Scody High Country Challenge

All 8 Tools made the trip south to Mansfield to undertake the High country Challenge. We all took on Option A 180 ks for Saturday and Option D 125 K's for Sunday. After several months where all the tools had made significant progress with our fitness, all felt confident to take on the challenge offered by these rides




After an early start in Bega on Friday saw us all reach Mansfield safely some 8 or more hours later. we were greeted by maybe 30 or more ladies, gearing up for their bollywood night, but all invitations were declined !! A short stretch out ride was undertaken to stretch out those muscles couped up over the long car drive.


We ate at the Arlsberg Resort which had formerly been the Mansfield ladies college.
La Cle enjoyed her ice cream and the local press decided that La Cle and le feuille were obviously the most photogenic for a picture for the Mansfield courier.

So an early start saw we tools with numerous others start the ride towards Mt buller on a beautiful but slightly cool morning. Rapides promise to stay with the group lasted all of about 5 minutes, but generally we all found our little comfortable spot on the trip out. All reported an enjoyable ascent of Mt buller. None more than Juste metre vos sac, who recorded the second fastest ascent. Special mention must also be made la cle mollette the best woman rider in the world. well fourth fasted woman up the hill anyway. WE all enjoyed the festivities on offer at the top and swapped a few stories of our ride so far before heading off downhill.

Five of us enjoyed a brisk ride to the Jamison turnoff with some others, while the other three got lost at Mt Buller drinking coffee. the undulating ride to jamison was undertaken with all of us finding a comfortable pace except perhaps for rapide who tried very hard to regain the lead position chasing down le feuille and le bandit a few ks out from jamison.

Again the group broke up again a bit on the ride home but the gaps were small and all were happy though just a bit weary.

That night we enjoyed an excellent meal at the produce store, were entertained by Deborah Conway, watched a cycling race, told L'Symbole our personal highlights and generally enjoyed a very pleasant evening.



Sunday we awoke to another beautiful mansfield morning and the promise of another good days riding, to Whitfield and return. A slightly later start allowed a bit of a sleep in. A few less riders started than on day one but enough for a sizeable peloton. An easy start led to a lengthy climb where we all found our rhythm and climbed at our own pace Rapide and your correspondant enjoying a lovely ride through the stunning scenery with some bloke from Eurobodalla. A long descent of 12 ks and whitfield awaited and perhaps my personnal highlight with Pizzas from a wood fired oven to feed us all from the local primary school. Fantastic !!

We all kept together more or less up the long climb out of whitfield and once more through the forests, maintaining a comfortable pace for all, Reaching Tolmie the group got excited about the long downhill and a couple lost touch, and two others had to scramble to catch up after a slow start to the descent. A very brisk pace was maintained to mansfield from here generally showing how well the group had managed the 300 odd k's over the last few days.

So we'd all done it! No accidents nothing so much as a flat tyre and all in excellent spirits. Highlights as recorded by L'Symbole included:-
* best women rider in the world
* the descent
* Jamieson to Mansfield
* will that photo be in the Mansfield Bugle ?
* the chase, the catch, the up the down and just being irrepressible
* pizza at the Whitfield PS
* bollywood nights
* spending time with each of you

An enjoyable weekend was had by all, that even the long drive and late return home could not dampen.