The Megavalanche has always been on my to-do list and finally this year I got round to doing it. Even the tall tales from people who had ridden it couldn’t do justice to the scale and craziness of the event. Even the start above the snow was bordering on unrideable, let alone with 500 riders breathing down my neck, it was just a case of getting out of there as fast as possible and trying to leave the carnage behind.

Mega Avalanche start

The action started with the qualifying rounds on Friday, with 9 rounds of 200 riders each. The tight gravel hairpins straight out of the gate were the first potential for carnage, remember there are 25 riders per row all going to single file within the first 10 seconds of the race, but I left everyone else to pile up on the popular inside lines, scooting round the slower but safer outsides instead. 25 minutes later and barely able to grip the bars I finished 8th in my round, good enough for a 3rd row in the main event.

popping out at the end of the qualifier

Normally the race starts on snow. Well it did this year too I suppose, but the patch of snow was only just big enough to line everyone up on before it turned to piles of shattered rock which we were to ride along at a 30-degree camber. This was a recipe for disaster and I picked a safe route, it wasn’t fast but I got out of most of the trouble pretty quick. Not everyone was so lucky and as you can see from the picture below it quickly turned into a scene from Dante’s Inferno or perhaps an Orc battle in the Lord of the Rings.

Megavalanche start turns into a battleground

After the rocks the course went back onto the more traditional glacier, followed by the most amazing high Alpine singletrack you could ever imagine. Actually most of the course was singletrack this year, great for riding but not so great for passing and after I binned it up on the snow there was nothing for it but to be patient and wait for safe passing places. Still I got to the bottom in one piece, in 71st place which is OK for a first attempt. I guess I’ll be back for more one day with a load of lessons learned.

Riders spread out across the glacier

Finally we’ve got round to weighing the Maxxis XC tyres.

Maxxis Advantage

Advantage 2.1 Kevlar 70a : average weight 624g
Advantage 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 548g

Aspen 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 478g
Aspen 2.25 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 591g

Crossmark 2.1 wire bead, SPC, 70a: average weight 650g
Crossmark 2.1 Kevlar 70a: average weight 569g
Crossmark 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 479g
Crossmark 2.1 UST tubeless: average weight TBA

High roller 2.1 wire bead, SPC, 70a: average weight 550g
High roller 2.1 Kevlar 70a: average weight 514g
High roller 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 481g

Ignitor 2.1 Kevlar 70a rubber: average weight 580g
Ignitor 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 480g

Larsen Mimo 2.0 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXC: average weight 484g

Larsen TT 2.0 Kevlar 70a rubber: average weight 568g
Larsen TT 2.0 Kevlar 120tpi 62a eXCeption: average weight 496g
Larsen TT 2.0 LUST tubeless: average weight 679g

Monorail 2.1 Kevlar 70a: average weight 559g
Monorail 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62A eXC: average weight 502g
Monorail 2.1 LUST tubeless: average weight 657g

Medusa 1.8 Kevlar 70a: average weight 489g
Medusa 1.8 Kevlar 120tpi 62A eXC: average weight 491g
Medusa 2.1 Kevlar 70a: average weight 531g
Medusa 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62A eXC: average weight 482g
Medusa 2.1 LUST tubeless: average weight TBA

Rendez 2.1 Kevlar 70a: average weight 557g
Rendez 2.1 Kevlar 120tpi 62A eXC: average weight 481g