Report by - Gary Raggatt

Trailblazers ride report

For anyone thinking of tral riding in Spain, I would thoroughly recommend Trailblazers. There wre lots of talk at the beginning of the year about trail riding in Spain Mike Whittaker did an excellent report on Trailblazers on the forum and also at the club night.

I'd met the guys from Trailblazers previously at bike shows and liked what they had to say, so my girlfriend and I decided to have a week in Spain, incorporating a couple of days trail riding for me whilst we were there.

Trailblazers is run by Graham and Liz. They offer a transfer service from the Aiport (chargable) and Liz picked us up and dropped us off at the apartment in Nerja, where we stayed. She also picked me up on the days when I rode and took me to there base in Competa. They have a mixture of bikes to suit all levels of experience, size and preference (Honda CRF, Yamaha WRF, Suzuki DRZ, Yamaha TTR, KTM). I had a KTM EXC450 on my first ride and a Yamaha WRF450 on my second. Graham is an excellent guide and lets you do a bit of your own thing as well The rides / groups are tailored to your requirements and skill level.

They supply the full kit - Boots, body armour, knee guards- and its all in good clean condition. One important thing to note which helped sway my decision to use Trailblazers is that they don't charge for damage to the bike, unlike some other companies offering the same service- unless your really reckless and trash the bike. The riding itself was really good, very dry and dust but it makes a nice change fro riding at home and the views are stunning. Dinner and drinks are included in the price, and Graham always picks the good places to eat. The hotel where Trailblazers is based is lovely. The owner Antonio was really nice and welcoming. We were shown around his hotel and the rooms looked great. We actually stayed in Nerja as this was by the beach, but if we went again we would definitely consider staying there- its a beautiful place with stunning views. On one of the days when I was riding, my girlfriend came over to Competa and stayed at the Hotel for the day- Antonio was happy for her to chill by the pool, and she also gave the use of one of the rooms free of charge - she was very impressed!

To conclude, I had an excellent time with Trailblazers. Graham really knows his stuff and Liz couldn't do enough to help you - which all adds to the overall experience. It was well worth the money, especially if you you have never been to Spain trail riding before - I would definetely recommend it to anyone.

Gary Raggatt