Summary
~80% gravel, one large HC category gravel climb to Oyama Eco Lodge will test the legs (11km @ ~7½%). The ride is a remote gravel adventure through lesser-known camping areas and forest service roads on the Okanagan Thompson Plateau. Once the Oyama climb is complete, the remainder of the ride remains challenging but not too difficult. Hot summer weather in July and August can make this route significantly more difficult, and sufficient hydration is definitely something to consider.
Points of Interest
Surfaces & Traffic
There is little-to-no-traffic on this route — there can be some logging trucks, campers, dirt bikes, and ATVs.
Hard-packed gravel for the majority of the route. Rideable on CX tires (32-35mm) but wider gravel-specific tires (40mm+) are recommended. This ride is also great on a hardtail 29" MTB.
Refuelling
During the Ride:
- Oyama Eco Lodge @ 18km
- Dee Lake @ 40km
- Beaver Lake Mountain Resort @ 52km
After the Ride:
Key Segments
- Oyama Zipline 4.65km @ 6.6%, gravel climbs that is accessible during all seasons.
- Oyama Lodge Climb 11.1km @ 7.4km, this is the full gravel climb segment to Oyama Eco Lodge. Fast times are under 1 hour. Climb gains 825m and is only accessible by bike in the summer months.
- Oyama Lame Climb this is the final push to Oyama Lake, 1½km @ 7.2%.
- Beaver Lake Descent Descent segment back into Lake Country, 13½km @ -6.8%, mostly gravel.
Options
Once past Oyama Lake, forest service roads on the Thompson Plateau head in all directions. Route extensions are just a matter of good maps, GPS devices, and imagination — adventure at your own risk and be rewarded for it.
There are no bailout options for this route, apart from reaching Oyama Lake and immediately descending along the same path — a future OKRoute and a ton of fun #staytuned.
Enjoy!
And please be sure to…
- ride safely,
- let us know what you think about this route, and
- follow us on the grams & tag us along with
#okroute7!