There are bike trips, and then there are bike adventures. The South Chilcotin Mountains of British Columbia fall firmly into the latter. Remote, rugged, and breathtakingly beautiful, the Chilcotins demand commitment—and reward it with endless singletrack, alpine lakes, and wild backcountry camps.
Landing on Lorna Lake with bikes — the start of an unforgettable Chilcotins ride.
The Road to Tyax: Hurley River FSR
Before we even clipped in, the trip started with an adventure of its own: the Hurley River Forest Service Road. A 74 km stretch of dirt and gravel, the Hurley connects Pemberton to Gold Bridge and Tyax Adventures. Climbing over 1,500 metres, it’s a rite of passage for anyone heading into the South Chilcotins. The switchbacks, washboards, and blind corners keep you honest—and make you appreciate just how wild this corner of BC still is. By the time we rolled into the lodge at Tyaughton Lake, the city felt a world away.
Driving the Hurley River FSR into the Chilcotins.
Arrival by Float Plane
Our journey began in true backcountry style: loading bikes and gear into a float plane on Tyaughton Lake. Minutes later we were airborne, skimming over glaciers and ridgelines before dropping onto the turquoise waters of Lorna Lake. Watching the plane disappear left us with that delicious mix of awe and accountability—you and your crew, out here, on your own power.
Flying into the South Chilcotins — alpine lakes and endless ridgelines below.
Camp Life with Tyax Adventures
Each night we rolled into a ready-made wilderness camp courtesy of Tyax Adventures. First up: Bear Paw Camp, nestled in a high valley surrounded by wildflower meadows. The next night: Spruce Camp, a quieter forest refuge near the creek. Wall tents, wood stoves, and a hot meal meant we could recover properly for the next day’s push.
Here’s where the RUX 2L and 10L Packing Cubes shined—making it easy to pull out just what we needed for the night, then repack and move efficiently the next morning. No digging, no gear explosion, just compact modules that kept camp life simple.
Bear Paw Camp — wall tents in the wildflower meadows.
RUX 2L and 10L Packing Cubes keeping gear tidy and easy to move around camp.
The Riding
Over three days we linked together some of the best singletrack on the planet—high-alpine traverses, flowy descents through golden larch, and technical creek crossings that kept us honest. Out here, rides aren’t measured in laps or segments but in horizons: you earn every view, every descent, every memory.
Traversing a Chilcotin ridgeline — singletrack as far as the eye can see.
Flowing down through meadows in the heart of the Chilcotins.
Gear That Worked
Adventures like this demand gear you can trust. For the dusty approach over the Hurley, the RUX 70L kept our riding packs and camp essentials organized and secure in the truck, making the long washboard drive simple to load and unload. Once we transferred to the float plane, the 2L and 10L Packing Cubes proved clutch—keeping our riding packs compact for the flight and on-trail, while also making it easy to shuffle gear around camp once we arrived. The Utility Straps handled the rest: lashing extra kit to bike frames, cinching loads tight, and keeping everything dialed through creek crossings and alpine descents.
From dirt road to float plane to singletrack, the system worked seamlessly—no rummaging, no wasted time, just smooth transitions between each stage of the journey.
Enduro chips - Utility Straps locking gear down on the bike for technical terrain.
Why the Chilcotins?
Because it’s one of those rare places where the riding is only half the story. The other half is the camaraderie around the campfire, the silence of a remote alpine valley, the feeling of pedaling deeper into wilderness with everything you need—and nothing you don’t.
Always Ready. That’s the spirit we brought into the mountains, and the one we carried home.
Three days, countless memories — stoked and tired at the finish.
