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Vicky & Julia

Simon & Rossanne

Rich took us out on a 40k loop using his excellent knowledge of the local area. He tailored this route to suit the difference in riding abilities of us both and adapted the route mid ride to avoid some of the worst weather and even spent some time coaching my partner so I could take a few sections at a faster pace. Not only was the ride it self fantastic, Rich’s local knowledge brought the surroundings to life and made for a really informative as well as exciting ride. We wouldn’t hesitate to ask Rich to take us out again, he really was a fantastic guide. Thanks

Ian

Could not of asked for a better day, it was so enjoyable even though it was snowing it added to the fun, Richard’s knowledge was fantastic really can’t wait to book again.
Thanks

Sarah

A great days MTB with Rich. We were beginners and the trip was a lot of fun even with 2 teenagers! Rich was very knowledgeable about the area and the route picked was perfect for our abilities – really friendly and highly recommended.

Gemma

Great day, fab tips, really enjoyed it.

Patrick

Rich chose exactly the right riding day around the Grizedale Forest for a wet, misty November Saturday with the right amount of technical challenge and a leg stretching distance. He’s a fount of local knowledge, from the biking to mountain rescue to pointing out all the lakes and mountains we could have seen on a better day. The four of us, mid ranking, middle aged and driven by pedal power had a great time. Perhaps the best thing about Rich is that he feels like a mate proudly showing you around his neighbourhood and masks his professionalism beneath a cheerful, humble exterior. We’ll hopefully be returning for a trip up Helvellyn next year.

Orlando

Fantastic experience. We had an absolute blast with Rich! It was informative, exhilarating, scary (fear was not compulsory), excellent exercise and great fun with great company! Rich will ensure you get the experience you need relative to your capabilities. You are in good hands, do this!

John

‘Fantastic full day out, lovely friendly guide, knowledgeable, good fun and excellent value 10/10, highly recommended. ‘ John Matthews

Abigail

January 2023

Amazing experience with Rich! Completely tailored the experience to my ability and what I wanted to develop. Great coaching tips that I will take away and practice, and a beautiful route even with on and off rain. Also some great information about the area as we went around! Will definitely be coming back to Rich for more coaching in the future if I find myself back in the area.

Shiyang

September 2022

It was an AMAZING experience with Rich. I’m new to Mountain bike but I managed to do and enjoyed it with Rich’s coaching which was very thoughtful and highly personalized. He even knew me better than myself regarding mountain biking, he can see the problems I have and knows how to solve it with me, some of them are technical, some are psychological fear. He is very professional. I had great day with Rich and I’m so grateful. I’m even considering coming back to get more training.

Stefano

September 2022

Rich is an experienced mountain biker and an excellent teacher. I love how the day was structured which let me experience both the adventure and learning aspects of mountain biking. I learnt so much from Rich’s expertise and life stories. I would definitely book more days with Rich next time I’m in the Lakes.

The Borrowdale Bash

We planned a day riding in the Lake District on Saturday 4 th September 2021 but unfortunately my riding buddy had to cancel. The weather in the Lake District is very fickle with sunshine one moment and deep cloud the next with treacherous, complex routes so I almost decided to cancel the trip rather than risk it on my own.

Whilst googling the route I might take I came across MTBguides.uk and I decided to go all in and hire an MTB guide rather than miss the trip altogether. With Some anticipation I met Richard Gale (Qualified MTB Guide) in Keswick and after a safety briefing, Kit check, and bike check we set off on what was going to be a proper epic journey…. Richard pre-qualified my riding experience, knowledge and confidence and determined that we could do a technical eMTB route which he called the “Borrowdale eBash Plus” We left Keswick about 11AM and rode out of town on a steep tarmac road and then climbed for a while before leaving the road and climbing still further on the trail. I was conscious that Richard was testing my riding capability, and this gave me confidence that he knew what he was doing. The mountains around Keswick and the Lakes are criss-crossed with a myriad of trails not all of which are safe or legal to ride so Richards local knowledge meant that no time was waisted reading maps or guessing which trails were legal or safe to ride. By now Richard had the measure of my riding capability and he guided me to technical climbs and descents that were as enjoyable as they were challenging. I now know why he gave my bike such a rigorous checking over before the ride as the terrain was not for the faint hearted or a poorly maintained bike. Richard gave interesting commentary during our ride regarding route and section names etc which melted away due to incredible views down valleys to lakes and up peaks leading all the way to the sky, I think. When needed we stopped whilst Richard briefed me on difficult or potentially dangerous climbs and descents with incredibly accurate descriptions of the sections ensuring I could ride them “Blindish” whilst following Richard. Even on the eBike my legs were properly challenged, and we ended the day back in Keswick thoroughly knackered. We Rode a total of 19 miles with over 3000 ft Elevation Gain in some of the most spectacular mountain country on Earth (I must have stopped 50 times to take photos). Richards Skill as mountain guide and local knowledge, along with his cheerful easy to get along with personality placed the “Borrowdale eBash Plus” as one of my TOP 5 leisure days ever.