Mt. Baker Hill Climb

We are just over a week away from putting on our second and largest event of the year, Ski to Sea, but we wanted to give you an early head's up that the price increases $10 per rider on June 1st for the Hill Climb.

As of today we have 250 registered riders and the event is capped at 450 so another reason to register before May is over!

The 2024 Mt Baker Hill Climb is over 35% full. As of today, we have 164 of our 450 entries spoken for.

The current breakdown is 40 entries in the social division, 73 in the recreational division and 51 in the competitive division. Head to our website today to reserve your spot for the September 15th ride. https://bakerhillclimb.com/

The Mt Baker Hill Climb is seeking a Title Sponsor. We're revisiting our current award structure and we are looking for a Title Sponsor who can bring creative ideas to the table. We will continue to award 1st-3rd of each age division, female and male, with a locally-produced medal, but we are retiring our championship jersey program for 1st place winners. DM us if you're interested in learning more about the benefits of partnering with us.

If you live in BC and you are attending the BC Bike Show next weekend with , stop by and visit us!

The event is March 2 & 3 at the Vancouver Convention Centre and we have 10 FREE tickets to the show.
Just message us for a link to the free tickets (first come, first serve).

You'll find us at booth number B223, and if you register at the booth next weekend, you'll receive a free pair of MBHC socks.

The 2024 Mt Baker Hill Climb is September 15th and registration is now open. The ride/race is capped at 450 and we are at currently at 25% capacity.

Ride in Style! Our jersey order opens in two weeks on March 1st. Shorts (limited sizes) and hats available race day.

We are thrilled to announce that the Mt Baker Hill Climb won 9th best Gran Fondo in North America this year! Check out the full list of winners at https://www.granfondoguide.com/Awards/Top10NorthAmericanGranFondos2024. We are so honored to have made this list. Registration is now open so head to our website and sign up today!

On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors, wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday this week!

We owe a huge serving of gratitude to the incredible team at the Mt. Baker Ski Area for their continued support of the Mt. Baker Hill Climb. Not only do they provide porta potties from Chair 9 and the Glacier parking lot all the way to Artist Point (which is no small feat), they also make space for our core team to stay the night before the event in addition to providing radios, staff, and opening up Heather Meadows Cafe for us which was closed for the summer. Words can’t express how grateful we are to have Mt. Baker Ski Area as a partner and sponsor, the Hill Climb wouldn’t be the same without them!

If you’re a returning passholder make sure to buy your season pass before September 27th. The open purchase window is available to the public starting September 30th at 7am (the pre-queue waiting room is randomized so you can join anytime between 6:00 am or 6:59 am). Make sure to get your pass before they sell out!

Let's hear some love for our volunteers! A HUGE THANKS to our check-in and aid station volunteers as well as our flaggers on the course. Volunteers from Incite Cycles handled parking & volunteers from Shifting Gears set up, served you and broke down the Artist Point finish line/bike corral. Our motorcycle volunteer John and SAG wagon volunteer Jeff spent all day on course ensuring the safety of riders and staying on course until the final rider reached Artist Point. They showed up before it was even light outside to help out, all for a bagel and a pair of socks! We are eternally grateful for their help and support.

Our non-profit organization is dedicated to sharing proceeds from our events with local non-profits and thus awarded $2,500 to Shifting Gears and Incite Cycles to keep their programs strong. You can feel good about a portion of your entry fees supporting these non-profits, head to their websites to find out more information about their organizations and upcoming events.

Congrats to all the cyclists out there who crossed the finish line on Sunday. And kudos and cookies to those who made it onto the podium!

If you didn't have your size of Jersey at packet pickup, you still have time to order one! Our order goes in at noon tomorrow and they will be shipped in 6-8 weeks (US address only) for a fee or you can choose free pickup in our Bellingham office. The link is https://mt-baker-hill-climb.square.site/s/shop

We do have one women's XL s/s for direct sale this week. In shorts we have Men’s size S, M, L, XL and Women’s size M, L, XL. We also have a few caps for sale.

If you lost a car key at the White Salmon Aid station or left behind a water bottle or pair of shoes, message or email us.

Results page can be found here https://pacificmultisports.com/results/mountbakerhillclimb2023/ and participant and podium photos will be on our website by Friday!

We're are all packed to head up to Glacier Saturday morning and we're beyond excited to host this year's sold out Mt. Baker Hill Climb! Reminder that packet pickup is at Chair 9 in Glacier from 3 pm - 5 pm Saturday. If we don't see you there, we'll see you bright and early Sunday morning!

