The ASH Dash is a 210km meander up and down the most challenging and spectacular climbs south of Hobart.
How did the day unfold?
Silly early start with the good man Dave picking me up at the bottom of my drive way shortly before 6 in the morning. Safely into Salamanca for the 7 o'clock start. Consumed bananas and talked rubbish with other riders whilst that silly pre ride safety briefing about the bits you should pay particular attention to was being given. Scars gained this time suggest I should listen more carefully and I promise to pay attention next time. Raining gently but looked like clearing up shortly.
From Salamanca the climbing starts immediately but the pace is gentle through Hobart with no traffic around us at 7AM on a Sunday morning. Once we reach the brewery, the pace picked up and Benny and I immediately fell off the back of the pack. Climb number one for the day is actually quite pleasant up to Fern Tree (the classic route up Wellington). Feeling good at this stage despite the gentle rain that surely was about to clear. Gee Benny can talk.
The roll from Ferntree down to Longley is one of my favourite places to ride. Low traffic, flowing corners with amazing vistas off the side of the hill. Second climb starts at the Longley International up and over Vince's Saddle. This one is not one I usually do and it felt much sharper than the climb up Ferntree. Gee, maybe I should have worn my rain pants but I don't think it will rain for much longer. Benny still talking but a bit more quiet on the sharp bits.
Safely to the top of Vince's Saddle, raining a bit more now but often does when you climb into the mountains so should be all good for the next 50 odd kilometres before the 3rd climb. Long descent through Huonville along the highway and a quick jaunt down to Port Huon for the first control point. Didn't stop for long, just some quick food and sign of the brevet card and away. Benny loves a chat.
Next bit of the ride wasn't really much fun, along the highway, just a connector really to the best riding of the day. Right hand turn from Cradoc along the Cygnet Coast Road which is just a great place to ride. For some silly and sadistic reason they don't let us follow the coast road all the way around, instead sending us up a vicious little climb over Silver Hill. Second check at the top of Silver Hill and a well deserved salad roll and a can of solo. Great catering on the ride here, it was good to have Benny shut up for a bit whilst he inhaled his salad roll. Hadn't rained for a bit so hand over my rain coat.
Steep descent into Cygnet and the rain starts again. Next climb is the one everyone has been talking about over Woodbridge Hill. Had a good crack at this one and dropped Benny early after a bit of cheap trash talk about him having custard legs on the climbs. Picked up another couple of guys who had maybe gone out too hard too early before deciding that this one was a walker, maybe made a little less pleasant by the now constant drizzle.
Next check point top of Woodbridge Hill. Feeling a bit damp but rain stopped whilst we were at the checkpoint. Being terrible on the downhills, I set off before the others suggesting I'd see them at the bottom knowing they would go much faster than me down that hill. Wet slippery roads were not part of my plan however and shortly after starting the descent, I overcooked it on one of the corners, locked up the back wheel and skidded into the dirt. Happy to have missed the tarmac and landed in the mud. Benny arrives and checked everything out and made sure me and the bike were okay before we set off again. Very gentle ride down to the bottom of the hill from there and probably a bit shaken up. But only 100km and 3 hills to go so decide to carry on.
From there it is nice ride along the Channel Highway, which despite being a Sunday on a tourist route has relatively few cars and follows the coast all the way along back to Cygnet. Salmon Ponds and the view across to Bruny Island is quite spectacular now the weather has fined up.
Stop in Cygnet for a sausage roll and ginger beer but feeling okay. Benny smashes in 2 cans of coke and bag of lollies. Man, he isn't going to shut up is he?
The remaining ride back into Hobart is one I do regularly and I know I can do it from here despite a couple of serious climbs being in the way. Pelverata Road is brilliant. Up a long scenic valley that avoids the highway and has no cars at all as it is unsealed for about 10km and climbs about 100m higher than the highway. Psychologically huge bonus to know exactly where you are and how far to go but for some reason after about 160km and some insanely steep climbs, it never really feels good.
Benny and I going well at this stage and pass another couple of riders including one guy who was really struggling. He offered some embarrassing excuse about having just spent 6 weeks at sea on some research vessel after having finished the Perth-Albany-Perth. As always we embraced the whole Audax spirit of this not being a race and powered past. Check point at the top and was pretty happy to have Pelverata done.
Easy ride now back to Hobart over the back of Wellington retracing our steps through Longley and Ferntree. Long fast descent from Ferntree and I ride the brakes the whole way.
Back to Salamanca to finishing checkpoint. Load the bikes into the back of Dave's car and head off to the pub. 5 pints of Little Creatures IPA and a bag of burger rings probably isn't the ideal post ride recovery but the drive back home to Huonville was described as, "a bit loose". Benny was awesome company all day and it was a pleasure riding with him. Dave organised a brilliant ride and shouldn't have had to put up with our drunken antics for the forty minute drive home.
All photos courtesy of Benny except the first one which I think Dave took.
