Taller than the Alps and quieter than the Rockies; experience the roads less traveled on this cycling camp in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe. This is a great add on to our Classic Climbs of the Sierra Camp!
This is a very challenging Cycling Tour, with long climbs and steep grades. Starting near the base of Lake Tahoe, we climb all the classic mountain passes from Tahoe to Alpine County.
Day |
Weekday |
Ride Day |
2021 Route |
Elevation Gain |
Miles |
|
1 |
Sunday |
... |
Meet in Minden, NV |
--- |
--- |
|
2 |
Monday |
1 |
Ebbetts Pass - Bear Valley - Return |
8,100' |
78 |
|
3 |
Tuesday |
2 |
Monitor Pass |
7,500' |
57 |
|
4 |
Wednesday |
3 |
Kingsbury & Luther Pass Loop |
4,800' |
57 |
|
5 |
Thursday |
4 |
Sonora Pass |
6,800' |
51 |
|
6 |
Friday |
5 |
Ebbetts & Monitor Pass |
6,700' |
65 |
|
. |
...... |
... |
Depart Fri night or Sat |
--- |
--- |
|
... |
. |
... |
Total |
34,000' |
308 |
Route Map (scroll down for itinerary)
This California Cycling Camp includes all our great SAG support during the ride, a lunch stop, route slips and van support if you need it. Our support trailer is fully stocked with snacks and drinks, GU's, Bars, Gels, all brands of Energy Drinks, Fruits, etc. All the same support we offer on our week long Tours. But Riders are responsible for booking their own hotel, and meals when not riding.
Choose your own basecamp for the week. See the hotel links on the sidebar to plan your week. Most rides leave from Woodsford, CA. You can book one hotel for the entire week.
Got the legs for back to back Camps? Check out our other Climbing Camps:
Classic Climbs of Southern California
Classic Climbs of the Sierras
Santa Monica Mountains
California Cycling Camp 2021 Schedule
Our training camp starts off with a few of the famous bike climbs in the area. We start with Ebbett's Pass, a beautiful mountain road that winds up through the forest topping out at 8,730 feet. After descending into the Hermit Valley, we climb up Pacific Grade, one of the steepest 2 mile sections of road around. The reward is the beautiful Mosquito Lake, and then lunch at Lake Alpine. This is the biggest day of the Camp.
78 miles / 8,100 ft. elevation gain
Today we ride the first 2 passes of the Death Ride. Leaving from Woodfords, we will ascend Monitor Pass from the west. After summiting, we will descend 9.5 miles down the east side, then climb back up it for a double ascent of the pass.
57 miles / 7,500 ft. elevation gain
Today we ride up Kingsbury Pass and drop down into Lake Tahoe. After riding through South Lake Tahoe we will climb Luther Pass on our way back to Woodfords. This is the shortest day of the week and a little breather before we tackle the steepest pass in California.
57 miles / 4,800 ft. elevation gain
We start the day with a shuttle south along the 395 so we can ride the steepest pass in California - Sonora pass. It starts with a kick of 15% and ends on the west side with some 25% grades. Don't worry, the whole climb is not that steep! This used to be one of the roads for wagons in the 1800's. When you ride it you will wonder how they ever got wagons up such steep grades.
51 miles / 6,800 ft. elevation gain
For our final climb of the week we will repeat Ebbett's Pass since it is so beautiful and one of our favorite climbs in North America. Then we will add the west face of Monitor on the way back for good measure. After the ride cyclists will say their goodbyes - unless you are biking back to back camps, in which case you can relax for the weekend before starting your next cycling adventure.
65 miles / 6,700 ft. elevation gain