Be aware there is a section of the Mt Baker Highway between Britton Road and Noon Road that is currently closed. Please take this into consideration when planning your trip. The detour can take anywhere between 10-15 extra minutes depending on the time of day. Travelers heading eastbound on SR 542 will be detoured around the work zone on county roads north on Hannegan Road to East Smith Road to SR 542.

We have a small inventory of shorts, jerseys and caps to sell this weekend (or before the weekend with prepurchase) but we are going to be opening up an online store for short-sleeved and long-sleeved Voler jersey orders. It will remain open until this Tuesday at 10:00 am. All registered riders will get a newsletter tomorrow with the link to purchase (jerseys only) and you can have them shipped directly to you (6-8 week turn around time) or get free pickup in our Bellingham office.

Email or message us if you want to check out current stock and prepurchase an item. We are so excited to see you all Sunday!

Shoutout to our media sponsor Mount Baker Experience magazine! Check out their giveaway for TWO FREE entries to the sold out Mt Baker Hill Climb this Sunday September 17th! Details in the post below.

This is the fourth year the Mount Baker Experience has been the media sponsor for the Mt. Baker Hill Climb, providing ads in their spring, summer and fall editions as well as digital placement on their website.

And now a word from our sponsor…

“Mount Baker Experience has been celebrating outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest since 1986, and there is no event that gets you closer to the heart of the Cascade Range than the Mt. Baker Hill Climb.

What MBE loves most about the event is that it attracts world-class cyclists, while also welcoming families and recreational riders to make their way up to Artist Point. We also love working with the Whatcom Events team, who always put on an exhilarating and safe time for all. See you September 17!”

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB GIVEAWAY: As the media sponsor for Mt. Baker Hill Climb, we are giving away a pair of entries for the upcoming (and SOLD OUT) event on Sunday, September 17!

The rules are fairly simple: in the comments below, give us three good reasons why you deserve to bike this grueling, 22-mile, 4,462 ft ascent up to Artist's Point.

Two winners will be chosen by our deadline at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13, and awarded a spot in any three of the start times. The 7 a.m. start is intended for "social" riders, and is the only time slot to allow e-bike use. The 8 a.m. start is for "recreational" riders, and the 8:30 a.m. start is for "competitive" riders looking to race against skilled climbers.

This is a difficult ride, and not for the faint of heart or those who aren't confident in their abilities and fitness level. Details on the event can be found at https://bakerhillclimb.com/

The race is just over a week away and we can't wait! Check out these beautiful locally produced Awards made by Paul Clement of Elastic Laser. Fun fact, Paul has been involved since the first Mt Baker Hill Climb back in 2003!

Due to a few injury related cancellations, we have 3 entries for the Hill Climb. If you missed the first round, secure your spot today! https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1114/Register

We were able to adjust our SockGuy order in the nick of time to accommodate our sold out event and are pleased to announce that all registered riders will receive a complimentary pair upon check-in. If you'd rather wait to collect your pair until after the ride, our staff will be at Chair 9 until 1:00 pm on the 17th to hand them out post-ride but just be aware that sizes and quantities are limited.

With the Hill Climb less than 2 weeks away, we decided to make an informational video to help riders plan and prepare. This video will be shared with all registered riders early next week.

Huge thanks to Corey at Live More Creative for taking on the project, to Andy and Brent of Jack's Homegrown Racing for being our actors and always being down to help us, and to Greene's Corner for lending us the space in front of this rad Gretchen Leggitt Art on a busy Friday evening!

Special thank you to our Sponsor Chair 9! We couldn’t make the Hill Climb happen without them generously providing space for us each year. We are so grateful for the team at Chair 9 and their ongoing support. Make sure to load up on pizza and tasty beverages before and after the ride to treat yourself!

Packet pickup is at Chair 9 Saturday September 16th from 3-5pm if you want to skip the morning lines. Otherwise we’ll see you bright and early on race day, Sunday September 17th!

The 2023 Hill Climb is officially sold out! We reached our cap at 450 riders. Thank you to everyone for signing up!

We only have a few spots left so if you want to volunteer, head to https://volunteersignup.org/RJDAR and sign up today! That goes for riders too. We currently have 436 racers registered and are sold out at 450. Head to our partner site to grab one of the last 14 remaining chances to race the legendary Phil Gaimon while you can! https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1114/Register

If you've already signed up to volunteer, thank you SO much. Look out for more info coming next week!

