Hell of the Ashdown opens on 5th Nov

For anyone who hasn't done it, Hell of the Ashdown (HOTA) is a brilliant beginning of the season sportive over all your favourite Kent hills. It's a great kick up the bum to get you back into training after the winter (...I mean, to congratulate yourself on how well you did keeping the training up through the winter). It's really well organised by a local club and has lots and lots of cake. There's a different route and start point to check out this year.

Anyway, get your fingers on your buzzers because the entries open at 21:30 on 5th November 2015, and last year all the places went within about 24 hours.

(You have to put a start time, I think normally Windrushers start fairly near the beginning, but they're usually fairly flexible on the day).

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Permalink Reply by Charles Barclay on November 4, 2015 at 10:07

Thanks for the reminder Lucy.

For those who haven't done HOTA before it is a 110km sportive out to the Ashdown Forest in Kent that starts and finishes near Biggin Hill Aerodrome and is organised by Catford CC. Lots of hills (ugh) and lots of cake (yay) and a good turn out of Windrushers willing to brave the cold. It costs £30 to enter.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy Hurn on November 4, 2015 at 10:27

Doh, a website would be helpful - http://www.hell.gb.com/

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Permalink Reply by Tony on November 4, 2015 at 10:34

Just bear in mind though that if you do put down a very early start time that you have to get to the start in the first place (which is out near Biggin Hill) and at that time of the year you are more likely to be starting in icy conditions.

Downside of a later start is that Charles will have eaten all the cakes at the feed stops ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Charles Barclay on November 4, 2015 at 12:06

For it to be a reliability ride, riders must complete it 'without recourse to outside help'. Since the HOTA organisers lay on copious quantities of cake for free, it must be a sportive not a reliability ride Paul.

I may have the appetite of an industrial vacuum cleaner, but not even I can consume all the cake at the HOTA feed stations Tony!

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Permalink Reply by Laura A on November 4, 2015 at 14:24

I have really enjoyed this in the past, but after a couple of icy and very scary (for me) years have decided to go with the Wiggle No Excuses in Cambridgeshire instead on the same (birthday) weekend as I'm not very brave on ice!