Fred Whitton 2021

Finally, the Fred arrives - applied in 2019, postponed from 2020, postponed from May 2021 until September, but some things are worth waiting for! Being September, that has the advantage that we've trained through the summer. The weather on the day was a tail of two weather fronts - one passing over and finishing soon after 6am, but still raining on the early starters. The second weather front must have caught all, soaking everyone thoroughly, but again passing eastwards leaving clear skies for the later finishers. 

But what time to start? The window is between 6 and 8. Driving to the start (do not attempt to cycle to the start in the dark) it seemed like I had missed the boat as thousands of headlights surged southwards towards Ambleside from Grasmere. I started just after 7, to me this was light and dry - and as soon as the ride turned the first corner up Holbeck Lane you get a good impression of how the climbs between the climbs are going to make up this ride. Looking at the final results, there is clearly a large group of very fast riders starting together just before the 8am start limit, but really there are all abilities starting from 6:30 onwards.  

Really great event, but I won't bother to describe the climbs here. Just to say it's an event I would already like to come back and do again, preferably on a dry sunny day. Despite riding the Nufenen and Gotthard passes the week before, they are far too sophisticated and perfect to be a memorable ride.The Fred instead is brutal, and most unforgettable ride of this year!

112th on the day, 07:14:39

Engadin Ski Marathon - Individual

This year the the ski marathon was a time-it-yourself event, which worked very well for me. You pick up a timing chip in several locations (tourist info in St Moritz for me) , which comes with a useful ski pass holder, and have a week or so in which to complete the challenge. Also an energy bar, more usefully a loipen pass for the day, and finally an unexpected gift at the end of a ski marathon binder to hold the skis together.

This winter was the snowiest in my time in Switzerland, the timing for this event meant another dump of snow had arrived and so conditions were perfect. I had picked up some skills in Engelberg and Goms before tackling this event, and without the holdups at the squeeze points, I was able to knock off 50 minutes from my previous ski marathon time! 

There were plenty of other participants around me for the entire distance, enough to make it feel like an event. Also very unexpected but a nice touch to have an announcer reading out names and time split in Pontressina.

A shuttle bus was laid on from the finish, I took it all the way to La Punt, and after some rest and another gel, I was feeling fine to ski all the way back to St Moritz.