In the middle of the prairies, coulees and rolling hills are the perfect playground for any level of mountain biker. In and around Medicine Hat, three mountain biking destinations are found within 45 minutes of each other, and each features an adventurous landscape. 

Five-year mountain bike coach Christine Sharp has traveled throughout Canada, teaching avid and beginner mountain bikers’ skills to experience the thrilling sport. And she finds herself in Medicine Hat during the spring and fall, offering courses to anyone interested in seeing the Medicine Hat region from a new point of view. 

“Every trail network here has distinctive characteristics,” says Sharp, owner of Sharp MTB Skills. “You can do technical climbing in Redcliff one day, and the next day ride the perfectly built corners in Echo Dale Regional Park. You can really see all the diversity in this amazingly concentrated landscape.”

Sharp likes diversity, because it makes her a better coach, and she feels people get more out of their riding. The avid mountain biker herself would like to grow people’s excitement about biking, and she’s happy to see high interest in her beginner courses. The trails she coaches on were built to challenge those looking to perfect their skills. 

“I didn’t pick up my first mountain bike until I was 32, and I want people to know they can learn to mountain bike and progress their skills at any age,” says Sharp. “I love the places mountain biking has taken me. Even in the smallest places, you have these amazing communities that come together to build networks and maintain them.”

The networks in and around Medicine Hat are something special, and Sharp loves the prairies for the river valleys, cactus, and other stunning nature you see along the way. She says Redcliff is unlike anywhere else in the province. Driving 45 minutes to Elkwater brings mountain bikers to a gem, Elkwater, in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. A high elevation with trees, lakes, and roots, alongside manicured flowy trails. 

“It’s rare you get all these different trail networks all over the city that highlight so many different aspects of mountain biking. I love showing people the landscape — it's so dramatically different,” says the mountain bike coach. “The quality of trails here are absolutely amazing.”

When she opened registration, the majority of people who registered were not from Medicine Hat. Medicine Hat is a hub in the prairies for mountain biking, because there are no trail networks of the size nearby. Sharp has had people register from Southeast Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana. 

Sharp offers her regular weekly, weekend, and introduction to mountain biking courses. If mountain bikers are going on a trip and want to learn a specific skill, Sharp can focus on that for the session. Friends and families are encouraged to learn together. 

This year Sharp MTB Skills is sponsored by Cyclepath in Medicine Hat.

“It’s so nice to see bike shops involved and having the support has been really great.”