• All the bears.

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:22 pm**

I'm no longer capable of rides like that, not least because I can't sleep properly outdoors.

I'd be perfectly happy with four days I reckon.

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:46 pm**

There’s only a few who have ridden it all

Only yourself and Mike as far as I know Steve.

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:21 pm**

slarge wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:32 pm that type of approach gives us BearyMcBearface as a route name

Not necessarily. Climbing route names generally have sensible names attributed to the first person to complete the route.

BoatyMcBoatface arose under different circumstances resulting from an Internet vote and people being daft, for a joke.

Balrog was a bit tongue in cheek, though and the Grizzly Bear isn’t a bad suggestion. Are you going to go first?

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:27 pm**

Richard G wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:54 pm I'm assuming I'd probably want to set aside 4 or 5 days to do it without turning myself inside out.

Says the current course record holder of the Cambrian Trail

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 11:17 pm**

Richard G wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:22 pm I'm no longer capable of rides like that, not least because I can't sleep properly outdoors.

I'd be perfectly happy with four days I reckon.

If you don’t sleep Rich you’ll crack it in under 3 days. Focus on your strengths - not sleeping means you just keep riding (and eating).

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 11:20 pm**

Ian wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:21 pm
slarge wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:32 pm that type of approach gives us BearyMcBearface as a route name
Not necessarily. Climbing route names generally have sensible names attributed to the first person to complete the route.

BoatyMcBoatface arose under different circumstances resulting from an Internet vote and people being daft, for a joke.

Balrog was a bit tongue in cheek, though and the Grizzly Bear isn’t a bad suggestion. Are you going to go first?

Maybe Ian - I finish work in Jan22, so have a list of rides to do, the challenge will be to fit them all in and keep home life happy.

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 11:39 pm**

Ian wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:27 pm Says the current course record holder of the Cambrian Trail

Sadly that was a very different me.

Didn't sleep much on that one either! Nearly froze to death one night too.

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:53 am**

Thanks for reminding me Stu I’ve unfinished work on the Big Bear , hopefully I’ll get the time next year and it’s not through the middle of a snow storm again

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:52 am**

I thought of grizzly bear too for the name of the complete routes ride (no 300’s on the map?) or maybe ‘BearBones Ursa Major’?

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:54 am**

Obviously, any winter attempts will require the designation - Polar Bear

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 1:28 pm**

One of the favourite jokes at work:

Polar bear in water in distress. Shouting to a brown bear on land:
- Help, help! I'm dissolving!
Brown bear:
- But bears are insoluble...
Polar bear:
- That's easy for you to say... You're not polar.

Regarding naming the project.
For bikepacking, you just need to make sure to call it 'divide'

Is there a route named Divide's Divide? Or Dividing Dividends? Bear's Dividends...
Not A Gravel Bike Divide...
Not Another Divide...
Die Weide (from German...)

Ian wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:21 pm Climbing route names generally have sensible names attributed to the first person to complete the route.

Generally sensible on classics up to a certain time, when climber took themselves too serious and fought for fame and recognition. Must have been hard before Instagram

Quite a few sound more like a creative porn movie name, often names come from books the climbers were reading, some from a silly joke/situational comedy, others clearly inspired by a specific feature on the climb etc. It's a mixed bag to say the least.
Some climbing routes go by project names, so they have their name before the first ascent.

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:01 pm**

Shirley we should go with something like Bear All...

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:46 pm**

If anyone with the computer wizardry skills can produce a GPX of the outermost track I'd be very interested. Its gotta be the Polar Bear for a dec/Jan attempt. URSA Major is v clever too but I imagine it's going to be alot like the 4 corners of hell when riding!

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 5:04 pm**

I could do it relatively easily, bit busy until the end of next week though.

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:02 pm**

Ian wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 11:26 am Four Corners of Hell sounds about right. Agree clockwise. You’d start in Llanbrynmair and do the yellow first (2015, which was a good vintage), reverse a chunk of this years route and pick up the 2013 and 2017 routes (also very good). 2018 and 2019 I didn’t do, but know the trails, so all good. The sting in the tail is finishing with the 2014 route…

I really need to map this and work out how far it is

I'm sure you were there in 2019 Ian... it was my first attempt and you came on a fat bike?

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:32 pm**

HUX wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:46 pm If anyone with the computer wizardry skills can produce a GPX of the outermost track I'd be very interested. Its gotta be the Polar Bear for a dec/Jan attempt. URSA Major is v clever too but I imagine it's going to be alot like the 4 corners of hell when riding!

If stu sends me all the gpx files I can do it this weekend

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:11 pm**

If stu sends me all the gpx files I can do it this weekend[/quote
I'll get them sorted out - must have them somewhere

EDiT: does anyone have '13 and '14 - I appear not to have them but I have the rest.

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:23 pm**

I have 2014 (tattooed on my arse)

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 1:46 pm**

Dave has worked some magic and the result is something that's around 685km and 18,000m of ascent.

I vote we call it 'Goldilocks' given that it's a story about multiple bears, sounds fluffy enough to keep folk happy and keeps my sense of humour intact.

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 1:53 pm**

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 1:46 pm Dave has worked some magic and the result is something that's around 685km and 18,000m of ascent.

I vote we call it 'Goldilocks' given that it's a story about multiple bears, sounds fluffy enough to keep folk happy and keeps my sense of humour intact.

Goldilocks and the nine bears. Is it going to get updated every year with new bits after each successive BB200...?

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 2:41 pm**

Looking at it I've realised that some of the horror of 2014 has remained within. The 2019 route appears to have killed off one of the very worst sections but bits where I cried with Karl remain

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 3:16 pm**

Perhaps my memory has faded, but I can’t see how / where 2019 route* saves you from much of the horror of 2014 route. The worst bit was surely the 45 min carry along that bridleway west of the A470 (after having ridden down that stream)?

* which I did do, Shaf, thanks for reminding me.

Anyway, good work stitching it all together. Quite a route.

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:18 pm**

Ian wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 3:16 pm Perhaps my memory has faded, but I can’t see how / where 2019 route* saves you from much of the horror of 2014 route. The worst bit was surely the 45 min carry along that bridleway west of the A470 (after having ridden down that stream)?

* which I did do, Shaf, thanks for reminding me.

Anyway, good work stitching it all together. Quite a route.

You're right. I was misreading the map (used an OSM layer). Looking at it in 1:50K OS mapping the whole of that nightmare remains. As does the "gate of fallen trees"

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:57 pm**

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:18 pm …the "gate of fallen trees"

Oh, just had a flashback to that bit :shudder:

Posted: **Sat Nov 13, 2021 5:52 pm**

cool, whens the group start

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