Chile Challenge XC pre-ride
(pre-ride report from Jeny and I - comments from Jenny in bold and italics)
Holy Moly – is this a race course! It’s *only* 8.5 miles long – but man(!) it feels like a hard 15mile ride. I totally dig this course – hard climbing (ouchy), good uphill ridable singletrack(sweet), some technical rock sections(cool) , with the climb finishing off with a couple of super steep pitches. Then you’ll totally have a total perma-grin on your face for the 3.9 mile twisty and fast descent.
Here’s my and Jeny’s take.
It starts off pretty decent – a short climb to start to some fast singletrack (big ring) for about for ½ a mile. Then a sharp left turn to a double track (middle ring) climb for ¼ a mile. A quick descent to a ski run climb. This pic is the start of the wide ski run climb. And let me tell you this thing HURTS. It’s short but there’s gonna be some suffering going on here. It’s *just* 3/10 of a mile but it’s averages out to a 12% grade of soft rough dirt. Thank goodness it’s not very long. This big, wide-open wall of a climb is just ugly in general. It’s a rough way to start, but you will get some recovery time just after the top of it…. Yeah, this climb is just BLAH!!! In fact, it’s the worst part of the course, in my opinion: just wide open straight up. The rest of the course it fffing fun twisty single track in the woods. Gotta pay our dues, eh?The next mile of 7.2% grade double track almost seems flat after this b!tch of a climb!
At around 2.3 miles there is a short, steep ski run switchback. The dirt is reddish and very soft – it’s only about 40ft long but the effort to ride this switchback took a lot of energy. So be prepared.
. I seem to have missed this part … I opted for some obscure, random grunt of a climb … thank goodness we’re not doing that after all!!
Then you start some AWESOME uphill singletrack – I totally get a groove going on this stuff – both Jeny and agreed this is some sweet riding! Unfortunately this only last for ½ a mile – so enjoy! It may only be a half mile or so, but it is twisty, soft, with GREAT pitch.
Then you hit Burt’s Bench – some technical lava rocky stuff…it’s ridable *if* you keep your momentum, pick your line well and are ready to ratchet your pedals to keep from banging into the rocks. It took a few times to trying this to find the line and maintain confidence – I was only able to ride half of this and was getting bounced around (due to bad technique)I was not able to clean it. But I guess it doesn’t matter anyway as there is a downed tree (waist high for me) where you gotta carry your bike over. Maybe they’ll clean it off before the race?? ;)
This technical stuff wasn’t any more difficult than anything on the front range. In fact, most of it is solid rock, not too much loose stuff. It’s fun, and short. Pick a line, commit to it.
After a short 3/10 of a mile traverse you start climbing on a atv trail – rocky and steep as your switchback and forth to the ski run. This goes on for about 1 mile and you are climbing loose rocks at a 9.3% grade. Oh don’t worry! It gets worse!! !! Yup, everything in the climb up to and after the ATV trail is cake. After this point, it’s like the trail starts falling apart… or, I mean, getting more fun. In and of itself, it’s not TOO technical, but after sprinting up the first part, this will be a bit of a challenge…. Be prepared for some FRESH new singletrack
Then you ride for about 2/10 of a mile on some *very* new singletrack. I don’t have the % grade for this climb as I was not able to ride this – I was pooped and the trail super soft and energy draining. I hope I’m feeling better during the race and am able to ride this. You get another short reprieve before the last bit of brutal climbing starts at 4.8 miles.
The next 1/10 of a mile is killer – it starts of for about 200yards as rocky and steep and the last pitch gets looser and steeper. I got about 1/3 of a way up before I started pushing – jeny (being the rock star she is) cleaned this puppy. Damn! That girl can RIDE! OK… so this part is actually REALLY FUN… but again, it’s going to be a bit rough after the push to get there… save something for this section … especially since you GET to do it twice. This is, again, a lot like the front range trails, only this trail lacks some of the extra, loose material that we have on the front range here. So again, pick a line, commit to it. It’s not too long … but you think you’re near the top, then you turn the last corner and there appears before you: your Last Great Challenge to get to the High Point. Ride this and you will feel good. (The picture of this below is the very top of it: below it is where all the rocks are … there are many, I promise).
