Here at mexicomtb.com we have come to realise that young mountain bikers require a different kind of GAP year.

Do you feel you need a break from formal education after all those years of schooling? Would you like to be able to add “Fluent Spanish” to your CV? Does mixing a good dose of singletrack and trailbuilding into your year out sound like a something you can’t do without? Then taking a GAP year with mexicomtb.com is the best choice for you.

Based in the cosmopolitan capital of the state of Veracruz, Xalapa, we’ll ease you into a life of formal or informal Spanish lessons, with trailbuilding sessions twice a week and more riding time than you can care to imagine. Wake up to the view of North America’s third highest mountain, relax with a mug of the finest, award-winning local coffee, we’ll pick you up and drive you up the hill with bikes and spades in tow for a couple of hours trailbuilding, descend at least 500 metres back down to the city if you don’t want a lift back, and take your day from there!

If you’re looking for more of an academic year out than just the informal Spanish lessons we’ll give you, we can help you apply to study at Xalapa’s fantastic “School for foreigners” where you can study anything from Basic Spanish to Pre-Colombian Mexican history. If you’re looking to do voluntary work in your year out we have many contacts in the city and are likely to be able to get you the position you’d like – just ask us with a few months in advance and we’ll do our best to help. If mexicomtb.com’s GAP years sounds like a dream to you but you’re worried about the finances, then we’ll do our best to help you find pupils so that you can teach a few hours of your native language.

During the weekdays you’ll be riding regularly and at the weekend it’s up to you: go away traveling to one of the stunning locations Mexico has to offer, or stay in the area for more epic MTB rides, seemingly never-ending singletrack downhills, MTB camping trips away, local white water rafting, abseiling, high altitude hiking, 4x4ing and more.