more stats
1,004 ft
Distance
92 ft
Climb
-7 ft
Descent
00:04:24
Avg time
86 ft
Altitude change
775 ft
Altitude min
865 ft
Altitude max
775 ft
Altitude start
860 ft
Altitude end
8.5%
Grade
-5.1%
Grade max
31.1%
Grade min
653 ft
Distance climb
157 ft
Distance down
190 ft
Distance flat
00:04:24
Avg time

Switchback Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Hartland Mountain Bike Park
    Victoria, British Columbia
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (2 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in E-Biking
    • 35 in Trail Running
    • 80 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #158220 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #248067 in E-Biking
    • #449041 in Trail Running
    • #157593 in Hiking
  • Provincial Ranking
    #7,816 in Mountain Biking · British Columbia [+]
    • #9,253 in E-Biking
    • #15,246 in Trail Running
    • #10,157 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Rock Face
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Land Owner

The Hartland classic switchback climbing trail. This used to be the main route up in the park, until Middle Earth was built in 2022.Still regularly ridden by those who appreciate a challenge wet or dry.

Tags
Picnic spotRock slabs
Trail Supporters
  • SIMBS
    Maintainer
  • Original: John Taylor, Mike Jones
    Builder
Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 28 rides
  • 7 miles average
6 Months
  • 489 rides
  • 7 miles avg distance
All
  • 6,510 rides
  • Last: Oct 19, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
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April
May
June
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August
September
October
November
December
Status:
on Sep 20, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 3.5 (28 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (27,661)
close
      Directions to switchback trailhead (48.531520, -123.470940)

      Photos

      10 more »
      mtb
      73 |
      Jun 19, 2025 @ 5:36pm
      Jun 19, 2025
      mtb
      162 |
      Jan 12, 2023 @ 2:04pm
      Jan 12, 2023
      mtb
      194 |
      Dec 26, 2018 @ 1:25am
      Dec 26, 2018
      report
      mtb
      59 |
      Feb 25, 2024 @ 6:06pm
      Feb 25, 2024

      Videos

      4 more »
      Switchback (Climb) at Hartland Bike Park,...
      mtb
      4:51 | 155 | Nov 3, 2023 , Victoria
      180616 Switchback
      mtb
      2:51 | 317 | Jun 21, 2018 , Victoria
      170212 Hartland
      mtb
      9:01 | 104 | Feb 13, 2017 , Victoria
      2014-04-12 Inventive Switchbacks
      mtb
      2:18 | 350 | Apr 13, 2014 , Victoria

      Routes with this trail

      ★ 3.7 • 8 miles • 1,160 ft • 22 •
      So much fun. Tech singletrack bookmarked by steep fire road climbs
      ★ 4.0 • 6 miles • 768 ft • 57 • Loop •
      55min loop back to parking lot. 30min cardio to top and 25min down.
      8 miles • 1,516 ft • 22 •
      A good paced mix of climbs, tech climbs, flow and janky descents -- a bit of everything Hartland has to...
      3.4 ★★★★★
      28 Ratings
      5 ★ 18%
      4 ★ 29%
      3 ★ 32%
      2 ★ 18%
      1 ★ 4%

      2 Reviews & Comments

      Caribou14 Caribou14
      very hard to climb this trail clean. requires a very skilled rider. but very fun if you can make it to the top.
      greg-mowat greg-mowat
      This is no easy way up. Very tech climb.

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      • By KZ-Powned & contributors
      • #1159 - 5,606 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Switchback located?
      Switchback is located in Hartland Mountain Bike Park, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Hartland Mountain Bike Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 48.53152, -123.47094.
      ▼ How hard is Switchback?
      Switchback is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 8.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Switchback?
      Switchback has 92 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 7 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 775 ft to 865 ft.
      ▼ How long is Switchback?
      Switchback is 1,004 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Switchback?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Switchback. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Switchback? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Switchback are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Switchback?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 4 minutes to ride Switchback. The trail is 1,004 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Switchback?
      Switchback is a very popular trail. There have been 24,899 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 27,660 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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