Maximum Vertical Pain Adventure!

Chris Watt · Post by **Chris Watt** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:50 am

After yesterday's Mountain Madness ride a few of us got to discussing other routes that would pack in even more vertical. Yesterday's ride had about 1500 metres of climb over about 102 km (Dave S. has the exact numbers)

One tweak of the current MM ride we discussed:
Malahat > Mill Bay > Malahat >right on Shawnigan Lake Road up to Goldstream Ridge > back down Malahat > Finlayson Arm Road > Millstream > Millstream Lake Rd/Ross-Durrance > West Saanich > Observatory > home for intravenous caffeine and medical attention.

Then, just for masochistic fun I wondered: what route around southern Vancouver Island of no more than 100km packs the greatest vertical without repeating any climb twice? Sort of an SVI Seven Summits?

Any Map My Ride folks out there who can map out the ultimate route of blood, sweat and tears? How about an inaugural ride next 2-3 weeks complete with a commemorative T-shift and post-ride beers at the Fernwood for all finishers?

Cheers,
Chris

mlawless · Post by **mlawless** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:24 am

Chris,

You are a very frightening individual. That ride sounds very very terrible. (I am in, but may leave early if I tear my man-skin too badly)

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:31 pm

mlawless wrote:That ride sounds very very terrible.

No, it sounds like the most excellent adventure possible. It makes me sad. It makes me miss Victoria roads. I did 1452 metres of vert in 96 km on Thursday - http://connect.garmin.com/player/97566472 - but had to repeat the main climb to Champlain Lookout to do it. There aren't enough hilly areas around here to have much climbing variety. The big bonus is I had my best week of climbing since the same week in July last year - 4169 metres in only 299 km riding. Last year I got 5404m in 532 km thanks to a Newton Heights race, a horrific 150 km/2000m Friday malahat ride with Ryan and the Gards where I needed a hot dog and coke at Shawnigan Lake to make it home, and a Saturday Sufferfest the next day. I'll see if I can come up with a Map My Pain route for you lucky dogs back home and I'll do a shadow ride of equal verticalage out here on the chosen day.

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:44 pm

I did a bunch of similar hill rides earlier this spring.
munns - up bear mountain and back- finlayson arm - malahat to millbay - shawnigan lake to goldstream heights - back up over finlayson - back over munns, prospect lake, and two observatories.

Also have done
East sooke park loop, over humpback rd, malahat, south shawnigan to goldstream heights, back down to finlayson arm, millstream lake, left at willis point road, down the other side and back up.

You can get a lot of vertical in in one day. The hardest part is finding company. Always ended up solo.

Dylan J C · Post by **Dylan J C** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:17 am

Josh.E wrote: The hardest part is finding company. Always ended up solo.

simply because you never invited me...

mat_baker · Post by **mat_baker** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:26 pm

See post "saturday hills" for an intro version.

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:26 pm

Dylan J C wrote:
Josh.E wrote: The hardest part is finding company. Always ended up solo.
simply because you never invited me...

You weren't riding with us yet. Too bad, would have upped the pain factor for myself if you had been.....

We did do that east sooke - humpback - malahat goldstream hts -finlayson arm, munns ride together though, where I got the flat in goldstream park. That was a good one.

spearson · Post by **spearson** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:00 pm

For some more pain, we could add in Chatterton, Boulderwood, & Haliburton.

Chris Watt · Post by **Chris Watt** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:15 pm

Below a link to data on some but not all of the local climbs (thanks Roland for that link a few weeks back):

http://www.strava.com/climbs-by-country ... a/victoria

Doesn't include Malahat/Goldstream Ridge and probably a few others I'm forgetting right now. After last week's hilly Saturday ride (which had about 5-6000 feet vertical) in just over 100k I wondered if it was possible to create a "Haleakala" ride. Haleakala is a 10,028 feet climb from sea level in (I think) in just 60k. Pretty sure we can't quite squeeze 10,000 feet into 60k around here- but 10,000 into 100k? Should be possible.

Next Saturday if the weather is decent?

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:10 pm

I think I'm in. You have a route in mind yet?

Dylan J C · Post by **Dylan J C** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:48 am

I'll be doing the Mt Washington Hillclimb, wanna join?

Chris Watt · Post by **Chris Watt** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:24 pm

Josh-

First draft, amendments welcome:

Malahat > Mill Bay > back up Malahat > right on Shawnigan Lake Road up to Goldstream Ridge > back down Malahat > Bear Mountain > Finlayson Arm Road > Millstream > Millstream Lake Rd/Ross-Durrance > LEFT down Willis Pt > back up and over Willis Pt > West Saanich > Observatory > Vic General ER? Aiming for roughly 4.5 hr rolling time.

This Sat. 6am at Douglas Starbucks? As long as not raining- no fenders on my TT. Forecast iffy right now but it'll probably change.

Oh- and Mike L. says he's going to kick our @#$es...

mat_baker · Post by **mat_baker** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:51 pm

Dylan, I think the Mt. Wa. HC was last weekend. 

Dylan J C · Post by **Dylan J C** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:48 pm

mat_baker wrote:Dylan, I think the Mt. Wa. HC was last weekend. 

the master's hill climb was last weekend, the young guys one is this saturday

mat_baker · Post by **mat_baker** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 3:59 pm

Ah sweet. 

Dave Spiers · Post by **Dave Spiers** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:05 pm

Im in! Peter said if Mikes in it can't be that hard so he's in too.

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:49 pm

if we're going into mill bay, we should come back via the mill bay ferry road. that's a good climb out of there.

so, who's in for this, anyway?

Chris Watt · Post by **Chris Watt** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:50 pm

Weatherman says PERFECT morning tomorrow!- who's in for this? Dave? Josh? Mat? Mike L.? Dylan? Anybody else?

Chris Watt · Post by **Chris Watt** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:52 pm

...and Simon- you in? But maybe not on that Hummer you call a bike...

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:11 pm

I think we need to climb over munns rd then finlayson arm to goldstream park to start. We're wasting a lot of km without any vertical meters if we ride all the way to the base of the malahat at the start.

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