who's done it - portal trail MOAB

[buddybikes]

Better than CNN tonight that's for sure

https://www.freeridetribe.com/mountain-biking-portal-trail-in-utah-united-states/?fbclid=IwAR3u0bD4jZ4GHC5VZILe7QzCRIZ9R2dXS6xDZic9 P7AX_QlX3oZQz-zBdaM

[ultraman6970]

I do not know MOAB but i do know muad'dib.

[nmrt]

i "did" it last year. 'twas my first time.
"did" it means walked so much of it. scared like a wet rat.
maybe next time, i might walk less of it.

[Matthew]

No f ing way I'd ride that. Or walk it for that matter. I was nervous watching it. How many people have died doing that trail?

[Rudy]

No doubt hospital air at points. That Sedona line on the cross-bedded sandstone is sicker still.

[jimcav]

Better than CNN tonight that's for sure

https://www.freeridetribe.com/mountain-biking-portal-trail-in-utah-united-states/?fbclid=IwAR3u0bD4jZ4GHC5VZILe7QzCRIZ9R2dXS6xDZic9 P7AX_QlX3oZQz-zBdaM

I rode Mag 7 and other connecting trails in that area on a long day there years ago with 4 friends. We got to Gold Bar and a few were uncomfortable so we took a jeep road instead. I've read Gold Bar is now a bit easier. I'm more risk averse now and LONG repeatedly jarring sections bother my neck, so probably wouldn't do it, but the only really bad part to me in that video was about 2:49. I'd be slower by far and there are some areas i'd likely not clear, but I'd not worry about truly going off the edge if I was actually riding that.

[Louis]

Gee, what's next, Angels Landing?

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58d5543e9de4bb1b19e81da4/1517605386637-KTS7LY2I16JUN2RNCCWO/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFCAE8ZG9WQdDKO_vfeEyX97gQa3H7 8H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLf rh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ud qBd98n_ydkgC15a-gTHQa9XPg3Pd4FxOitaFOxswAJ27LUvk4dcjbtj9LjMW0Ujg/DSC03845.jpg?format=1500w

[pdonk]

Favourite sign of all time is on the trail to portal.

"If you don't have a plan, you should plan to turn back"

When I was in moab 10 years ago we rode poison spider mess and had intended to hike down portal, ended up doing the long route instead. Missed the cutoff to portal, plus on that trip I learned I'm scared of open heights. So it would have not been fun. That day of the trip was one of the hardest days I've ever had on a bike.

[fmradio516]

I rode Mag 7 and other connecting trails in that area on a long day there years ago with 4 friends. We got to Gold Bar and a few were uncomfortable so we took a jeep road instead. I've read Gold Bar is now a bit easier. I'm more risk averse now and LONG repeatedly jarring sections bother my neck, so probably wouldn't do it, but the only really bad part to me in that video was about 2:49. I'd be slower by far and there are some areas i'd likely not clear, but I'd not worry about truly going off the edge if I was actually riding that.

Heh last year, i went to MOAB with 2 buddies and one of the days, we did Navajo Rocks(great trail if you like climbing and less techy stuff), they wanted to do Mag 7(or one of the other connecting trails there, i forget) later that afternoon but needed someone to drop them off at the start and then pick them up at the end. In the OP's video, immediately recognized it at the part when he looks down at the colorado river and can see the road going along it. I drove up and down that road probably 20 times that NIGHT.

Was supposed to meet them at a camper site off that road at X o'clock. I sat there for an hour past, no sign of them, so i started driving around looking for them. No cell service, already dark. eventually, like 3 hours after they were supposed to be done, they show up at the camp site saying that the trail was incredibly tough and downright impossible in the dark. They wound up walking most of it because they couldnt see anything. It mustve been pretty bad if they couldnt ride it. These guys love the techy stuff, and floated down the whole enchilada the day before like they were riding on clouds.

Pretty crazy stuff, they were scared that they were going to have to sleep out there in the middle of nowhere with nothing but their empty water bottles.

[crownjewelwl]

The exposure seems like the worst part...not overly technical

I would give it a shot for sure

I think the pov video makes it seem sketchier than it actually is?

[fmradio516]

The exposure seems like the worst part...not overly technical

I would give it a shot for sure

I think the pov video makes it seem sketchier than it actually is?


from my experience, the GoPro make it seem a lot less crazy than it actually is.

I first noticed this phenomenon after I went to highland bike park and did all this crazy stuff i never thought id do on a bike, then i went home and looked up videos of those trails on youtube and everything looked so puney compared to in person.

i havent done the Mag7 and im not sure if that was the exact trail my buddies were on where they said they just had to get off and walk for a long time. i know they did mag7, 7up, and another one that night. they definitely didnt do portal(the one in the OPs video).

[Waterlogged]

Road the Portal Trail years ago with my wife. Was very clearly informed that we will never ride/walk it again.

[nmrt]

hah!
It is actually the opposite. GoPro makes it LESS technical actually. Portal is waaaaay techinal than what you see in the video.

