For the second year in a row the Banded Peak Challenge will stay at Moose Mountain. The route was moved from Banded Peak to the new location in 2013 due to remaining damage caused by last year’s flooding.
The 14th annual challenge will take place July 12 and will have participants biking from West Bragg to Moose Mountain Road. They then continue by foot for the final 2 km to the summit of Moose Mountain.
According to the Banded Peak Challenge website, depending on the ability and fitness level of the person participating, the time required to complete the challenge is anywhere from four to 10 hours.
All of the proceeds raised from the challenge go directly to Easter Seals Camp Horizon – a specialized camp that has been running since 1965. The camp has programs for kids and adults with special needs and disabilities.
“We still can’t return to the original site, so while it’s called the Banded Peak Challenge it is actually going to be no where near the Banded Peak mountain,” said Anna Garcia, director of operations for Easter Seals Camp Horizon.
She said the new location offers “the same great challenge of both a good challenging mountain bike ride and then a hike up to the summit of a mountain.”
The event does have the word challenge in it for a reason, as it includes 12 km of mountain biking and hiking to the summit of a mountain.
Garcia said that although it is challenging, there would be a large amount of support on the trail with around 50 volunteers at the event. She said that support includes bike mechanics, EMTs, people to help carry bikes and volunteers who are there simply to cheer everyone on.
The whole day is finished off with a big barbecue.
The event is still popular 14 years after it first started. Garcia said part of the reason is the motivation to do something extraordinary in terms of the physical challenge and also that you are doing something for people who might never have the chance to do something so challenging.
“Really, the challenge for us, of summiting a mountain, may be comparable to some of the challenges that families of a child with special needs face on a daily basis,“ said Garcia.
She said that because it is such a grassroots community supported event, they are able to keep the cost for running the event incredible low so that “absolutely every dollar that comes in goes directly towards the summer camp experience.”
There is limited space for participants, so up to 200 people can register to join at bandedpeakchallenge.com. The day of the event, participants can check-in between 6:30-10:30 a.m.
There are eight outposts along the path and each one has a prize. Prizes range from overnight stays in Kananaskis to a mountain bike from Bow Cycle.
