For those who can’t get away for a full week, our long weekend packages offer the perfect adventure, whether you prefer a pure shuttle experience or a big mountain backcountry ride. Available either in July and August, or outside our main season during the winter, these trips are usually 4 nights and 3 days of riding, and are fully customisable to fit your schedule.
WHAT WE OFFER
Our Winter long weekend package is based on the coast line of Massa-Carrara and is right between three mountains full of trails. One is old school style with natural rocky trails and pedalling to get up, the one right next to it a new school zone full of custom built trails full of jumps and features that can be shuttled. Lastly, Carrara famed for its marble mines is an incredible zone that is full on and throws everything at you. From purpose built descents to incredibly long natural trails on both sides of the mountains, this area will have you riding for days.
As we have so many options available to us in these months you can pick and choose whether you want to climb, be shuttled, take it easy or challenge yourself with some seriously tech descents, wither way we can tailor the Long Weekend package to your needs.
MAIN WINTER RIDING LOCATION
Apuan Alps Coastal Marble Mountains
The famous Marble Mountains of Massa-Carrara are renowned for both their beauty and incredible trails that head down to the coast. Here we have two very different sides of the mountain range to play with which both offer a totally diverse riding experience. Our valley side is home to long winding ancient pathways in stunning oak and chestnut forests that we have revived, whilst the coastal side offers rugged custom built Enduro madness tracks that blast through the marble mines and down to the Mediterranean beaches.
WINTER RIDING
Who’s it for?
You love natural techy single tracks, and the challenge of switchbacks. You enjoy some purpose-built roller-coaster trail centers to finish the day off. You don’t mind some pedaling and a bit of hike-a-bike, to earn some of the longest most rewarding descents in Tuscany.
E-Bike?
All our trips are suitable for e-Bikes too. Find out more about our love and offer for e-Biking.
Accommodation
In the winter and spring months we are based right on the coast by the beach in the stunning coastal town of Massa-Carrara.
The accommodation is a large privately run villa hotel that is split up into many small 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments. Perfect for small or large groups, each room has its own ensuite bathroom and shower, along with a mix of single and double beds to suit all needs.
WINTER PACKAGE DEAL
€750 half board package
- 4 nights at coastal villa
- 3 days of fully customisable guided riding
- 4 x continental breakfast
- Private shuttle & airport transfers (to and from Pisa airport)
- Mobile workshop, safe gated bike area, and wash facilities
*This price is based on:
- A group size of 5-7 or 10-12 people.
- Two/ three people of the same group sharing a ensuite apartment (with separate beds). Single rooms are available at an extra fee. Contact us for more details.
Let us know your preferred dates, and we’ll tailor the perfect long weekend adventure for you!
Individuals and smaller groups
Our package prices are usually based on bookings from groups between 5-12 people. If you are a couple or you can’t get a group of minimum 5 riding buddies together, please check out or Open Invitation Weeks or get in touch to see if we can team you up with a group for your preferred dates.
FAQ
How does the winter accommodation base by the sea look like?
During the colder months, when the snow settles at our main base, we move down to the coast, where climate remains mild and the trails dry. Ridgeline’s guests are all based together in a beautiful villa in Massa, just 70m away from the beach. The private villa hotel comes with several different sized apartments across three different floors. All with separate bed rooms and ensuite bathrooms.
You can find more details and images about the villa on our Accommodation page.
What kind of food is offered and included in the package?
A breakfast buffet is included at the villa every morning by the team, and is has a good continental selection of cereals, meats and cheeses etc. Please ask in advance if you have any special dietary requirements.
The coastal villa is situated right on the beach and is surrounded by many different fantastic restaurants that you are free to pick and choose from. Sea food is the main restaurant of choice, but you can also easily find quick fix pizza restaurants and burger bars, and almost all of these will cater for vegetarians and vegans.
How much climbing is involved in a backcountry day?
The riding in the Apennines and Apuan Alps is incredibly diverse, from open fast flowing runs to steep rocky technical descents by the coast. You can expect to be climbing a minimum of 500m a day and to up to 2000m if desired, but expect an average of about 1000m per day. Hike a bike and some pushing to get you to the endless descents is always part of our backcountry adventure.
Please note that most of the days can be modified with the amount of climbing and level of shuttle support. However, be prepared to put in the climbs to be rewarded of being in some of the most beautiful remote peaks that hardly anyone ventures to.
How much support will be provided during the backcountry days?
Our Mercedes Vito Tourer vans and Bergtec trailers will shuttle you from our base in the valley every morning, and bring you back to base at the end of the day. Although some tours allow you to ride directly back to base and no van is needed after the first drop-off in the morning. However, the van and trailer will be on hand every day to help out with any carrying of kit or emergency help, and we keep a full mobile workshop and mechanical spares kit where ever we go.
The remote mountain hut is only accessible by foot or bike, so we will be self-sufficient for this part of the week. But we use the vans and trailer to help with carrying your equipment until the final climb to the mountain hut, so you can ride light and enjoy the descents to the max. The it will be there in the morning after the main descent, so you don’t need to carry your beach gear and spare riding clothes for the overnight stop.
What about bike storage and accessibility to tools for maintenance of bikes?
The coastal villa is in a private gated and fenced off area, and therefore you are free to leave your bikes either on your balconies or in the main bike communal area in the middle of the building.
We will bring a full mobile professional Park Tool kit with us that you will ahve access to for the entire time, along with spares for the essentials. We also collaborate with a couple of local bike shops very close, so if there are any major problems, we got you covered there too.
On site there is a hose and wash area for the bikes, and we will provide basic wash kit and degreasers for you.
Can the riding be customised to fit the skills and fitness of our group/riders?
Yes. We have the option to customise your tour to meet your fitness, preferred riding and amount of uplift support you wish for the trip. Due to our vast and diverse playground, we have the option to either focus on ensuring you spend the whole day in the backcountry with only pedal power to get you through, or the van and trailer can support during the day.
We normally plan on one overnight stop as part of this tour, but we have the flexibility to add another overnight stop in another mountain hut, or to add an extra day of riding to maximise your time on the bike for your trip with us. Just get in touch and we can plan your week together: info@ridgeline.bike
Do you offer alpine riding coaching?
Definitely. Everyone should have the chance to hone their Alpine skills whilst on a riding holiday and in this unique environment. Our guides provide free tutorials to coach and improve techniques like switchbacks, manuals, vision and trail awareness, but also basic suspension and bike set-up advice.
Is this package available as an e-Bike trip?
Yes! All of our tours are offered as e-Bike packages. These packages are dedicated e-Bike trips and are open only for riders with e-Bikes. Both SL and full powered e-Bikes are suitable for our packages. Follow this link to see our dedicated e-Bike page.
