Grinduro California 2025 - Stage Previews!

Grinduro California 2025 Stage Preview!

Heading to Grinduro California, hosted by Mondraker? Want to get the inside scoop on all four stages and dial-in your strategy? You’ve come to the right place!

The 10th anniversary of Grinduro California promises to be RAD. Radder than ever. And with the purple party returning to its spiritual home in Quincy, we really cannot wait to shred those Mt Hough trails once again. Sign up for the weekend festivities on September 12 – 14 and join us at Plumas County Fairgrounds for a party like no other!

Event producers, Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship have produced this natty overview of the four Grinduro California stages for your viewing pleasure. Grab the popcorn!

Stage 1 - Tear Drops

The Tear Drops Climb is the first stage of the 2025 Grinduro California (55 miles) and Grindurito (27 miles) courses on Mt. Hough in Quincy, California.

It is 1.7 miles with 468 feet of elevation gain. This is a stiff climb, beginning with 4×4 road and 10-12% grade pitches, before transitioning to a more gradual 2-3% grade. At mile .75, the route turns left onto doubletrack for a scenic climb with views of Spanish Peak and the surrounding ridgeline. Then it has a low-grade down/up/down/up with a few areas of loose rock to the end of the stage before joining the Fireline Trail.

Stage 2 - RouleUr's Revenge

Rouleur’s Revenge is the second timed segment for the 2025 Grinduro and Grindurito course. It is a 2.8-mile rolling dirt road stage, with 205 feet of elevation gain and 236 feet of descent. Most of the grade is below 4%.

The start of Stage 2 is very scenic, with views toward the Lakes Basin area off to the right. This will be a high speed but pedally segment where racers will have to keep on the gas to carry their speed. There are some particularly high-speed downhill sections with pebbles littered across the road surface, and the segment ends at the first aid-station of the ride.

Stage 3 - Grizzly Plunge

Get ready to take the plunge! The third timed segment in the 2025 Grinduro, the aptly named Grizzly Plunge, drops racers 1,568 feet over 5.4 miles, from the course’s high point on Grizzly Ridge at 7,400 feet down to the third aid station.

The first 3 miles are downhill, with some pedally sections, and an average grade of 3.5%. The last 2.4 miles get steeper and rougher with average grades of 7%, loose rocks and lots of potential for flats and mechanicals. Choose your lines wisely! Play it conservatively and get down with your PSI intact, or take a risk and send it…if it pays off here, a podium spot could await!

This segment is only for racers of the full 55-mile Grinduro, but not to worry Grindurito racers, you’ll be back for the sweet singletrack reward of the final timed segment.

Stage 4 - Smoke Chaser

The final timed segment of Grinduro California, Smokechaser, is a throwback to the very first Grinduro, back in 2015 and featured this very same stretch of singletrack: the Mt. Hough Trail, finished by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, just in time for the race!

Smokechaser serves up 2,217 feet of sweet descending singletrack over 5.6 miles for the full Grinduro racers, and 1,671 feet of descending over 3.4 miles for Grindurito racers. The first mile is pedally, but from then on, it’s buttery, flowy descending until the final timing gate. There are a few rocky sections and some loose shale here and there, but otherwise it’s smooth sailing with an average grade of -7.5%. The last 3.4 miles are the fastest and there is a creek crossing at 5.4 miles.

Sign up or miss out!

Grinduro California, hosted by Mondraker, celebrates 10 years of the seminal gravel race event, and is part of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s new race festival weekend, Mountains to Meadows Endurofest, September 12-14, 2025.

It’s gonna be unforgettable! Sign up for one of three weekend races, including the new Mt. Hough Enduro

See you in Quincy!