Video: Is Top of the World the Most Famous Trail in the World?

Aug 11, 2018
by UCI Mountain Bike World Series  

Top of the World has become synonymous with Whistler Bike Park - no trip is complete until you've taken on this mythical beast. Over 5000 vertical feet of descent taking in a number of different trails and every type of terrain imaginable. Races are won and lost on this 20 minute stage that is the ultimate test of mind, body and bike. On the eve of round six of the Enduro World Series, where riders will drop in to Top of the World as the final stage of the race, the EWS asks - is this the most famous trail in the world?

MENTIONS: @EnduroWorldSeries


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98 Comments
  • 153 12
 No. A-line. Not even a question.
  • 22 13
 Slickrock/Moab. The original MFT in the World.
  • 3 0
 Yep. Even the fact it has it's own shirt says it all.
  • 12 6
 Freight Train to Dirt Merchant to A-Line
  • 17 2
 here in Chile, I heard about A line many years before I knew top of the world existed, cheers
  • 4 2
 @panchocampbell: Aline existed many years before TOTW
  • 9 1
 @Boardlife69: Nowadays, I think Whole Enchilada (although its a combo of trails) has overtaken that for the Moab area.... A-Line is definitely the title holder. Its the original (I think) and most famous flow trail, even if they took out the GLC drop. Frown
  • 2 1
 @Boardlife69: That's a famous riding area, but as for a single trail? A-line wins easy.

Top of the World is a pretty unique experience, and everyone should do it once, but the trail & riding is nothing special. I think Whistler just sees the huge marketablility of it.
  • 1 1
 @Boardlife69: never heard of it
  • 26 4
 A Line for days....then maybe Dirt Merchant?
  • 19 0
 Erm, what about that trail in the woods behind Nationwide in Swindon?
  • 15 1
 slickrock moab is likely still the most famous. purely as its been in use for so long. the whole enchilada moab is my personal favourite
  • 4 0
 While TWE isn't my favorite, it is definitely popular. Wrenching at a rental shop in town, seems nobody realizes there are many more trails in town, betterer trails.
  • 3 0
 @JarrodB: That's usually how it is. People in my hood come to ride Crest or Enchilada. There is better, but you cannot shuttle.
  • 9 0
 Theres probably 15-20 trails at Whistler alone that more people know than TOTW. Let alone all over the world. Megavalanche track (whatever its officially named) also comes to mind.
  • 22 12
 5000m of descent eh? That puts the peak of whistler over 17,000 feet. #deadwrong
  • 15 0
 i think he said feet not meters
  • 2 3
 The original copy had 5000m. It's been corrected.
I still think Slickrock is the most famous trail in the world, but maybe not for long considering that it's now overrun with ATVs. @EKrum:
  • 2 0
 @Lugers: yeah, never heard of that trail
  • 1 0
 Yeah, there's no chairlift involved.@loganskis:
  • 11 1
 Top of which world?
  • 5 11
flag T-Bot FL (Aug 11, 2018 at 23:44) (Below Threshold)
 Not yours.
  • 29 2
 Probably Uranus
  • 5 0
 According to Trailforks, Top of The World is number 95. www.trailforks.com/trails/all/top First is Bobsled, 2nd Half Nelson and 3rd Expresso. First and third on Mount Fromme Vancouver. A-Line in 5th position.
  • 1 0
 this article is about fame, not an internet formula
  • 1 0
 Also, Half Nelson is in Squamish
  • 12 4
 A-Line?
  • 6 1
 Whistler's for the tourist money, inflated prices, Longhorn Corona is like $10
  • 2 1
 Just like London, the world's most expensive city by a long short.
  • 7 0
 You made the easiest mistake by drinking at the Longhorn...

GLC Has $7 pints just like everywhere else in the province.
  • 1 0
 @Katakalism: made a bigger mistake by crashing on A line, and checking into the med centre !
  • 4 0
 HandleBar is where you should be spending your beer money. There and the Fitzsimmons.
  • 7 2
 I think ToTW is 5000 feet descent, not 5000m.
  • 1 0
 In the US and Canada? Maybe. In the world? Probably not, although in couldn't say which track is the most famous then.
Here in Europe Leogang is more famous, or Megavalanche might be more famous (and to my knowledge is the most popular race with people all over the world participating). I couldn't say how famous those tracks are in other parts of the world though.
  • 1 0
 Made it to Whistler for the first time in my life 2 years ago and our first day would have been the last day top of the world is open sadly they closed it due to high winds so I still haven't seen the top it was the only sad moment in Whistler
  • 1 0
 Good reason to go back, I thougt TOW was amazing! Rode it twice even though it's an extra $21 for the peak chair. New Creekside expansion was killer too!
  • 1 0
 @Beez177: wife & kids have seen the pics and videos of the place & now they wanna go. That makes the price quadrupled. Big Grin
  • 4 0
 It’s not even the most famous run in whistler.......
  • 2 1
 Surely some of Moab's iconic trails are on there; Slickrock, Enchilada, etc. Also if DH tracks count than the iconic tracks at Fort Bill, Angel Fire, etc. are up there; then the stuff at Mammoth as well.
  • 1 1
 Heres mine in TOW video. To be exact per www.trailforks.com 5600m distance and 742m or descent or in engineering surveying, difference in elevation from the top of trail head to end of this trail.

