|
Cultural Riding Week with Hans Rey in Italy Looking for a November getaway? Friday, August 16, 2002
Sunny days, cool nights, olive harvest, that's the beautiful time of year in Tuscany and Umbria when most of the tourist are long gone and the area is back in the hands of the locals.
From November 2. - 9. 2002 is the "Hans Rey Riding Week" in Umbria, where Hans' second home has been for the past few years. Besides tours and riding lessons from Hans, this trip offers a opportunity to participate in the olive harvest, visit a olive mill, experience a vine tasting, learn to make your own Tagliatelle Pasta, enjoy Ayurveda massages and visit the ancient and metropolitan city of Rome. Riding clinics: Every skill level is welcome. Hans will shape each one of you into a better rider. It's his fun and easygoing way of teaching all kinds of techniques and helps riders to prepare themselves mentally as well as physically with several pre exercises for each technique. The groups are small enough (max. 10 persons) that every participant gets to spend some one on one time with Hans. Hans has a reputation as not only one of the worlds best bike handlers, but he also understands how to communicate and teach his skills to others in a relaxing but effective way. Each group has 2 days of riding clinics with Hans, some of the techniques that will be covered include, bike control while riding slow, balancing, riding over small obstacles and on single trails, bunnyhops, downhilling, proper braking techniques. Tours: The region around Lake Trasimeno offers lots of great mountain biking surrounded by the hilly Tuscan countryside. Temperatures during the day are usually around 60 degrees F The terrain is challenging but never too tough, mountain bikes are a great way of exploring the beautiful countryside, hilltowns, forests and olive orchards. Beginner Tours are approx. 20 miles, with less than 2000 feet of climbing. Advanced Tours are approx. 30 miles, with about 3500 feet climbing. Accommodations: the hotel "Grotte di Boldrino" in Panicale is a nice family hotel with an excellent cook. All the meals are typical Italian made with the best and freshest ingredients. This time of year has a lot of fresh local specialties to offer such as wild boar roast, fresh porcini mushrooms, truffles, new vine, or roasted chestnuts... Panicale is one of the most beautiful Italian hilltowns with gorgeous views of Lake Trasimeno. Olive harvest and olive oil pressing: Whoever wants to take their own share of olive oil home, can work for it on 1 -2 afternoons by picking olives after our bike tours. Olives are picked by hand, after the harvest we go together to an olive mill to watch the pressing and to taste the fresh pressed oil on some toasted bread. It's an unforgettable experience - the olive oil of this region is amongst the best in the world. Culture & vine & massages: A vine tasting tour at a local vine cantina will give opportunity to buy some local vine. There will be an excursion to Rome, one of the oldest and coolest cities in the world. Visit the Coliseum, the Vatican or to go on a shopping spree in one of the many famous and fashionable stores. There will also be an experienced Ayurveda Masseur available every afternoon for a special rub.
How to get there: Skill Level: normal standard of fitness and health is required. Participants will be divided in different groups according to their skill level. Non experienced bikers and beginners are welcome. Minimum 10 bookings are required to make this trip happen.
Price: Euro 950.- (approx. US$ 950.-)
Extras: single room supplement Euro 70.- Bookings & Info: noway@hansrey.com — Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Gear Editor |