jlippinbike

The RUSA perm database currently lists 17 SR 600k perms. These are the 600k routes that must have 10,000 meters of elevation gain, i.e., 32,809 feet of climbing. Does anybody know of a new location in the US where an SR 600k perm exists? You don't need to sketch it out to answer. A nearby town would suffice. Ideally the route will have mostly paved roads. But I think new routes have a bit of unpaved roads, too.

unterhausen

The ACP got out of the SR600 business, so a lot of people lost interest from what I can tell. It's no longer part of the R10000 program. https://rusa.org/node/1564

People have asked me if I considered making a SR600k in this area, and the answer is "kinda." I have tried to make a 200k with 10000ft of climbing a couple of times. The problem was the distance between climbs. And our climbs aren't that big, so almost all of my 200k routes top out at less than 9500 feet. Gravel doesn't change things too much, still difficult to get to 10000ft in 200k. I'm not sure that Sophie would approve a course that took a serpentine route over the same ridge multiple times. It would be pretty difficult to properly control it.

I think I could make a really boring SR600 here. Just go up and down the front of the Allegrippis plateau many different ways. There is a road up every canyon. That would be a pain due to lack of services. This is likely to be possible in many different locales, that plateau stretches from north of here to Georgia. There used to be a collection of routes near State College. One of them did this, it went up and down the front of the Allegrippis plateau. It was named, "the seven climbs of death." In my counting, it was only 6 deadly climbs and one long false flat that comes at a point where it isn't appreciated. But that ride is just over 5000ft in 60 miles. I guess you could just go along rte 220 going up every canyon and coming down the next. Again, Sophie might not like it.

I could possibly go south of here near Raystown lake. I don't know a lot of the roads down there, and I'm reluctant to design a route that uses roads I don't know. Might be tough to get to the required amount of climbing in 600k though. Services would also be a problem, it's very rural.

Here is my take on the 7 climbs route. 2 of the climbs are getting over to 220 and back and the other 5 are on the Allegrippis front. But if you change the view to "terrain" you can see there are tons of little roads that climb up from 220
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7214242

jlippinbike

Unterhausen said: People have asked me if I considered making a SR600k in this area, and the answer is "kinda."

Very cool! I haven't messed with the idea lately. But there was a time I tried to make a hilly route over somewhat close to where you live. See https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31590806.

And I think it was around that time that I put two routes together somewhat close to my home. See
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35482446
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35508559

Thanks for your response!

clasher

Even though it wouldn't count for the r10000, I've always liked the Catskill SR600 route. I was planning to do it a few years ago but COVID got in the way of plans, and now the 600k with 8000m in 40h is part of the r10000, so I might do the one we have in Ontario this year. I tried to make an SR600 locally but it ended being a bunch of out-and-backs up and down the Niagara escarpment on gravel roads, and trying to route to shops ended up making it too long or too flat, the geography in the southwest of the province isn't hilly enough. I'd still like to do the Catskill one someday, it looks like a nice part of NY state.

jlippinbike

Unterhausen said: I have tried to make a 200k with 10000ft of climbing a couple of times.

I created a 200k perm for NJ that has 10787 feet of elevation gain. It's called Jenny Jump Forest 202k and has been assigned Perm #3776. See https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33344705. It was in the old perm system and I updated it so it could be included in the new perm system. There have not been many riders attempting to complete it. I got around to riding it last summer when the weather got too hot for me to further extend my string of 400k rides.

unterhausen

I mentioned trying to make a 200k with 10k ft of climbing because you have to make 3 to get to an SR 600

The problem with making a SR 600 in the ridges and valleys part of Pennsylvania is that there are very few roads that go over the ridges. But most of the state isn't like that. The area north of I80 north of State College has a lot more roads with climbs on them. But I'm not sure how many are paved. The climbing can be brutal up there.

I had forgotten that the ACP replaced the SR600 with their own 600 with over 8000m of climbing. That's an easier route requirement around here. But the SR600 has better awards for a perm.

jlippinbike

Unternausen said: The area north of I80 north of State College has a lot more roads with climbs on them.

Yeah, it looks that way in RWGPS using the terrain map. There is no shortage of hills there. But there seems to be a shortage of a robust network of roads. And the roads that do exist probably have more traffic volume than would be ideal for a brevet. See https://wego.here.com/?map=41.02624,...5,normal&x=ep/. I've found HereWeGo maps does a pretty good job of telling me whether the roads are paved, and whether they are too busy to ride on. Red roads are very busy. Bright Yellow are somewhat busy. I try to avoid both kinds of roads when designing a route. Dull Yellow and White roads are ideal to include in a brevet route. And although there are some nice Dull Yellow roads, they tend to intersect (and end) with red and bright yellow roads. I suspect there are not many places to stop for food and drink along those roads, too.

Machka 

Australia has a few.
Tasmania, Australia has one going in April.