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The Mountain Biking - Introduction
The Karavanke alps cut right across northern Slovenia, a seldom explored land of beautiful mountains, sleepy villages and amazing mountain bike trails.
This hidden corner of the alps is covered in ancient tracks, walking paths and mule trails. Abandoned and unused for many years these trails grew over and became wild, until the local mountain bikers discovered them, and uncovered some of the finest riding in Europe.
Trail and ride changes
The itinerary shown here is just a sample with ideas of the rides we often take groups on. There are many other routes and the qualified, experienced local guides will decide what works best when you are there. Recently they have opened up many more routes across the mountains, and a cable car is operational on the Austrian side at certain times of the year, so this itinerary is a flavour of what singletrack is on offer.
Usual daily distances:
32 - 48km
20 - 30 miles
Ride Description
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Day 1 – Arrival
Saturday
On arrival day we collect you from the airport and take you up into the mountains to our farmhouse. Here you will meet your guides who will help you to put together your bikes before leaving you to freshen up, ready for dinner. After the meal the guides will give you a short briefing on the trip ahead and the plans for the following day.
Meals Included: Dinner
Cycling: 0 miles, 0km
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Day 2 - Santa Helena Ridge Ride
Sunday
Our first day on the bikes starts with a short drive to the hamlet of Mizket on the slopes of Podpetza. With two vehicles and a specially built bike trailer we have everything unloaded in no time then we’re off on a series of climbs and descents on smooth singletrack trails.
These flowing trails take us through seldom explored montane forests where you’re unlikely to see another person. A final fast descent before lunch brings us to the beautiful old church of Santa Helena, situated opposite an old fashioned mountain restaurant where we stop for lunch. Sitting on the terrace, perched on the edge of a great view, we enjoy a meal of traditional smoked meats, cheeses, yoghurts, fresh salads and home made bread.
This afternoon we ride the next ridgeline trail, and it really is a stunner. There are some challenges which you might want to try over again to get them right, but everyone will enjoy this breathtaking start to the week.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cycling: 30 miles, 48km
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Day 3 - Panorama Tour
Monday
After the fast-flowing singletrack of yesterday, we now head out for possibly the most amazing scenic journey in this part of The Alps. Again we transfer upwards to cut out some of the leg work, starting our ride at the highest farm in Slovenia.
The biking first brings us around the slopes of Mount Olsheva. It’s exciting in places with high-speed descents on loose tracks. You have to remind yourself to look up now and again to enjoy the views across the ridgelines to little churches perched on the hillsides, or the craggy peaks at the end of the Logarska Valley.
Lunch is taken at a little farm where everything is made on the premises. Once we’re stuffed we can blast down the long descent to the valley floor to ride across a dried riverbed then on to the sweet singletrack of the Logarska Nature trail. This pops us outright in the heart of the valley, amongst cows with jangling bells chewing on alpine pastures. Diving into a café we enjoy some cold beers in the sunshine while bikes are loaded for the drive back.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cycling: 29 miles, 46Km
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Day 4 - The Green Volcano
Tuesday
A short morning transfer, or optional fire road climb, brings us to the eastern edge of the Savinjske Alpe. This unique ridge of mini summits ranging from 1200m-1600m makes for an amazing day of mountain biking as we travel almost its entire length from East to West.
Today’s ride gets us back into ancient woodlands on some fabulous trails. There is singletrack galore with plenty of roots, shoots and thrilling descents to keep everyone interested. We stop for lunch at an impressive viewpoint – a farm where the lime tree is reputed to be over 700 years old, making it the oldest in the country.
From here the descent off the ridge takes in some twisting trails which cut down through dense, natural forest and occasionally pops out into open meadows for some cracking views.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cycling: 26 miles, 42Km
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Day 5 - Rest Day or Motnik Miners Trail
Wednesday
Today is normally a rest day after 3 good, full days out on the bike. If you want to visit a good local bike shop then this is just 8km down the valley and you can either go on your bike or we can organise a transfer for you (not include, but cheap)
For those who want to get out for a few hours on their bikes, we’ll still be leading a ride for half of the day The route starts with a climb to the village of Motnik, a place that used to be home to hundreds of miners but is now just a tiny hamlet. These miners used to walk around the contours of the mountains to get to Crna and their track is still used today, but now by bikers.
It's very narrow and hangs on the edge of the hillside so this isn’t one for the fainthearted. Just before the end, we join up with a fast, rocky descent that fires us out back on the edge of Crna village.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Cycling: Optional, up to 32Km
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Day 6 - Mount Petza and Jani’s Wild Ride
Thursday
Today we explore two totally different mountains on opposite sides of the same valley. First, we transfer partway up the slopes of Petza Mountain, one of the biggest and most significant peaks of the region. We spend the morning exploring the rocky, loose trails which contour around its slopes before cutting down through singletracks and fast trails to the valley floor for lunch.
After a cracking meal at one of our favourite local bars we jump into the vehicle and head back up to the highest farm that we visited on day 3 (this is a great climb for those who prefer to pedal up).
From here we join Jani’s Wild Ride, an amazing route through wild forests, climbing first then descending on crazy singletrack through dense undergrowth, across log bridges and onto a technical, rooty, rocky trail to the finish.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Cycling: 25 miles , 40km
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Day 7 - Underground Biking and the White Valley Ride
Friday
Today you will ride right through a mountain a full 6km across. This won’t be on a road or through a big tunnel but on a journey through the vast mine network that sits beneath Podpetza, the mountain we rode over on day 2.
This incredible ride takes almost two hours and is led by a former miner, now trained up as an underground biking guide. You’ll be issued with a caving light to fit to your helmet and then, in small groups, we’ll head into the dark. Along the way there are places where we stop to explore the caverns and old mine workings. Its night riding but not as you’ve ever experienced it, and even though it is not technical mountain biking this unique ride is truly memorable.
Once we pop out of the mountain its time to climb up to our first singletrack of the day, the Mejitza Mine Trail. This snaking trail winds down into the ski area of the town far below, where we finally arrive at our lunchtime café stop.
This is a lot of riding already but there is more great stuff to come. While you eat lunch our staff load the bikes onto the trailer for the final ride transfer of the trip, a short drive up to the top of the White Valley. This final descent is truly breathtaking – pictures of this trail are on the cover of our brochure and have featured in the mountain bike press too, it’s that good and that scenic.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cycling: 27 miles, 44km
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Day 8 - Heading home
Saturday
This morning we pack up bikes and bags ready for the transfer to Ljubljana and the flights home. Our guide will be on hand throughout the morning to help with any bike issues and make sure everything is secured and ready for the journey.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cycling: 0 miles, 0km