GranGuanche Audax Trail

GranGuanche Audax Trail is the mountain bike sibling of the Canary Islands ferry-hopping adventure, a self-supported crossing that starts in Órzola on Lanzarote and ends on La Palma. Its organisers are clear that it is not a race but a personal challenge and a shared journey, and in the audax tradition riders may ride together and draft, while the ferry timetable quietly sets the rhythm of the week.

This is the rougher line across the archipelago. Double track still makes up much of it, but there are rocky trails, sandy stretches and a few hours of pushing on steep, exposed singletrack, which is why a light mountain bike with low gears is the recommended tool. The landscapes change with every crossing, from volcanic and desert ground to forest and high mountain slopes, and riders are warned that nights above 2,000 metres can drop below freezing even when the coast is dry and sunny.

Outer Detours is the small team of Matteo Minelli, ultra-cyclist Daniela Kirchner and Audax director Ventura Mendoza, who also run the gravel version of the GranGuanche and a series of rallies elsewhere in Europe. The route tracks are free to ride outside the event, and 30 of the places are held back to bring more women and non-binary riders to the start.