Riding the GVR to the Roof of the World: Old Fall River Road
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most beautiful places in America, and tucked inside it is one of the most legendary gravel climbs in the country: Old Fall River Road. Last weekend the road was freshly repaired, so the surface was blissfully smooth, and it was closed to cars. Hundreds of cyclists made their way to the park to tackle it, including me and my wife Becky.
I took my trusty Obed GVR, and since our route topped out over 12,000 feet, I'm going to claim that this is the highest anyone has ridden the new GVR (so far). Come along for the ride in the video below, then read on for why this ride was the perfect taper-week adventure, how to plan your own trip up the road, and what it feels like to ride above treeline.
Easy Rides Are Good for the Soul
For me, this wasn't a hard day, and that was the point. Last week I did a gravel race simulation ride to rehearse for Big Sugar Gravel, which meant this was my taper week. A taper is a planned drop in training load in the days before a big event. You cut back on volume while keeping just enough intensity to stay sharp, so the fatigue from weeks of hard training can clear while your fitness stays high.
Tapering is as much mental as physical. Long and easy rides keep the legs turning over, but they also remind me why I love riding in the first place. With no goals, no efforts to complete, and no watts to chase, I can sit back and really enjoy the scenery and the act of riding. This is time to reconnect with the bike, with my body, and with nature. And I got to stuff my pockets with candy and eat absolute garbage all day. Sometimes that's the best! Doing it in a location as beautiful as Rocky Mountain National Park just made it all better. Afterward, I felt recharged and ready to push myself again in the future.
Planning a Ride Up Old Fall River Road
Photo courtesy of NPS.
If this ride is on your list, here's what you need to know:
- The climb: Old Fall River Road is an unpaved road built between 1913 and 1920, and it travels from the Endovalley Picnic Area to above treeline at Fall River Pass. It's one-way uphill only and joins Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitor Center. The climb is a bit over 9 miles long with an average grade of about 6.7%, and the gravel ends at the Alpine Visitor Center above 11,000 feet.
- Getting in: Bikes can enter the park at any time, while driving in requires a timed entry pass. If you don't have an annual pass, it's $15 per bike to enter. I suggest parking at one of the visitor centers in Estes Park and riding in.
- The effort: You'll enjoy this climb a lot more if you're in decent shape. The grade is relentless, with only a brief flat section near the end, and the air is thin. Looking at my data, if you're comfortable holding 2-2.5 w/kg for extended periods, you'll find the climb fairly easy.
- Getting down: Since Old Fall River Road is one-way, getting down means getting on Trail Ridge Road. That requires a few more paved climbs that will take you over 12,000 feet before the long descent back to Estes Park.
- What to bring: Pack a jacket, and consider bringing gloves too. The weather in the high mountains is unpredictable, and the descent will probably be very cold. (I didn't bring gloves, and my fingers were frozen and numb within minutes.)
- Traffic: These roads are busy! There are usually cars going up Old Fall River Road to take in the views, and there's no shoulder on Trail Ridge Road, so make sure you're comfortable climbing and descending with cars. Generally, since you're in a National Park and people are sightseeing, most drivers are fairly polite.
What It's Like Riding to the Roof of the World
The ride starts quietly. Once you make the turn into the Endovalley Picnic Area, the cars thin out, and the noise falls away. Since it's fall, the aspens are glowing gold in the fall sun. To your left, a small river carves through the rocks. Up ahead, you see the road wind up the mountain in an endless series of hairpins. Every time you come around one, you're treated to a bigger valley, a steeper drop, and another look at an epic landscape that makes you want to stop pedaling and just soak it all in.
When you get closer to the summit, the trees shrink, and that's when it gets truly special. Riding above treeline is a unique experience, and it's one of the reasons I love cycling in Colorado so much. The ground becomes bare and moonlike, as if you've landed on a different planet. The air thins, the mountains stretch out forever, and the Alpine Visitor Center appears above you like a beacon. You grind toward it. If you're riding with a partner or group, you watch them fight their own battles beside you, until finally, you feel the gravel give way to pavement. Here you are, on the roof of the world.
Then the weather changes. On Trail Ridge Road, the wind whips and the temperature plummets. On the way down, you're shivering, but you have to stay focused. The roads are fast and winding. You hit speeds well above 30 mph. And in all directions, you are surrounded by an endless expanse of peaks and valleys. You're just a speck, impossibly small, just falling down the mountain. As you descend toward 8,000 feet, the air changes again. In a single ride, you've gone from summer to winter and back to summer.
This is one of the most beautiful days of cycling on one of the most beautiful roads in the world, and I'm so happy I finally did it. The only thing that made it better was doing it with my wife, on a bike built to take me anywhere. If you get the chance, go ride it!