Everesting

[j_a_m_e_s_]

Prompted by recent awoowoo article and discussions in another thread.

Should AUK 1) Promote Everesting, and 2) Incorporate into the awards scheme.

My take is that, whilst clearly not Audax, it is long distance. AUK encourages climbing with the various AAA awards and OCD connection, so why can't Everesting be recognised? Like the AAA all-rounder award, perhaps it could be an unofficial recognition? And it should attract the 9AAA points.

Discuss.

[Greenbank]

I think the biggest impediment is that someone else already recognises it.

What if someone wants to just get 4AAA points by only doing 1/2 of the climbing of Everest? 2AAA points for 1/4 of the climbing, etc? Where do you draw the line?

Promoting it is one thing, finding a way to recognise it is much trickier.

[j_a_m_e_s_]

I think the biggest impediment is that someone else already recognises it.

What if someone wants to just get 4AAA points by only doing 1/2 of the climbing of Everest? 2AAA points for 1/4 of the climbing, etc? Where do you draw the line?

Promoting it is one thing, finding a way to recognise it is much trickier.

The goal is Everesting. 8848m (or 8844 if global warming carries on)

You don't get 7points for packing halfway on LEL for example.

But yeah, the recognition else where could pose problems I guess. But then again, if overseas events can be used on AUK awards, maybe not?

[ianrobo]

As someone who has done an Everesting, it is not an Audax but a very specialised event and how would you get the stamps for it ? For example

[Greenbank]

As someone who has done an Everesting, it is not an Audax but a very specialised event and how would you get the stamps for it ? For example

Validation by GPS tracklog, as Everesting is currently done now (by Strava/etc).

Everesting came up a few years ago: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10426.msg1817920#msg1817920

[LittleWheelsandBig]

No

[Cudzoziemiec]

1) Yes, if it wants to. It is a form of (noncompetitive?) cycling, it is or can be long distance.
2) No. We've already got AAA points for climbing, let's not complicate things further by introducing more awards and more chances to compete.

[ianrobo]

As someone who has done an Everesting, it is not an Audax but a very specialised event and how would you get the stamps for it ? For example

Validation by GPS tracklog, as Everesting is currently done now (by Strava/etc).

Sure but goes against the spirit of an Audax which is about distinct point to point rides

[vorsprung]

You can't do a GPS DIY that is Everesting

Apparently, the repetitive way it goes up and down isn't in line with the Audax idea of going somewhere

Should we recognise it in some way?

No, sod it!  We can't cover every crazy bike riding idea that someone comes up with

[Kim]

You can't do a GPS DIY that is Everesting

I'm sure you could if you actually rode up Everest

[Greenbank]

You can't do a GPS DIY that is Everesting

Apparently, the repetitive way it goes up and down isn't in line with the Audax idea of going somewhere

Should we recognise it in some way?

Yes, that was the question. If it was going to be recognised [by AUK] how could we validate it as receipts/photos/signatures just wouldn't work; the answer being by GPS tracklog.

[Cudzoziemiec]

There could always, of course, be routes involving "draughts at England's highest pub." 

[FifeingEejit]

The High Rolleur concept that used to be clearly listed alongside Everesting but is now rather more difficult to find may be more Randonee Friendly
http://highrouleur.cc

[Greenbank]

You can't do a GPS DIY that is Everesting

I'm sure you could if you actually rode up Everest

Made a lot longer ride as you'd have to start at sea level.

[grams]

Inventing arbitrary routes that happen to have lots of AAA points but don't go much of anywhere appears to be accepted practice, so I don't see much difference.

The goal is Everesting. 8848m (or 8844 if global warming carries on)

You don't get 7points for packing halfway on LEL for example.

Other mountains are avaliable.

[Greenbank]

I think the biggest impediment is that someone else already recognises it.

What if someone wants to just get 4AAA points by only doing 1/2 of the climbing of Everest? 2AAA points for 1/4 of the climbing, etc? Where do you draw the line?

Promoting it is one thing, finding a way to recognise it is much trickier.

The goal is Everesting. 8848m (or 8844 if global warming carries on)

You don't get 7points for packing halfway on LEL for example.

