Julia Hobson’s first mountain bike ride was a harrowing adventure down the highest mountain in Wales, Snowdon, in the pouring rain. You’d think that would be the end of the story, but with that first taste of two-wheeled adventure, she was hooked for life. As a seasoned athlete in many sports like rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing and riding, Julia shared her love of exploring wild places with her late husband, Gareth. After his loss, mountain biking took on a whole new meaning. “I slowly rebuilt my life based around bikes, training and qualifying as a Mountain Bike Guide, and working and travelling more and more as I realized I had found something that made me happy again, and that allowed me to truly make the most of my life, doing something I loved.”

Julia spent years racing in the UK and worldwide in Downhill, XC, Marathon, and Enduro, as well as in MTB Orienteering and Adventure Racing, but her real passion is planning and undertaking multi-day trips and adventures. She works for several well-renowned mountain bike guiding companies in Europe, taking folks on week-long backcountry trips in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, including the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps, and the wild mountains of Northern Scotland. In 2016, Julia founded Endless Trails MTB and guides closer to home, in the Lake District and Peak District areas of Northern England

What’s your least favorite part of your day job?

"Living out of a bag for 6 months of the year! There are times when I long to be able to spread my stuff out at home, stay in one place for more than one night at a time, and cook my own food….but putting up with this is a small price to pay for getting to do a job I truly love and am passionate about."