Nathan's story: Rampart Rager

BaseCamp athlete Nathan Trachta shared his experience at the 2025 Rampart Rager gravel race in Colorado.

While many are enjoying Lincoln, Nebraska, Geoff Heim and I decided to do local, the Rampart Rager, a 50km (30 miles) event with 1150 meters (almost 3800 feet) of gain. Btw, the real climbing doesn't start till we hit Rampart Range Road, which is about 8km (about 5 miles) in. Btw, little long here….

Start was 8am and yeah, got there just in time to sign the new safety waiver and hear the safety speech. Geoff waved and I think a little worried I wouldn't make it.

Now the start is neutral, as we did a parade thru the Garden of the Gods (btw, all photos were taken either in The Garden or climbing up Rampart Range Road). This is the "warmup" for about 10 minutes, except with climbs of its own.

Hitting Rampart Range Road and the race is on!! Okay, since I got there a little late I'm behind Geoff and many others, but who cares, it climbs up and then back down to the start of Rampart.

Now the climb averages 6%, it's a hard road made up of sediment, Pikes Peak granite, some sand, scree, washboard, and the occasional rut or ruts. This is a route where you spin and then occasionally get out of the saddle to give the legs a rest or change. There's not real break as we climb. You get the occasional 4% followed by a 7-10% with switchback and lazy turns.

Before I know it we're passing Queens Canyon, which is a great rest point but only half way to the KQOM (btw, didn't stop). Onward and upward and before you know it, we're riding past Waldo Canyon. The good news is that means we're nearing the KQOM and the turn around point.

As I'm about 2-3 km from the KQOM, Geoff goes bombing down wishing me luck! Needed because the legs feel it, but it's counting down.

Before you know it the guy checking riders times for the KQOM calls in that 152 is across and then it's to the aid station and turnaround.

The ride down is a bomb! What felt hard isn't now. I'm looking thru the turns to check for traffic and slowing down as necessary. On straightaways it's give 'er the gun! This is working great as I pass Waldo and the Queens Canyon. I'm seeing the switchbacks and doing good. That is until I pass the Forest Service sign….

A little after that, there was a turn to the left, a short straight, and a hard turn to the right with three ruts across the road. I'd looked to the right, started to break, saw the ruts, hopped the first, went thru the second, doing my turn, and the third one was bigger and deeper so ended up sliding into 3rd but safe! (Hey, even baseball players get scrapped up sliding into 3rd. 😂)

The 5 second I screwed up, okay, I'm okay, get riding, and get back on the gas! Stay on it to Balanced Rock where the timekeeper is and then a nice safe easy ride back to our start location at the Buffalo Bike Lodge.

Have to laugh a little because yeah, I did get a little attention with the scrape for some reason. Even a photo or three other than my own. Geoff gave me a bad time about it (probably thinks he can't take me out for a gravel ride now). That said, a really good event. Nothing big, challenging, with a great finish!!