Here’s a pic of that last pitch and it doesn’t do that part of the trail justice – but trust me – it sucks!
BUT then hold on to your hats and the 3.9 mile descent is probably the most fun singletrack I’ve ridden in a long time. (I just wish I was a better rider so I could really rail the turns and not ride my brakes so much – I’m a BIG chicken!) AND don’t think this is a “recovery” downhill – the turns are continuous – you GOTTA pay attention. I was working my @$$ on the descent. Be prepared for fun, fast turns in dirt (not loose gravel). There are a few ruts to watch for. And the trees narrow in a few places. Keep your momentum up: there are three little shots you’ll have to climb/pop over, and a few rock-gardens to fly over. This is so much fun it’s ridiculous. You’re going to WANT to do that climb just to get another crack at this.
Also - there seems to be 3 or 4 large downed trees on the downhill section – I don’t know if they will be off the course before the race – but they were waist or chest high on my 4’10” frame - so it’s definitely a portage. And be careful – because if they are still on the course – they are at some really fast sections.
This was an interesting corner – and shale switchback – the approach is fast so the corner is scary (for me) and super loose. Be careful! This is a fun corner … you can see it coming up at the end of a somewhat clear flat part … it’s just a big pile of rocks. Watch it come, it’s super slick in the middle of the turn. And if you miss it, it’s a bit of a fall of the other side. DOH!
Here’s another tricky section – I had to ride of the right side of this tree – it’s important to maintain momentum due to a short lava rock section after this tree. If you know this is coming up it’s really quick – I was surprised my 1st time and totally got bogged down. The 2nd time I knew what to do and was able to ride through it.
Well that’s about it. Jeny and I totally dug this course – but it’s a hard one. Ride well and ride strong everyone!“DIG” is an understatement. This is such a fun course … I do believe I will be riding down there more often.
Oh – while I had the camera out I had to take a picture of my sexy bike. Dang – this is one HOT ride! ;)
HEY, where’s MY SESSY RIDE????? EH? Sheesh.
Oh and pics 1, 2 and 3 were poached off the trailcentral.com website.
Holy Moly – is this a race course! It’s *only* 8.5 miles long – but man(!) it feels like a hard 15mile ride. I totally dig this course – hard climbing (ouchy), good uphill ridable singletrack(sweet), some technical rock sections(cool) , with the climb finishing off with a couple of super steep pitches. Then you’ll totally have a total perma-grin on your face for the 3.9 mile twisty and fast descent.
Here’s my and Jeny’s take.
It starts off pretty decent – a short climb to start to some fast singletrack (big ring) for about for ½ a mile. Then a sharp left turn to a double track (middle ring) climb for ¼ a mile. A quick descent to a ski run climb. This pic is the start of the wide ski run climb. And let me tell you this thing HURTS. It’s short but there’s gonna be some suffering going on here. It’s *just* 3/10 of a mile but it’s averages out to a 12% grade of soft rough dirt. Thank goodness it’s not very long. This big, wide-open wall of a climb is just ugly in general. It’s a rough way to start, but you will get some recovery time just after the top of it…. Yeah, this climb is just BLAH!!! In fact, it’s the worst part of the course, in my opinion: just wide open straight up. The rest of the course it fffing fun twisty single track in the woods. Gotta pay our dues, eh?The next mile of 7.2% grade double track almost seems flat after this b!tch of a climb!
At around 2.3 miles there is a short, steep ski run switchback. The dirt is reddish and very soft – it’s only about 40ft long but the effort to ride this switchback took a lot of energy. So be prepared.
. I seem to have missed this part … I opted for some obscure, random grunt of a climb … thank goodness we’re not doing that after all!!Then you start some AWESOME uphill singletrack – I totally get a groove going on this stuff – both Jeny and agreed this is some sweet riding! Unfortunately this only last for ½ a mile – so enjoy! It may only be a half mile or so, but it is twisty, soft, with GREAT pitch.
