Ability Levels
At Big Mountain, one of our goals is to ensure that you are well-suited for the trip that you’ve signed up for, both technical skill level and fitness level. Before registering please read our ability levels to help choose the proper adventure with us.
Part of doing great adventures is the preparation! We recommend that you aim to arrive to the trip fit and ready;
participate in spin classes, step up your weekly riding and fitness regimen and take a riding lesson if you think you need it. As we recommend to all riders on our trips, “the fitter you are the more fun that you’ll have.”
All participants will be asked to complete a short rider questionnaire to ensure the right fit and to help our guides know more about the group.
If you’re a strong rider who’s looking for more riding on any of our trips our guides are always happy to take you out for extra miles. And, most trips can be adjusted to accommodate more difficult or easier levels when booked as a private departure.
For all trips, the levels noted are the minimum level required, you can expect to be further challenged technically and physically at times during the trip.
Skill Level
Novice+
Have a summer of mountain biking under your belt and are capable of controlling bike speed and direction on smooth doubletrack and easy singletrack trails. Would embrace more riding time and would consider taking a lesson or enrolling in a camp to help prepare for the trip. Several of our trips, when booked as a private, can be adjusted to accommodate Novice+ level of riding.
Intermediate
Have been mountain biking consistently for one to two years. You can climb and descend under control on mildly steep singletrack with some loose rocks or small roots. You ride one or more times per week, are comfortable at a moderate sustained pace and you know when to walk a section that might be too difficult. You would embrace more riding time to train and consider taking a lesson or enrolling in a camp to help prepare for the trip.
Our Intermediate level trips, view our tours in
Baja, Mexico, Croatia, Tuscany, Italy and our South Africa & Botswana Safari.
Intermediate+
Have been mountain biking for three to four years and are confident riding most types of singletrack in a variety of conditions (muddy, dry, loose, rock slabs). You are able to ride very small drops (less than one foot) and jumps and descend moderately technical steep sections including rock and uneven roots. Can ride confidently with mild exposure and you know when to walk a section that might be too difficult.
Our Intermediate+ level trips include
Peru, Nepal, Iceland, Canada, Guatemala and Dolomites, Italy.
Our Intermediate+ E-MTB tours include
E-MTB Aosta Valley Italy & E-MTB Dolomites Italy.
Advanced
Have been mountain biking consistently for five years or more and can ride technical trails including steep sections, small jumps, small drops (one-two feet) and elevated North Shore-type sections. You can ride switchbacks confidently, rock gardens and sections with exposure. You know when to walk a section that might be too difficult.
Our Advanced level trips are
Costa Rica, Ecuador, Liguria Italy and Switzerland.
Our Advanced level E-MTB adventure,
E-MTB Alps Traverse.
Advanced+
You eat, sleep and drink all things mountain biking and have been a riding for over a decade. You ride four or more times a week in all weather and can ride all day long in challenging conditions. You can handle most any type of terrain and can handle hike-a-bike sections and navigate truly technical sections. You know when to walk a section that might be too difficult.
Fitness Level
Big Mountain trips require a certain base level of physical fitness. As such, we don’t categorize our trips into fitness levels and the lowest fitness level required on our trips is Level 2. On our trips it’s never about riding speed, but the ability to ride at a consistent pace for several days in a row.
Level 2
You exercise at least once a week for an hour or more. Are comfortable riding at a relaxed pace for up to three hours a day for three consecutive days. You are able to climb up to 400 meters per day.
Level 3
You exercise twice a week for an hour or more. Are comfortable riding at a sustained output and athletic pace with occasional anaerobic periods. Can ride up to four hours per day for four consecutive days. You can climb up to 600 meters twice in one day.
Level 4
You exercise three times a week for an hour or more. Are comfortable riding at a sustained challenging pace with longer periods of anaerobic output. You can ride up to five hours per day for five or six consecutive days. You can climb up to 1500 meters in a day including some hike-a-bike sections.
Level 5
You exercise five times (or more) a week for an hour or more. Are comfortable with sustained challenging pace including long periods of anaerobic exercise for six days in a row. Are possibly training for an event. You can climb up to 2000 meters (or more) in a day including some technical hike-a-bike sections.
Level 6
You are in peak physical condition and enjoy sustained output and challenge. You can hike your bike for an hour (or more) and know how to keep yourself going for eight or more hours in a day for a week or more. You have a penchant for suffering!
