Saddle Skedaddle

Peru is, without a doubt, one of the ultimate mountain biking destinations in the world. After years of exploring on our bikes in and around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, we have put together what is surely the definitive singletrack mountain bike holiday in Peru!

The riding in Peru is unique and challenging. There will be traverses on narrow singletrack, descents on rocky trails and remote trails through spectacular wilderness areas. Some of the routes explore genuine incan-built trails connecting abandoned ruins in high mountains. While the altitude and terrain dictate that we focus on some of the most spectacular descents you can imagine, we have designed this trip with experienced mountain bikers from all genres in mind. Cross-country riders will relish the remote mountain singletrack and enduro riders will be stunned by the challenging technical descents.

Every day there’s another exciting challenge, whether it’s an optional climb to a 4330m pass or a 26km singletrack descent of a vertical kilometre, you’ll not be disappointed. The Andes serve up mile after mile of switchbacks, rocky paths, epic descents and equally ambitious cross country routes.

You’ll hone your riding technique on original Inca trails, dodge llamas and alpacas and enjoy the amazing nightlife of Cuzco almost as extreme as the trails themselves! During the trip, our Peruvian guides, mechanics, drivers and support staff will delight in instructing you in the finer art of Andean biking and make sure your bike is always in tip-top condition.

Not only are our guides expert riders, but they’ll be able to tell you all about the history and culture of the area, and also have an in-depth knowledge of all the best restaurants and nightlife spots to make your holiday a real blast. With miles of pristine and largely downhill trails just waiting to be explored, our trip zig-zags across the Inca Empire, ending with an optional visit to the incredible ruins of Machu Picchu.

During the rides we discover local markets and get truly off the beaten track to explore rarely visited Inca ruins on the most mind-blowingly brilliant trails. Every night we stay in a mix of delightful hotels and lodges which we use as a base for several days at a time, meaning you can unpack and relax in between days on your bike. So hot showers and delicious food every day and a few cheeky chilled cusquenas after the rides too!

Holiday Highlights
Time at the incredible Machu Picchu 
Descending the Inca staircases of Chinchero 
Long winding descents and remote mountain singletrack 
Ancient llama-trails through Lares and Lamay 
Bar-hopping in colourful Cusco

A true classic, our mountain biking holiday in the Sierra Nevada mountains is designed to be both challenging and incredibly rewarding for experienced mountain bikers. We have the opportunity to explore seldom-ridden trails through the high mountains and highlights include two nights spent in mountain refugios spectacularly located at over 2500 metres.
 
Our Spanish team is convinced that the Sierra Nevada provides some of the finest riding you will experience anywhere in Europe. Our take on the Sierra Nevada adheres to the Saddle Skedaddle ethos of exceptional place to place cross country and enduro MTB tours. The terrain is natural, so while you wont see many berms or drops there are frequent sections requiring good bike-handling skills.

The Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in Spain, rising well over 3000m. The range was first inhabited by the Moors and Berbers that were driven out of Granada in 1492 at the end of the Christian Reconquista, and who created a cultivated hospitable land with villages linked by paths, and with orchards and allotments watered by snow melt from the high sierra.

hese paths and waterways, along with trails walked by shepherds for centuries have made the Sierra Nevada a mountain bikers Shangri-La. Our Sensational Sierra Nevada trip is almost a full loop of the Sierra and takes in the very best of these trails, providing a fantastic showcase of the area.

Holiday Highlights
Remote technical riding on seldom visited paths 
Testing climbs and descents on natural terrain 
Re-fuelling on tasty local cuisine 
Endless free-flowing trails through a bikers paradise 
Sleeping comfortably in a high-mountain refugio

This cycling holiday in the UK allows you to experience the quieter parts of the Lake District with ease. Over 6 days of varied cycling you’ll visit some of the prettiest parts of the Lakes and without doubt the most dramatic scenery in England. Cycling on quiet roads, designated cycleways and well-surfaced tracks you’ll explore the very best the area has to offer.

Superb local inns and cafes provide delicious lunches and refreshments en-route and with both Keswick and Ambleside providing options aplenty for your evening meals and post-ride pints you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Your base for the first few days is the bustling Keswick from where you’ll ride each day. The first highlight is the gorgeous Newlands Valley with views of Cat Bells that acts as a great taster for the routes to follow.

Enjoyable routes over the next days take you around the immense Bassenthwaite Lake and Dodd Wood, where you’ll be able to visit the Lake District Osprey Project to check-out these amazing Birds of Prey. Heading a little further out from Derwent Water you can also make your way to Mungrisdale during a scenic ride that affords great views of both Skiddaw and Blencathra.

Mid-point you'll leave Keswick and head south to your next base in Ambleside. Your journey there is fabulous and includes the historic Castlerigg Stone Circle, St John’s in the Vale and the gorgeous Grasmere.

