This is a stunning and quite challenging ride. Starting at the Humpback Rocks Visitors Center at milepost 6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the route heads south on the Parkway, climbs up to the Raven’s Roost overlook, then descends from Reed’s Gap down to the Shenandoah Valley at Sherando. A long loop along the borders of a section of the George Washington National Forest takes you to the town of Vesuvius and to a 2.5 mile, very steep climb back up to the Parkway and north to the starting point. Worth every bit of the considerable effort involved.
Stores: Mile 13 (Sherando); mile 33.5 (Vesuvius)
Alerts:
1. There is a steep, winding descent from Reed’s Gap down into the Valley starting at mile 8. Use caution.
Route page:Â Humpback Rocks – Vesuvius
Click on the image below for the RWGPS page.
* Members please indicate you will attend by signing up below. Be sure to have the route on your phone or bike computer, and/or have a map or cue sheet. Also, please check the ride comments the day of the ride if the weather is iffy.
Be sure to have the latest route (routes can change from time to time) on your phone or bike computer, and/or have a map or cue sheet.
For details on how group rides are categorized, check out the Ride Classification guidelines.
All riders are required to have a helmet; a taillight, Road ID and a rear-view mirror is strongly recommended. You are also expected to have adequate fluids and a road-worthy bicycle in good repair.  Many rides, but not all, will include the opportunity to stop at a store to replenish supplies.
You should be prepared to fix a flat tire and perform other minor repairs on the roadside.  If you are new to cycling and are not comfortable with these procedures, don’t let that stop you.  However, you might want to talk to a more experienced member before the ride so the group is prepared to help if necessary.
The club considers safety to be our very highest priority.  Please review the information on the Safety Page before you join us for a ride.
We hope that you will find this site helpful; your questions and comments are welcomed.
Start times are based on seasonal averages. Because of the inability to ensure everyone is informed of a last-minute change, scheduled rides will not change based on predicted weather and temperature. Also, club rides generally will not show as “canceled” on the calendar. All riders have their personal thresholds for temperature, wind, and moisture, and are expected to use their best judgment about whether to ride on a given day. CBC encourages all members to exercise caution. If in doubt, please use the comment section on the ride calendar page to communicate with other potentially interested riders.Â
Two options, please post to our Facebook Group or contact us.
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Need to do this climb; I’ll be there.
Planning on the 60 mile route. Have never done the Vesuvius climb.
I’m planning on going long
I will be there too, excited about Vesuvius, it has been a long time!
I will be there with my portable defibrillator!
Bill
Awesome! We should have a nice little group to share time in the front so we all still have some legs left for the climb(s)!
Looking forward for this ride!
Awesome! I was wondering if you were going to make it again this year!
As it stands right now I’m planning on jumping on the full pull option.
Sweet! I’m looking forward to it!
Is anyone else planning to do the long route? This route is a LOT easier (and more enjoyable) with a group of riders who can work together taking turns at the front up until we hit RT 56, and then regrouping at the top of the climb back up to the BRP for the last section back to Humpback.
The group won’t help you make the climb 🙂
Enjoy!!
Afraid I’ll miss Vesuvius this year – big project has meant few ride miles thus far.
Woohoo! Been looking forward to this one going back on the calendar since riding it last year!