biking experience in this paradise, getting the maximum out of a day… riding with a guide is a smart and fun decision.
A mountain bike guide can show you the best trails suited for your needs, your ride will be enchanted by the history of the trails and you will learn more about the local customs. As a bonus, you will see the best views and get all the tips about food and drinks!
Video : A chill day in Zona Zero
How to deal with hunting season in Zona Zero, Ainsa?
Autumn is slowly taking over the landscape here foothills of the Pyrenees with its beautiful bright colours. With autumn an annual tradition returns to the area, Hunting Season. The battue or batida in Spanish, is a way of hunting where beaters drive the game towards the hunters who are waiting with there shot gun. The hunters are after wild boar and corso, a small dear. These batidas are both tradition and a necessity as there are way to many boars and dear due to a lack of predators aka wolves.
Read the 6 tips to avoid bumping into hunters in Zona Zero.
Why we ride?
We recently moved to Spain and people ask us a lot why we moved and why we like mountain biking so much. So we taught it would be nice to share the answer to the question: "Why we ride?". Mountain biking gives us freedom & confidence. For us it is a learning experience while being outside in nature, in the mountains. Why do you ride?