Your first ride from Ambleside takes in Wray Castle, Lake Windermere, Esthwaite Water and the picturesque village of Hawkshead where you can visit the Beatrix Potter Gallery Museum, with your final ride taking in Wordsworth’s homes of Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount ending your week in style.

Holiday Highlights
Taking in a lake view over a traditional pub lunch 
Cycling up to Castlerigg Stone Circle 
Visiting the famous Beatrix Potter Museum 
Sampling Grasmere’s famous Gingerbread 
Glimpses of Ospreys over Dodd Wood

This ultimate place-to-place MTB trip is aimed squarely at fit and experienced riders. A mountain bike holiday of the very highest calibre, a truly epic Scottish Highlands journey stretching from the extreme north coast through glens and over mountain passes to arrive in the heart of Scotland at the Wallace monument in Stirling. You need to be comfortable riding difficult terrain in remote areas and spending long days in the saddle. If this sounds like you, this adventure will be a highlight of your mountain biking career!

This trip builds on years of experience guiding mountain bike groups in Scotland, so you can relax and concentrate on enjoying the scenery and biking. Our route stretches over 300 miles in total and uses a wide variety of trails. There will be challenging singletrack winding through the mountains, old drove roads following the valley floors and easy rolling forest tracks. This is wilderness riding at its very best, but wherever possible our support vehicle will be close by to provide snacks and drinks as well as our renowned picnic lunches.
On our first day's riding we work our way up from the coast to get to some proper mountain riding as we skirt the majestic munro Ben Klibreck. For our second day we head south through the forests of Strath Tirry and along Loch Shin to reach Bonar Bridge on the Dornoch Firth.

Once we are in to the swing of things the days and trails come thick and fast. We pedal further into the Highlands around Loch Ness and the Great Glen before tackling the spectacular Corrieyairack Pass. From this high point we drop down to the banks of the River Spey famous for salmon fishing and whisky distilleries.

We use some stunning tracks running around Loch Ericht and Loch Rannoch to get us through to our last overnight stop at Killin where we can celebrate with a dram or two. The last day is a relatively flat gentle spin along Glen Earn to reach the monument to William Wallace just outside Stirling.

The arrival point for the trip is Stirling train station and from there we transfer to your initial accommodation at Bettyhill. We'll ride all the way back to Stirling at the end of the trip where you can clean up before jumping on the train back home or collecting your car.

Holiday Highlights
Relaxing at the end of each day whisky in hand 
Following in the footsteps of Viking settlers 
Riding mountain passes few bikers ever visit 
Ascending the Corrieyairack Pass with views down to the Great Glen 
Arriving tired but truimphant in the historic city of Stirling

Riding in the unspoilt region of Spain, this journey takes you through the most stunning mountain range in western Andalucia. During the tour you'll find yourself cycling along quiet country roads and lanes which will lead you past limestone peaks and cork oak clad sierras, linking the traditional pueblos blancos (white villages) that this region of Spain is famous for.

This is a moderately paced road cycling holiday exploring exquisite countryside, Moorish history and fantastic food with lashings of Andaluz character. This rural corner of Andalucia is worlds apart from the busy costas of the Mediterranean. Immersed in its history and proud of their traditions, you will see the ‘campesinos’ working the land and herding livestock to produce exquisite cheeses and cured meats, succulent fruits, olives and grapes to turn into sherries and wines.

Our cycling starts out from the hilltop village of Alcala de los Gazules, the route heading straight into Los Alcornacales, with rolling hills as far as the eye can see. The road climbs past the peak of Picacho before a long sweeping descent down the lush Hozgarganta river valley and the village of Jimena de la Frontera, crowned by its impressive castle. Ronda is next on the cycling hit list, with time for us to explore the beautifully preserved old town and Tajo gorge, with the next few days spent in the beauty of the Grazalema Natural Park and finally Arcos de la Frontera.

Holiday Highlights
A fantastic mixture of great small rural hotels 
Exploring beautiful Ronda, perched on its magnificent gorge 
Reaching the dramatic Puerto de las Palomas 
Grazalema, nestled below atmospheric, limestone mountains 
Sipping local sherries with tasty tapas in the bodegas of Arcos

A unique cycling holiday in the UK along Northumberland’s stunning coastline, cycling past impressive castles and fortresses dating back to the Middle Ages. Our cycling holiday begins at the quaint village of Warkworth where the route travels northwards alongside the wide sandy beaches and dunes of Embleton, Newton-by-the-Sea and Bamburgh. You can then cross the tidal causeway (check the tide times!) to the historic Holy Island otherwise known as Lindisfarne, the place where the 8th Century Lindisfane Gospels were created. 