Sure, but you set out to complete the whole of LEL. My point was what if you only set out to just complete 1/2 an Everest? Or is it a case of "minimum of 8848m or nothing" like it is "minimum of 200km for a BR or nothing".

[Exit Stage Left]

It's certainly on the spectrum between AUK and OCD.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I looked into Everesting and decided that riding up and down the same hill 100 times didn't interest me.  I might try a hilly circuit and ride round that enough times to reach the height of Everest but that, apparently is not Everesting.  Neither is it Audax, IMHO, as self-sufficiency is hardly tested when you can park a car at one end of the route and stack it full of supplies and even a spare bike should you wish.

That's not to belittle it.  I reckoned I'd need to budget 20 hours.  20 hours of hard slog.  That's far too close to a 24Hr TT for my liking.  So Chapeau to anyone who does Everest.

[teethgrinder]

No.

Having said that, I've got a hill marked out for Everesting next to Watlington campsite in The Chilterns that I still haven't looked at yet. I have it mind to try and do a group social Everesting using the campsite as a base for food, drink and sleep. I say sleep because I am thinking of doing 600km of hill reps to do ore than an Everest as a nod to Audax UK, but it definitely won't be an Audax ride. Just an Everest.
Not sure when but it'll probably have to be before May with everything else I want to do next year.

[whosatthewheel]

I don't think the connection with OCD is that obvious...

As far as I am aware, OCD is about "geographical cols" and it doesn't promote going up and down the same col n times... I think you can only claim one col 2 or 3 times in one year. In OCD there is also a minimum of 100 vertical metres for a col to be counted which would rule out half of the climbs people use for Everesting.

The connection with Audax? I would say it's antithetic... one has a rule to prevent riders from doing laps, the other has a rule that prescripts laps as the only acceptable way to achieve the result.
I also disagree that distance and mileage are the same thing. You can do 20 laps to go from Bradford to Leeds, but you haven't gone very far at all.


I can see the appeal to widen the "customer base", but then AUK should have jumped on the boat 5 years ago, when this thing was new and exciting and people were travelling the country to be the first to "Everest that climb"... now that all the "summits" have been Everested the novelty has worn off and it's time for something else...

[whosatthewheel]

Other mountains are avaliable.

How about Eiger-ing? Only 3967 mt, but the measurable section needs to be a slope with an average gradient > 10%.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The "promotion" of Everesting so far has simply been an article in Arrivee. That's simply a recognition that some people who are interested in audax are also interested in Everesting. Obviously that overlap works in both directions and exists with many other cycling activities. People have mentioned that there already is a body recognizing Everesting but no one's named it (I presume it's British Cycing, but maybe there's a more specialist organisation?) so the overlap should hopefully be recognized from both sides. To an extent, it already does; it's probably no coincidence that the woman in the Arrivee article is a member of Bristol South rather than any of the various other clubs in the area, as they're a roadie sporty club whose jerseys are a regular sight on local audaxes. I think there are two people on YACF who are members of both Bristol South and AUK.

[Greenbank]

People have mentioned that there already is a body recognizing Everesting but no one's named it (I presume it's British Cycing, but maybe there's a more specialist organisation?) so the overlap should hopefully be recognized from both sides.

Not really a body: https://everesting.cc/

[fuaran]

'Everesting' wasn't invented by them. They just popularised it in recent years, with a shiny website and some made up rules (along with Strava etc).

People have been cycling up big hills for years. If you want to cycle up the height of Everest, you can do so. And follow whatever rules you like. It could also be an audax if you want. It doesn't need to be hill reps.

[mattc]

No.

Having said that, I've got a hill marked out for Everesting next to Watlington campsite in The Chilterns that I still haven't looked at yet. I have it mind to try and do a group social Everesting using the campsite as a base for food, drink and sleep. I say sleep because I am thinking of doing 600km of hill reps to do ore than an Everest as a nod to Audax UK, but it definitely won't be an Audax ride. Just an Everest.
Not sure when but it'll probably have to be before May with everything else I want to do next year.

This is a great idea Steve!

(I think that hill would work quite well for the purpose, just in terms of profile. And of course being quite local to me ...).

pre-May sounds good (as I have a massive log-jam in my May/June calendar). Pencil me in - I'll take the photos, you can write the Awoowoo article 

Let me know if you want to co-ordinate.