We are delighted to announce The Adventure Syndicate's 2018 winter training get-together - a self-led week of cycling for adventurous women, hosted by Girona Cycling and in collaboration with John Hampshire Coaching. The Adventure Syndicate Team will be there too but as guests, just like you. Emily, Lee (and some others TBC) will be there to help facilitate workshops while undertaking their own training alongside you.
Rather than taking the ‘one size fits all’ approach of many training camps, the Adventure Syndicate Winter Get-Together offers participants the opportunity to surround themselves with, and learn from, a collective of other adventurous women and John Hampshire Coaching. The Get-Together will encourage and enable you to take charge of your life, focus your ambitions, and develop your own individual training plans for next year.
Participants will create their own plan for the week, either independently or with the help of Girona Cycling (who can supply .gpx files for all routes) and coach John Hampshire who will give participants the tools and knowledge they need to design their own bespoke training plans (based on a pre-camp questionnaire and one-to-one support throughout the week). There are also options for ongoing support from John at extra cost.
Where appropriate, participants will be encouraged to ride in groups and assistance will be given in forming appropriate groups. Rides will not be officially led.
Ultra-distance cyclists Lee Craigie, Rickie Cotter, Paula Regener and Emily Chappell will be present on the camp and assisting with the workshops designed to help you build your skillset and achieve your potential.
Workshops to include:
- Planning and navigating your adventures
- Bike mechanics to keep you moving
- Kit and equipment for adventuring by bike
- Planning your own training (you will leave with a personalised training plan to help you achieve your goals)
- Strength and Conditioning
Before attending the camp you should:
Be able to find your way round a simple cycle route using tools such as paper maps, mobile phone apps, GPS devices or a combination of these. You can learn this by doing a few practice rides before the camp. (We strongly recommend you bring a GPS unit with you. There will be help there is you've never used one before)
Be able to repair a puncture using either a puncture repair kit or by replacing an inner tube. There is plenty of advice on how to do this on the internet if you are unsure.
Have ridden 50 miles (80km) self-supported at least once.
Our friends at Girona Cycling are offering us a generous discount for this year's camp, provided guests also book John Hampshire's coaching and The Adventure Syndicate's workshops at an additional cost of £100. Girona Cycling will include payment details for this in their confirmation email. Prices below are just for accommodation, breakfast and five evening meals with Girona Cycling:
Single room: €693
Twin room (sharing): €448
Triple room (sharing): €385
Quad room (sharing): €350
To get this rate use the discount code 'Adventure' when making your booking for the 30th January to 6th February. The additional £100 will be payable by the end of December.
Bike hire and transfers also available from Girona Cycling. Prices on enquiry.
The emphasis here is on self-led. This means you are responsible for your own navigation, clothing, hydration, nutrition and mechanics. There will obviously be help on hand throughout the week in the form of other camp participants, Girona Cycling and John Hampshire but ultimately, we want to prepare you for being completely independent out there.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE INSURANCE TO COVER YOUR HEALTH AND EQUIPMENT WHEN TRAVELLING BY BIKE.
Who are we?
Girona Cycling is a small family-run business, operating from Mas Pelegri, a three-star eco-hotel set in the beautiful countryside of Spain’s Girona Province, with on-site pool and sauna, as well as bike rental and vehicle support. Owners Fiona and Gareth have been welcoming cyclists for over ten years, including professional teams, complete beginners, families and individuals. They hosted The Adventure Syndicate’s 2017 training camp and are looking forward to welcoming them back in 2018.
John Hampshire Coaching is a professional coaching service run by John Hampshire for cyclists and runners. A professional endurance coach since 2009, John has worked with athletes of all abilities from all over the world to help them achieve their goals. Subsequent to last year's Girona camp, John provided ongoing support to athletes completing and ranking highly in some of the major road and off-road challenges of 2017. John will be available throughout the camp for one-to-one and group discussions that will help guests develop plans with structure and focus.
The Adventure Syndicate is a collective of extraordinary cyclists who aim to challenge what we all think we are capable of, through a mixture of inspirational talks, films and articles, and practical, hands-on assistance. Directors Lee Craigie and Emily Chappell will be available throughout the camp, sharing their knowledge and experience, joining guests on their rides, running evening workshops to help guests tackle some of the less familiar aspects of bikepacking, long-distance and self-supported travel.
The Adventure Syndicate is a not-for-profit social enterprise. Any profit generated from our activities goes directly to the delivery of our social aims: to inspire, encourage and enable others (but especially woman and girls) to feel capable of more.