The 2023 challenge will take place on Sat 24th & Sun 25th June. Come and join us #insearchofup!
If you wish to enter a team, a pair, or encounter any issues please call 01497 822419 or contact us
Drover Cycles Gospel Pass Everesting Challenge
Kindly supported by
2017 saw the first ever mass participation Gospel Pass Everesting challenge. It was a hot day and a really tough challenge. 2018 came with a blustery headwind and we had some sharp rain showers in 2019 to add a little bit more to the challenge! Huge kudos to all riders who took part and especially those who made it all the way and earned their grey stripe and place in the Everesting Hall of Fame – a feat which involved riding from Hay up, up, up into the Black Mountains, topping out on Wales’ highest motorable road, then whooshing back down to river level a total of 16 times.
Inspired to join us? The 2023 event will take place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25st June 2020.
What is Everesting?
The concept of “everesting” is simple. Choose a hill and ride up and down by the same route until you have clocked up 8,848 meters of ascent, i.e. the height of the world’s tallest mountain, Mt. Everest. Simple does not mean easy. For our chosen route, you’re going to need to repeat the climb 16 times. The Strava segment number for the route is 15172640. It’s as much a psychological challenge as it is a physical endeavour. How will you motivate yourself to keep grinding the gears and turning the pedals to achieve your goal? Everesting was invented and is “policed” by Hells 500, a group of riders who really, really like hills. For more about this elite band of climbing fanatics, see everesting.cc/hells500
What are the rules?
For a full explanation, we recommend reading the rules on the official everesting website.
The most important points are:
- The attempt must be made in one go (no sleeping!) but breaks for meals, loo are fine.
- Each repeat must be exactly the same, riding up and down the same way and completing the entire course.
- You must stay on the bike! Walking is not allowed.
- Your attempt must be recorded with a dedicated GPS device and uploaded to Strava in order to be officially recognised and to earn you a coveted Hells 500 grey stripe.
Please note that in order to earn a grey stripe you must complete the ride as a solo effort. In order to make this challenge accessible to more people and increase the fun factor, we are also accepting team entries. We would love you to take part as a couple, with your friends or family, your local clubmates or sports team and anyone else who thinks this is a good idea.
Practical information – If you’re climbing Everest you’re going to need a Base Camp. The start/finish point for each leg of the challenge is Drover Cycles, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, HR3 5EH. We will have ample parking, complimentary food and drink at the Drover Cycles cafe, full mechanical back-up, toilets and shower and access to our lovely shop.
Date & Time – The challenge window opens at 6.00am on Saturday 2th June and runs through to 5.00pm on Sunday 25th June. You can start at any time on the Saturday – we will not allocate start times, it’s up to you what time you begin the challenge – but you must register on arrival. Although the rules do not stipulate that you must complete the ride within a certain timescale, we expect challengers will finish within 24 hours. So, please time your start to enable you to finish before we close at 5.00pm on Sunday 21st June.
Entry fee – 2023 entry fees as follows
£40 individual
£40 per person if riding as a pair
£35 per person if riding as a team of four
10% of all entry fees go directly to Himalayan Quests Foundation (see below)
Your entry fee includes parking, 24 hours access to our toilets and shower, complimentary energy products as well as unlimited “real” food and drink from the Cafe at Drover Cycles throughout the challenge. We’re delighted to have the support of local coffee roasters Black Mountain Roast this year, so you can be sure of endless caffeine fixes! If you have a sudden hankering for beans on toast, soup or pancakes in the wee small hours of the morning, we’ll be on hand to cater for your whims! Mechanical support (excluding any parts required) is also included but you are strongly advised to make sure your bike is in good working order before you begin – repairs and replacements mid-challenge could lose you valuable time.
Charity partner
Since the challenge involves virtually voyaging through the Himalayas, we thought it would be a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the Himalayan Quests Foundation. This fantastic NGO has been offering free annual free health camps in rural regions of western Nepal since 2013. Providing free healthcare to communities lacking medical facilities has a huge positive impact. On top of the health camps, the foundation has carried out a huge amount of post earthquake work following the devastating 2015 tremor which caused widespread devastation and loss of life and livelihoods. The NGO also works with rural communities on small scale projects, for example a community farm set up by the younger generation, mentored by the oldies in the village, as a way for them to earn a decent income. This helps give young people a reason to stay in the village, rather than heading to Kathmandu or further afield to look for work. It’s not only in Wales that the draw of the big city leads to young talent leaving the rural areas!
We hope you agree that this fantastic work is worthy of your support. To this end we will donate 10% of all entry fees directly to Himalayan Quests Foundation. We also invite you to ask family, friends and colleagues to support you on your Everesting challenge by making a donation.
Questions? Please get in touch by email to [email protected] or phone us on 01497 822419.