Pinnacle race series opens with hill climb

“Beer and food and prizes will be applied”

The Pinnacle race series kicks off Thursday, July 15 with the classic hill climb, a 4.3-mile-long course that climbs more than 2,000 vertical feet on Crested Butte Mountain.
The course starts at the base area and follows the summer road up past patrol headquarters, finishing at the top of the Silver Queen lift.
In the past the fastest times hovered around 33 minutes, with times of 42 minutes among the “normal” folks in the neighborhood.
This year, the hill climb will offer something new for riders.
“We’re bringing back the classic hill climb to get the season going,” says Crested Butte Mountain Sports director Drew Cesati. “This year we’ll add a couple twists to the typically laborious climb for a little flavor.”
The hill climb is one of eight events spread over five Thursdays. While in the past the series was primarily cross-country-oriented, this year marks the first time gravity races, i.e. Downhill, Super D and Mountain Cross, will be included.
On Thursday, July 22 the Pinnacle series gravity events kick off with a downhill race as well as a cross-country race—veritable two-fer opening options for all riders in the valley.
“The Pinnacle series is fun, affordable and a great way to push yourself without a professional trainer or heart rate monitor,” says Cesati. “Beer and food and prizes will be applied.”
Registration for all events is a mere $15 and will be held the day of the event from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the 9380 deck.
Detailed information on the Pinnacle racecourse of the week can be viewed on crankcollective.com.