This cycling holiday includes stunning views of the impressive castles of Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, and Lindisfarne.  The route then continues North to finish at the Elizabethan border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, with its impressive defenses built during many years of border wars.  From Berwick-upon-Tweed we'll whisk you back to your car in Warkworth, or you can catch the train home from here. 

This self-guided trip is for a minimum of 2 people and accommodation, transfers, luggage transfers and emergency back up are all included. We also provide detailed route notes and maps to enable you to do the route self-guided. Nothing could be simpler!

Create your own - If you are looking for extra days, extra routes, additional transfers, specialist bicycles on this route, then please contact the Skedaddle Office to discuss the available options.

Holiday Highlights
Lindisfarne with its castle and priory 
Mile upon mile of golden dunes and sandy beaches 
The pretty fishing villages North of Warkworth 
The majestic castles of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh 
The historic town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, England’s most Northern town

A superb road cycling holiday in Morocco. Morocco is a vast wilderness of towering mountains and desolate desert where rural life has hardly changed in hundreds of years.

With an ever expanding network of quiet roads throughout the Atlas Mountains there has never been a better time for road cyclists to visit and experience this incredible Morocco cycling tour. Starting and finishing in the capital of the Moroccan south, Marrakech, this 10 day tour takes us across the High Atlas Mountains in the shadow of snow-capped peaks, before crossing the Souss Valley and climbing into the Anti-Atlas.

After a night in the resort town of Agadir we finish on quiet country lanes around the mountain village of Immouzer, before transferring by minibus back to Marrakech for a final night in 'The Red City'. Covering an average of 70-90km per day, our Road Atlas tour takes a challenging route over a mountainous landscape and offers riders challenging climbs and exciting descents on traffic-free roads. En route we use a variety of styles of accommodation, from tourist class hotels to charming guesthouses and basic rural gîtes, with plenty of opportunities to sample Morocco’s world famous cuisine. During your trip almost all meals are included and lunches are usually taken picnic style in beautiful and remote locations.

Highlights

• The High Atlas mountain range
• The extraordinary view from the top of the towering ‘Test Pass’
• Exploring the surreal blue rocks of Tafraoute
• The incredible 100km ride from Tafraoute towards the coast
• Enjoying a cold beer on one of Morocco’s finest terraces at Immouzer
• The sights, smells and sounds of the Marrakech souk
• Starting and finishing in this years ‘Capital of Culture’ Marrakech

Although road surfaces are generally of reasonable quality, it is highly likely that you will experience some sub-standard surfaces that have been affected by bad weather or that are under repair. There is a comprehensive resurfacing program that is ongoing in Morocco and road improvement work is commonplace. This may have an impact on longer riding sections. If this is the case we will provide an option to ride in the support vehicle to avoid any long sections under repair but it is normally not possible to change the route as the road network in Morocco is still very limited compared with more developed countries.

This remote landscape of giant clefts and ravines, is so called for its resemblance to the Badlands of the North American West and we're here to help you explore the best of it. Home to the Badlands Ultracycling Gravel Event, this is gravel riding at it's absolute best.

Our tour starts in Granada, the last Moorish capital, bursting with history and architecture. The beauty of the majestic Alhambra Palace and Generalife gardens are unmissable and we would highly recommend arriving into Granada a few days early to see the sights and soak-up the seductiveness of this wonderful city.

Our route meanders through craggy sierras, passing castle-topped villages with overnight stays in some lovely traditional towns along the way. We'll cover a mixture of terrain, from smooth asphalt to exciting single-track to really take in all that gravel riding has to offer.

Heading out of Granada we'll make our way past huge clay cliffs, through arid deserts, past the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, traversing vast forests as we make our way to the province's capital; Almeria, a great spot to celebrate our gravel adventure in the Badlands.

Highlights

• Spending the night in the magical city of Granada and riding out past the Alhambra as the adventure begins
• Riding through the vast forests of the Sierra Nevada
• Riding the Ramblas and through the incredible scenery of the Tabernas desert
• Arriving at the beautiful volcanic Cabo de Gata coastline
• Delicious seafood, sunset dinner on the coast
• The dramatic empty landscapes of the whole adventure

This is the perfect destination for gravel riding with a great network of hard-packed gravel roads, forestry tracks and fun singletrack. Whilst the majority of the riding is off-road, we’ll skip onto some tarmac at regular intervals, particularly to ease climbing or to break up more technical stretches. Whilst most of the region is relatively dry, there is occasional precipitation which can result in sections of muddy trails and as we get closer to the coast we encounter more sand-based tracks and smooth sandy trails. You can find more information on riding on gravel surfaces here in our Guide to Gravel Trails

We will be travelling through mountainous terrain and whilst the overall gradient of the holiday takes us down from the Sierra Nevada to the Mediterranean coast, there will be lots of up and down along the way, particularly on Day 3 where we’ll tackle over 1600m of ascent over the course of the day. Undulating routes through the week give us plenty of ups but even more descents, with some great smooth tracks but there will also be loose gravel and some technical sections where good handling skills will be required.

