There are many mountains in Maryland, but about 18 that have climbs greater than 500' ascent suitable for cycling. Attack 39 segments, ranging from category 4 up to category 1 rated climbs,  to earn the ABC Mountain Climber Achievement! Some mountains require a single ascent, while others are broken into multiple sections and require multiple ascents with some options on the ascents you chose to attack.

From East to West, leaving Annapolis and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, start with Category 4 Sugarloaf Mountain on the Piedmont Plateau (ok, it is a little less than 500' climb). A little further west are Maryland's Blue Ridge Mountains - Catoctin and South Mountain, both of which require multiple sections and have multiple ascents over 1000'. Further west is the Ridge and Valley Province, where some of the ascents require mountain bikes on the gravel roads through beautiful state forests to breathtaking views. The fourth geographical region is the Appalachian Plateau, where Maryland's category 1 climbs are, including the 2000' climb up Maryland's highest point on Backbone Mountain.

The mountains, mountain sections, and the segments are all included in a downloadable excel file to keep track of progress...while we figure out how to automate it on the website. Share your progress with the ABC Rides Coordinators, and we will post it here on this page. 

Rules:

1. Safety First! You are responsible for your own safety. Some of these segments are on roads with wide shoulders, some are not. Talk to the ABC Ride Coordinators if you want to understand the type of road you will see on the segments, as certain segments are better on lower traffic days. Joining in an ABC Adventure Ride that is attacking segments below is a great way to ride these mountains with a group.

2. What goes up...must come down. And the backside of these segments, you can come down very fast. A bicycle in good working order, with good tires, brakes, etc. is a must. Need to work your bike handling skills? Join an ABC group ride! Some ABC Adventure Rides also take routes with long downhill segments, so you can get tips and advice during a group ride. 

3. To earn credit, you must complete the segment shown while being a member in good standing.

4. There is no time limitation on completion of the achievement. But complete it once, and you will be able to work on completing it twice!