# Chelan Century Challenge Ride Report



## OldEndicottHiway (Jul 16, 2007)

Holy carp!

It's a doozie. My hats off to the organizers. Exceedingly well-supported, and an absolutely gorgeous ride. I highly, highly recommend this ride.

Here's the report thread with piccies:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=2223826


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Unfair*

http://www.everestchallenge.com/


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Whoops, hit the send button too soon*

Anyways, I was trying to say: It is unfair when ride organizers route riders past, or close to, their starting points +during+ a long hard ride. It's very very cruel ! That Everest Challenge Race does it, the Markleeville Death Ride does it..That Chelan Century looks like that, too..

Dunno what it is, but it can be very very tough to resist the tug of your bars as you pass your starting point in the 'middle' of a ride. Nice pics. 

Don Hanson

(Quitter of the Everest Challenge in 2007, as I went past my nice warm van, looking another 4000' climb into a snow squall to finish..NOT..)


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## OldEndicottHiway (Jul 16, 2007)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Anyways, I was trying to say: It is unfair when ride organizers route riders past, or close to, their starting points +during+ a long hard ride. It's very very cruel ! That Everest Challenge Race does it, the Markleeville Death Ride does it..That Chelan Century looks like that, too..
> 
> Dunno what it is, but it can be very very tough to resist the tug of your bars as you pass your starting point in the 'middle' of a ride. Nice pics.
> 
> ...



I think they stage it like this simply due to the lay of the land there in Chelan. I agree though, it's like, "geez, I gotta go again?"

Everest Challenge is something I've had my eyeballs on for the last year. Care to try again in 2010 or 11?  

It'd be fun if we had a PNW group(etto) to go down en masse. Do you know if they allow personal support vehicles on the course? Or is that even a good idea/necessary?

Huge training commitment, though. I'd have to back off on work hours. And get a heck of a lot skinnier.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*A Great! epic undertaking, the EC race/ride.(long)*

I will be doing it again this fall. In '07 I entered 'cold-turkey' and that is how I rode it..like a really really cold Turkey! 

The weather that year was awful, with snow closing off the highest climb first thing Saturday morning..so they improvised (to keep true to the Title of Everest Challenge, at 29,000+ feet of climbing) by adding in another 'smaller climb' up to just 8500' elevation. My racing class was split to 50-64 Masters and I mistakenly hammered up what I thought was the final climb of the day (Hypothermia--it affects the judgment) looking to get some time on all the 50 yr. olds. I did that, a few minutes only..., then the summit aid workers said to me, as I lay there gasping with a splitting headache from the altitude and oxygen depletion... "Great Job, fella, only one more big climb to go today"...Huh?...Then on the descent, I spaced-out going into a slick (ice) switchback corner and almost went off.. I decided then and there that I had no business being on my bike any longer that day..

I went on to ride the following day after my Sat. DNF and I have since re-visited those climbs on several trips. Very enjoyable and spectacular area to ride..

I did that first attempt without any special training or preparation (other than my regular racing). I did switch to a compact crankset with a 27 rear cog. I wanted lower..Some of the Veterans use a compact and a 34 rear cogset on a mtn bike deraileur, others use low-geared triples. The Cat 1-2s use regular 25s, some of them..Wow.

.The neutral support was excellent and sufficient. They do allow you your own support, with rules. The climbs are steep and very sustained..About half-way up the first climb on Sunday (Big Pine to Glacier Lodge) I was climbing beside a tandem, barely able to get my pedal over the top each stroke, and we commented , during the one short pitch of releif, that 'the downhill felt good' on one pitch...Then we checked our Garmins to find the "downhill" was really a false flat of 8% rather than the 11% we'd been grinding out for about 45 mins..On that descent I was worried about my tubular tires 'cooking" off my carbon wheels from the prolonged braking I was doing (Sunday, I was no longer racing after the DNF on Saturday) Sunday's EC route takes you past your vehicle again just before the final climb..I stopped there for a change of clothes and a nap...

This season I've moved up in class...racing age is now 65, so I have a better chance, race results-wise, instead of racing against youngsters (50yr olds) Realistically, a "finish" in the Everest Challenge is a Win. Great fun..Plenty of ride-only recreational riders, too..


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## OldEndicottHiway (Jul 16, 2007)

I'll be expecting a play by play race report on this one. Good for you! 

I'm thinking I'd like to try in 2010. No way I can be in that kind of shape by this September, unfortunately, even with some of the epic-ish climbs I have around here.


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