The First Agony Ride: From Death Valley to Mt. Whitney

The 40th annual Agony Ride will take place July 29th-30th, 2022 in the Sierra Valley. Learn more
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The Agony Ride began in 1982 as an invi­tational bicycle ride and hike put together by a group of friends associated with a sister wilderness ministry, Summit Expe­ditions. Bob Walsh, a CER staff member at that time and former staff member with Summit, received an invitation. The ride was set up to start in Badwater, Death Valley, go over Towne’s Pass, over Pana­mint Pass, through the small town of Lone Pine, and up to the Whitney Portals. Riders would then leave their bicycles and proceed on foot to the top of Mt. Whitney.

​The goal was to make it from the lowest point in the continental U.S. to the highest in 24 hours. When Bob received his invitation, he thought if he was going to put out that much effort perhaps he could get folks to sponsor him to raise funds for Discovery Expeditions, at that time a part of CER. The organizers gave him permission to do so and to bring some other riders from D.E. along. That year six riders raised $2,868.