Worldwide Cyclery: Monarch Crest Enduro 2024
Back for the 7th installment of our partnership with Worldwide Cyclery, for Summer 2024 we’re heading to the Colorado high country for an enduro-based trip! Come join Chasing Epic and the crew from Worldwide Cyclery (Jeff and Liam for this one!) for a killer mix of high-alpine descents all based around the world-famous Monarch Crest trail. We’ll pack in a ton of riding over the course of four days, with three days of shuttle-assisted riding and one BIG pedal day!
Each Chasing Epic trip is custom-designed for our clients, but you can expect big days on some of the baddest, most fun trails in central Colorado. Make no mistake these are big rides, but we’ll also split things up to make sure it’s manageable and we can accommodate different riding levels, from intermediate to expert! Take a look below to see what’s included with each trip, along with our planned itinerary.
Airport Options: Gunnison (1.5 hours) – CO Springs (2.5 hours) – Denver (3+ hours)
Technical Difficulty: Intermediate – Advanced
Fitness Level: Intermediate – Advanced
EXPECTED ITINERARY
Day 1 (July 27th): Arrival Day! We’ll meet in Salida, CO around 5:30pm on the first night to get bikes set up and have a welcome dinner (and beers) for everyone. For those flying into Denver, expect a 3-hour drive into the mountains. Hit the sack early, it’s going to be a BIG four days of riding ahead.
Day 2: Starvation Creek and Cottonwood. Since the Monarch Crest is the backbone of our trip, we’ll start with one of the best descents off the pass, Starvation Creek. This ride starts at Monarch Pass with a gentle climb, followed by a slightly stiffer climb and quite a bit of high-alpine downhill, before we get to Starvation Creek proper. This descent follows its namesake (Starvation Creek) for 6 miles and about 2500 feet of rowdy, primitive downhill riding. If you’re feeling up to it in the afternoon, we’ve got an optional bonus ride on the Cottonwood trails available to finish you off!
Day 3: Canyon Creek. Today is our main “pedal day”, which means we’re going to put you to the test… enduro style. Canyon Creek is a relatively unknown loop just west of Monarch Pass, but it’s slowly gaining popularity because of the 10+ mile downhill. Yes, that’s what we said: 10 mile downhill. But it’s not without a little effort, as we’ll climb 3800 feet today with a nice long hike-a-bike above treeline. Don’t worry though, the suffering is always worth it, as you’ll have a descent and experience today you’ll never forget.
Day 4: Double shuttle day! Today we’re going to put your skills and stamina to the test, with a combo of shuttles that should be on every mountain biker’s bucket list: Greens Creek and Fooses Creek. Expect some rowdy high country riding and a full day of effort that totals about 30 miles with 8000′ of crazy downhill. This is one of our biggest days with Chasing Epic, and we can’t wait to show you the goods.
Day 5: Methodist Mountain. These trails just south of town have a bit of everything, but are totally different from the previous three days of riding. Guts is steep tech that will have you puckered and smiling, and Lost is a flow-fest all the way back to the trucks; it’ll be the perfect way to top off an amazing four days of riding! (plus we’ll have an option to add 3-4 miles to the ride shown below) Expect to be done just after lunch, which should give you time to head back to Denver and catch an evening flight home.
What’s Included
Four days of guided riding with Worldwide Cyclery and Chasing Epic (five days overall)
Four nights double-occupancy lodging (single supplements available)
High-end Transition demo bike
All Breakfasts and Dinners, plus packed lunches for full-day rides
Worldwide Cyclery Swag!
Professional Mountain Bike Guides, maximum customer-to-guide ratio of 6:1
Ride Nutrition supplies from Carbo Rocket and Honey Stinger
Transportation to/from trail heads, plus all shuttles
Dedicated On-site Trip Leaders
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is the trip fitness-wise and technically?
Overall, we’d rate this trip as upper-intermediate for both fitness and technical ability. Each day is filled with lots of riding, and with elevation taken into account, this is definitely a tough trip. The descents are fast and chunky, and even though three days will be shuttle-assisted, there’s still a lot of climbing involved (and not much oxygen). That said, we do include a professionally-developed training program with each booking, so we’ll help you get ready to crush it!
Can I bring my own bike?
Of course! We offer a $200 discount for anyone bringing their own bike on the trip- just use code “NOBIKE4” at checkout. We will have a full set of tools, pumps, etc that you can use when you arrive as well.
How is this trip different than a regular Chasing Epic trip?
It really isn’t: the format and rides are all the same, and we include absolutely everything you need for an incredible trip. The only real difference is you’ll get to ride and hang out with the crew from Worldwide Cyclery: for this trip, Jeff and Liam will be there!