# High Pass Challenge Plan



## mldebono (Dec 18, 2005)

Has anyone in these forums done the High Pass Challenge? I am signed up for next week and was reviewing the course route. I hate riding with a Camelbak and was trying to figure out when to make water stops. I am thinking mile 36 and 78. I question whether I can make it between those two stops without refilling.

No problems making it to mile 36, but I can't make it all the way to the top so I may as wel stop half way up.

Once I make it to the top, I don't want to stop because I want to finish in 7 hours.

The question is from 36 to 78: It is about 2000+ feet of climbing over 40 miles. But, from mile 64, it is all downhill, and I don't think I will be drinking on the downhill even if I had water.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Thanks.


----------



## MisterAngular (Feb 6, 2007)

I haven't done the HPC before but I have ridden up to Windy Ridge from Randle a couple of times and I am doing the HPC this year. Also hoping to finish in 7 hours. I plan to take two water bottles. I wouldn't limit myself to the stops at 36.7 (Wakepish) and 79.7 (Iron Creek). I intend to take advantage of the food/water stop at Cascade Peaks either coming or going, depending on how I'm feeling at the time. Shouldn't take too long to fill up & go.

Obviously getting up there to the "top" (Windy Ridge) is the hard part where you will be going slow, working hard, and sweating the most. To finish in 7 hours, you'll need to get up to Windy Ridge in about 4 hours (13.2 MPH average speed including stops) and back down in 3 hours (20.2 MPH average speed including stops).

Hope that helps.

Bradley


----------



## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Yours truly will be there with bells on. I'm probably no help with the hydration, though. Planning to carry two large bottles in cages, and a third in the jersey pocket, and call it good.


----------



## litespeed1 (Nov 15, 2005)

One thing to keep in mind for finishing under 7 hours is the ride starts at 7 and you need to ride the pace lines the first 20 miles or so to get a good start. After that the climbing starts and the wheel sucking stops...


----------



## kreger (Mar 10, 2004)

its going to be hot, 90+ in packwood, cooler in the mountain. the rollers at the end are going to be murderous in the hot, hit the stop before you begin them for sure


----------



## mldebono (Dec 18, 2005)

*warm*

Does anyone know the temp at the top? I want to be foolish and bring as little as possible - no jacket or arm warmers. If you look at the forecast at the top, it seems REALLY warm:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 57. North wind 6 to 14 mph becoming east. 

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78. East wind between 8 and 10 mph. 

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. East wind between 8 and 10 mph. 

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 73. East wind at 6 mph becoming southwest. 

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. West wind around 5 mph.


----------



## MisterAngular (Feb 6, 2007)

Post ride report? How'd you do? 

I used arm warmers since it was damn chilly at the start. Failed to refill my water bottles at the last stop and suffered for it, but squeaked in under the wire at 1:53 PM for a "gold" finish.


----------



## mldebono (Dec 18, 2005)

*post ride*

My original plan was to try to stop twice, but I actually stopped five times: I skipped the first stop, hit the second stop and the third stop. I didn't stop at the summit - just turned around right away. I hit the next stop on the way down, which was the same as the third stop on the way up. I then hit the next two stops, and skipped the last stop.

Just after I passed the last water stop I realized I had 20 miles to go, not 10. I was able to ration what water I had and finished just before 1:30. Even if I had thought to stop, it was probably a good call not to do so since I was in a good paceline and we finished the last 20 miles in less than an hour.

Even if it was not as hot as it was, there is no way for me to do this with only two stops - the rollers at the top are killer.

All in all, it was good day, and I am very thankful to the paceline that pulled me to the finish.


----------



## litespeed1 (Nov 15, 2005)

I ended upat 6:20 coming in with a group of 5 for the last 20 miles. The heat didnt feel bad until that last strech on the highway, but those last 15 miles seemed to take forever. I heard from someones blog that 6th place was 5:40, anyone hear what the best time was?


----------



## mldebono (Dec 18, 2005)

*HPC Results*

From the Cascade website:

2011 Results
•Registered riders: 478
•11% female; 89% male
•Best male elapsed time: 5 hours, 29 minutes
•Best female elapsed time: 6 hours, 17 minutes
•Gold medalists (before 2 p.m.): 29%
•Silver medalists (2 - 4 p.m.): 47%
•Bronze medals (4 - 5 p.m.): 24%
•Number of finishers: 411


----------



## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

We had timing chips, too! Would be amused to see individual results, though yours truly knows where he stands.

Started with thin lycra arm warmers, finished in a beautiful 82 degrees -- really an idyllic day for a breathtaking ride. That's become one of my favorite climbs in the PacNW.

Stopped once, on the way back, at that feed stop near the top of the big climb. Agree with all below, the hardest part were those rollers on the way back from Windy Ridge before the real descent.

Speaking of descent, this one made mediocrity feel like flying, though I did lose a water bottle from its cage to one of the sudden bumps in the road -- I am glad it was all I lost!



mldebono said:


> From the Cascade website:
> 
> 2011 Results
> •Registered riders: 478
> ...


----------

