Gravel Royale Stage 1 - Tegert Pass w/Marshall Opel

In order to link lakes on long journeys, voyageurs had one option. They got out of their canoes and portaged to the next body of water. Riders of the TransRockies Gravel Royale have a portage of their own, it’s called Tegart Pass. 

Tegart Pass represents the first and most formidable challenge of the Gravel Royale experience. Like a portage, the path up and over Tegart Pass is the only viable link between the Columbia River Valley and the Kootenay River Valley. It’s a beast and we’re here to help you get through it. 

The Tegart Pass Portage

On one side is your regular life and all that it took to get you to the start line in Panorama. On the other side, is a gift. It’s the backend of summer and for a few days, all you have to do is eat delicious food, ride through the forest, hang out with like minded people, have all the snacks, sleep deeply, all on repeat. 

Getting the most out of that gift is going to require some homework. Our team at TransRockies has worked tirelessly to ensure that your experience is fantastic but we also know that that’s not enough. The preparation you bring to the event has an enormous impact on how your four days of riding shakes out. 

In last year’s post-race survey, several riders were surprised at the level of technicality and challenge of Tegart Pass. Our aim is to help you show up better prepared so you can have more fun. 

As a modern gravel event, the Gravel Royale features a combination of the endurance aspects of road biking and the technical off-road aspects of mountain biking. So, in addition to getting your legs ready with a summer of long rides, it’s important that you take your bike off-road for some practice in the art of dirt surfing.

If you rode in the Gravel Royale in 2022, then you experienced some pretty technical (for new gravel riders) singletrack, especially near the top of Tegart Pass. Successfully navigating terrain like this requires an attentiveness to what’s directly ahead and confidence in both yourself and your machine. 

Trust Your Whip 

Even though gravel bikes might look more like road bikes than mountain bikes, make no mistake, they can handle a beating. Assuming your bike is set up properly (check out our tech package) and you’re on a good set of tubeless tires, your bike is not only capable, it’s thirsty for trail. 

As you prepare for the race next summer, practice riding your bike on singletrack. You’ll find that braking before entering turns and then mostly getting off the brakes while looking through the turn (to where you want to go) allows the bike to pretty much do the rest for you. Note: if this is all totally new to you, taking a beginning mountain bike clinic could be of real benefit. 

Hike-A-Bike

Back to the idea of the portage. Once you get to checkpoint 1, take time to stock up on any missing riding fuel. Know that you’re headed for the most difficult section of the whole event. There are portions of Tegart Pass that are so steep even the fastest pro racers will have to get off and walk. 

Because dismounting and hiking your bike is inevitable, it would be wise to do some of this as part of your summer preparation. This will also give you an opportunity to make sure the footwear you plan to ride in works for you when hiking. 

All modern gravel shoes are designed for some level of walking but some might be better suited than others. You’ll want your shoes to fit snug to your feet so you don’t get blisters but not so tight that they’re uncomfortable. It’s also always good to check that your cleats are tight and positioned where you want them. 

Mind Over Matter 

When you get to the point where you need to dismount and hike your bike, this is a good moment to take note of the internal narrative you’re working with. On such a challenging course, you’re going to want to conserve your energy such that you channel your efforts directly towards the task of getting yourself and your bike through this portage. 

Your most important tool on a day like stage one is your mindset. 

That voice we all have in our heads, that story we keep telling ourselves, it’s invented. If it’s not helping us, say get up Tegart Pass, we can choose to tell ourselves a different story. 

When we listen to that inner voice unchecked, it’s likely to be telling us all kinds of limiting beliefs. Like we’re not good enough. That it’s too hard. That we shouldn’t be doing this, etc. But with tools like mantras, we can reinforce a different, more supportive story. 

As professional mountain biker and mental coach, Sonya Looney asked in a previous stage story,“Can you challenge your belief about a given situation and develop an alternative that is more productive in helping you move forward?” 

This kind of positive self-talk is like a muscle. It’s here to help but you have to work for it. So if positive self-talk isn’t something you’re used to, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to simply show up on Tegart Pass and default to a helpful mantra. 

To hone a more supportive mindset, the first move is to practice noticing the one you’re already working with. When you find yourself in a difficult or uncomfortable situation, see if you can catch that inner voice chirping away. Then, as you start to get used to recognizing the voice, you can practice hearing that voice and interjecting with a different invented monologue. One that’s actually helpful in getting you where you want to go. 

The Gravel Royale is less than eight months away, don’t let yourself show up in Panorama unprepared. Tegart Pass is unquestionably formidable. It’s the crux of the whole ride. And you can do hard things! When the going gets tough, your positive mindset will help you tap into the depths of your athletic capacity. Opening the doorway to that sweet, sweet feeling of accomplishment that only comes on the other side of challenge.