New Valley Hills

I’d got it into my head that the PCT total ascent was Everest height x5, which didn’t seem so much when I thought the SWCP is Everest height x3. Having done the SWCP I thought the PCT will be easier average gradient wise because the SWCP is a quarter of the distance.
It is but not as much difference as I thought – the SWCP is x5, while the PCT is x14.5! How I could make those mistakes is anyones guess. Doh!
Everest height = 8848m, PCT ascent 128,284m, SWCP ascent 35,031m.
PCT distance 4270km, SWCP distance 1014km.

I was therefore expecting PCT gradient of 0.010 compared to SWCP of 0.035. In fact it’ll be gradient 0.030. Three times more than expected but overall still less steep on average than the SWCP. It’s just an extra 84044m of ascent I wasn’t counting on! What could possibly go wrong. LOL!

On the plus side, my training goal of ’20 20 2000′ (32km, 20kg and 609m of ascent/descent) has turned into 20 20 2600 (32km, 20kg and 792m) due to the routes I’ve ended up taking. Meaning I’ve comfortably got more ascent baked into my training than anticipated. This puts my training at gradient of 0.025 which still isn’t that of the PCT at 0.030, but close enough I’m pleased. In my training it’s been the steep gradients which have taken their toll, not the overall height.

And on another plus side, the PCT is graded as a horse riding and footpath, meaning the steepest sections are no way as steep as the steepest of the SWCP. The hills will be long and gentle not short and steep.