Rose Valley's classic long ride is well worth the hype!

Statistics

2 - 3

hrs

844

m

844

m

10

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

There are many fabulous rides to be had around Rose Valley, but this is probably the toughest and best of them all.

The ascent is hard but it takes you through some wonderful, wild forests and puts you in position for a superb descent.

The riding is varied, the views huge and the ambience typically Canadian.

Park in the forested parking lot at the northernmost end of Bartley Road, and begin the route by riding up a gentle and straightforward fire road which heads north into the wilderness.

After a couple of kilometres you'll reach a wooden bridge and a split in the road.

Turn right and don't cross the bridge - there's a photo on this route showing the junction. Climb up the increasingly rough and challenging fire road, keeping right at every opportunity.

There are times at which the track gets too steep and loose to be rideable, but you should still be able to stay in the saddle for the vast majority of the climb. There are a few occasions where tracks branch off, so keep checking FATMAP to make sure you're en route at each such junction.

Eventually the trail leads onto the long, undulating and rounded ridge to the north of Mount Hayman.

Ride along this all the way to the small metal building which marks the summit of the peak.

From here on out, it's fun all the way! Winding through trees and linking a series of clearings - all of which provide huge views across Rose Valley Lake and the Okanagan Valley - the descent trail is always interesting without ever being overly difficult.

Much of it is wonderfully flowy and the technical sections are usually pretty brief.

Keep on charging all the way down to the parking lot! When you get down, toast having completed Rose Valley's finest ride!