Cloudride Prologue 500 • 1000 Tag Teams

As a follow on from the previous Blog Post It’s time to start drilling a little deeper for details on the 500k Cloudride Prologue. The intention of the Prologue is to provide an entry level for first time bikepacking racers to test gear and themselves over two or three days and gain an experience of the terrain and the fatigue levels that they will encounter on the full 1000k Monaro Cloudride..... bonus, you'll be fitter after this!. A secondary option of the Prologue is for strong but time poor XC racers who want to dig a little deeper without having to commit to the expense of a full multi-day bikepacking rig. These riders will need to meet the navigation challenges, ride light, ride hard and hit the ’sleep/food’ options to make it work. START: BentSpoke Brewing Co, Elouera St BRADDON. 6:00am Saturday 10 March 2018 Off at BentSpoke and after a brief 10 minute spin through the local suburbs riders will hit the dirt FT over Black Mountain and link onto the Canberra Centenary Trail [CT]. The CT will deliver them all the way to the southern ‘burbs of Tuggeranong Valley, on to Thawa and down through Caloola Farm [73k]. From here the Nass Valley FT leads you south. This route was part of the Namagi Beast XC race a few years back, tough pinch climbs, multiple stream crossings and a nice little climb up Mt Clear to the ACT/NSW border [106k] and the Boboyan Rd. From the border crossing the country opens out on to fast shire roads down to Adamainaby [136k]. Adaminaby offers the culinary delights of the Snow Goose or THE Bake House .. lunch/dinner? It’s speed dependant.

From Adaminaby there’s a little paved cruise down to Providence Portal [154k] and on to the National Bicentenial Trail for a brief while as you segue over to the Eucumbene River [more wet feet] and up Tolbar Rd a well made KNP service road that merges on to Happy Jacks Rd….. Happy it was but once on to Grey Mare FT the game changes. Grey Mare has little traffic and offers the options of two tracks, pick one and the other always looks better … you know the game!

For the romantics [or the desperate] Mackey’s Hut @ 190k offers cover and the possible evening fireside singalong or O’Keefes Hut @ 199k if Mackey’s is overflowing with too much joie de vivre. Don’t ride too much of this at night as it is one of the great high country rides of the Australian Alps….. rugged, breathtaking vistas, mountain streams and miles of smiles.

At 204k under the watch of Mt Jagungal, you swing north, Derschko’s Hut @ 206k offers an option for riders on a more leisurely pace for a covered day 2 sleep option.

For those pressing on, exit at the Round Mountain carpark @ 220k onto paved road through to Cabramurra @ 238k…. if you’re planning on making the 8:00pm kitchen cut-off at the bistro, ..... good luck.... take a phone number and ring ahead to order. The Bar stays open later. Cabramurra is a Snowy Hydro company town and has no commercial accommodation….. head over towards Selwyn on the Kings Cross Rd and at 239k, yes just 1k out of Cabra and you have the covered sleep option at the Dry Dam Nordic ‘Day’ cross country ski shelter …

From just before Selwyn you will have a few free k’s of hot mix [9k] and can wash off almost 300Vm … enjoy it because it’s about to get more challenging. Be prepared to jetison the ‘romance’ of what you are doing.

At 253k, almost the halfway point of the Cloudride Prolouge you will lob on to the LobsHole/Ravine Rd. There’s a bit of YouTube 4WD clip through here if you need some comfort candy…. 55k of some nice up and down. Don’t be beguiled by the negative Vm… you still have to climb the positive! The route skips by Talbingo [316k] however if it fits your schedule it’s only 2-3k off route for resupply or a bed. Talbingo is at the head waters of the Blowering Dam and the route from here to Tumut weaves its way along the foreshore and links on to the Hume & Hovel trail into Tumut [381k]. Tumut is the last re-supply option for riders …just 150k and 3000Vm to the finish at BentSpoke. Re-fuel is critical, don’t treat it lightly. Fatigue, negative thoughts will challenge the strongest of riders. Be prepared to accept the challenge, prepare for the grind and get the job done. Out of Tumut riders have an easy paved road spin via the Cloudride route through Lacmalac, a climb up on the Argalong Rd, linking across to Brindabella Rd and Brindabella Valley before bombing the 38k descent down Tow Sticks Rd to Uriarra Crossing and into Canberra.

A .gpx of the final race route will be available to riders following registration which opens on January 1 2018.

Check the Cloudride1000.com website for further detail on the 'RULES' and 'RIDER SERVICES'

CLOUDRIDE 1000 - Tag Teams

On the Cloudride 1000 website I have now provided some detail on 'RULES' and 'RIDER SERVICES' relating to the two person Tag Teams. Below is a list of the proposed Tag Stage points along the route and the approx. ride distances.

A prescribed vehicle route will be provided to ensure that vehicles are off the race route at every opportunity.

Tag riders must ride self supported. No hand over of food or water will be permitted by anyone.

The vehicle driver must be the alternate rider unless every team agrees to have a third person as a team car driver. I'm nor excluding a third person in the car but clearly it's going to be unfair if some teams have a relief driver.

1. 95k 1950Vm Billy Grace Reserve Nottingham/Wee Jasper Rds

2. 123k 2500Vm Batlow Cafe

3. 94k 2630Vm Cabramurra General Store/Bistro

4. 103k 2150Vm Jindabyne, Nuggetts Crossing Car Park

5. 108k 2150Vm Tubbut House

6. 107k 1530Vm Bombala Bakery

7. 103k 1910Vm Nimmitabel Bakery

8. 80k 1090Vm Pollys Gully/Peak View Rds

9. 105k 1760Vm Bombay/Mulloon FT

10. Braddon Both riders to ride the last 5k from Mt Ainslie Rd and finish as a pair.

Save