Stage Four – Etherington Campground to Sandy McNabb Campground

The travelling mechanics had their work cut out after the mudfest of Stage Three

Relief! After the life or death struggle that was Stage Three, the 65kms of Stage Four felt like a walk in the park. However, given that there was over 30km rooty and muddy singletrack and a massive three-summit Sullivan Pass climb in the middle, this was not a rest day by any means.

The sun which had poked its head out on Tuesday looked like it was setting in for a stay as we rolled out of gorgeous Etherington campground on a chilly clear morning. Resilient creatures that they are, all but one or two riders decided to throw themselves back into the fire and they were rewarded with an idyllic ride through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The people for whom morning came earliest of all were the mechanics who had been up until 4.30 in the morning completing an endless series of overhauls which included drivetrains, brakes and cables. Basically, every one of the over 220 bikes which left the campground in the morning needed at minimum new cables and housings and most needed much more. As an example, my bike needed new cables and housings, new disc brake pads front and rear, a front brake bleed since I boiled the fluid the day before, and a serious drivetrain cleaning. My partner needed a new drivetrain and cables, along with a new rear derailleur to replace the one that he had broken.

This was a really fun ride, but the primary incentive to ride on this day was to get warm in the morning as the temperature dropped into the low single digits celcius, which often happens when you are at nearly 1,650 metres above sea level. In classic mountain style, temperatures that soared into the 30s would later roast the racers. There were lots of red faces by the end of the day as applying sunscreen is not normally a first priority when it is bone-chilling as you left the tent.

At this point, the outside world has ceased to exist, and riding the bike goes by in a blur – I set my bike computer so that it shows elevation instead of time, so that I get into a frame of mind where the only thing that matters is making the number on the odometer go up because eventually, it will be the number that means “stop”. Essentially, I reduce my world to the 50 feet in front of my bike and a series of questions: Hungry? Thirsty? Brake? Pedal? Steer?

Right now? Sleep.

Stage Five – Sandy McNabb to Bragg Creek

Yet another epic climb

In the short history of the TransRockies Challenge, the stage from Sandy McNabb campground to Bragg Creek has already gained a fearsome reputation. It’s not only the longest stage, at 105km, but it also has the greatest amount of climbing with over 2,200 metres of climbing spread across seven climbs. The climbing starts within 50 metres of the start line and just goes on and on.

At this point, I have figured out how to predict where the course is going. As I’m riding I look up until I see the highest saddle on the top of whatever mountain or ridge we are riding, and that is normally where we’re going. By the end of the fourth day, most riders were acting like abused children, refusing to believe that the climbing or riding is over until they see the Finish Line. It always seems as thought the minute that you think a climb is over, the road turns upward again. The fifth stage only made riders even more gun shy.

If the nine hours of Stage Three was a test of mental strength because of the conditions of the course, then the nearly seven hours that Team Sugoi spent on course during Stage Five was a test of willpower to overcome my body which went into full rebellion after roughly 25 hours on the bike in four days.

My friends who do epic mountain bike events tell me that there is usually a day when your body will desert you, and this was my day. With back spasms from the first half, I ended up fighting with my own body as much as the course. Though I took a some painkiller/muscle relaxants, I found that they made it even harder to focus and ride the singletrack with any rhythm. Thank goodness they had worn off by the time we dropped into the amazing descent down Powderface Ridge which is so steep and fast that my ears popped during the twisting 500 vertical metre drop.

The ride itself was gorgeous with an amazing mixture of riding, and some classic Rocky Mountain views and bombing fast singletrack descents. One of the unique features of the TransRockies Challenge is the unbridged river crossings. Stage Five features a crossing of the Elbow river which wasn’t chest deep like the previous day’s crossing of the Sheep River which was fast-flowing and required the use of a fixed line to be crossed safely.

It was so great to ride into the cowboy village of Bragg Creek after four days of being cut off from civilization. After a quick shower, I went back into town and ate a whole medium pizza while I read my first newspaper in five days (hey, I hear the Olympics start this week) then I drank a cappuccino. I guess that I am just not cut out for the rustic life.

Five down, two to go.