Whitney Classic
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The Whitney Classic is a hardcore endurance cycling event that is held in late September or October every year. The ride runs from Badwater, Death Valley to Whitney Portal. Badwater, at 282 below sea level, is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere and Whitney Portal (8,360) is the trailhead that leads to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).
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[edit] The Ride
The ride is 136 miles (219 km) long and has an actual elevation gain of 15,800 feet (4,800 m), one of the longest and most sustained elevation differences in American cycling. There are three major hills...Townes Pass, climbing up from Stovepipe Wells; Hillcrest, climbing from Panamint Springs; and the Whitney Portal Road, which leaves the town of Lone Pine, California to climb to the Portal.
- Townes Pass is an agonizing 16.6 miles (26.7 km) long with an 5,000'+ elevation gain.
- Hillcrest is 11.9 miles (19.2 km) long, with slightly over 3,000' elevation gain.
- The Whitney Portal road gains close to 5,000' in 14.7 miles (23.7 km).
In addition to long distances and heart-breaking hills, the temperature can play a major factor. At the start in Badwater, temperatures can routinely be as high as 130 degrees, but the temperature quickly drops as the pedal higher and higher. Below freezing temperatures are often encountered near the Portal, making a temperature swing of over 100 degrees in a single day.
The ride is a small event, with an average number of riders in the 50s. Riders may ride as individuals or as a team. Due to the heat, the cold, the length, the hills, the dark, and a number of other factors, it is not unusual for 25-50% of the ride not to finish.
[edit] History
The Whitney Classic started in 1981 as a fundraiser for Summit Adventure[1], a non-profit wilderness ministry in Bass Lake, California, and still serves as a major fundraiser for the organization. There are multiple races and runs that travel the same course, including the Badwater Ultramarathon, held in July every year.
The ride was originally conceived as a Badwater to the summit of Whitney ride, making it the lowest to highest. In later years, as the United States Forest Service required summit permits to climb Mt. Whitney, the official course was shortened to end at Whitney Portal. Forest Service regulations do not allow competitive events in the John Muir Wilderness, however, many riders choose to continue tradition and complete the ascent to Mount Whitney's summit on their own.