www.pinkbike.com/video/490662
  • 5 4
 They didnt say 5000m vertical descent. The trail is a bit over 5km long. Poorly / strangely written for sure, not dead wrong just dumb
  • 4 1
 nah it says vertical feet, just an oops
  • 8 6
 Most famous trail in the world teeeheheheheehee. I didn't know blowing smoke up your own ass was another Canadian custom.
  • 2 2
 @fecalmaster: article is posted by EWS not Whistler.
  • 2 1
 @fecalmaster: we didn't write this smart guy.
  • 1 5
flag fecalmaster (Aug 12, 2018 at 11:42) (Below Threshold)
 @Jokesterwild: I care why?
  • 4 1
 Not even the most trail at Whistler. Try again
  • 5 2
 Never heard of Top of the World before.
  • 2 0
 Top of the World sucks including the 40 minute ride to the top on 3 different lifts.
  • 2 0
 What the hell did Ratboy say?!? hahaha 3:13
  • 2 1
 there are much better trails around, don´t know why this one is the most famous
  • 1 0
 No love for Flat White up the Golfie?!
  • 23 22
 Whistler sucks. Been a sad, blown out kook fest since 2013.
  • 3 1
 Shit, really? I was there in 2003/4 and it was sick, what has happened?
  • 7 9
 @Proflexking666: So much wasted potential. Thousands spent on blue 'flow trails' for the punters which is the main focus. Could build some high quality downhill trails with the terrain for a fraction of the cost.
  • 5 1
 2013??? I’ve been living in town since 2009 and I even felt late to the party
  • 5 11
flag fecalmaster (Aug 12, 2018 at 3:27) (Below Threshold)
 That is the trend here on the north east in USA also. Mountain piss money on groomers for noobers because they coming to fold their wallet inside out. 10 years ago there were mega technical single track DH trails in high demand.
  • 36 3
 Yer the park can get pretty blown out on the popular trails. Just go riding on the numerous awesome trails outside of the bike park. To say Whistler sucks is plain ridiculous.
  • 4 24
flag fecalmaster (Aug 12, 2018 at 3:45) (Below Threshold)
 My favorite tail to ride is my girlfriend. Try it sometime , you might like it.
  • 10 1
 Yeah, the park can get blown out, but at least you can go and ride Squamish, go ride Fromme, go ride the Sunshine Coast/Gibsons....

I'd give anything to have a bike park with a good jump line from top to bottom. I don't have that luxury here, so 'Tech' can be pretty underwhelming sometimes when all you want is to get some air.
  • 2 0
 @Waldon83: Same here, would love to have a flowy jumpy trail to mess around!!
  • 7 2
 So 2013 is when you moved into town? You must be some rider saying the best bike park in world sucks. I get it now, it's like Primus..Primus sucks!
  • 1 1
 @Johnnytightlips: Grass is always greener lol. You should come and ride some "park" in SoCal for some perspective.
  • 6 0
 whistler does not suck. anybody here ridden creek side? earth circus? new water equipment on Aline. runs damn good all the time. also blue trails are fun
  • 1 2
 Agreed
  • 4 1
 @Johnnytightlips: you're right. ft rebuild, aline rebuild, dirt merchant rebuild, d1... all for the punters. you sound like fun to be around.
  • 5 0
 Been here 20 yrs, always feels to me like it just keeps getting better.
  • 4 0
 @dingdong2: been there a bunch of times and I feel it's getting better as well.
  • 2 0
 @Beez177: irrigation system on Aline this year:-)
  • 3 0
 @dingdong2: was there a month ago, dirt was all-time!
  • 1 1
 @nickel: you miss my point. You've mentioned all the paved trails carved into the hill you can ride on a bmx if you're brave enough. You won't ride RDS on a bmx which they have the possibility to make similar trails with the terrain in bounds in the park for a lot cheaper than the new blue highways to Dustys. Just an opinion look at all the B.C. cup tracks in smaller park's with tiny budgets amazing trails. Not everyone wants to blast jump lines 24 7 some people want to ride downhill on downhill trails in a mountain bike park. Look at the European bike parks even Queenstown propper downhill trails Whistler is lagging big time. Jump lines flow trails on point for sure downhill trails definitely way behind.
  • 4 5
 Fort William and Mt St Anne and Champery and Schladming and Val di Sole and Leogang. Way more people watch the dh live stream than EWS.
  • 1 0
 maybe these days , yep. But not a history famous trail yet.
  • 1 0
 Form Germany,... A-line nothing close to it
  • 1 0
 Anyone know if TOTW will be open to the public tomorrow (Mon 8/13)?
  • 1 0
 I liked the wee insight to the trail building and rock work.
  • 1 0
 Appreciate the trail building tips in there.
  • 1 0
 Matthew mcconaughey’s treasure trail.
  • 2 2
 Joyride without question,then maybe Fatcrobat
  • 4 4
 top of the world is terrible. blown out and janky rocks
  • 1 2
 B- line know every rock hole bump and corner on that track being my warm up lap for years.
  • 1 1
 for me TOW, long and long techie trail. Nice feature.
  • 1 0
 Taturana?
  • 2 3
 Slick rock was cool until they put in all those uphills.
  • 1 2
 Samurai pizza monkey crabapple c more hits
  • 4 5
 A line come on
  • 4 5
 Aline all day
  • 1 0
 I just made sweet sweet love to ahole line.
  • 7 10
 Aline most famous flow trail. totw most famous tech trail
  • 1 6
flag fecalmaster (Aug 12, 2018 at 3:30) (Below Threshold)
 The A-Team would kick a line's ass any day of the week.
  • 7 10
 The rampage site is the most well known, imo
  • 3 11
flag fecalmaster (Aug 12, 2018 at 3:31) (Below Threshold)
 Oh I'm going to down vote you because a line can kiss my ass.
  • 4 6
 A Line for the win.
  • 4 7
 A line. No question
  • 5 8
 A line no doubt
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