Description

Gnar Wall is one of Grey Mountain's famous double black diamond tech trails.

For the fastest ride up to the gnar and back, try this lollipop loop on for size. The ride begins from the Magnusson parking lot, climbing Magnusson Green to Boogaloo Heights, Downtown Boogaloo, GOT, and then eventually: The Dream.

This is the most direct route up the mountain, but winding back and forth on some sections of Magnusson Green could perhaps create a more pleasant (if longer) uphill.

Nevertheless, the climb is fairly straightforward and rideable, quickly bringing you to the beginning of the Gnar Wall Trail. Gnar Wall begins with some stiff up-and-down technical riding that's required to traverse across the mountain to the goods.

You'll have to drop down some steep-sided ridges and power straight back up the next one, which can be quite awkward in places.

But finally, you'll get to the main descent! The descent down Gnar Wall is not to be trifled with.

This double black diamond trail should be considered experts-only, and not all experts will be able to hit all the features.

The downhill begins with some optional gap jumps and cliff drops on its way to the sunny, exposed rock slab mountainside.

The first major rock roll can be bypassed, but it's achievable for most expert riders.

Even still, this is a full-commitment feature that you should scout before hitting.

The rough, rippled rock has some sand and gravel in the cracks in between, which can make the traction somewhat sketchy in places. The largest feature on Gnar Wall can be considered a "pro line." This massive slab series is shockingly steep and exposed, but unlike some of the classic rock slabs you'll find in places like Squamish and Whistler, it's not a single uninterrupted rock surface.

Instead, it's a steep series of cascading ledges with sheer drops interrupted by flat(ish) landings.

To make matters worse, the landings house dirt and loose, rolling stones, which look to make the traction deadly-loose.

Don't attempt this line if you're not confident you can nail it! It's clear that most riders choose to take the ride around to the right, but even that burned-in ride-around line is loose and slippery.

One corner is quite tricky, and many riders slide off the downhill side in the loose scree. After navigating around the big ledge, the rest of the trail seems quite tame until it dumps out onto Rehab.

The route shown here takes a right on Rehab to head straight back to the trailhead, but for some bonus miles, you can choose to pedal up Rehab to the left to descend the entirety of Downtown Boogaloo.