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6 x Bucket List — Mountain Bike Destinations
Words and photos by
Mattias Fredriksson
May 30, 2023

In the summertime, mountain biking is one of our favorite substitutes for sliding on snow.

The adrenaline rush, line choices, beautiful scenery and mountain travel remind us of ski and snowboard adventures in so many ways. Check out these places for the ride of your life!

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A testimony of a true adventure

Laugarvegur, Iceland
Imagine riding along the black volcanic rock, glaciers, impressive waterfalls, and spouting natural hot springs as you travel from hut to hut in a wild, remote landscape. This is the Laugarvegur — a 56-kilometre (35-mile) long thru-ride in Iceland’s fantastic Southern Highlands — easily one of the most unique bike experiences in the world.

Start at the dramatic Landmannalauger (The People’s Pools) — a stunning confluence of trails and hot springs about four hours from Reykjavik. Iceland’s most popular hiking trail starts here and goes through an ever-changing landscape to Thórsmörk, a mythical valley near the south coast. Along the way, take advantage of the excellent hut system and spend a few nights deep in the Icelandic mountains as you move through the hills and enjoy the trail at your own pace. The Laugarvegur captures a kaleidoscope of Iceland’s unique geology – from vibrant green moss and jet-black sand deserts, snow and steamy springs, pink flowers emerging from the seemingly barren land to turquoise lakes and lava fields. The Laugarvegur is a unique trail and a testimony of a true adventure. Enjoy the natural hot springs and bring a good raincoat; you will need it!

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Mont Blanc’s sunny side

Aosta Valley, Italy
Aosta Valley in northwestern Italy provides remote, high alpine ridge trails, beautiful huts, bike parks and some of the biggest bike descents in the Alps. With an endless network of trails — some centuries old — impressive mountains, and incredible opportunities for multi-day alpine adventures, this region is truly a mind-blowing place to ride a bike.

Located on the sunny side of the Mont Blanc massif, the Aosta Valley has always been known for its food, wine, coffee, ritzy ski resorts, and relaxed lifestyle. In more recent times, it is also celebrated as one of the globe’s finest destinations for mountain biking. In particular, the high alpine trail riding is some of the best, with endless opportunities. We recommend basing your adventure in Aosta, the region’s capital and an old Roman city. You can easily reach countless trails from there via self-powered pedalling or van shuttles. The town has excellent restaurants, wine bars, shops, and Roman monuments to enjoy after the rides. Book a few days with the local guide company, Aosta Valley Freeride, for a complete experience with local guides who know the secret gems hidden in the massive trail network.

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High Alpine Adventures

Zermatt, Switzerland
Nestled around the mountain village of Zermatt, a blend of long, winding singletrack and hand-built flow trails makes this iconic place one of the most appreciated bike destinations in the Alps. When you add the spectacular scenery, impressive mountain infrastructure, and numerous huts, it’s no exaggeration to say that Zermatt is close to the perfect spot if you are into mountain biking … with a severe side of Euro-culture.

Car-free Zermatt is one of the Swiss Alps’ oldest and most traditional villages, with its heart in modern alpinism. Zermatt’s trajectory toward becoming one of the most well-known mountain destinations in the world started in 1865, after Edward Whymper, a young British climber and artist, summited the Matterhorn, one of the last peaks in the Alps to be reached in the modern era of mountaineering. After that, the allure of the “Mountain of Mountains” grew steadily. Zermatt became “the” place for British aristocrats to hike and climb, which laid the foundation for today’s impeccable focus on meeting the needs of European visitors and beyond.

In modern times, it’s one of the most popular ski resorts globally, and even when the snow melts, the tourists never stop coming, thanks to the Matterhorn. Nowadays, they also come for mountain biking, and it’s well worth it; few places in the Alps can offer such a good and diverse bike product.

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American desert dreaming

Fruita, Colorado
The high-desert town of Fruita in western Colorado became a stronghold for mountain biking in the 90s, and ever since, this charming little town has been one of the sport’s premier riding destinations. At the end of the iconic 18 Road, a 15-minute drive from Fruita, you will find some of the most classic and accessible trails in mountain biking.

Located close to the Colorado-Utah state border, mountain biking in the Grand Valley combines styles from the two states — the rock of the Utah desert and the elevation of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There is wide-open public land for 100 miles in every direction and hundreds of epic trails with easy, winding ups and high-speed, flowing descents plunging from ridge to valley bottom. Fruita deserves its reputation as the mountain biking mecca of western Colorado and one of the first places that come to mind when the definition of flowy singletracks comes up. Mention trails like Kessel Run, Joe’s Ridge, Horsethief Bench, Zippity Do Dah, and mountain bikers worldwide will smile. If you’re into distance — you can easily ride a mountain bike from Fruita to Moab, Crested Butte, Durango, and much further without encountering an inch of concrete. And, if the legendary trails at 18 Road are the foundation of Fruita’s extensive trail network, the bike shop Over the Edge Sports is the heart and soul of the town’s incredibly dedicated bike community.

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Rugged, Remote and Raw

South Chilcotin Mountains, British Columbia
A few hours north of the busy mountain town of Whistler, you’ll find the South Chilcotin Mountains — as pure as wilderness goes these days. In a rugged landscape with never-ending trails, this remote mountain range is a dream for anyone who loves epic singletracks and wants to experience the Canadian wild for real. The Chilcotin is unique, from grasslands to sub-alpine and alpine meadows to glacial lakes, big mountains and wild nature. The 200+ kilometre trail network boasts some of the most pristine mountain biking on the planet, and the remoteness — if you’re prepared for it — adds to the exceptional experience.

There is no cell service, plenty of wildlife, a few huts, and ever-changing weather. Hence, we recommend you connect with Tyax Adventures — the (only) local experts and the pioneers of float plane-assisted mountain biking in the Chilcotins. Tyax is based on the shore of Tyaughton Lake. You can stay in their charming, rustic lodge, start pedalling from the door, or opt for a short, exciting (and highly efficient) float plane drop. From the drop-off point, you can ride for days before you return to civilization – an experience for a lifetime — but make sure you’re well prepared!

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Scandinavia’s Moab

Reinnesfjellet, Norway
On the 68th parallel, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, at the end of a narrow Norwegian fjord, Reinnesfjellet is one of Earth's most unexpected bike destinations.

The dramatic landscape was carved through the ice ages as ancient mountain ranges were eroded to sea level and later lifted again by tectonic forces. Further exposed to centuries of harsh winds and water flows, Mother Nature has crafted a natural bike park in a simply stunning location.

About one hour south of Narvik, a small town in northern Norway, Reinnesfjellet is a 45-kilometre (28-mile) polished granite rock ridge of rolling terrain — it’s two kilometres wide (!) – so your route options are endless. Surrounding this unique natural phenomenon are rugged mountain peaks, fjords, and small glaciers. The views are stunning no matter which way you turn. The locals call it Scandinavia’s Moab, and the analogy is bang on. Reinnesfjellet is simply an extraordinary place to ride a bike, and unless you go there on a busy summer day, you can almost be sure to have the site for yourself.

Mattias Fredriksson is a photographer, journalist, and editor-in-chief for Interstellar. For almost 30 years, Fredriksson has documented ski and mountain bike cultures globally. He is a veteran adventure photographer with over 500 cover shots to his name and impressive longevity in the outdoor space. Fredriksson continues to contribute to many publications and photographs global campaigns for commercial clients. He lives in Terrace, British Columbia.
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