A flowy intermediate line all the way down the mountain.

Statistics

0 - 1

hrs

15

m

659

m

5

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Moderate

Description

Big Mamba leads naturally into Hank's Hideaway and Son of Simba but technically, Big Mamba is the only directional downhill trail.

While Hank's and Son of Simba both ride great downhill, they're technically open to two-way traffic.

Vail characterizes Big Mamba as "an exhilarating combination of flowing rollers and smooth switchbacks that will take you across open meadows, into dense pine forests, and through sunny aspen groves," and while early intermediate riders may find it entertaining, upper intermediate and advanced riders will realize that this trail is overly flat for what the flow that it tries to achieve.

There isn't enough gradient to keep and maintain speed to fully hit the jumps and rail the berms as they're built.

In addition, since this trail is so visible and easily-accessible, it often gets blown out due to significant traffic.

But if you're a beginner rider looking for your first experience on a flow trail, Big Mamba could be just the ticket! Hank's Hideaway winds through some beautiful aspen groves that are drop-dead-gorgeous in the fall.

Bring your camera! Son of Simba feels like a natural intermediate extension of Hank's but if you decide that you want to up the technical difficulty, at the junction, opt for the black diamond portion of Hank's.

Sources: https://www.vail.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/summer-activities/mountain-biking.aspx