Crowsnest Pass 100
Are you looking for a race or event that allows you to test out your mountain biking and gravel skills? CP100 would be an awesome event for you to sign up for! What makes this race course interesting is that you can choose to do a single or multiple loops of the course. I personally enjoy this as you see people doing different distances throughout the ride and there’s encouragement and support with one another.
I camped at the lodge (where you also register and finish the race) which I’m super happy I did. It was fun to cheer people on as they completed their laps and the view of the sunset was pretty spectacular. The lodge is open during the day and the event organizes had outhouses on site for the weekend as well. If you are looking to shower, I’d recommend you go to the community pool or check with the arena to use the facilities.
Between the 2 days I accumulated around 2100 meters of climbing in 85kms. The 30km mountain bike loop takes you on the Intermediate trails where as the 50km loop is focussed on the more advanced terrain. I wouldn’t worry about being clumped up with other folks as there’s lots of climbing to help people disburse!
I would say that my favourite part of the weekend was the gravel ride. The views at the top of both climbs are spectacular and the energy with the other riders on Sunday was fantastic! The water station was placed at the most perfect spot, and they have some snacks there as well for you if you need to top up.
All in all the weekend was a huge hit and I met some amazing people. If you are looking to learn more, visit the CP100 website!
Gear: MTB: 27.5 Hard tail, Gravel: Trek Checkpoint SL 5 (Tire size: 45). Visit the Bike Shop in Calgary to pick out your perfect ride!
Hydration: Nuun Endurance and Nunn sport.
I would highly recommend having snacks on you along with spare tube, pump etc in case you have an issue out on the course. Bear spray is a must as well. I had a light jacket until the first big climb and I’m glad I did.
Maps: You can download them from the website but the signage was really good. I didn’t need to check the map at any time which was great!
Dogs: They are allowed at the campsite/finish line, but I don’t believe you can race with them.
Camping experience: I had all that I needed with me and opted for car camping! I didn’t need my tent. Washrooms on site in the lodge and during the early morning or late evenings, there’s out houses to use. Lots of picnic tables at the lodge to cook and dine with other teammates!
Course details: You can find the routes on the CP100 website, but a few things to note: this is a solo event and it’s not umlimited laps. There’s a set amount of laps you can do and there are cut off times.
