About the Switchbacks DH team and guides

Once upon a time

Started by Canadian Michael Saunders, Switchbacks DH provides year round lift assisted downhilling on some of the best man-made and natural DH courses in the Europe.

We provide 2 locations. The first is situated just outside of Malaga for chairlift DHing and the second in the beautiful Sierra Nevada National Park with van-assist DHing. Both provide an excellent base to ride an incredible variety of runs ALL YEAR ROUND.

Your Guarantee

Switchbacks/SwitchbacksDH is a Spanish registered company constituted under Spanish law, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (Registro de Turismo Activo/Junta de Andalucia) and complies fully with all legal, financial and insurance requirements. Our official registration number is AT/GR/00087. Switchbacks is the only legal mountain bike holiday company in Andalucia, Spain.

Looking for empty trails?

One of the best parts about riding with Switchbacks DH is that there are no queues, no braking bumps, no slow riders holding you up, no fast ones running over you. Just you on endless virgin bone dry singletrack.

Switchbacks holidays are structured around you, the guest. If you are just starting out or have only been riding for a few years we can offer you excellent coaching and starting out your DHing more gently.

For professionals or the very experienced, the climate and terrain of Southern Spain offers exceptional year-round riding and a chance to get in several weeks extra training before the start of the season.

For pros we can offer several week or month long stays to get ready for the season.

Your Shuttle Bitches and Guides

Michael learned his trade way back in the late 80s/early 90s as a professional downhiller, where, at speeds in excess of 100kmh he raced his steel hardtail through most Norba and World Cup circuits.

Riding at stupid speeds for too many years, lots of nagging injuries and kids has slowed him a bit but is still incredibly slick over rock gardens and burms.

Still very retro, he continues to ride with the minimum of body armour and an open face lid - not recommended. Mike's bike of choice is a Cove STD.

Tony aka 'Onetime' is an ex-BMXer with the obligatory skills to boot. He's "stupid fast" up and down and likes to leave the earth whereever possible.

He has made some the best and funniest bmx films ever seen where he makes it look oh so easy.

Ever stylish Tony rides a Rocky Mountain Switch, 7" with single clamps in white gloves and shoes - very pimp.

James McKnight. Just 21, James is Switchbacks DHs own in-house DH pro. Racing elite in Europe for the last several years he will beat you no matter how fast you are.

The good thing about this is that if you want to get faster he can show you and/ or talk you through it. From corners to doubles to style and breaking.

You can follow his exploits on Descent World under the pseudonym of Euro-Pikey and regular updates here on SwitchbacksDH.

Jim Stock. is our newest in-house DH guide

Racing elite DH in France for the last 2 years Jim should be world famous for several reasons aside from his dodgey Costal del Sol exploits - like his lesser known but equally retarded conquering of the infamous Athertons road gap - 1 of only 3 to have ever done so.

Check it out on www.gravity-slaves.co.uk for the proof.

He will be racing pro/ elite for SwitchbacksDH this season so go up and say hello if you see him about - his van is likely to smell like tuna so you cant miss him....