7 Summits - Rossland

kev Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:33 pm

I won't include information here about the approach to this trail, or it's particulars, mostly because I can't remember, also because there's tons of web info about it including:

www.rosslandtrails.ca/cms/SEVEN-SUMMITS-TRAIL

and

http://www.imba.com/epics/seven_summits.html

The Seven Summits isone of IMBA's "epic rides" which every x/c rider is supposed to do at least once if you want to call yourself a mountain biker. The web sites above will tell you how rad this trail is, so definately read these...but I'll taper this enthusiasm with reality. The ride is everything they say, plus:

The reason you'll buy a full suspension if you don't have one already.
The reason why trail builders should follow IMBA guidelines and shouldn't make fall-line trails (erosion).
It'll start you thinking that if this ride is "epic" there may be something thats epicer in the Penticton area.

The long and short of it is that you should definately ride this trail, but don't go into it thinking that it's the holy grail of x/c riding.

Admin Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:06 pm

Ya man - agreed! Rode it during the first two 'Seven Summit Stud' poker races - and was blown away by the size, challenge, quality of the ride!

There is a cat in the valley, (don't know if he wants his name published here or not?), who is currently creating a trail from OK Falls, all the way to the south side of Ellis Creek Canyon. The route could easily (ya, relatively speaking), be extended to the east, circumnavigating the steep Ellis Creek Canyon via the Gillies Creek FSR, and then north again, crossing or incorporating the Derenzy FSR, crossing Carmi Rd., hooking up with the Ellis Creek FSR – and finally, dropping down onto the mice (there is a crossing just south-west of the James Creek Falls Trail). Sure that’s a long-list of work – years in fact, but the land is almost all Crown and anything is possible with a group of strong minds behind it! Something like this could make an 'Epic' ride that would place Penticton into the company of Whistler's 'Comfortably Numb', Rossland's 'Seven Summits' and Vancouver's ‘Eagle Ridge Expedition’.

I believe the current line under construction is titled 'Big Dom' (could be wrong on that one, will have to dig up old emails on another PC to confirm).

Andrew D.

'Comfortably Numb' - http://www.imba.com/epics/comfortably_numb.html

'Seven Summits' - http://www.sevensummitsrace.com

Eagle Ridge Expedition’ - http://www.imba.com/epics/vancouver_bc.html