Mount Everest stands as the tallest mountain on the planet, at 8,848 m (29,032 ft). Completing a "Quarter Everesting" means tackling a challenge inspired by that elevation, 2,212 m (7,258 ft).
The concept is pretty simple- cyclists find a hill or mountain and repeatedly ride up and down until they accumulate the elevation gain. (See official Everesting Rules here.)
We hosted a women's-only team event officially authorized by Everesting in which participants gravel biked in teams of four. The total combined elevation of each team aimed to complete the elevation of Everest in one day, and we chose the Four Mile Canyon and Gold Hill climb out of Boulder that only had to be repeated twice.
While it was a big challenge, we had great fun as a group and didn't skip opportunities to stop at the famous Gold Hill General Store or to take pictures.
The route up Four Mile Canyon to Gold Hill and beyond is a classic Boulder route for it's challenge, epic views and beauty. Plus there is the iconic Gold Hill General Store to stop at where you can get their famous, fresh-out-of-the-oven, giant ooie-gooie chocolate chip cookie (plus beverages and other food/snacks).
This route follows roads (as opposed to any trails), but luckily, even on a weekend, car traffic was generally quite low- we saw many more cyclists then we did vehicles!
The road surface is in pretty good condition. There is about five miles of pavement to start, and then non-technical dirt on wide roads where you can easily pick good lines when there are ruts or potholes.
We were lucky enough to spot a bear in a field near the top of the climb which is a special and somewhat rare thing even in Colorado.
Even just doing a Quarter Everesting is a daunting challenge, especially on dirt, but having an awesome group of women to do it with made it fun. We amped up the energy, cheered, and gave high-fives to keep each other going.
There is tremendous satisfaction in setting out to achieve a big goal and then accomplishing it. Everesting allows you to upload your Strava activity and get your effort posted on their Hall of Fame!
Jumping into the river on the A-Lodge property and soaking our feet with a post-ride beverage in hand was exactly how you want to finish off an epic day.
While the whole route is nearly 60 miles long, all of the elevation comes in just under 30 miles. On the climb, the max grade is 14% and average grade is approximately 6%, so the challenge is real!
Per Everesting Rules, you are required to do the same incline until you've reached the elevation you need, so we had to do the same climb twice. With so much great gravel in the area, it was a bummer not to make a loop.
Some of the hairpin turns you go through coming down have very loose gravel on the corners, so you do have to slow your roll to take those safely.
Do this ride if you want to take on Everesting, which is called "the most difficult climbing challenge in the world". The assent to Gold Hill is a Boulder Classic!
We stayed at the A-Lodge campsites and van sites offered by HipCamp. Boulder and the surrounding mountains offer a great jumping off place for all kinds of adventures. If you are looking for more than a traditional Boulder hotel, A-Lodge combines an intimate location in a natural setting just off of Boulder Canyon. They have camping platforms, van sites and rooms as well as communal bathrooms, a pool, hot tub and sauna. It couldn't be a more perfect location to start and finish the route.
The location of Gold Hill General Store (at approximately mile 10 on the way up), was perfectly positioned for resupplying throughout the day. While doing the Everesting route, you pass it 4 times. Keep in mind that they have to pay to ship water up there so they charge a minimal amount to refill water bottles, but you can also purchase bottled water, coke, espresso drinks, etc. On the weekends, it is busy expect to stand in line to pay.
If they are baking "The Cookie", we highly recommend getting yourself one of those- they will power you up the hill!
They also have 2 vault toilets around back if you are looking for a restroom.
Laura & Rose
Laura Karpinski and Rose Barcklow are the creators of Gravel Bike Adventures. Click on the About page to learn more about them.
