Great Rock is featured in the mountain bike media a lot at the moment. These ‘photo shoot’ trips are a great chance to get out and ride somewhere different with like minded fellows.

The December issue of Dirt Magazine features a trip that Me, Brant Richards, Rowan Sorrell and Steve Jones made to go and ride in the South of France with Ash Smith, the organiser of the Trans Provence race. It was supposed to be an ‘all mountain’ 29er road trip feature. It never really was that at all! It started as a chaotic trip with no theme and lots of wine that developed in to a meeting of minds, where 5 blokes who have invented jobs for themselves in the bike industry had fun riding bikes together. Steve took some nice photos and we wrote our own words Payday Loan. I’m off back to Trans Provence country in March 2013 to run skills courses with Ash.

The current issue of MBR has a feature written and photographed by Benji Haworth. Out latest trip was out to North Wales to ride some brilliant trails in an area that we normally drive straight past on the way to Snowdon. As usual in Wales it was really sunny.

The current issue of Singletrack Magazine has a lovely ‘bikepacking’ feature, again written and shot by Benji. We had a great adventure riding our bikes for 3 days in the Lake District and carrying all the gear needed for sleeping and eating. We have plans to offer a similar trip as a package to guests in 2013. Alpkit generously helped us out with some bikepacking kit and I’ve got the urge to use it again.