The exposure seems like the worst part...not overly technical

I would give it a shot for sure

I think the pov video makes it seem sketchier than it actually is?

[fmradio516]

hah!
It is actually the opposite. GoPro makes it LESS technical actually.

+1 no question about this.

[d_douglas]

It looks ‘epic’. The views are amazing. I can ride a bike pretty well, but my fitness has tanked and my fear of making a mistake and catapulting down that cliff would keep me from riding that.

Living in a place with equally great, but completely different geography, the prospect of falling in Moab is really unappealing (jagged rocks vs mud and roots) I can’t shake that thought :)

[jds108]

As somebody with less than average mountain bike skills, at the original slickrock trail I managed to get out of control, do an endo, and land on my back. The pain was so bad that I was fading in an out of shock and ended up with a bruise the size of a soccer ball.

I suck at MTBs, so no more Moab for me.

[merlinmurph]

I'd walk it. ;-)

My technical skills have seriously eroded from lack of riding mtb and I've gotten older, so Portal is way outta my league. Bikes are a lot burlier, too. Still, that's got a big pucker factor. Kudos to anybody that rides that cleanly - or rides it at all!

Thanks for the video.

[jimcav]

What I meant was I'd not try it now because of the techy aspects. I don't love trails that beat me up or force me to hike a bike. My comfort level is the Zen trail in St George, and not knowing that trail there were 3-4 places i had to hike-a bike. If i got to ride it a few times, I think I might get that down to one, but I'd never make it through without getting off. Portal would be something I'd get through, but there'd be so many starts and stops = not fun for me. Most areas from that video, and my memory of what we started on and turned back, you'd fall, but not over a sheer drop. Tough trail in that some speed would be needed to clear lots of stuff, and speed would be the factor that would make a mistake near areas of exposure much more dangerous. It is cool that there are folks have that skill level, but doesn't seem worth the injury risk to me (or my bike) at my skill level.
So much fun stuff in Moab (and St Geore, and Hurricane--worth the trip for certain)

[fmradio516]

It looks ‘epic’. The views are amazing. I can ride a bike pretty well, but my fitness has tanked and my fear of making a mistake and catapulting down that cliff would keep me from riding that.


I thought the same before my trip and was addicted to watching these videos. Im very timid in these situations, but luckily, in person, it didnt bother me as much. there were two sections that trip that were indeed sketch. One part of the whole enchilada, and then another portion of another trail(i forget) but its famous because theres a sign that says "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE THIS SECTION. DISMOUNT YOUR BIKE AND WALK. PEOPLE HAVE DIED HERE."

[Jaybee]

hah!
It is actually the opposite. GoPro makes it LESS technical actually. Portal is waaaaay techinal than what you see in the video.

Agree with this. Exacerbated by the fact that the guy in the vid is a really good rider. He’s handling stuff with a smoothness at speed that most can not.

[velotel]

I rode it a lot between '85 and '93, only ever cleaned the descent, the point where in the video he stops with the front wheel near an edge to the highway, once. Quite a few times with 3, 4, 5 dabs but only once all the way. The first part, basically a long traverse on a crazy shelf across cliffs, we always considered relatively easy, as in cleaning it wasn't even a question. Still major intensity though. But the descent, that's a whole new level if intensity. I also had a way, way fun approach ride that did nothing but slickrock until damn near the final climb up the ramps to the top. Note that all this was way before suspensions, not even thought of yet. Wouldn't go near it today. Scared the hell out of me just watching. Getting old I guess.

[Ralph]

I had a rental bike there one time....took a look look at slick rock, and said "no way". So walked the practice trail. So hot....couldn't physically carry enough water to walk 2.5 miles. This flat lander wouldn't even think about doing that Portal trail, even years ago. Did rent a Jeep and do the 114 mile White Rim Trail once. Saw the "Thelma and Louise" movie cars off the side. You guys are very brave and skillful. Be careful....go prepared....people die at Moab.

[crownjewelwl]

+1 no question about this.

Hmm...maybe you're right but I thot the narrow pov made things look bigger

Way to crush a guy's dreams

[eBAUMANN]

looks cool and all but there are many other trails id have much more FUN on.

for some mtbros its all about the YIPPEE WHOA BRAH I ALMOST TOOK A HEADER DOWN THAT GNARLY CHUTE BACK THERE CHUUAAAAHHHH!! Finding the steepest/fastest/techiest sh*t they can...so they can make videos like this. which is fine, i guess. but for most people, that stuff isnt FUN. and we are riding bikes for FUN...right?

moab is moab but the best trails ive found in utah are in hurricane, hands down, no question. less crowded and more FUN. just my 2c...

[p nut]

Don’t do it on a rigid 29er(+) like me and you’ll be fine.

[nmrt]

damn! rigid!! :hello:
i did the Monarch Crest in Colorado in a rigid singlespeed 29er. And my bones ached for a few days later. :) but even i would not dream about doing portal on a rigid.

Don’t do it on a rigid 29er(+) like me and you’ll be fine.