IMO in terms of landscapes the shapes/views just aren’t as stark – although you’re higher – no Mont Blanc, no glaciers, no “signature” peaks e.g. Matterhorn/Grands Jorasses/even the Dents Midi, no enormous dams hanging off the cliffs, no giant green valleys. Also no signature cheese and meat just blueberry waffles/standard American food. And f**king bears and mountain lions…which isn’t a good thing!

I know the Rockies are seen as superior to the Alps for riding – BC is the “ultimate” riding destination, also Tahoe etc. – but I actually much prefer the Alps. Haven’t ever mountain biked in the Rockies but gone on lots of trips as family in Montana/California etc.

Alaska’s different obviously

Just did the Transrockies this year , I now want to go back and do the BC bike race and Test of Metal.
I thought some of the views were absolutely stunning and a huge variation in terrain .Saw plenty of big cliffs (no dams)and high peaks.
I have only ever ridden in the Alps on a road bike so maybe I should give it a try then compare them.

I do sort of get what you’re on about but they are two very different places within different areas within them and I’ve never thought of the Rockies as boring.

Look at places like the Black Canyon of Gunnison, Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP. Pretty spectacular.

Maroon Bells, Grand Tetons, Longs Peak as quite distinctive as peaks go too, aren’t they?

The ‘regular’ views can be awsome too. Granted not what you’ve described above but different. Looking back down the valley (giant and green imo) from the 401 trail in Crested Butte is probably up there as one of my favourite views.

I guess I need to back all this up with photos….

You’re right actually, the position in my post is…exaggerated!

Trouble with the Rockies is a lot of the area isn’t open to riding.
Most of the Continental Divide singletrack through Canada isn’t legal.

Agree. Rockies get more dramatic though when you venture up to jasper, banff etc and there is more wilderness than I’ve experienced in the alps. You can drive for hours without seeing a soul. Many Canadians hold the alps in very high regard, the fact that I had snowboarded there seemed to be of great interest.

I actually much prefer the Alps. Haven’t ever mountain biked in the Rockies

??? how can you compare something you’ve never done?
Not having a go, but wondering maybe you should ride it before you make a decision?

The Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Banff is pretty bloody awesome.

I’ve no idea about the little Rockies they have in the States….

I seem to recall that the Alps are a much younger set of mountains than the Rockies. The Rockies therefore are much more eroded and less ‘jaggardy’

Thats how I remember the explaination anyway

I’ve boarded and ridden in the Alps and the Rockies more than most and I much prefer the Rockies for over all ‘niceness’ but nothing seems bottom clenchingly rad the way the alps does

PLum

Icefields Parkway

Canadian Rockies are great

The Alps are nice, but they don’t do it for me in quite the same way. I guess it’s a personal thing

Whistler isn’t in the Rockies by the way.

But yeah I’ve travelled through the Rockies and I kind of get what you mean. Still amazing though and I wish we had some mountains like that!

I know what you mean. I have been to Crested Butte and, whilst it is a very nice place to go (the singletrack there is awesome), it doesn’t have the stunning scenery of say Verbier or Chamonix.

It is more lumpy as opposed to rugged and jaggedy. A bit like the Lakes compared to Torridon really…

Landscapes are bigger in the Rockies, there is amazing riding, I guess it is less dense.

Just different. One thing I preferred about them is wee towns like Crusty Butt rather than concrete ski towns.

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

As for everyone who never gets to ride in EITHER place, it sucks to be you.

You call that a view? You call that a climb? Is this all the downhill you ever ride?

WTF do you know of these things? Your riding is not “real” mountain biking. Might as well dump the full susser and take up tiddly-winks for all the sport you get.

LOL etc…. I’ve ridden in one, and driven through the other plenty of times (living a few hours from the proper (Canadian ;-)) Rockies and I still think there’s plenty of real mountain biking in the UK. I guess Steve Peat and the Athertons probably agree as they’ve kicked the Yanks asses enough over the years.

Oh and I’ve ridden with Gary Fisher and he was a bit shit. So much for big hills eh?

One thing I find about the states is the names – maybe it’s just because I don’t really speak French/German and they’re actually similar translated but the names of N American mountains and mountain towns often seem a bit lame to me

‘What shall we call this valley with all the snow? I know – ‘Snow Valley’.

cynic-al – Member

Just different. One thing I preferred about them is wee towns like Crusty Butt rather than concrete ski towns.

that certainly isn’t the case for 99% of settlements in the Alps. Maybe you only see concrete ski towns because you go to concrete ski towns because that is where the lifts are.

i find the Alps an awesome place to live and play. you needn’t ride far to get away from the crowds and there are so many little, almost unexplored valleys that you may never see a soul for a day or more. i also like the fact that the Alps are full of people, and therefore rescue people. if anything does go wrong in the Alps the chances are you’ll be found and picked up off a mountain a lot quicker than in the massive expanse of the Rockies.

also the large number of people living in and using the Alps means that there is a plethora of trails.

i’ve never been to the Rockies, but my sister has. what struck me in her pictures was how wide the valleys were and how much bigger the sky seemed.

the Alps take up a much smaller area, but cram in a lot more fun, culture and ultimately trails per square km.

possibly because the moutnain towns in the Rockies are often quite high in relation to Europe. Meaning the difference in altitude is more dramatic in Europe. The Alps to me look closer packed as well.

Aspen – well over 2000m
Breckenridge – approaching 3000m

Chamonix – 1000m
Bourg St. Maurice – 800m

I guess Steve Peat and the Athertons probably agree as they’ve kicked the Yanks asses enough over the years.

+1

i love the alps. ive ridden in canada loads but the high alpine does it for me.
nelson, new denver etc are cool in a different way.

i found the rockies less inspiring that the Euro Alps, thing with the rockies and rest of the USA is theirs so much space no one cares to make a effort, buildings, roads, towns all boring lifeless places with no character.. Euro Alps are compact enough that people care and make an effort..

grum – Member

One thing I find about the states is the names – maybe it’s just because I don’t really speak French/German and they’re actually similar translated but the names of N American mountains and mountain towns often seem a bit lame to me

‘What shall we call this valley with all the snow? I know – ‘Snow Valley’.

I do get what you mean, but on the other hand “What shall we call this really big mountain with snow on it? I know – ‘White Mountain'”

I like the one in Breck with no trees on it:

“Baldy Mountain”

Brilliant

possibly because the moutnain towns in the Rockies are often quite high in relation to Europe. Meaning the difference in altitude is more dramatic in Europe. The Alps to me look closer packed as well.

Aspen – well over 2000m
Breckenridge – approaching 3000m

Chamonix – 1000m
Bourg St. Maurice – 800m

Yes, but this is because those resorts are effectively up on a ****-great plateau and the “mountains” are really high-altitude hills. The vertical drop is much greater in the Alps because the peaks are the same height or higher while the resorts are much lower. I’m always amazed by how small American/Canadian ski resorts are (even the ones they think are huge) – and I live in Sainte Foy!