Our Wolf Way guided leisure trip takes place in the county of Suffolk - the 'hidden jewel' of the English countryside, with its stunning landscapes, wild heathland, sandy beaches, and rich history. The Wolf Way takes its name from the protector of St Edmund, the former patron saint of England, whose legacy echoes around the whole of Suffolk and East Anglia in place names, monasteries and monuments. From exploring some of Europe's earliest Neolithic settlements to riding along the seafront at the UK's most easterly point in Lowestoft, this circular route takes in the best sights and routes the county has to offer.

The Wolf Way was initially set up by cycling adventure enthusiasts Chris Bower and Sharon Calton, who were inspired to create a route to showcase the great riding in their home county of Suffolk. With help and advice from Cycling UK and Suffolk County Council, they came up with a stunning and accessible multi-day adventure exploring Suffolk’s varied landscape and deep history. Skedaddle’s Suffolk: Wolf Way holiday is a variation of the original, altered with Chris and Sharon’s input, which aims to be a less technical option, making it more accessible to leisure riders and hybrid bikes.

The start and end point of this holiday is the historic market and cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds, which is easily accessible by road and rail. Over six days and 270 miles (430km), we will pedal our way from Bury to the former Roman cities of Ipswich and Dunwich, then head up the east coast before riding inland to the market town of Beccles, and along the River Waveney. We'll briefly dip into the bordering county of Norfolk, at Thetford, before finally returning to Bury St Edmunds via the River Lark.

Highlights

• Enjoying a variety of trails, from bridleways to quiet roads
• Exploring some of the earliest Neolithic settlements in Europe
• Discovering the Roman cities of Ipswich and Dunwich
• Discovering Bury St Edmunds Abbey, the burial place of King Edmund
• Reaching the most easterly location in the British Isles: Ness Point in Lowestoft
• Visiting Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon burial ground and ship
• Pedalling along the breathtaking Suffolk coastline

The route is a diverse mix of mostly quiet country lanes, byways, cycle paths, and bridleways, with some sections on muddy and sandy paths and unpaved forest tracks, which have been included to add to the diversity and enjoyment of our cycling journey. Although there aren't many significant climbs, and we do not go above 120m (400ft) above sea level, there is still a good amount of undulation, and daily distances range between 40 and 54 miles (64-87km). Although this route isn't officially part of Cycling UK's network, your booking still supports their efforts. When you book this holiday, you'll have the option to donate to Cycling UK to help maintain this route and others like it. Additionally, Skedaddle will contribute a donation for every mile our customers ride on the Wolf Way.

The Wolf Way is also available as a private departure for groups of friends, colleagues, families or anyone else! If our standard dates don't work, if you'd like a slightly altered itinerary just for your group please give us a call for a chat.

Introducing a route of natural wonders and breathtaking scenery! The newest addition to our range of cycling holidays takes you round the County of Kerry exploring fabulous towns and villages and all the gorgeous scenery in between. Expect a real insight to the ancient heritage of Ireland and a good dose of Irish hospitality and culture on this ‘must do’ route.

Your trip will start and finish in the bustling town of Killarney. On the doorstep of the Killarney National Park, you are minutes away from exploring its magnificent three lakes and Muckross Abbey and House, the perfect place for a warm-up ride! Heading out of Killarney, the stunning route will take you through the foothills of Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrantuohill, and the heart of County Kerry with dazzling views everywhere you go. Explore forts that date back to the Bronze Age, take in the ancient history of the towns you pass through, and enjoy plenty of local music and good food to fuel the ride.

The first half of the route meanders back and forth between the coast and lush green fields and forests giving great views of the cliffs and islands of the north west of the peninsula. After Caherviseen we take a turn inland to enjoy the quiet roads and mountain scenery - a real gem, seldom seen by Kerry's many visitors and where you can enjoy rural Ireland at its best. Travelling through the heart of Kerry you'll ride over the Ballaghisheen Pass where epic views of the valley below set the scene of what's to come. 

Perhaps saving the best for last, your final day takes you through Moll's Gap which rewards all the effort with a fabulous vista of Killarney’s Three Lakes before heading to the majestic Gap of Dunloe and a rewarding downhill pedal back to Killarney. This trip is a bucket list trip full of highlights that Skedaddle can certainly help you cross off and enjoy!

Holiday Highlights
Visiting the 15th Century Muckross Abbey & the 19th Century Muckross House 
Exploring the picturesque shores of Kells Bay 
Dining in cosy Irish Pubs 
Enjoying views over the spectacular Three Lakes of Killarney 
Riding through the renowned Gap of Dunloe