BRIEF:
The inaugural 600 #wills_hills fest! Journeying up through England and back through Wales. It’ll test your legs and your mental fortitude but the scenery will pay dividends. Do you accept the devilishly elegant challenge?
EVENT REVIEW SUMMARY:
Route:
Extensive route notes and a variety of files will be distributed to entrants via email a week or two before the event. In the mean time use the interactive map for an overview of what lies ahead (subject to change); toggle the elevation & grade on/off by clicking the key. *Please note plugin's 'grade' is experimental so take it with a pinch of salt, especially where rocky outcrops may be present.
| Type: BR |
Points Distance: 600 |
Total Distance: 609km |
| Speeds: 14.3-25km |
AAA: 10.25 Apex Grimpeur |
Climb: 10139 |
| Time: 42h38 |
Entry closes: 24/05/20 |
Entry (min): £18.50 |
description:
An elegant route full of devilishly difficult hills! First up you have The Cotswolds around Stroud to contend with. Then relax up the Severn Valley until to The Malverns, Herefordshire’s hills, Long Mynd and beyond. Cross the Severn once more and edge Berwyn to the Old Horseshoe Pass. North to the Clywdians and descend Bwlch Penbarras. Over the hills and through Clocaenog Forest as the Milk Race once did. Then into Snowdonia to Llan Ffestiniog. More mountain roads as you climb Bwlch y Groes the ‘easy’ way before descending the hard to cruise down the Dovey Valley and around the coast. Up into the hills once again to Devil‘s Bridge stopping at the station of the Vale of Rheidol Railway; with locamotives made at Swindon’s GWR works it was the last state operated steam railway only becoming a charity when privatisation occured. Over to the Elegant Valley and descend to the Wye; for a bit. Glorious hills to Hay-on-Wye, more hills, and views of Raglan Castle, to Chepstow before back across the bridge to the Arrivee.
details:
The sleep control is basic. Bag drop included for sleeping bag & mat. Simple evening meal and breakfast provided.
Parking available, please use the local roads before filling the pub car park.
Cloth badge for all finishers of the GWR AAA SR series completed this AUK season.
how hard is it?
I have ridden this in just under 40hrs (I was aiming for a BRM time) with 5hrs30 ‘sleep’ in an open bus shelter; disturbed by a lovely Welshman wanting me to look at the stars, have a chat and inspect my bike at 3am. I’m not the fastest up hills but I can do them over and over. I found the hardest part between Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and the top of the Old Horseshoe Pass. There are a few other notable climbs for steepness such as the Burway up to the top of Long Mynd and a short section of Llanbedr Hill. This is not an exhaustive list. Also there are less steep but long climbs that you can achieve a good pace up. Being a BR event enables the minimum speed to be lower and the total distance to count allowing 42hrs38 to complete it in time. Do you accept this devilishly elegant challenge?
What others think.
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