For the whole of November, me and La Mujerita were lucky enough to be able to live in Fuengirola, where we had a few day rides with Sierra Cycling. Regular readers will be aware that the Terra Trailblazers are no strangers to Sierra Cycling but cycling on the Costa Del Sol was a new experience for La Mujerita, not being the most confident rider, routes like Ashes To Ashes and Full Telecom were not on the agenda but we were given personal service from Alexis who took us to Coin Woods.
Utilising his local knowledge, Alexis chose trails which gently pushed La Mujerita’s limits, by the end of the ride she was riding trails she would never have previously considered rideable. Alexis’s patience and gentle instruction was exemplary, in contrast to my usual “just ride down the f*^*!ng hill” style of teaching, which, admittedly, probably does little to calm nerves of a timid novice. After lunch, an uplift in the van got us back to Mijas from where we rode back Fuengirola, finishing with along the promenade, the blue Mediterranian sea to our left as we headed back to base.
Relive 'Morning Nov 5th'
The next time, La Mujerita hit the beach while I joined guide Jon and a Swedish couple for another ride around Coin Woods, using some slightly more technical trails than the previous ride. The Swedish couple were regular riders but took a bit of getting used to the dry and loose Spanish tracks, we had an enjoyable few hours riding and being coached by Jon on his last ride before moving on to pastures new. After lunch in the trusty BP garage, (who’d have thought a petrol station could have such a superb cafe?) we embarked on a four kilometre road climb, which led to another descent back to Fuengirola, this time down to the dried up river bed which is followed to the sea. Made even more pleasant because usual headwind was a tailwind today.
Relive 'Morning Nov 14th'
Another ride with La Mujerita and Alexis came next, starting again in Mijas, this time we did the route called Mijas Down, which somehow I had managed to miss in the four years I have been coming to Sierra Cycling. The ride was, again, mainly on wide, non-technical tracks but the views more than made up for it, the brooding bulk of Pico Mijas at our backs, looking like the Lake District’s Skiddaw transplanted to sunnier climes, before us a patchwork of green and brown stretching to the coast.
We coasted along dusty tracks passing laden fruit trees and spiky cacti, curious cattle and jittery horses, all the time in bright sunlight and the perfect riding temperature, none of the sweat in the eyes searing summer heat. Again Alexis showed consideration and equanimity toward his less confident client. We lunched in the seaside resort of La Cala before riding back on a network of tracks through some low hills which brought us back to Fuengirola, where La Mujerita rode, without even a pause, down the steepest, loosest slope she has ever attempted.
Relive 'Morning Nov 19th'
The final ride I was let out to play with the big boys while La Mujerita did something else, no doubt involving shops or sun-loungers. Guides Alex and Tom took me and three others to Ojen, in the hills behind Marbella, to ride sections of an enduro track Alex had previously raced. The van parked up in the woods and we climbed on tarmac, turning off at numbered arrows sprayed-painted onto the road which marked the start of each section. A couple of hours of rocks and roots followed, dusty trails through the woods, all heading downhill which did mean another climb back up the road to the start of the next section but the routes were definitely worth the pain of slogging uphill in the heat. When we had completed five sections, there was a vote for the favourite section - unanimously number three - which we rode again, although this time we were met at the bottom by Tom in the van, who drove us to the BP for lunch, then to Mijas, where we followed the San Anton route back back to Fuengirola.
No pictures I'm afraid.
