Build the Skills to Conquer the Gooseberry Epic

INTRODUCTING GREATER ZION'S GOOSEBERRY EPIC MINI SERIES - Build the Skills to Conquer the Gooseberry Epic

Gooseberry Epic is where riders find out what they’re capable of. Not just physically, but technically as well. This is ICUP’s most technically demanding course—where the terrain keeps asking for more effort long after your legs begin to fatigue.

If you're ready to take on technical slickrock, make constant decisions to find the best line choices, and reap the reward of precision riding all without hesitation - then you've found your challenge with Gooseberry Epic.

It shows up late in the race when fatigue sets in. When focus fades and when every decision matters more. Sure riders show up feeling ready, but the ones who ride strong all the way to the finish? They’ve built the skills to match the challenge.

If you're looking for the best way to prepare for Gooseberry Epic, then join the Greater Zion’s Gooseberry Epic Mini Series. This is a two-race progression designed to develop the endurance and bike handling skills needed to ride this course with confidence—especially when it matters most.

STEP 1: BUILD TECHNICAL STRENGTH (Rock & Grit)

Before you can ride Gooseberry well, you need to be comfortable when the trail gets rough. Join us at Three Peaks on May 16, 2026 for one of ICUP's most iconic Rock & Grit races. You'll experience rocky terrain that demands focus, strength, and control.

This is where you develop confident line choice through technical features, the strength to stay composed over uneven terrain, the ability to maintain momentum when the trail fights back, and dial in your focus when every section requires attention. Three Peaks builds the foundation to stay engaged—and in control.

Because at Gooseberry Epic, there are no sections where you can switch off.

STEP 2: REFINE CONTROL WHEN IT COUNTS (Peak Pursuit)

Now it’s time to sharpen those skills under pressure. This is where racing Rage at Snowbird on August 8, 2026 will help dial in your decision making skills. This is your Peak Pursuit race—steep, technical terrain where precision matters.

This is where you build advanced handling on tight technical descents, confidence on exposed and rocky terrain, control when speed increases, and the ability to stay sharp deep into your effort. This will be your final test to stay composed when it’s hardest to do so.

Because Gooseberry doesn’t just test your legs, it tests your composure as well.

WHY PROGRESSION MATTERS

The Gooseberry Epic isn’t about surviving the distance, it’s about how well you ride when fatigue starts to take over.

This 2 Cross Country race combination is designed to prepare you to stay smooth on technical terrain late in the race, maintain control when your legs are tired, and make confident decisions when focus starts to fade. All this so that you're ready for race day at Gooseberry Epic rather than reacting to the trail.

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE ON RACE DAY

Race day feels different when you’ve trained this way. You stay composed when others start to fight the terrain. You trust your lines—even late in the race. You move forward with control, not hesitation. It's not that the course got easier, but you ride it better. And when you cross the finish line, it’s not just about finishing. It’s about how well you showed up when it mattered most.

Start building now by developing your technical strength at Three Peaks. Refine your control at Rage at Snowbird. Then line up ready for the Gooseberry Epic. Make the decision now to build the skills and confidence that carry you all the way through.