The Etape Caledonia has a reputation for hills. Starting and finishing in Pitlochry, Perthshire, the course offers 81 miles of closed Scottish roads and over 2,000 meters of climb. There’s no doubt it’s a big day out but with completion times ranging between 3½ and 7 hours this event is for elites and enthusiasts alike.

I love riding a bike and even though I am more familiar with London bus lanes than Scottish hills I signed up for this event in September last year. It has been an interesting journey to the start-line but I’ve learnt more about cycling and bikes that I could ever have known in a lifetime of cycling purely to get from A to B. You can read more about my journey from casual commuter to lycra-clad hill monkey in my blog - Katie’s Uphill Battle.

Pre-Event
With start times from 7am onwards most competitors travel up on Saturday and stay locally. There is a great buzz in town as cycle nuts from all over the UK and beyond gear themselves up for the big day; eating mounds of pasta, purchasing inordinate amounts of technical clothing and engaging in epic amounts of cycle chat.

At 6:45am Pitlochry High Street is a sea of lycra and wheels. Start times are staggered in waves of 100 riders with those expecting to complete in the fastest time first. The top end bikes are interspersed with hybrids, with classic steel frames and even an odd tandem or two.

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Related stories:

Race review: The Better Half

Katie’s Uphill Battle - How did I get on?

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The Course

Just how bad are these well publicised hills then?
The first significant climb is Queen’s View, which is not too bad (1.5 miles at 5%) and counterbalanced by stunning scenery including Loch Tummel. After travelling alongside the Loch you reach the next climb which appears shortly after Tummel Bridge (2 miles at 2.5%) and then continue on and around Loch Rannoch. This stretch is pretty flat, a blessing as in the distance Schielhallion Mountain looms.

The lower levels of Schielhallion provide you with the biggest climb of this event (average 5.5% but includes some sharp kicks) – at about the 45 miles mark. Time pads are at the bottom and top of this three mile stretch so that participants time’s are tracked and can become ‘King (or Queen?) of the Mountain’. The reward for this epic climb is a long and stunning descent into the Braes of Foss and it’s well worth it!

50 miles down and about 30 to go and the route levels out quite a bit as you continue towards the river Tay then on through Fortingall and Weem. About five miles from your return to Pitlochry and the ’sting in the tail’ of this ride crops up. A steep climb from Logierait along the side of Strath Tummel and, finally, into Pitlochry.

You definitely need to keep something in the tank for the last climb of the day. It sneaks up on you then attacks with severity (and a pretty sizable crowd so you’ll have an audience if you misjudge and have to get out and push!)

The final few hundred meters into Pitlochry feel like a mountain but again there are great numbers of supporters cheering you into town and across the finishing line.

So, although it’s hard going at times the hills are worth every bit of effort as in return you receive the peace of cycling on roads without cars and breathtaking scenery.

Would I do it again?

Without a shadow of a doubt. I have already signed up for next year.

Good Points

• Closed Roads

• Breathtaking scenery

• Amazingly slick organisation - no queues to register

• Mavic support throughout the race

• Great atmosphere and support form the locals

• Very well organised with a seamless start and adequate food and drink stations along the course

• Lots of Hills (I have also included this in negatives as I figure this depends on your point of view!)

Any Negatives?

• Small proportion of women cycling

• Getting you and your bike up there can be problematic - we heard a few horror stories of cyclists not being able to get their bikes on the train

• Both the event and local accommodation get booked up pretty quickly so get in early if you want to participate next year

• The toilet issue – there aren’t many proper toilets en route

• Lots of hills

What’s next?

The Etape Hibernia – County Clare, Ireland, 22nd August: www.etapecaledonia.co.uk

Katie Gormley, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Image credits: Russell Cheyne/Sportcam.net