Etape Loch Ness
Loch Ness has occupied a near-mystical spot in my imagination ever since I first saw it as an impressionable 6 year-old from the States, traveling around Europe with my family. It is where the monster hid, the “Great Orm of Loch Ness” (according to a book my mom had), under the dramatic ruins of a castle whose name I couldn't pronounce. And of course it was in the Highlands, the source of kilts and bagpipes and so much history. So, umpteen decades later, living in the UK, when I heard about Etape Loch Ness, a closed-road sportive that starts and ends in Inverness and circles the loch, I immediately wanted to participate.
Fortunately, my wife Ellen liked the idea too, and agreed to take the trip with me, not as a biker, but as a tourist and, let's be fair, chauffeur. Unlike me, she has a UK driver's license, and since I was unable to find a train that could take my bike from Edinburgh to Inverness (probably because other Etapers beat me to it), without her help driving a rental car, I could not have made the trip. Thank you Sweetheart!
I was preparing for Chase the Sun, a 200-mile sportive in June, and Etape Loch Ness, at the end of April and 65 miles long, fit right into the training schedule.
I registered, and was impressed right away by how invested they were in each rider's success. In the weeks before the event, the Etape hosted webinars to help riders prepare. Among other topics, they were very definite and specific about what we needed to carry in our repair kits. (Thanks to them, I now know what a gear hanger is – and have a spare one!)
The Etape is very well planned and organized. According to the start procedure described in an email 3 weeks before the day, the riders were to be split into 4 waves, with groups of riders released at 3 minute intervals between 6 and 6:50 am. If you missed the final wave, you would not be allowed to participate. There was even a video that described the start procedure. Each start wave had its own holding area, where the riders waited for their turn to cross the start line. The fastest riders were put in the first wave, A, so that there would be no one on the road ahead of them to slow them down. I was in wave C.
In-person registration was held the day before the Etape, a Saturday, in Inverness. Since attendance was required, and there was no way we could make the trip from home to Inverness before registration closed, we traveled on Friday. This gave us most of Saturday for playing tourist, and Inverness really charmed us. I'm a sucker for used bookstores, and Leakey's Bookshop is now one of my favorites. I could have spent hours there. Another visit to Inverness may be necessary. We also visited Inverness Castle, dramatically overlooking the River Ness. The current structure was built in the 19th century, but a succession of castles have stood on the site for almost 1,000 years.
We had dinner at an Italian restaurant near the center of town, and I'm convinced that at least 3 other tables were occupied by fellow riders. I learned later that 6,500 riders participated in the Etape. Road closures on a Sunday morning is a small price to pay for the economic boon that the Etape provides. They have big incentive to be make it a success!
We'd chosen a bed and breakfast close to downtown, so I didn't have far to go the next morning. RideWithGPS says that my ride to the start began at 5:26 am. It wasn't hard to find my holding area. It was essentially a giant queue, and plenty of people had arrived before me. After some waiting, then some shuffling, then walking, and finally, riding, I crossed the start line at 6:21.
I've returned to the loch a few times since my first visit as a boy, and, knowing how narrow and busy the road is along the northwest side of the loch, there was no way I was going to bike it unless the road was closed. At the start, the riders easily filled both sides of the road. Every road and driveway entering the route had a traffic cone closing it off, and there were plenty of marshals, with flags and whistles, to keep us on the route.
We went down the west side of the loch, and came back on the east side. The route is pretty flat, except for a killer hill just after going through Fort Augustus at the southern end of the loch. We'd been told that, if you needed to walk your bike, you should do so on the left shoulder of the road. I was hoping not to be one of the walkers. Regardless of how you get there, at the top of hill there is, by tradition, a bagpiper, to help you celebrate your accomplishment.
The route is divided into 5 roughly equal sections by 4 support stops. The first section, to Drumnadrochit, went quickly. Everyone was fresh and eager to go. The riders were still bunched up, and I was constantly passing and being passed. When we reached Drumnadrochit, as early as it was, there were plenty of townsfolk lining the route and cheering us on. Throughout the ride I was impressed by the sincerity and enthusiasm of the supporters. It always put a smile on my face.
When we turned east out of Drumnadrochit to head back to the loch, I eagerly anticipated a view of Urquhart Castle, majestically overlooking the loch. We did indeed pass the castle, but alas it was too far from the road for the view to live up to my expectations. A return visit will be necessary to give it the attention it deserves.
Just past the castle was the first support stop. I did not stop, but in passing, I counted 18 porta-potties!
The next section was, for the most part, just a stone's throw from the loch. Again, it was very flat. My memory and video from that section include good views of the loch, sometimes through a few trees.
The next support stop was at Invermoriston. There were plenty of food and drink choices, loos, and even a bike mechanic. I grabbed something quickly and returned to the road.
It wasn't long before we came into Fort Augustus, at the southwestern end of the loch. As in every town we went through, people were in front of their houses, and on street corners, cheering us on. There was even a firetruck parked on a side road, with the firefighters next to it, shouting encouragement.
Just on the far side of Fort Augustus, at the end of the loch, was a good place for views up the length of the loch. Riders were stopping to get selfies, so I got one too.
Immediately after that, the hill started. I won't sugarcoat this – it was tough. Over 5 miles the average slope was 4.5%. The steepest section was 11%. There had been occasional conversation, but it was replaced by the sound of people working hard on their bikes. Sure enough, there were a few walkers, obediently on the left side of the road. I spent most of those 5 miles in my lowest gear, but training paid off -- I did not have to resort to walking. After what seemed like hours, but was actually 40 minutes, there was the piper at the top of the hill. You could hear him before you could see him. I like bagpipe music, but never so much as on this day.
Over the next 10 miles, the route descended 1250 feet. I covered it in about half an hour, so I averaged 20 miles an hour for that stretch. Last year, Tadej Pogacar averaged 27 mph while winning the Tour de France. Even going downhill, I was way slower! Guess there's still a long way to go if I'm going to fulfill my dream of becoming a pro rider.
The last support stop was at mile 54. I stopped and, with the encouragement of a marshal, took a handful of High 5 Energy Gels. Evidently she was worried that she'd have too many at the end of the day.
In a few more miles the route left the shore of the loch, and houses and connecting roads became more numerous. But also, for the first time, there were brief sections when I was alone on the road.
Not much later I was in Inverness, passing between the river and the castle. A left turn took us over the river to the finish line. Ellen was there and gave a whoop as I passed. The announcer at the finish line somehow knew what riders were approaching and announced their names as they crossed – a nice touch.
The Etape was everything I was hoping for: challenging, inspiring, scenic, fun, well organized and well run. If you're looking for an adventure on your bike, it deserves consideration.
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