Then you hit Burt’s Bench – some technical lava rocky stuff…it’s ridable *if* you keep your momentum, pick your line well and are ready to ratchet your pedals to keep from banging into the rocks. It took a few times to trying this to find the line and maintain confidence – I was only able to ride half of this and was getting bounced around (due to bad technique)I was not able to clean it. But I guess it doesn’t matter anyway as there is a downed tree (waist high for me) where you gotta carry your bike over. Maybe they’ll clean it off before the race?? ;)
This technical stuff wasn’t any more difficult than anything on the front range. In fact, most of it is solid rock, not too much loose stuff. It’s fun, and short. Pick a line, commit to it.After a short 3/10 of a mile traverse you start climbing on a atv trail – rocky and steep as your switchback and forth to the ski run. This goes on for about 1 mile and you are climbing loose rocks at a 9.3% grade. Oh don’t worry! It gets worse!! !! Yup, everything in the climb up to and after the ATV trail is cake. After this point, it’s like the trail starts falling apart… or, I mean, getting more fun. In and of itself, it’s not TOO technical, but after sprinting up the first part, this will be a bit of a challenge…. Be prepared for some FRESH new singletrack
Then you ride for about 2/10 of a mile on some *very* new singletrack. I don’t have the % grade for this climb as I was not able to ride this – I was pooped and the trail super soft and energy draining. I hope I’m feeling better during the race and am able to ride this. You get another short reprieve before the last bit of brutal climbing starts at 4.8 miles.
The next 1/10 of a mile is killer – it starts of for about 200yards as rocky and steep and the last pitch gets looser and steeper. I got about 1/3 of a way up before I started pushing – jeny (being the rock star she is) cleaned this puppy. Damn! That girl can RIDE! OK… so this part is actually REALLY FUN… but again, it’s going to be a bit rough after the push to get there… save something for this section … especially since you GET to do it twice. This is, again, a lot like the front range trails, only this trail lacks some of the extra, loose material that we have on the front range here. So again, pick a line, commit to it. It’s not too long … but you think you’re near the top, then you turn the last corner and there appears before you: your Last Great Challenge to get to the High Point. Ride this and you will feel good. (The picture of this below is the very top of it: below it is where all the rocks are … there are many, I promise).
Here’s a pic of that last pitch and it doesn’t do that part of the trail justice – but trust me – it sucks!
BUT then hold on to your hats and the 3.9 mile descent is probably the most fun singletrack I’ve ridden in a long time. (I just wish I was a better rider so I could really rail the turns and not ride my brakes so much – I’m a BIG chicken!) AND don’t think this is a “recovery” downhill – the turns are continuous – you GOTTA pay attention. I was working my @$$ on the descent. Be prepared for fun, fast turns in dirt (not loose gravel). There are a few ruts to watch for. And the trees narrow in a few places. Keep your momentum up: there are three little shots you’ll have to climb/pop over, and a few rock-gardens to fly over. This is so much fun it’s ridiculous. You’re going to WANT to do that climb just to get another crack at this.
Also - there seems to be 3 or 4 large downed trees on the downhill section – I don’t know if they will be off the course before the race – but they were waist or chest high on my 4’10” frame - so it’s definitely a portage. And be careful – because if they are still on the course – they are at some really fast sections.
This was an interesting corner – and shale switchback – the approach is fast so the corner is scary (for me) and super loose. Be careful! This is a fun corner … you can see it coming up at the end of a somewhat clear flat part … it’s just a big pile of rocks. Watch it come, it’s super slick in the middle of the turn. And if you miss it, it’s a bit of a fall of the other side. DOH!
Here’s another tricky section – I had to ride of the right side of this tree – it’s important to maintain momentum due to a short lava rock section after this tree. If you know this is coming up it’s really quick – I was surprised my 1st time and totally got bogged down. The 2nd time I knew what to do and was able to ride through it.
Well that’s about it. Jeny and I totally dug this course – but it’s a hard one. Ride well and ride strong everyone!“DIG” is an understatement. This is such a fun course … I do believe I will be riding down there more often.
Oh – while I had the camera out I had to take a picture of my sexy bike. Dang – this is one HOT ride! ;)
HEY, where’s MY SESSY RIDE????? EH? Sheesh.Oh and pics 1, 2 and 3 were poached off the trailcentral.com website.
Comments