Video: How To Make The Most Of Your Mexican MTB Adventure

Tell me you're in Mexico without telling me you're in Mexico. It was a real treat to experience a live Lucha Libre as part of the wrap party at the TranSierra Norte enduro.

The markets in Oaxaca, Mexico, are truly cultural and culinary experiences of their own. From local mole to cheeses, mezcal, and even crickets, there are many treasures to be found. Around every corner, there are alleyways and paths to explore and friendly locals with inviting smiles.

A local tapestry maker at work. Art is everywhere! As a shopaholic myself, it was hard to keep from buying all the amazing trinkets and colorful mementos.

Part of the reason for my traveling south was to partake in the popular TranSierra Norte 4-day enduro race. While that might have been a big chunk of the trip, it was the trails, locals, and experiences that will have me coming back again. Thousands of meters of descending later, we all needed a quick reset before heading back up into the Sierra Norte mountains' loam factory. As someone coming from Whistler with little to no expectations, I'm not gonna lie, they had me grinning ear to ear even more than usual.

The riding was everything I had dreamed of and more. Luckily, there were plenty of shuttles available to get us back up the mountains where we could pedal off into the sunset again. This memory was from the final day of hitting the trails as the driver navigated the busy streets to get us back into Oaxaca.

The damp, dank, Mexican jungle was fun to ride in but made for hard work trying to dry the kit for the next day. This was the guys' dorm and thankfully you can't smell through photos.