What is H+I Adventures?
H+I Adventures has been crafting guided mountain bike tours worldwide since 2007 and is a leader in the field. From its base in the Highlands of Scotland, H+I Adventures partners with expert local guides and logistics teams in every destination to create and deliver authentic, life-affirming adventure experiences worldwide.
This commitment to working locally gives customers the most unforgettable all-around experience of their mountain bike tour. It ensures that the lion’s share of income stays in each local community, many of which are remote or rural communities that depend on tourism for their livelihoods.
Over the past 17 years, H+I Adventures has seen many changes in mountain bikers’ habits, the most significant of which has been the development of the e-mountain bike. More than just a passing phase, e-mountain biking is here to stay, and so, in 2019, H+I Adventures launched its first e-MTB tours in Europe.
About the E-MTB Adventure in Scotland
Despite being based in the Highlands, Scotland wasn’t part of the first wave of e-mountain bike tours for H+I Adventures. The challenging terrain of the Scottish Highlands meant that it has taken several years to research and develop an E-MTB tour in the region that the team is happy with. Still, they have finally achieved this in their new Royal Deeside Backcountry E-MTB adventure.
Staying true to their origins and working with rather than against the Highland wilderness, H+I Adventures decided that this latest E-MTB tour would be a proper adventure that would test the capabilities of the e-mountain bikes, enable riders to experience backcountry riding, and conquer climbs that were previously unachievable on a normal bike.
The mastermind behind this new wilderness E-MTB adventure in the Cairngorms and Royal Deeside is H+I’s e-mountain bike guru Tony Yule. Before joining H+I Adventures, Tony ran his own E-MTB guiding business from his home in Royal Deeside, so it made perfect sense for Tony to bring his expertise to the table to create this new adventure in his backyard. And for him to guide it, of course!
“For me, e-mountain bikes have redefined and reinvigorated mountain biking, and I think that’s a good thing for the industry. E-MTBs allow us to think of a mountain bike tour a little differently, but these opportunities need to be tempered with a sympathetic understanding of the potential impact that a group of e-mountain bikers can have on the landscape.
H+I’s e-mountain bike guru Tony Yule
“That’s why it’s so important for us to have an experienced local guide leading our groups, to ensure that everyone rides in a responsible and respectful manner. That, and the ever-present specter of battery management!”
Scottish Highlands E-MTB Trip Highlights
- Pedalling to the highest village in Scotland
- Gin tasting and BBQ at a local distillery
- Discovering royal landscapes and history
- Pushing the limits of what e-mountain bikes can do
- Enjoying fantastic local food and drink
- Conquering previously unattainable climbs
- Drinking in the spectacular views
This E-MTB adventure in the Scottish Highlands is precisely that: an adventure. No ‘uphill flow’ or ‘all-day boost’ here; this is about using the e-bike to take riders into the backcountry of the Cairngorms and Royal Deeside, riding remote trails that few others will ever experience.
Riders will pedal to the highest village in Scotland, across Munros (mountains over 3000 ft), along secluded lochs, through royal forests, and past the gates of Balmoral Castle, the Scottish residence of King Charles III.
The tour’s distances and elevations will test the limits of riders and bikes and require careful battery management. Tony’s expertise is invaluable in this area, both in the itinerary planning and on the ground.
For example, day 3 of the Royal Deeside Backcountry itinerary is a traverse across the Cairngorms National Park from west to east. It requires a battery change over lunch in Tomintoul, the highest village in Scotland. Luckily, the support driver will deliver the spare battery on this day. Riders will not have the luxury of a support driver the following day, so they must carry a spare battery with them as they tackle the challenging climb up Mount Keen and back again.
These two days alone will see riders pedaling more than 43 miles daily, with up to 6,000 ft of climbing on day 4. No mean feat, but the spectacular views, wild landscapes, and sense of achievement will make it all worthwhile.
This adventure is unique because H+I Adventures hasn’t shied away from the challenge of taking e-mountain bikes into real wilderness environments, even asking riders to carry a spare battery for a big day in the mountains.
“The goal with this tour was to make something authentic to e-mountain biking. That’s to say, not an adventure that could be achieved on a normal MTB. Crafting an electric H+I tour meant going higher and farther than we would ever imagine doing on an analog mountain bike, but without dumbing down the ‘adventure’ element in the trails.
Tony Yule
“E-MTB has rewritten the playbook to show where we think is accessible on a bike. The challenge has been what to leave out! Never-before-considered rides are now possible, and I hope that this shines through on the tour.” Tony Yule, H+I Adventures E-MTB guide.
E-MTB Scotland Trip Details
The first of these new, week-long e-mountain bike adventures in Royal Deeside Backcountry, Scotland, will roll out on July 20th, 2024, followed quickly by a second departure on August 10th.
It is impossible to fly with an E-MTB, so H+I Adventures has a fleet of high-end electric mountain bikes – Yeti 160E – to rent in Scotland for the tour for riders coming from overseas. There will be a maximum of 7 riders per group, and the tour price is $2,694 per person, based on double occupancy.
The rental of a Yeti 160E is $540 for the week and includes a spare battery.
The tour starts and ends at H+I Adventures’ base in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands, which has air links to London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schipol international hub airports.
Level: INTERMEDIATE +
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Riders: (Max) 7
Region: UK
Price (Per person): £1,995 / €2,394 / $2,694
Explore the daily agenda: The Royal Deeside Backcountry Tour Itinerary