Colorado Epic
The Spanish Peaks + Colorado Cols
Two great cycling tours in one!
Get wild on this audacious two week adventure is the “best of the best” from our Spanish Peaks & Great Sand Dunes tour and our Colorado Cols tour. It weaves its way through the majestic peaks of Colorado’s most mighty 14ers.
Tour Dates
2023
- July 16 – 29: Full 2-weeks *Confirmed
- 1st week: Spanish Peaks & Great Sand Dunes
- 2nd week: Colorado Cols
- July 30 – August 12: Full 2-weeks
- 1st week: Spanish Peaks & Great Sand Dunes
- 2nd week: Colorado Cols *Confirmed
- August 20 – Sept 2: Full 2-weeks
- 1st week: Spanish Peaks & Great Sand Dunes
- 2nd week: Colorado Cols
Note: Ride the full 2 weeks, or choose just week-1 or week-2.
Week 1: Spanish Peaks Tour – Meeting & Ending towns: Colorado Springs to Durango
Week 2: Colorado Cols Tour – Meeting & Ending towns: Grand Junction or Paonia
Tour Details
- Duration: 13-Days Cycling with 1 Layover Day, or choose week-1 or week-2
- Ride Type: Road
- Difficulty: Advanced / Expert
- Average Daily Mileage: 40 – 154
- Price from: Full 13-day tour: $5,960;
- Week 1 – Spanish Peaks: $3,145;
- Week 2 – Colorado Cols: $3,300.
A typical day on tour: From outside Durango, pedal into the high San Juan Mountains past peaks that are the steepest and highest range in the state with more land mass above 10,000′ then anywhere south of Alaska.
The route following the San Juan Skyway north presents three major cols: Coal Bank Pass (10,640’), Molas Pass (10,915’), and finally, Red Mountain Pass (11,018’). The road was resurfaced in 2011 and as a result is in fantastic shape. After conquering the San Juan Skyway, cyclists finish the tour at the Ouray Hot Springs Pools where one can soak and relax after a hard day’s effort. (71-miles with approximately 7,700′ of climbing.)
The final day of our 2-week Spanish Peaks/Colorado Cols Epic tour is 46-miles with approximately 9,200′ of climbing.
“Pike’s Peak or Bust” was a common refrain from gold seekers headed west in the 1800’s. It may also be your refrain as you attempt to climb 7,000′ over 18 miles and 162 turns up to 14,110-feet. 10-miles of this climb are at an average grade of 10% grade…and also over 10,000′ in elevation. Pike’s Peak is considered perhaps the most arduous climb in North America.
This is a big climb: there will be suffering, doubt and elation. Cyclists will have all day to reach the top. Our support vehicle is available for a bump to shorten this day. Cyclists do not have to ride the entire climb, but the views from the top are certainly worth the effort!
Tour Itinerary
All cities & towns listed are in Colorado.
DAY 0 – Arrival in Colorado Springs
DAY 1 – Florissant to Canon City
DAY 2 – Florence to Colorado City
DAY 3 – Trinidad to La Veta
DAY 4 – La Veta to Great Sand Dunes National Park
DAY 5 – Moffat to Gunnison
DAY 6 – Gunnison to Creede – The Cannibal Classic!
DAY 7 – Creede to Pagosa Springs or Durango
DAY 8 – Layover Day in Durango
DAY 9 – Durango to Ouray
DAY 10 – Ouray to Gateway
DAY 11 – Gateway to Paonia
DAY 12 – Paonia to Aspen
DAY 13 – Aspen to Buena Vista
DAY 14 – “Pike’s Peak or Bust!”
* Request the full itinerary via the contact form below.
Highlights
- Colorado Springs – home to USA Cycling
- 13 mile descent through the Huckleberry Hills
- BBQ at Obie’s Fillin’ Station
- The Highway of the Legends Scenic Byway
- Chucura Pass
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Highway 114
- Slumgullion Pass
- Rio Grande Watershed – largest wilderness area in Colorado
- Historic downtown Durango
- Coal Bank Pass – Molas Pass – Red Mountain Pass – McClure Pass – Independence Pass
- Ouray Hot Springs
- Gateway Canyons Resort
- Spanish Peaks
- Rio Grand Trail – 23 carfree miles
- Pikes Peak
Inclusions
The Two-Week Epic: 13-nights of lodging, all meals (except for 3 dinners, 3 breakfasts & 1 lunch), energy food, liquid refreshments, a special cycling gift, 1 bottle, forest service fees, shuttles & mechanical support.
Week #1 Spanish Peaks: 7-nights of lodging (Sunday through Saturday), all meals except for 1 dinner & 1 breakfast, guide service, energy food, liquid refreshments, a special cycling gift, bottles, forest service fees, shuttles & mechanical support.
Week #2 Colorado Cols: 6-nights of exceptional lodging such as Gateway Canyons Resort (Sunday through Friday), all meals except for 1 dinner & 1 breakfast, guide service, energy food, liquid refreshments, a special cycling gift, bottles, forest service fees, shuttles & mechanical support.
Spanish Peaks was quite a humbling adventure. That said, it was a fascinating conquest and I am sure that your operation’s attentiveness was key to our overall successful travel over the RIDICULOUSLY LONG AND HIGH mountains of Colorado! I look forward to the next, adventure.
– Eric
It is about a week we are back home from a fantastic trip to Colorado. We had the best time ever and I am pretty sure I want to come back to North America to ride my bike again. We were lucky to have a great weather day by day, the itinerary was perfectly set up, we enjoyed all kind of landscapes, we had a nice bunch of cyclists and there was always a warm and friendly atmosphere in the group and with the guides. We took home a huge number of beautiful pictures but those most memorable are written deeply into our memories. This trip exceeded my best expectations and my thanks go to all of you organizers.
– Tomas
