Located in Moab Utah, the Moab Climb uses gravel roads to reach the top of The Whole Enchilada mountain bike trail at Burro Pass.  This epic gravel route could be considered The Whole Enchilada of Moab gravel bike climbs as the route uses paved roads, greenway paths, gravel roads, sand roads, and single track to reach the top of one of the highest mountain bike trails in North America at 11,000'+.

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  The climb starts in the town of Moab Utah, USA were it follows the Mill Creek Parkway greenway path before switching to a few miles of paved road along Sand Flats Road.  Many may know this road as it serves as access to the Slick Rock trail, the trail that put Moab on the map for mountain bikers.  Shortly after the Slick Rock trailhead the road changes to gravel and continues its relentless gravel climb past other famous trails such as Porcupine and Flacon Flow and leaves the open desert behind.  There is one short paved climb just past the Porcupine Rim area.  This is one of the hardest parts of the climb on the route. 

As one climbs this sandy road, the ecosystem gradually changes to Juniper and Pinon scrub land.  The area on Sand Flats Road where the sandstone domes and Pinon trees start to mix is perhaps my most favorite part of Moab.  I have spent a lot of time just roaming around in this area off of any trail.  

The route final reaches paved La Sal Loop Road for a quick decent to and then over the upper reaches of Mill Creek.  That is the only downhill on the entire route.  The climbing immediately starts up again on gravel Geyser Pass Road.   Geyser Pass Road actually has gravel unlike Sand Flats Roads sand.  Once into the Manti La Sal National Forest the ecosystem changes again to Ponderosa Pine, Aspen and fir trees.  If you didn’t know better, you would think you were in the high Colorado Rockies instead of the red rock lands of Utah.

Once Geyser Pass is reached we leave the gravel for one of the most difficult single track climbs in the world.  From a technical point of view Burro Pass is not the most difficult bike trail in Moab, but the single track is impossibly steep and the difficulty is piled on by the fact there is much less oxygen at 11,150’ feet.   The Burro Pass in itself could be considered one of the toughest cycling climbs in the world.  The climb is so steep that my Garmin Route shows it in a magenta color, two colors past the normal orange and red that I had seen before.  The strava top ten for single track climb to Burro Pass is a who’s who of Tour De France riders and pro cyclist.   

If you can manage the rocks, roots, sand, elevation, sun, dust, wind or anything else Moab can throw at you, you will be rewarded with a awesome views of Burro Pass.   It is amazing to find this scenery in the Moab desert.  It was 100+ degrees that day I did this climb but the temperature was perfect at the top.  This truly is a bucket list ride for those that think they can handle it.  

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As always our adventure was based out of Moab Adventure Condo.  What better place to relax and prep for your adventure than a place with adventure in it's name?