Audax Alpine Classic

The Ultimate 320

By EAT MORE LARD

February 8^th, 2016

4am's not alright for fighting

4am starts means 3am alarms. What’s to like about that?

Once you are up and on the road, it all changes. The hypnotic rhythm of riding through the darkness takes over and the first fingers of light lift the spirits (and the core temperature). Although, when you are riding with 300 or so others you are never alone. Welcome to the 30th edition of the Audax Alpine Classic.

After numerous spins around the 200 and 250 courses, this year I turned my attention to the recently introduced 320 that was basically the 250 with Mt Buffalo as a, er, warm up. This was familiar territory for me with the 250 loop one of favourites (this would be the 8th time around it in one direction or the other) and having knocking off a pre-cursor to this very ride back in 2013 with a small bunch of suitably questionable characters. No matter how many times you’ve ridden around the Victorian Alps, however, you know that any full day out is going to be a tough proposition.

And so it was that I found myself following taillights and darkness on the 19km ascent of Buffalo. This year it was not only the small band of 320 riders riding up to the dawn but we were sharing the road with the 4am starters for the classic 200. With the darkness and the universal reflective vests, it would only be later in the day when we would slot into a groove with out fellow 320 sufferers.

The roof of australia

Mt Hotham never gets any easier. At 30km and 1500m of elevation gain, it is a long climb, a true Alpine climb in anyone’s book. The average gradient is not reflective of a climb that offers substantial respite through an easier middle third. It’s the last section that bites. Up out of the entrance booth to the resort it pulls hard before dropping you to the bottom of the steepest pinch, CRB Hill. CRB didn’t feel too hard this year but the final slopes to the summit seems to have a corner or two more than I remembered.

I was riding with Mark and he was wrestling with Hotham more than he should have been but we kept on ticking the legs over and were soon on the way to the checkpoint at Dinner Plain and then over the lumps on the “downhill” to Omeo. On the way up and then down we traded places on the road with many riders and would meet up with them continuously as we rolled in and out of each checkpoint. There are no egos out there. It’s one of things that always draws me back to Audax events.

WTF corner

If you know the course, WTF Corner needs no introduction. It will hurt. Alot. The warm up is the ever enchanting road out of Omeo. Even as the mercury rocketed north, it has much to distract you from the pain in your legs. It’s a flowing road of corner followed by corner, virtually flat and almost devoid of traffic or any sign of human habitation. You are really out on your own - don’t bother checking for mobile reception. Once you are through the only settlement, Angler’s Rest, all that will occupy your mind is WTF Corner.

It punches brutally to 20% as soon as you turn onto it, relents briefly for 50m, before delivering a constant dose of Pain Lane for the next 5km. I was on my own by this point and was grateful for my 32 cassette on the back which, while not exactly had me spinning up the climb, allowed me to stay seated all the way up. Fortunately the sun had taken a break behind a build up of cloud, so the temperature was never too hot. Once you roll past the 6km mark, there are a few more ramps that will have you grovelling for your lowest gear before the hill releases its grip somewhat and you pass through Trapyard Gap - the worst of the day is over. With a rising wind, I even felt a little chilly in my sweat encrusted state. I hadn’t expect that on the Alpine Classic!

The Pennine like gradients may have been over but its was still another 15km of rising roads to the Bogong High Plains, a truly stunning piece of road, often windswept but pleasantly cool after the heat of the valley. By now, the wind had pretty much dropped out and it was beautiful and easy riding, crunching along the unique white quartz road surface that will make short work of any suspect tyre.

The PLunge

If you get this far still in one piece, you are home. It’s still 75km back to Bright but after 3 HCs (hors categorie climbs, the hardest rated climbs in cycling), you can enjoy an easy roll across the dam wall and down into Falls Creek. After (another) feed its a 30km drop to the Kiewa Valley at Mt Beauty - just don’t forget the few little climbs that you have to tackle as part of the descent!

Before long I was back in the heat and heading upwards once more in a quest to scale the last obstacle of the day, Tawonga Gap. The almost 500m ascent of the Gap can be a tough climb in the heat but by now, after 6pm and over 14 hours into the ride it was in the shade and pleasant enough to allow me to just plug away. The ever excellent Audax volunteers were dolling out ice water and a sneaky can of the black doctor, giving me the kick I needed for this last effort of the day.

NEVER again

…until the next time.

Once over the top, the emotions kicked in. I shouted at the trees and the hills in elation, fought back a few tears of relief, and bombed down the far side, only 15km or so from Bright. As I came through Bright, there were still people clapping and cheering at the side of the road, even at this late hour (it was now 7.30pm and there was less than 1.5 hours of light left in the day). I swung into the finish area and there was more cheers and congratulations and recognition of “another 320 rider”. I was done for the day. I paused, slumping across my handlebars for a minute, savouring the day, the pain and the pleasure, before removing my helmet and shoes for the last time and went to lay on the grass, a thousand yard stare at the clouds overhead.

Thanks to Audax for entertaining such a crazy day and then feeding, watering and superbly looking after us all day long. Every stop was filled with always friendly volunteers who were out there well before the first rider and were packing up deep into the night.

Finally, chapeau to Mark who rolled in 18 mins inside the time limit to complete a truly inspiring ride. Next stop the Oppy 24hr, with a little more night riding to come before that!