We take our overland-built Jeep Gladiator Rubicon on its first major “No Pavement Needed” trip! Tommy and Roman guide the truck up from Ouray, Colorado and down the infamous Black Bear Pass into Telluride. While onX Offroad rates this trail an 8 out 10 in terms of difficulty, it looks much, much scarier. From the top of the pass into Telluride, the trail navigates an off-camber, narrow path of loose rock with drop into a waterfall to one side, and 1,000 feet of nothing straight ahead if you lose your brakes. After that, the trail switchbacks across a sheer mountain face on a shelf road.
Ordinarily, Black Bear Pass is a piece of cake for a two-door Jeep or other short-wheelbase off-roader. So can the longer wheelbase Jeep Gladiator handle the big rocks and tight switchbacks? Find out by clicking the video above to find out AND check out where we hid a “No Pavement Needed” T-shirt and a Ridge Wallet. We’ll be hiding these throughout the series so stay tuned.
We could not produce this video series without our partners and sponsors. Huge thanks to them for making it possible.
