Description

If there's one trail that epitomizes classic North Shore mountain biking, it is Ladies Only.

Built by the venerable "Digger," the upper section was first completed in 1992 and the lower section in 1995.

Over the years, the entire trail required a rebuild, and modern trail maintenance and trail building is still ongoing to keep Ladies Only one of the best mountain bike trails in the world. The tale of this trail is a tale of the two sections.

Upper Ladies is a challenging yet generally achievable trail, while Lower Ladies is quite possibly one of the most difficult mountain bike trails on the North Shore and, by extension, the planet. Upper Ladies is now generally considered to be the heart of this classic line, and Digger's work on this trail has, in many ways, defined North Shore mountain biking.

This trail was home to the first wooden roller coaster feature and wooden teeter-totter built for mountain bikes.

Even today, the teeter-totter remains, and you'll enjoy some fantastic wooden roller coasters! However, the coasters have been rebuilt in recent years to be bigger and better than ever. A modern-day ride on Ladies Only will reveal that the trail is veritably filled with tons of roots, steep drops, steep chutes, and an endless array of manmade wooden features.

Above and beyond the aforementioned roller coasters and teeter-totter you'll find plenty of wooden rollers, skinnies, and drops.

Some of the rollers lead straight into skinnies of varying sizes and difficulties.

On your first ride down Ladies Only, you'll be amazed by the sheer variety and density of trail stunts! One mandatory sniper drop between a couple of tight trees and over a root is quite techy, but Upper Ladies is, overall, quite achievable for a North Shore double black.

Some of the alternate B lines help it still feel manageable, while the A lines still bring the heat.

Everything changes when you drop into Ladies Only Exit and Lower Ladies.

While all three of the Ladies Only trail segments are rated as double black diamonds on the maps, Ladies Only Exit and Lower Ladies would easily be considered pro lines in most areas of the world. These trails are, by most riders' reckoning, downright insane.

Expect to encounter steep, natural fall line trails with no clear path, massive blown-out holes, and huge drops in the middle of a cascading rocky, exposed mountainside.

A fall on this mountainside would lead to certain injury...

or worse. On the final section of Lower Ladies, you'll encounter "The Monster," which is a truly massive wooden rollercoaster feature! While not as long as the 72-foot rollercoaster higher up the trail, the Monster features nearly-vertical up-and-downs and is a formidable challenge in its own right. If you decide to tackle all of Ladies Only from top to bottom, be prepared to be humbled.

This trail holds no punches and takes no prisoners.

For an easier option, consider taking Upper Ladies to Big Stupid instead. Sources: [Digger: North Shore History X - Part I](https://nsmb.com/articles/4926-digger-north-shore-history-x-part-i/) [Digger: North Shore History X - Part II](https://nsmb.com/articles/4928-digger-north-shore-history-x-part-ii/) [IMBikeMag.com](https://www.imbikemag.com/mountain-bike-news/2021/09/the-history-of-vancouvers-north-shore/) [NSMBA.ca](https://nsmba.ca/history/) [NSMBA.ca](https://nsmba.ca/rolling-on-ladies-only/) [OutdoorProject.com](https://www.outdoorproject.com/canada/british-columbia/mount-fromme-trails-ladies-only-lower-ladies)