I THINK WE HAVE REACHED PEAK ROUTE

With no desire to jump on the Everesting bandwagon, DANA SNERTARANA Simon Warren plotted a lockdown route that rivals the UK's toughest sportives

- Simon Warren

When the lockdown restrictions began to ease, after months of being trapped on the turbo or at best daring to venture out for an hour on the local lanes, we were all eventually free to ride further, but where would we go? There were no races on, no sportives to enter, you couldn't meet up with your clubmates and certainly couldn't go abroad to ride up mountains, so we all had to become self-sufficient.

Before long, forums like Strava started to kick back into life as people began posting rides again, and as time progressed and their creative and competitive juices began to flow, some of these rides became ever more extraordinary. The desire to challenge oneself to ever greater athletic feats was fast turning into some sort of global contest to see who could upload the craziest ride.

Setting the challenge

To begin with, Everesting was the thing and everyone was doing it, from your mate's gran to Alberto Contador. Then double Everesting, triple Everesting, Trenching (gaining the equivalent height/depth of the Mariana Trench by repeatedly climbing one hill), 1,000km rides using just one leg, riding the circumference of the Earth, in your garden. You name it, someone did it. For the pros, it was a chance to show off what they were made of but for most, these self-devised adventures were intended to create a focus, a positive force in a time of great doubt and uncertainty.

Never one who liked being left out, I decided I had to bring something to the party. Now, no matter how much I love the hills, I've no inclination to Everest anything - I simply can't be bothered as it doesn't look like much fun.