Downhill Mountain Biking in the Eilat Mountains

Written by stumpy_dan

Wednesday, 16 January 2008 16:25

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I was taken by surprise as to how naturally technical and varied the downhill riding is here, combined with just how many miles of sweet flowing singletrack there is available on the doorstep of Eilat.

I set off from my dads flat around 8.00am and met Eyal at his cool mtb bike shop http://www.eilatbike.com/and got to the central bus station only 5 mins away. You can throw your bikes in the luggage under the bus for half the fair of yourself (only about £2.50 extra!). Then after a 30 minute bus ride winding it's way up the beautiful and awesome Eilat mountains you arrive at the top in pure desolation.

This ride consists of 3 mountain peaks traversing the Wadi Racham and the Wadi Sachoret trails (meaning pretty much empty rivers... kinda apt in a desert). To summarise the terrain there are lots of natural drops, wall runs, small jumps, steps, switchbacks and corners. It's dusty and sandy (it's a desert!). Be it a drop, jump or turn what gets you is the focus on choosing your line. You may land into sand that will sink you or onto loose rocks. Either way speed, focus and being smooth are all your friends.

So to start you pump up speed on the road-to hit the entrance of the downhill trail at speed (see top of ridge below). Cool hey!. Then you ride down steeply to start with over rocks, rocks, rocks, on windy trails.

The steepness is then interspersed with miles of singletrack along the ridge at a nice gradient to give you lovely speed as the trail turns and twists. Along the ridge some rocks have been placed at the cliff edge side at times to remind you that to your left or your right you have sheer drops the size of a skyscraper. Wiping out here wouldn't be good so heed the natural signs

Near the bottom we got our first snakebite puncture and so took in some scenery for five. You need really strong inner tubes here as the ground is sharp everywhere and you are always dropping to sharp stone. If it is your first time to desert riding and you are being a bit cautious at first then even more so. As a note tubeless here is used due to roots and sharp rocks on trail riding but the concept fails on downhill due to the inability for it to keep out small desert stones which render the system inappropriate. So take spares of reinforced inner tubes and ride at a decent pressure.

Whilst waxing technical tips, also note that much lube is not really that required (no moisture in the desert Sherlock) and it just attracts the sand making sandpaper to your components. Also sand gets in all your wire casing so clean them out on your return well and if things are slowing up there then this is probably why. Bearings do not wear as quickly as you would think as apparently mud is worse. Dubious the last bit.

Once down you hit a sweet wall ride (there are a few on the ride and all natural) for the end and you are through the first Wadi. It is time to do that fun bit of walking up. Nothing to strenuous as your are moving from a mountain peak to peak on ridges.

And down we go again. Whey!!! All the same type of riding terrain but the second of the three descents is the longest. It goes on for miles and miles of steep descents. The switchbacks are natural and so not unsurprisingly herald a drop in elevation. They are therefore super tight and in line with the natural lines of the land as you turn and descend each corner there are steep drops to navigate in the turn all strewn with rocks. Some of the tightest and toughest I have come across.

The route naturally increases technically as you warm up and move on. This is serious arm pump time so to avoid lactic acid build up and the ache go easy on the brakes and train beforehand like I did (yeah right!!) I had to stop once. As I said at the start you have to be fully engaged with line choice as they are less obvious here (everything is alien, exactly the same colour, not man made, unpredictable and you are moving at speed)

The second descent ends in the Wadi Sachoret where we rested before the final climb and descent. You can see the depth of the and here. It is tough and hard going to ride through when on the flat.

Finally you climb more steeply for the final descent. Not unsurprisingly this is the toughest but it is short and you are fully alert by now. Some steep slabs to flat, followed immediately by lots of drops with rocks and turns everywhere. I took my first and thankfully only (injury free) wipe out on this section.

So we then travel back across on the flat along dusty single track back to the city in around 20 mins from the end. I did my first downhill run in Israel. It was my first downhill run actually actually since I broke my arm break around 6 months back. I was nervous as hell, rustier even, but it was great. I rode a light Mongoose and apart from getting my head around the brakes being the other way around was a sweet steed. I liked the shorter stem giving much more cornering control. We did the easier of the 4 or 5 natural downhill routes and it scared me senseless. The others are quite extreme so I think there is enough for the serious and experienced downhillers.

I personally think is the the playground that would make champions. It is certainly no wonder Eyals 15 year old brother Aviv Yanowski, who's bike I borrowed (see below) is a junior Israeli downhill champ already and entering.the International scene next year (watch this space).

Also Cedric Garcia loved it here and the helmet sits signed in Eyals store to prove it

In conclusion it is important to note the land is protected land and riding is only just permitted or more a blind eye is turned to responsible riders by the authorities and so there is no insurance for the land as a bike park so you come at your own risk. It is territory where GPS's and compasses are not much use and you are on the border between Egypt and Israel and you want a friendly guide. Do not navigate on your own with mates. This is not trail centre riding! This feeling of awesome isolation in natural terrain is to me what makes it unique and special. Eyal can definitely point you in the right direction so give him a buzz. Also IMBA members and affiliates can take their bikes free of charge on El Al. British Airways / Easy Jet/ Ryan Air are you listening!!!! In retrospect I would have liked a bit more travel and familiar brake set up and will bring my own bike next time.

Europe is crying out for a winter sun biking destination. The terrain exists just a few hours away so maybe one country in the middle east will step up to the mark.

Oh! Great thing is I rode from the top of the mountain all the way to my dads flat straight into the jacuzzi in around 3 hours (but those who ride with me know that means it can be done in 2

. That's only one uplift required. You don't even get that in the Alps. But not bad eh!.

You know it is a good ride when the thought s and images of the ride come back to you in detailed glimpses throughout the whole of the rest of the day and the next to the exclusion of all else. Big grin still there. Anyways. I leave you with my final two favourite photo's. There are worse places to fix a puncture but there probably aren't many better. Anyways.. don't forget.. life is an adventure or nothing at all.