Re: [RC] Spain: CEI*** Santa Susana - Elizabeth Walker
My handy conversion program translated this to 500 meters = 1, 640 feet, and 99 km = 61.5 miles.
If the poster was talking about altitude change, 1600 feet of change is - while perhaps not "great difficulty", I wouldn't say it is "virtually flat", either.
As a comparison, Cuyamaca Peak is at 6,512 feet above sea level, and Paso Picacho Campground is at 5,000 feet, making the climb about 1500 feet. The Descanso ride, which is billed as moderate, starts at a base camp of about 4,000 feet, but doesn't go all the way to the top of Cuyamaca Peak. Terry Wooley-Howe can jump in here, as I'm sure she knows the elevation change lots better, but I think it is around 2000 feet.
On Dec 8, 2008, at 1:01 PM, kathy swigart wrote:
Assuming that "gap" is altitude change, 500 m in 99 km comes out to just over 1/2% average grade (or 1% if gap is not total altitude change, but only altitude gain, and the course finishes at the same altitude as it starts so total altitude change including the ups and the downs is 1000m and not just 500m). In either case, I would think even a flat lander would have trouble being shocked by it or finding it difficult.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I suspect that "gap" is something different from altitude change and/or gain. Because I cannot image anybody describing 500 m of altitude in 99 km as characterizing "great difficulty." 500m of altitude in 99 km comes under the heading of "virtually flat" not totally, but almost.
