By Kristin Carpenter

Imagine spending a week on Moab's singletrack with pro-level instruction, great food and the newest bikes on the market - it's a backstage pass to the world of mountain biking. So, what happens when you wake up from this dream?

The dream was birthed when Rod Kramer, Dirt Camp's director, and a pro cyclist friend were driving back from California to Colorado after a cycling tour.

"We fantasized about the ideal mountain bike day - with friends, coaches, the newest bikes and Moab," Kramer said. "As the drive went on, the dream grew more and more elaborate. I said to my friend, 'you know, people would pay to do this,' and we organized it when we got home."

That fateful drive was six years ago and since, Kramer's chummed the waters with his "dream camps" consistently catching the interest of fat-tire aficionados with his "classic" week-long Moab camp.

In 1997, Dirt Camp is running 22 events, or camps, on U.S. singletrack and eight others in Europe. Keystone, Colo., is home to a permanent Dirt Camp, and Sara Ballantine, retired pro knobby-tired goddess, is at the helm.

"We started out by targeting the hardcore mountain-bike fanatics - the people who were passionate about the sport," Kramer said. "As we've grown, we now appeal to a broader market."

Dirt Camp's original week-long camp runs roughly $1450 while the two-day camps are a more accessible $289, and are designed to attract the victims of the rat race who just can't commit to a week out of touch.

The camps are held on prime North American singletrack like Moab, Utah, Durango, Colo., Crested Butte, Colo., and select Lake Tahoe trails, among others. Riders not only get to choose from the latest technology in bikes, wheels, heart-rate monitors and helmets, they also get instruction from pros like Mark Howe, the Volvo/Cannondale Mountain bike racing team, along with pro trainers like Skip Hamilton and Andy Pruitt.

"I have a number of clients on their fifth and sixth camps," Kramer said. "It's just neat to jump on a $3,000 bike and ride the Porcupine Trail in Moab and then make your decision about the bike."

The camp's curriculum evolved over the past six years as well with the help of the professional cyclists who instruct the attendees. The first morning, for example, riders will go to a local park and practice falling down.

Drills are given to campers that dissect mountain-biking skills and allow riders to explore the limits of their bikes.

"We want them to be more comfortable on their bikes and to ride more 'finessfully' - that's the key," Kramer said. "When you watch a new rider, their movements are awkward and the momentum isn't smooth, that changes as they go through the camp. By the end of the first morning, riders are able to track stand, bunnyhop and do a front and rear wheelie."

Campers can plan to spend six hours a day, broken into a four-hour ride on average and two hours of clinics. The clinics can be off-bike, some are focused on learning to repair your bike, for example.

Dirt Camps have, on average, 30 to 35 attendees and the instructor ratio is no more than six riders to one instructor.

The two-day camps offer two days of instruction, four catered meals and lodging. The short camps are held in Keystone, Colo., and Northstar Resort in Lake Tahoe, Calif. The week-long trips in Moab include all meals, lodging and demo programs.

Dirt Camp has a strong commitment to IMBA as well. "Everyone who comes to camp will be educated about IMBA and will become a member. Dirt Camp pays for the membership," Kramer said. "Without IMBA, we don't have a sport."

For more information, call Dirt Camp at 800-711-DIRT. NEED TO GET IN SHAPE FOR A DIRT CAMP?
NEED TO GET IN SHAPE FOR A DIRT CAMP?