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For the last few years I've been on roadie holidays. Either Majorca with the club or doing things like the Raid Alps with a tour group. Normally 6 days riding 120-160km a day and about 3000m climbing.
so not super tough but a good days riding each day.
I've been looking for off road equivalents but can't find anything. I'm thinking XC (e.g. black Glentress not gravel roads). Ideally point to point. Somewhere interesting but not stupidly expensive . A week so medium hall at most - I know people who've been to turkey, Morocco and the more remote corners of Europe. I'll probably be going on my own so a group trip would be nice rather than self guided.
Is anyone able to recommend a company? Everything I find seems to be really short and limited climbing. I'm no MVdP but I'd want around 80km+ per day with a couple of thousand meters unless it was really tough terrain.
How about the Navad 1000? https://bikepacking.com/routes/navad-1000/
If you ask over on Bearbones there's a chap there who lives in Switzerland - Gian Liesch, user name of Alpinum - who does some pretty hard stuff and might be able to give you some clues/ideas.
Like that but I want hard riding and easy living. So not carrying stuff and staying indoors.
Have a look at the Bike Village website, sounds like you'd enjoy their All Packer trip. There standard holidays are excellent too.
Chemist de Soleil, Sisteron to Nice bit. Mainly fire road type climbs and XC descents. Has a good website with lots of info.
Chemin de Soleil, not a pharmacy!
Not point to point but Marco at Ciclo Montana can definitely sort out big long days in the saddle on single track.
There is someone doing some stuff in the Queyras area of the French Alps. I can't remember the name though...
Might like to check out Skedaddle's cross country challenges:
https://www.skedaddle.com/uk/biking/holidays/location/Cross-Country-Challenges/665#guided
Tour du Mont Blanc? I've not done it, but from what I understand it's definitely a challenge! You can do it through UCPA.co.uk Maybe more 'enduro' than xc though as climbs and descents are technical.
I think MTBtours.ro ( http://www.mtbtours.ro/en/ads/our-mtb-tours-in-romania/) are much more XC-orientated than typical uplift holidays.
Some good ideas. I'm aware of skedaddle as I live in Newcastle. I've looked at them in the past. Their trips are a almost what I want but a little easy. I'll dig through some of the others. Roadies always seem more willing to do harder trips. Probbaly because it is all about the "epic climbs" and "suffering". I normally find them fine. Problem is that most people in my position go on training camps in March to set themselves up for a racing season rather than holidays year round.
Not on topic but I came across these guys so I now have a plan should I ever get made redundant from work!
I'd second Ciclo Montana. Ideally you'd just tie in with a week that has other XC people.
Roadies always seem more willing to do harder trips.
Define harder. In terms of hours in the saddle, most MTB holidays will be as hard as a roadie holiday. But, if you plan on spending 5 or 6 hours a day, every day, on GT black type stuff your normal roadie won't be able to move his shoulders after Tuesday. 🙂
We do a trip for a Belgian company called Beyond Biking. They do pretty much exactly what you are asking for. We just do a trip or two a year for them and don’t offer it ourselves as it just confuses the message about what we do (ie not full on XC). It’s like a training week for me, love it. They do trips all over though not just here so maybe you can find something you want. I reckon most companies will do an XC week if requested. We don’t have one this year but occasionally do a week with a lot less uplift where there are a few people interested. I’m sure lots of other places will do if you ask.
doug_basqueMTB.com
Absolutely brilliant they look like exactly what I'm after. Cheers.
Transrockies?
https://www.transrockiesclassic.com/overview
Camping between stages but hot food etc provided. I did it in 2014 when the format was slightly different (each stage returned to its own starting point, and stayed in motels etc). Great riding and fully challenging!
https://www.go-alps.com/mountainbike/transalp
Found them when looking for point to point options, but haven't any idea what they are like as we ended up in the French alps (right now fwiw :D).
Have a look at Ride Southern Spain; they do road, Enduro and XC with uplift all from their villa (half board, pool, WiFi). Pinned TV recently visited so you can look up their reports on YouTube.
Andy and Jules are great too.
A colleague of mine is friends with Jamie Wilkins, who has recently set this up:
http://www.escapetothepyrenees.com/
You’ve missed out this year, but take a look at the Swiss epic. Paired riding so may not be what you’re after but worth a peak for the future.
BikeVillage usually offer the chance to skip the uplift and ride the climbs if you stay with them or just do the Alp packer.