Steep n' Deep XC
A New Age of Mountain Bike Racing at the Ultimate Downcountry Experience.
About
Back for its second instalment, Steep n’ Deep XC returns September 25–26 showcasing Fernie’s premier trails surrounding Mount Fernie Provincial Park. Launching from the beautiful Elk Valley Nordic Centre, racers head straight into downcountry nirvana, accessing the very trails and terrain that put this mountain town on the global mountain bike map.
A new age of mountain bike racing. Steep n’ Deep XC delivers a rowdy cross-country course featuring 4 unique timed stages, each offering a taste of Fernie’s classic trail riding flavour from technical climbing, steep descents, and everything in between. Following an enduro-style format, only your time within these stages counts toward your overall result, meaning between the full-throttle efforts you’ll have time to recover, refuel, and socialize with your pals on the transfers to the next timed stage. In true downcountry fashion, there’s more descending than climbing, but beware, every descent is hard earned.
More than just a bike race. Steep n’ Deep XC brings a full weekend of festivities. Kick things off with Friday evening’s Rider Social and Package Pickup, then dive into Saturday’s race-day energy with finish-line vibes and live entertainment. The weekend-long beer garden will be flowing, with all proceeds supporting the trails that make it all possible. Cheers to that!
About Steep n' Deep XC
Dates & Location
September 25-26, 2026 | Elk Valley Nordic Centre
The Stages
Stage 1: Hot Emmett
5km / 160m gain / 120m loss
In traditional XC fashion, Stage 1 begins with a mass start from the gun at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. The course initially follows fast, wide-open Nordic trails that are great for passing and finding your place in the pack before diving into Ben Emmett, an old-school XC trail featuring a mix bag of punchy, technical climbs and moments of fast, flowy singletrack nirvana.
Stage 2: Nix! No! (Long Course Only)
2km / 5m gain / 255m loss
After warming up the legs in Stage 1, we serve up one of the premier descents in Fernie, Verboten. Purely for the gravity crowd, Stage 2 is the embodiment of Fernie riding, fast, rough, and raw.
Notice: Short Course Riders SKIP Stage 2, proceed to Stage 3
Stage 3: Goated
4km / 85m gain / 300m loss
One for all, no matter the bike. Stage 3 showcases the often-overlooked Snakebite descent before tackling the steep, technical climb of Old Goat through the stunning old-growth forest. The stage finishes strong, dropping into the fun and playful Happy Gilmar before capping off with a dose of old-school XC along Sherwoody
Stage 4: Blind Stage
5.5km / 55m gain / 350m loss
Stage 4 is a BLIND Stage with trail specifics being released the night before the race.
General Schedule
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH
Rider Social & Package Pickup | Elk Valley Nordic Centre
From 2:00pm – 7:00pm riders can kick the weekend off with our Rider Social & Package Pickup at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre.
Pick up your race package, explore attending industry vendors, pre-ride the course, recover with a post ride beer, all out of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre and Mt. Fernie Provincial Park.
Rider Package includes race plate by 54blue, zone4 timing chip, pre-race coffee, post-race meal, first beer on the house, and plenty of useful swag from our sponsors!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
Downcountry XC Racing | Mt. Fernie Provincial Park
Racing kicks off from the Elk Valley Nordic Centre at 9:45am, launching riders straight into the heart of Fernie’s famed downcountry trails.
Following an enduro-style format, the course features four timed stages, each with its own flavour and a clear reminder of why Fernie sits on the global mountain bike map.
Expect stages that vary in terrain, difficulty, and duration, with a healthy dose of climbing (not just descending). New for 2026, riders can choose between a Short or Long Course, plus we’ll be introducing one blind stage (expect blue-tech) designed to keep everyone on their toes.
Some stages will make you wish you brought a hardtail XC; others will have you begging for 160mm of travel. At the end of the day, there’s only one way to find out what the ultimate bike setup, and thats getting Steep n’ Deep.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
Awards
Award ceremonies will take place at 3:00pm right where it all began, at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. Awards will honour the following categories:
- Top 3 Open M/W
- Top 3 Junior M/W
- Top 3 Locals M/W
- Top 3 Masters 40+ M/W NEW to 2026!
- Top 3 E-Bike M/W NEW to 2026!
- Top 5 Pro M/W
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
Post Race Celebrations
After an epic day of mountain bike racing, we invite all riders, friends, and family to join the Post-Race Celebrations. Enjoy finish-line vibes brought to you by local hit bands, followed by the Award Presentations.
Want to keep the party rolling? All racers will receive tickets to live entertainment downtown Fernie on Saturday night. Have a night out, you’ve earned it!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Steep n’ Deep XC follows an enduro-style race format, featuring multiple timed stages across a challenging course. Unlike a traditional enduro, our race includes four timed stages that vary in terrain, difficulty, and duration, with plenty of climbing, not just descending.
Out of the four stages, one stage will be a blind stage featuring blue-flow tech, designed to keep riders on their toes.
Riders can expect a total ride time of 2-4 hours to complete the ~28 km course with ~1,200m of elevation gain, and a cumulative race time of 45mins-1.5 hours across the four timed stages.
For 2026, Steep n’ Deep XC introduces a Short and Long Course option. The Short Course covers 3 of the 4 timed stages and is recommended for Junior and beginner/intermediate riders, while the Long Course includes all 4 stages and is aimed at intermediate to expert riders.
Surrounding Mt. Fernie Provincial Park, riders can expect everything from blue-tech flow trails to singletrack black diamond trails, with steep climbs, technical descents, and a mix of loose, rooty terrain. Some sections can feel like a real rodeo if you’re not ready. We recommend this race for riders who are comfortable on black-level trails and have experience on either an XC or trail mountain bike.
Riders will be treated to plenty of on-course support including well stocked Aid Stations, Professional Timing, and Certified First Aid.
The most ideal bike setup will be a full-suspension mountain bike with 120–150 mm of travel, depending on your riding ability.
For competitive and expert riders, the winning setup is expected to be around 130 mm front / 120 mm rear travel with 2.25-2.4 tires, a true BC-XC race rig.
For party mode and beginner riders, we recommend a bike with 150 mm front / 130 mm rear travel with 2.4-2.5 tires to confidently handle Fernie’s technical terrain and steep descents.
Race entry includes a fancy race plate by 54blue, zone4 timing chip, pre-race coffee, post race meal, first beer on the house, and plenty of practical swag from our sponsors!
The Fernie Nordic Centre is just footsteps from Mount Fernie Provincial Park, one of BC’s most scenic and well supported campgrounds. We highly recommend booking here for easy access to the event and to maximize your Fernie experience.
Book Early! Mount Fernie Provincial Park is extremely popular. Reservations open 4 months in advance to the booking date, so we strongly recommend booking by May 25th to secure your spot.
Click HERE to access BC Parks Booking.
Yes, there will be e-bike specific categories.
Only Class 1 e-bikes (pedal-assist) are permitted on the trails. Class 2 (throttle) and Class 3 (speed pedal-assist) are not permitted.
2026 Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Accommodation Partners
Check the Race Guide for a discount for accommodations with these partners
Volunteer with Us!
Steep n’ Deep would not be possible without an incredible community of volunteers. Our goal is to make the volunteer experience just as fun as it is for our riders!
We offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities ranging in length and responsibility, filled with excitement and different perks including event swag, food & beverage tickets, live music, entry to future AGES events and prizes from our sponsors!