June 2nd to June 9th 2024
This week, we're serving up exactly what you crave: a relentless, straight-up grind up the mountain. Welcome to semi-finals!
The West Ridge of Grotto Mountain awaits, calling forth those who revel in the paths less traveled. It's far from a well-trodden route, but what it lacks in popularity, it more than makes up for in brutal inclines. These severe gradients will test your legs and your willpower, but for the toughest, a place in the finals is up for grabs.
Getting to the start of the challenge:
Park at Cougar Creek. From the trailhead simply get onto upper Horseshoe. Keep an eye out for a sneaky left junction shortly after you turn onto Upper Horseshoe at the blasting site closure. Turn left on that sneaky junction and follow this trail called "404" all the way up until it does a junction with "Spenny's Slab".
Challenge Description:
Start your watch where the trail intersects with the "Spenny's Slab" trail and does a left hairpin up and around a big tree.
After a few hundred meters, and after a short but steep climb, you will reach the junction for the popular Goats of Grotto trail. Head Left at this junction, away from Goat of Grotto. From there, it's pretty much a straight up grind for 750 meters. Poles recommended.
Stop your watch when you touch the metal post with a blue trail marker at the junction of the West Ridge with the ACC Trail .
Stop your watch when you touch the trail marker at the junction with the ACC Trail.
- Distance: 1.6 km
- Difficulty: Hard, as in “straight up this mountain”
- Elevation Gain: 750 meters
- Where to Park: Cougar Creek
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Surface: Expect dirt, rocks, scree, the usual Rocky Mountains package.
- GPX Track - Challenge
- GPX Track - Approach #1
- GPX Track - Alternate Approach