Cumberland!!! / Riding Fool Hostel

Just returned from three glorious days in Cumberland riding the local trail network and staying at the Riding Fool Hostel.

For anyone who has not yet been, I would whole-heartedly recommend the riding and the accommodations. The Riding fool is friendly, big and clean and I suspect ordinarily full of like-minded riding folk.

Cumberland is a one hour drive north of the Nanaimo ferry terminal.

The trails are varied in difficulty, but almost all are rooty, gnarly, twisty fun, with quite a few built stunts- skinnies wrapped with stuccu wire for grip, and sturdy cedar ladder bridges, many over creeks that snake through the area. Very picturesque and so very different from the riding in the south Okanagan. Variety is the spice of life, n'est-pas? A bit of clear cutting has occurred affecting some of the local trails, but there are still a boatload of trails to hit.

The trailhead is two blocks from the Riding Fool's front door, and the Riding Fool itself is a block from a good little pub (the Waverly), a great bakery and a couple of liquor stores. Loads of friendly locals and a great mountain biking vibe.

Comox / Courtenay are a 10 minute drive away.

Good times for sure.

Dave