A selfish addiction...

A beautiful landscape under a blue sky plays a key role to find inner balance. Iago knows it very well.

Several years ago, while skiing with an instructor, he mentioned something that really got stuck in my mind. The instructor talked about the importance of the first experience with any activity and the difference of it being a pleasant one or not. If it´s pleasant, it means your body will produce endorphins, in direct proportion to how pleasant the experience has been. On the contrary, when having a bad experience, your brain will keep that memory making difficult to repeat it.  At least that’s the way he explained it.
                                                                                                      
For some reason, my body produces tons of endorphins while riding a mountain bike.  This may explain my addiction to being lost in the mountains somewhere with a bike. But I experience this endorphin rush even more when I share that experience with people that enjoy it as much as me. 

Speed makes you happy

Sharing some happiness with friends in Patones, Madrid.

While thinking of what my ski instructor said, I realized how important it was to me to ride with friends, and the amazing friendships this sport has created with some amazing people in my life.  I also realized how my endorphin rush increased while showing my friends those secret riding spots I knew about, or discovering new trails that they were able to show me.  I believe it was a mutual endorphin rush shared by all those on the ride.

So now the big question...is it selfish behavior to have the need to share these happy moments with the rest of the world?  It could be. Since I get to experience that euphoria one receives from Endorphins every time I go mountain biking.  The whole thing reminds me of a great "Friends" episode where Joey had this great theory that "Good Deeds do not Exist", and maybe I am experimenting the same!

But at the end of the day, what matters is that we are all happy. I am happy because I have satisfied my need for that endorphin rush, and seeing the people around me happy, adds to that euphoria. Especially since I know that they are experiencing that same “rush” that I am in that moment. What really counts is that we are all smiling and enjoying being in the middle of nowhere, with our bikes, riding amazing singletracks. That´s why we love this game, we love mountain biking and we love being Smile Creators! 

Views of El Escorial from the Abantos summit is a good example of pure joy.

Iago creating the perfect cocktail of endorphins and adrenalin...

Our friend John Oldale, with an endorphin rush washing dishes in the BlackTown Chalet... Everyone have an own method of finding happiness!

Iago found a complete new line in this shot, what made him reaaaaally happy.

Playschool fun = endorphins production

Something as simple as a singletrack in the middle of the woods... that means happiness.

Rob knows this also helps to keep a pleasant feeling in our brains

Rough sections mean even more joy

Rob Williams had some good ration of endorphins in his ride in Moralzarzal.

Emilio and myself, enjoying the beautiful views from the BlackTown Chalet... a static way to shake Endorphins.

And with no intention of being selfish, I highly recommend you to join us. I can guarantee things will come full circle, Us satisfying our selfish need of seeing people happy.
​And you will surely be so happy, that you will need to tell everyone back about your own endorphin induced euphoria from your time with BlackTown Trails.

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Come join us!

Words: Félix Torija / Charlie Chewning
Photos: Ale Cubino, Ben Winder, Olly Jelley, BlackTown Trails.