Seven Summits Mountain Bike Trail

The Seven Summits Trail is one of only four IMBA Epics in Canada, a designation reserved for 20 mile-plus backcountry trails that draw on all your technical and physical capabilities.

Situated around the picturesque town of Rossland, the trail is traditionally done as a north to south shuttle, rolling out from the Strawberry Pass summit on Highway 3B and finishing roughly 20 miles / 36 kms away on Highway 22, near the Canada-US border.

From the trailhead there's a gentle introduction through forests and meadows before the uphill switchbacks commence. At this point, you're in for four miles / 6.5 km of climbing at an average of 12%. Grind it out and soon enough you'll arrive at the first summit and the high point of the trail with some stunning views north and along the ridgeline and to the trail ahead.

From the first summit, the uphill slog is soon forgotten as the singletrack plays jump-rope along either side of the ridgeline, offering up alternating views from the north and east into the BC interior and south into Washington state. 

The next section is a welcomed rolling downhill along perhaps the most open and least technical section of the trail. A rainbow of wildflowers line most of the trail through this section and continue up the incline that follows the Old Glory trail junction. 

Grey Mountain marks the halfway point; the second half does come with some slightly more technical terrain. It pays to be focused as you navigate sections of shale and loose rock, as well as some narrow and high-consquence passages.

At 12.5 miles / 20 km the descent starts, first through sweeping grasslands, then back into regrowth forest. This is a test for you mental fitness - if you're still fresh you will likely find this fast and flowy with a handful of moderately technical sections.

The official trail ends at the old Cascade Highway, but you still need to get to the trailhead. Most riders finish with the 3.75 mile / 6 km Dewdney, enjoying the fast, well-maintained descent through regrowth forests to round out the full 20 mile Epic experience. The Seven Summits Trail truly is a mountain biking epic, demanding a lot from even the most seasoned riders and giving up plenty in return with excellent trails, variety and superb vistas.