Day 2

DEAD HORSE GAP.

Day 2 saw everyone bright eyed and bushy tailed for 4 stage ride to Dead Horse Gap and back. The four stages were as follows:

Stage 1: Jindabyne to Dead Horse summit.

Stage 2: Dead Horse summit to base of climb (22kms down).

Stage 3: Base of climb to Dead Horse summit.

Stage 4: Dead Horse to Jindabyne.

Stage 1 winner. Robbie Cater cruises up to the Dead Horse summit from Jindabyne. Everyone else were trying to save themselves for what was coming next. The ride to hell and back. Twenty two kilometre descent and then 22 relentless kms back up reputed to be the toughest climb in Australia.

Here's Shaun "Higgo" Higgerson coming up to the Dead Horse summit behind Joe "Sorbs" Sorby. These two were the comedy relief for the weekend. I am sure they know the entire sound track for the Australian movie, "The Castle". We were treated to a constant rendition of "See that sign post........ Fake ! "Well what's it there for?" "CHARM !!!" and constant acknowledgement of the Snowy Mountains SERENITY.

Higgo claimed Dead Horse for his sponsor, FRF Couriers. Don't know why Rocky would want with it though. If Rocky ever climbed up here, I guess we could make it his tombstone.

Wasn't long before the entire crew were at the Dead Horse summit and posed before taking on 22km descent. (Actually some of the lads thought better of the prima stage of the Tour and did a quick U turn and went straight home to Jindabyne - Hubbards !!)

Finally the descent. Here's Robbie, Scotty, Higgo and Jacko enjoying the steep descent and the fast bends. They called me a Hubbard but I took it easy on the way down. How quickly these young one's forget. I haven't forgotten a camp or two back when Spongee and Robbie ran out of road on this exact descent and Robbie went off the side of a cliff whilst Spongee spent the next few days in Cooma Hospital. One could call them seasoned experts of this descent whilst for me it was the first time that I did it so I was taking it very easy and didn't care who didn't appreciate my descending speed. Sorry don't know the results of Stage 2. However if I had to guess I would imagine it must have been that little maniac Mark "Slapper" Robertson.

Talking about the maniac. Here is little Slapper with Pete McDonald. Must be quick because Slapper has a huge smile on his face. Then again has anyone seen him without a smile on his face. Actually if you want to see him without the smile, ask him about how he got disqualified in the recent Tuesday night race at Heffron. Make sure you have plenty of time though because the explanation (whinge) takes about twice as long as the race did.

With all the gang at the base of the descent, it was time to attack the toughest climb in Australia. Twenty two relentlessly steep kilometres.

DAY 2 CONTINUED. THE HARDEST CLIMB IN AUSTRALIA BEGINS. PRESS NEXT (Below)