Trans Rockies - Gravel Royale 2024

After being smoked out last year, from the nearby forest fires, it was looking like a similar and unfortunate script again this year for the TransRockies Gravel Royale. However, the never-say-die organizers and course designers pulled off a late game miracle to successfully host the second edition of this Rocky Mountain 3-day epic. Consisting of 250km of trails and forestry roads, nearly 5000m of climbing, river crossings, and countless postcard-worthy views, it was a two-wheeled party with 200 like-minded legends.

This year’s edition saw all stages starting and finishing at the Nipika Mountain Resort, a year-round adventure destination with an endless trail network for bikers, hikers, trail runners, and xc-skiers alike. With cabins, tents, campfires, a swimming pond, vendor booths, massage therapists, and coolers full of beverages, all nestled among the looming mountains and surrounding forest, it was the perfect host site for what is essentially “summer bike camp” for adults. Mix in the communal dining hall, where we’d gather for pre-dawn breakfasts and post-race dinners, complete with daily photo and video recaps, there was no shortage of opportunities to make new friends from around the world and swap tales from the trails.

The routes for each stage were creatively re-worked from the original plans, to safely account for the controlled forest fires that were still active. The altered courses ended up being a great mix of out-and-backs and looping terrain, which allowed for more interactions with your fellow riders and chance to offer up encouragement and/or heckles. Each day packed in an abundance of breathtaking scenery, whether it was the gorgeous river crossings, mountain-top vistas, meadows of colourful flora, and the inspiring site of one of the well-stocked aid stations and the enthusiastic crew manning them. There was no shortage of visual stimulation to distract from some of the more gruelling climbs we conquered.

The beauty of an event like the Gravel Royale is the wide range of riders and motivations for partaking. At the pointy end of the field you’ve got pro road, gravel and mountain bike racers, like 4iiii athletes, Michael van den Ham, Cory Wallace, Carter Nieuwesteeg, and Nick Kleban sprinting off the start line and duking it out for the win against the formidable “Poutine Mafia” duo of Julien Gagne and Alexis Cartier. At the rear end of the field, you have equally brave riders embarking on their first gravel race, first stage race, first day out with over 1500m of elevation, and the competition is focused on who can have the most fun, take the best pictures and collect the best stories. Whether the stage took 3hrs or 7hrs to complete, each rider got their money’s worth of challenges and triumphs each day.

The balance of self-sustaining and staff-supported was also managed perfectly for an event of this nature. Most of us who gravitate toward type-2 activities such as this are pretty capable and willing to take on the responsibilities required for long days off the beaten path. Fixing your own flat tires, making adjustments to your bike set-up, and packing the right amount of food and hydration is par for the course, or in the case of one heroic rider, picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after a collision with a deer. However, such demanding riding will inevitably throw a wrench in the best layed plans of even the most prepared rider, so having an experienced team of trail marshalls, mobile medics and aid station hype teams was a greatly appreciated and utilized safety net. It certainly allowed myself and others to ride with a greater sense of freedom, knowing that even while you’re cutting through a section of dense bush, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, you’re ultimately not alone!

In only its second year, the Gravel Royale has established itself as one of the more challenging, inspiring and memorable off-road experiences one can dive into. If you’re looking to explore some of the most beautiful and remote trails systems in Western Canada, with hundreds of wild and wonderful humans, I highly recommend penciling it into your 2025 riding calendar!