Trail Guide: Man Boobs & Rupert

Photo by 7Mesh

The spring trail building season of 2013 to 2014, heralded in the grand debut of two fun and challenging trails that opened up in Squamish for mountain biking enthusiasts. The trails, known as Rupert and Man Boobs, are located within the Alice Lake riding zone. Both singletrack trails are wicked fun and not for the faint of heart; they are recommended only for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers. For todays mountain bike trail spotlight we will take a closer look at two of our favourite trails.

Man Boobs

Photo by 7Mesh

Man Boobs sits in the northeast section of the Alice Lake region. The trail can be descended from Rob’s Corners. It comes out onto the Bob McIntosh Memorial trail. Riders can also continue from the Man Boobs across to the popular Rock n Roll trail to make a day of riding thrills.

When riding Man Boobs one of the first things that you will notice is that the trail is made up of many small drops. You will also have the chance to experience several rollable ladder bridges that are sure to put a smile on your face because they are just flat out fun to ride across. Intermediate riders can practice their skills during the trail’s long, snakelike descent. Advanced riders are sure to enjoy the well-bermed corners and fun rollers.

To locate the start of the Man Boobs trail goes about 10 miles west of Rob’s Corners trailhead. You will find the Man Boobs trail located west across from the marked entrance for Rob Corners on the other side of the clear cut area by the forest’s line.

Rupert

Rupert was built by Gary McFarlane and is located in the Garibaldi Highlands area. The trail was bestowed with the moniker of “Rupert” in memorial to Mr. McFarlane’s beloved Newfoundland dog who passed away several years before the trail’s completion.

The trail is designed to be traversed east to west. After an initial climb, the majority of the trail is composed of rapid descents. The trail’s texture is made up of a mixture of dirt, slab, roots, rocks and dirt. Its hallmark signature is the fact that the trail has a lot of rock face along its expanse.

Rupert was designed for advanced riders and is a serious challenge for those with only intermediate skills. The chances are good that even those with advanced skills will need to ride the trail’s iconic psychedelic ladder bridge a few times before they can even find their flow and feel that they have mastered it. The trail’s design was mastered to allow the rider to pump back and forth while descending. There is no doubt that when riding this trail you will find fantastic flow, however if the conditions are wet the trail can be a bit soft.

The start of Rupert can be found 160 m north of the Entrails trailhead. You will be able to locate the trail if you look to the left of the Of Mice and Men Hill trail. Rupert comes to an end right below Tracks From Hell trail. At that point, if you want, you can easily pedal back up and give Rupert another try.

Remember, Rupert is rated Black, so make sure that your biking skills are adequate to take on its many challenges. Despite needing advanced riding skills, if you do run into any areas that you feel that you cannot handle there are bypasses that are readily accessible. This trail is a challenge and should always be respected by the rider.

Man Boobs – Rupert – Rollar Coaster

Insiders tip: Link the two trails with roller coaster for a long ride that will leave you wanting to get back on your bike and do it again the next day!