091 – MTB Guatemalan Adventure with Old Town Outfitters

Todays Guest

Matt Hartell – Founder of The Guatemalan Adventure Company, Old Town Outfitters

On episode #91 it was awesome to get Matt the owner and founder of Old Town Outfitters on the show. We chat about how he has grown his company from a few bikes and running guided trips from his hotel room to having fifteen plus staff offering the best trail rides in Guatemala.

Matt first visited Guatemala on a holiday trip in main part, to visit his brother who was studying there. After that trip Matt fell in love with the area and knew the region was just calling out to be ridden, so after university and anything to escape the cubicle 9 to 5 job, Matt and his brother grabbed a few bikes, loaded the car and headed to Central America to start a bike guiding business. That was over twenty years ago and guess what… it is still going and going strong.

Matt has an awesome passion for what he does and it shows. It is one thing to start a business but to do it in a different country and in a different language is another thing. And on top of that, to have no experience in the tourist industry and no existence of a mountain bike industry in the area, it was a leap of faith for sure but one that was worth taking. The business has grown a lot from those first days and has no sign of slowing down, including new trails every year and heli rides!

So tune in and find out how you can have your next MTB adventure in Guatemala with Matt and the Old Town Outfitters.

Enjoy the show!

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Find Out:

Why Matt made the move from the US to live in Guatemala
What brand of bike Matt uses (and rents out on their tours)
How he and his brother started the company by selling guided rides from their hotel room
How Old Town Outfitters has grown over the last 21 years
What the MTB scene was like back then
What the scene has grown to now
Why the trails are so good and what to expect when riding there
What the climate is like year round
The different packages Old Town Outfitters has to offer
Why Old Town Outfitters measures itself on top class customer service and makes sure you have an awesome experience
How to find out the best package to suit your needs
What you need to bring
What you don’t need to bring
What you can expect to spend on such a trip
Why we all should add Guatemala to are MTB bucket list
What Old Town Outfitters has planed for the near future
How to best keep up to date and get in contact with Matt and Old Town Outfitters

I have to say Matt has totally sold me on riding Guatemala. The area, people, history and trails just seem amazing and by the images on the Old Town Outfitters website, I don’t think anybody would be disappointed with riding there. The scene has changed a load over the last twenty years, Matt can still remember the days when he was the only person on the trails with a bike. Now the area has a fast growing scene, with bike stores popping up, its own race series and a growing number of bikers on the trails. And Matt welcomes it all.

Old Town Outfitters offers more than just MTB guided tours, it does everything from rock climbing to (in the near future) helicopter up-lift rides. And as Matt puts it, they are always looking at making the customer experience better, offering more excitement than the year before and I think he is really making that happen. However, MTB is were Matt’s passion lies’ and he and his crew are always looking at new trails and new areas to explore and add to their list of current networks. Matt also offers a 14 day guided tour, so there is plenty to see and explore on a trip with Old Town Outfitters, somehow I don’t think you will get bored or retrace your tyre treads very much.

So if you are looking for that next big mountain bike trip and want an awesome experience while doing so, plug in the headphones and find out what mountain biking in Guatemala is really like with the experience of Matt the owner and founder of the Guatemalan adventure company, Old Town Outfitters. Enjoy!

To Connect with Matt & Old Town Outfitters:

Website: adventureguatemala.com

Instagram: oldtownoutfitters

Facebook: oldtownoutfitters

YouTube: Adventure Guatemala OLD TOWN OUTFITTERS

MTB Website (being build at this time): bikeguatemala.com

Resources in this Episode: