Sea 2 Summit ride report

The following ride report report was written by a 2010 Sea 2 Summit participant

Sea 2 Summit Challenge 2010: What an event it was and what a privilege it was to be involved. Over the course of 48 hours, a small group of people brought together by a common purpose, shared an incredible experience and created long-lasting memories.

Once again Sea 2 Summit challenge displayed its unpredictable character. The weather forecast  promised mild and stable conditions and the stunning sunrise at Merimbula gave us every reason to have faith that it would be accurate.

The sunlight through the morning mist on Mount Darragh provided a stunning backdrop for the first stage. As always the 21 km climb up Mount Darragh gave the riders a chance to get rid of the nerves and find that all important rhythm that endurance cyclists seek. Meanwhile the volunteers found their stride early and got straight into the task of providing an immaculate support service.

The leg from Mount Darragh to Bombala is always fast and this year was no exception. The riders managed to pick up some time on their way through the picturesque farming country.

For those who had been there before, the stillness in the air at Bombala was unprecedented. The tall poplar trees by the river always provide an insight into what the wind is doing on the Monaro Plains; this year they were dead still. No one dared whisper the ‘w’ word but the wind was on the mind of every rider.

And then it came. Almost as if someone had flicked a switch, the wind appeared on the Monaro Highway. While the Monaro Plains are never hospitable to riders this was not a typical wind. There was no build up from a slight breeze to a strong wind; it simply went from dead still to gusting up to 60 km/hour. Needless to say it dramatically impacted on our progress and forced riders to really dig deep, especially on the mountain bike leg. The time and effort saved by the improved quality of the dirt road was more than taken away by the wind.

Arriving in Dalgety the riders were positive but depleted. The break was very well earned and our support team did a fabulous job of providing the riders with an oasis by the Snowy River. As is always the case the breaks are too short and the focus quickly shifted to the dreaded Beloka Range. Those who have never ridden it start to wonder how bad it can really be.

The Beloka Range has been described in many ways in the past but the most apt is probably this: “You can see it looming in the distance. You come down a hill then turn a corner and the road just slaps you in the face – it’s that steep.” Beloka, true to its reputation, defeated several of the riders this year – some due to fatigue; some to gearing; and cruelly some to flats or mechanicals.

The just reward for climbing Beloka is a long fast run into Jindabyne. It was a bitter sweet arrival however as riders were acutely aware that they were almost one and a half hours behind with some of the hardest climbing ahead. The steep climb to Rennix Gap is 15 km long and with over 200 km of riding in your legs it is truly brutal; add a stiff headwind into the mix and you get an appreciation of just how hard this event is.

Our youngest rider, Tamas, pulled off something quite remarkable as he rode off with the lead car and pulled into Charlotte Pass just under two hours after leaving Jindabyne – an almost unbelievable solo effort. Six other riders managed to sneak into Charlotte Pass just before the cut-off with several other riders making it to Perisher. Pulling riders off the road with only 8 km to go is such a difficult decision, however their safety is paramount.

The wind didn’t let up on Saturday night, providing everyone with a constant reminder that they still had to make it to the summit on Sunday morning. Riders and volunteers braved near gale force winds and pea-soup fog, often being shunted by the gusts and making progress extremely difficult and at times near impossible. Mount Kosciuszko really felt like a mountain and the rejoicing was loud but brief as the wind and cold temperatures dictated.

So another Sea 2 Summit Challenge is complete. New relationships have been forged and old ones reinforced. There is already talk of 2011. Bring it on!


Return to ride details page.