If you have done this event before, you know parking is VERY limited in the tiny town of Glacier so even two people sharing a ride cuts down on space and traffic. You can even plan to leave a car up at Artist Point overnight so that you have a quick ride down if you aren't cycling. We have a brand new message board that riders can use to connect with one another for a riding partner or carpooling, check it out at https://mtbakerhillclimb.freeforums.net/

For some, the Mt Baker Hill Climb is all about the race which is why we offer the Competitive Division. For others it is simply about the challenge. which is why we are committed to hosting an event accessible for EVERYONE and therefore offer a Social and Recreation Division.

For instance, did you know that e-bikes are welcome in the Social division? While e-bike riders are not timed, we want YOU to enjoy the beauty of a closed 542 with our other riders. The Hill Climb can be what YOU want it to be. So whether you pedal with your legs or with your hands, whether you decide to wear a sponsored kit or a tutu and Hawaiian shirt, whether you have an assist on your bike or ride tandem; we welcome you regardless of age, race, gender identity, disability or religious preference. The Mt Baker Hill Climb is for EVERYONE! Until we sell out of course, Less than 40 spots remain for 2023. This is Tom who deeply inspired us last year by completing the Hill Climb on his hand cycle!

Did you know that we have special rate for tandem cyclists? Each year we only have one-two tandem teams but we'd love to see more. Matching shirts not required but they do make it more fun!
Share the pedal power with a friend or family member and register your tandem team today before our final 50 spots disappear. After all, good things come in twos.

The Hill Climb is one month from today and who better to highlight today than Prime Sports Institute! Their commitment to supporting our local athletes is next level. Remember the torrential downpour we had in 2021? It didn't stop Prime from showing up and supporting our riders. They are here for you in the next month and beyond, and we are lucky to have them.

On race day, Prime Sports Institute will be there to provide critical medical care and massage for athletes at the finish line. If you want to optimize your performance or you need support in recovering from an injury, their sports medicine team is also there to support you before the race. Prime also offers massage and athletic training sessions for any aches or pains you might experience leading up to the event and can help you get 'race ready'.

Purchase a recovery pass online and use the code, RACEBIB2023, within 5 days of the race to receive $5 off a sports recovery session. Or head to Prime in person, and show the staff your results to receive the special rate. THANK YOU PRIME!

Table Mountain, one of the crown jewels of the climb! It also means you are close to the finish line.

We have less than 60 spots left for the 2023 Hill Climb so if you are waiting to register, don't wait much longer. If you have a deferral code from last year, keep in mind it doesn't guarantee your spot. With the event still a month away, we are expecting this year to sell out so don't delay, reserve your spot today!
https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1114/Register

If you haven't already booked your accommodations, we recommend doing it soon as properties fill up until early October. Our website has some options in Glacier and Bellingham but if you do stay in Bellingham, we recommend the Official Hotels of the Mt. Baker Hill Climb, Home2 Suites by Hilton or Hampton by Hilton. Both of these Hilton properties are offering special discounted rates and holding a block of rooms for Hill Climb cyclists. They look forward to welcoming you!

The Home2 Suites is newly renovated and their all-King suites feature a pull out sofa, kitchen, and desk in every room. Enjoy a large modern workout facility with Peloton and relaxing indoor saline pool and hot tub. They offer onsite laundry, two amazing outdoor spaces with fire-pit and grills, as well as a game room for our guests to enjoy. Complimentary airport shuttle, daily breakfast, and Wi-Fi included.

The Hampton Bellingham Airport is newly built in May 2021. Standard two queen bed and king rooms include a coffee maker, microwave, and mini fridge. Enjoy a large modern workout facility with Peloton, relaxing indoor saline pool and hot tub, outdoor space, and onsite laundry. Complimentary airport shuttle, parking, daily breakfast, and Wi-Fi included.

Book before Sept 10th and use the links listed on our site at https://bakerhillclimb.com/lodging/ to lock in your discounted rate today!

Who's excited?! WE ARE! Thank you Mount Baker Experience magazine and Phil Gaimon! This race is gearing up to be one for the books. Register today! https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1114/Register

Former pro cyclist Phil Gaimon talks Mt. Baker Hill Climb and chasing KOMs | MountBakerExperience.com By Ian Haupt Retired professional cyclist Phil Gaimon will be competing in Whatcom County’s iconic Mt. Baker Hill Climb in September. Gaimon, who raced for UCI World Tour teams Garmin–Sharp and Cannondale, retiring in 2016, will feature the race and climb on his YouTube channel as he attempts to...