Marysville-Lake Mountain Fire Relief Ride
Saturday 2nd May saw perfect weather for five members of Vipers who joined with 1500 other avid cyclist to participate in the Marysville-Lake Mountain Fire Relief Ride.The ride, organised by Cyclo Sportif Victoria, was an opportunity for cyclist to show their support for the area which was devastated by the Black Saturday fires in February. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Australian Red Cross to help the community recover and rebuild.
The Vipers members, Angas, The Doc, Suzy B, MC and Hellie enjoyed the wonderful, if not a bit chilly, conditions and the gentle downhill from the start in Marysville, averaging 35+km/h to the turn around point at Taggerty. A quick stop was all that was needed for team Vipers before turning and heading back to Marysville via Buxton.
From Marysville onwards the terrain became a very different challenge. The road tilted upwards towards the sky in a never-ending series of twists and turns. The first 5km of the climb was particularly brutal – the team splintered as the riders did whatever they could just to keep the pedals turning and forward momentum.
It was this stretch of the climb that was the most difficult, with the Vipers members passing large numbers of riders who had no choice but to dismount and walk up the steepest of inclines.
Relief came with knowing the worst of the climb was behind the team, however there was still more than 16km of the mountain still to conquer.
As the riders proceeded higher and higher, the temperature dropped and dropped. The dense burnt forest soon gave way to a scorched and barren landscape of black with a coating of snow.
By the time the riders reached the summit at Lake Mountain the temperature was hovering around 1 degree and 1000m of climbing had been conquered. Despite the worlds best hamburgers being sold at the finish line, thoughts of a warm car meant nobody hung around at the finish longer than was required and the return decent begun.
The freezing decent that followed was almost as tough as the climb to the top. (The roving reporter has had to wait four days after the event before penning this story).
Even a road closure on the way home (and the subsequent 2hrs extra in the car) didn’t take the shine of what was a fantastic, if somewhat challenging, day and all for a good cause!
If you would like to join in future rides with other Vipers cyclists then contact the club.
