The thought of winter sportives has always been a bit much for this fair weather cyclist, and yet the Hell of the Ashdown (HOTA) has been on my bucket list for a while. The Hell has gained legendary status among the cycling fraternity of the South East, and its reputation is such that it usually sells out within hours of places going on sale. This is no doubt thanks to the excellent stewardship of Catford Cycling Club, the substantial amounts of money the event raises for charity (this year the Chartwell Cancer Trust was being supported), and the fact that it offers among the toughest of routes, undertaken in winter conditions.
Catford Cycling Club have been wheeling around the market gardening county of England since 1886. There isn't a lane, hedgerow or hill that they haven't explored in the last 128 years and they really make this experience count as the route follows the leafy tracks and less travelled roads with barely a car in site.
Having finally bitten the bullet and braced myself for a rough February ride, I was pleasantly surprised to wake to crisp, blue skies and a beautiful Sunday morning. After the recent flooding and abnormally high rainfall this was almost too good to be true, and as I scraped ice off the car I didn't give the weather a second thought.
Unfortunately the cold snap that produced the ice on my windscreen also left some of the lanes and downhill sections icy; the scenes in the first 10 miles of the route were more akin to the figure skating bloopers from Sochi than a sportive in Southern England. Riders who were looking to gain time on descents were left walking down them gingerly as both riders and walkers started slipping and tumbling. It was a shame that the first hour was spoiled by the cold snap but the sun was out - and it wasn't long before normal service was restored, along with the smiles on people's faces. Hell hadn't frozen over entirely, and for those that stuck with it the show went on.
The centrepiece of the HOTA is the climb up Kidd's Hill in Ashdown Forest. This climb is known locally as "The Wall" - and for good reason. AA Milne fans will recognise Ashdown Forest as the site of the Hundred Acre Wood, scene of the adventures of Christopher Robin and the gang. Certainly as I huffed and puffed up The Wall I must have looked like an overfed bear trying to get out of Rabbit's home after a wholesome lunch. Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a springing Tigger in the form of a Kingston Wheeler - bouncing up the road as Tiggers do. I comforted myself with the fact that this hill and the surrounding area was once the training ground for the rock-hard Sean Yates - and was rumoured to be too tough for the Tour of France to ascend when the Tour visited Kent in 2007.
The homebound route was just as tranquil, with some testing climbs up Ide Hill, Star Hill and a skirt around the borders of Bough Beech, the latter crammed with twitchers eager to spot the lesser spotted sandpiper.
I would recommend the HOTA to anyone, but rider beware - it is a February sportive, and, as such, less than optimal weather and road surface conditions should be anticipated. If a great day out with some of the most challenging hills in the south is what you are seeking, then sign up for next year's edition of Hell. 2015 entries should be opentowards the end of the year at www.hell.gb.com.
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