ainsa

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New year, new unbeaten adventures

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New year, new unbeaten adventures

In 2021 I want to make mountain biking with Unbeaten Adventures more adventurous. I feel we as a mountain bike community have been too much focused on convenience, with bike shuttles being the main transport to get us to the top of a hill or a mountain. It is time that mountain biking becomes more adventurous again. I want to live up to my company name. Using one shuttle to get us in the back country and have an epic bike adventure back to Ainsa. Or have a big day out on the bike from Usana (Unbeaten HQ) and experience Zona Zeroin all its glory.

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Where to eat after your mountain bike ride in Ainsa? Updated for 2021

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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. 

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Bike review - my new Commencal META AM 29 TEAM 2020

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Bike review - my new Commencal META AM 29 TEAM 2020

I choose the Commencal enduro bike over their trail bike, because I wanted a bike that gets me down some of the hardest trails in Zona Zero and Puro Pirineo with more confidence. Commencal nailed it in terms of designing the well balanced looking META AM 29 and a great paint job. This bike makes me a better mountain bike guide. This is the best bike I could possibly ask for as my next guiding bike. It makes me a more confident mountain biker, which is important because that gives me more energy to focus on guiding clients.

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Unbeaten Adventures in Up/ Down mountainbike magazine

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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.

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The 5 best things about mountain biking in Ainsa, Zona Zero

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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.

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Support your local business NOW! Drink Rondadora beer.

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Support your local business NOW! Drink Rondadora beer.

Due to the lockdown, one of my favourite local business is also having a hard time. The Rondadora brewery has seen revenue drop to a minimum, because all the restaurants and bars are closed. They sell in supermarkets, but there main market has gone.

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New guiding services, new webdesign, & updated identity.

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New guiding services, new webdesign, & updated identity.

Shall I go ONLINE with the new website or NOT? So I was really excited about the new Unbeaten Adventures website and all the new things we developed for the upcoming guiding season(s). And then Covid-19 happened. Due to the corona virus the the world came to a standstill. Spain went in to a lockdown and it is now forbidden to ride my mountain bike. And the outdoor industry is going to have a massive crisis, just like the rest of the world. But I am releasing my new website anyway. Why? First of all because I am quiet proud of the result after the amount of thinking, designing and work I put into it. Second because it might inspire you to keep on doing what you love. I expect I need to change things because the mountain bike & tourism industry is going to change a lot and I have to adapt my guiding business accordingly. The mountains and its trails will not go away and they are here for you to enjoy in the near future.

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My take on the Zona Zero badlands

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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.

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Ainsa, Zona Zero through the eyes of a client.

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Ainsa, Zona Zero through the eyes of a client.

2019 marks the first full year of guiding for me. So far it has been an amazing year of guiding mountain bikers from all over the world. I showed more people around than what I had hoped for in beginning of the year. They came from all corners of the globe and they all loved this place.

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Becoming a Kona Ambassador for 2020 part 1

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Becoming a Kona Ambassador for 2020 part 1

Ok I am doing this. Applying for a Kona Ambassadorship for 2020. I am doing it in public by writing this as a blog…This part 1, if I don’t become an ambassador it stays part 1 otherwise we are going to have a series of blogs as a Kona Ambassador. Let’s see. Wish me luck!

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Where to eat after your mountain bike ride in Ainsa? Updated for 2021

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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. 

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The different types of trails in the Pyrenees, Zona Zero

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The different types of trails in the Pyrenees, Zona Zero

Since I moved here over a year ago I have been riding outside of the Pyrenees only ones. And until recently I didn’t go and ride into other valleys. I am sure that is because I never get bored of the trails in and around Zona Zero. There is so much to ride here, so much to explore and there is such a diversity in terrain. Aragon just keeps on throwing epic trails at you.

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The 5 best trails around Ainsa, Zona Zero

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The 5 best trails around Ainsa, Zona Zero

A while ago I shared the 3 best trails for beginners , now it is time for some more hardcore Enduro trails. Therefore I present you with what I think are the 5 best Enduro trails you can ride straight out of the front door of your hotel, tent, caravan or camper in the Ainsa and Boltaña area.  

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What I learned so far as mountain bike guide, and What is next?

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What I learned so far as mountain bike guide, and What is next?

It has been a little over 6 months since I showed my first clients around Zona Zero. And really like guiding mountain bike enthusiasts around in this magical area. As as a designer, the other part of my brain, I am accustomed to reflect on the things I make and improve them when needed. So it was time for an iteration of the guiding business so far.

“ One part of my brain is wired towards mountain biking and the other part of my brain functions as a designer. They are an inspiration for each other and sometimes they meet.”

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The mountain bike weather in Ainsa, Zona Zero

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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.

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Video: My Bike Takes Me To Amazing Places! by McTrail rider

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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!

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Video : An Unbeaten Mountain Bike Adventure by MacTrail Rider

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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.

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Why hire a mountain bike guide in Zona Zero?

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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! 

How to deal with hunting season in Zona Zero, Ainsa?

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.