Who, Where & What is Åre Mountain Mayhem? Below is general information, and some frequently asked questions. For the actual program, see Mayhem 2005. ÅRE MOUNTAIN MAYHEM is the largest freeride / downhill event in northern Europe. Located in Sweden, Åre is ledgenday as a top mountain biking destination. A rider's event. It is all about the ride. It is all about challenging terrain and pushing your limits. It is also very much about good times and hanging out with riders from all over northern Europe. Apart for the competitions, there are no set rules you have to follow. After all, that is the very essence of freeriding. You decide when, where and how you do it. Just as long as your on the bike....its all about the ride. The Trails: Åre mountain offers a great variety of downhill trails. There are numerous downhill loops, everything from technical rocky sections to fast rolling singletrack. Every year, the Mayhem building crew put a big effort into building plenty of jumps and drops and north shore sections to keep the most extreme of riders happy. We will post trial descriptions on the site shortly. Access to the Mountain: There are two lifts available, The Kabinbana & World Cup Chair lift Both these lifts are continually running for the week of the festival. Q; Are there long que's for the lifts? No. Even though we there is a lot of riders, due to the fast chair lift service, there is generally very little time spent waiting, sometimes none at all. Q: How long are the lifts open for? Normal opening times are from 11:00 - 15:00. However, during Åre Mountain Mayhem we have extended play 'everyday' so chair lift's are open from 10:00 - 18:00 Q: Is it expensive? The event is FREE enter and take part in. If you wish to use the kabinbana or chair lift, you can buy a specially reduced ticket for the Mayhem week. The Holiday Club and many of the local self catering style chalet's have made special reduced rates for the summer season, which are a fraction of their normal cost. See 'Travel Info' for further details. Several local restaurants and bars, are doing food and beverage specials for Mayhem week. Q: What can I expect?: The emphasis is on having a good time, hanging out with other riders from all over northern Europe, partying at night, gorging on a great mix of local food and BBQ's, shaking your booty to some kickin' music, and soaking up the beautiful mountain scenery. Combine all this and roll it together with the chilled Åre vibe, and you have got the line up for one amazing week. Apart from free beer and nude women, what more could a mountain biker ask for? ÅRE MOUNTAIN MAYHEM - 'ONE WEEK OF PURE ADRENALIN' Kabinbana Cable Car & World Cup Chair Lift take you up the mountain Marked out trails & epic downhill loops Challenging DH & Technical XC routes 7 Days of riding Red Bull's North Shore Trails Mapped area to show riders the routes Competitions - 'XBS' Extreme Bike Series Low Off Season Accommodation Rates BBQ's & Parties throughout the week OPEN INVITATION: There is no fee to enter or take part in the freeride week. Everybody is Welcome. Simply, turn up, pay for your chair lift pass, and let it rip!! THE MAYHEM FACTORS Åre Mountain: Åre's reputation is already legendary as world class mountain biking location. Most people are familiar with it from the Downhill World Championships in '99.From Åre Skutan, there are a number of routes you can take. Actually, there are over 46 different trails, which connect with each other at various points to form epic downhill loops. Rides that can last anything from 9 minutes (DH record) to 90 minutes depending on the route, and rider of course. So no matter what your style of riding, there is a great variety of trails to keep everybody happy. Cable Car Facilities: Besides the amazing trails rides, in operation we have the Kabinbana Cable Car, and also the World Cup Chair Lift. The kabinbana can take 20+ riders and your bikes up the top of the mountain, in about 10 minutes. The World Cup chair lift is in continual motion looping around and around. Its just to hop on. Anybody who has been to Åre knows that if you had to cycle to the top, your legs would probably explode - and that of course would put an end to riding for the day. Having the cable car in action is total luxury and world class service for everybody to use. Also gives you chance to nibble on that energy bar while gazing over the Åre valley below. A day pass is 150 kroner (€15), and that fee includes both lifts. Accomodation: Due to the fact that it is 'off season' - riders can take advantage of reduced rates for local ski lodges. Åre Resor can provide all the necessary information on travel and accommodation arrangements for you. Åre Resor Phone: +46 647-177 00 E-mail: booking@areresort.se www.skistar.com Competitions: For 2005 we will be holding the Nordic Championships and a 4 Cross Race as part of the 'Extreme Bike Series' (XBS) North Shore Trails: Undoubtedly one of the hottest areas to hit mountain biking, and also responsible for turning plenty of mountain bikers into carpenters, has got to be the building of north shore trails. Åre has multiple sections of north shore trails on the mountain. Funding for this project came from Red Bull Sweden. A team from Frost (frostnet.nu), Huckfest.org and Vånga Freeriders designed and built it.