Puttin’ on the Ritz: mountain bikers tackle steep and gnarly trails on Mount Prevost
Hikers still awaiting their first sanctioned trail on the mountain
On a sunny Saturday afternoon the gravel parking lot on the lower Mount Prevost main line is overflowing with mountain bike enthusiasts.
Mountain biking is an increasingly popular sport — and these riders are among the best, capable of navigating seriously challenging terrain.
On the edge of the parking lot, a sign posted by the Municipality of North Cowichan warns these trails “are highly technical and not for beginners.
“These black diamond to Pro Line rated trails are used as a training ground by some of the top ranked mountain bike riders in the world.
“Please use caution, ride to your ability and do not attempt to ride these trails without sufficient skill and experience.”
The question is: how to best view these skilled riders in action? I ask a few individuals milling about the parking lot and am directed to drive further up the mountain and find my way to Puttin’ on the Ritz — one of 13 sanctioned bike trails on Mount Prevost.
I eventually veer off the main line and onto a spur road that leads to an intersection with a portion of Puttin’ on the Ritz.
Minutes later, several young riders hurtle down the trail towards the road.
They stop to regroup, and direct me to a spot a short distance down the trail where I can get video at a jump.
They give me a few minutes to scramble down the trail and safely secure my position — and then they’re off.
If you blink you could miss them, such is their speed flying over the jump and rocketing down the trail and out of sight.
Later, I watch other riders navigating an especially gnarly section of Puttin’ on the Ritz — steep and deeply rutted, with exposed tree roots.
Not all are experts quite yet. One rider utters “Oh, gosh” as she starts tentatively down the section, bouncing awkwardly over the obstacles, but, to her credit, successfully completing the section.
Please note: these trails are not to be used for hiking; it’s too dangerous for all concerned.
Which raises a sore point: There is still not one sanctioned hiking trail on Mount Prevost.
Let’s hope that changes in the near future. Development of new trails is on hold pending talks with First Nations on a joint management agreement for the Municipal Forest Reserve.
The current access point used by hikers is a trail across from Bings Creek Recycling Centre — problematic because it involves trespass through private land.
Mount Prevost is known as Swuq'us to the Quw'utsun people.
Further reading:
https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/d91f8aa6-bbfe-4c28-b705-cd7ae794b455
https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/4b8a2b51-5769-466c-99a4-ca90e76789b1
Subscribe free to sixmountains.ca. More than 112,000 unique visitors.
— Larry Pynn, Jan. 25, 2026