Highland Trail 550 vs French Divide – Battle of the Epic Rides

Whilst sitting back enjoying some much-needed rest and recuperation on a small Greek Island Stu Taylor took time to reflect on what has been a pretty crazy few months.

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First was the Highland Trail 550 in May, which I completed in four days and seven hours. Whilst sat around sharing stories and enjoying a celebratory beer or two with fellow riders in the days after, I somehow found myself agreeing with event organiser Samuel to race the French Divide at the beginning of August, giving me a second adventure just over a couple of months later. Ok…so maybe there were more than one or two beers, enough to make me forget my still raw saddle sores. Roll forward to August, I was back in the saddle, completing the French Divide in 11 days 7 hours.

One thing I have been asked numerous times since completing both events is ‘Which was the hardest, the Highland Trail or the French Divide?’.

Let’s start with some stats

Highland Trail

• 550 miles/ 885km
• 16,000m of climbing
• under 8 days group depart

French Divide

• 1415 miles/2275km
• 32,000m of climbing
• 15 days max for finishers’ party

You can complete these routes in your own time frame but if like me you’re starting within the grand depart you need to finish within the maximum time given. Arrive back inside these times and you will have a big cheer and a beer waiting for you from fellow riders welcoming you back from your epic adventure – any longer and you are likely to be the only person at your finishing party.

The Rules

• Complete the entire route, under your own power – no drafting
• Be completely self-supported throughout the ride – absolutely no support crews, absolutely no gear sharing
• Only use commercial services that are available to all challengers – no private resupply, no private lodging
• If you have to leave the route, you must re-join it at the exact same spot
• No caches of any kind
• No pre-arranged support, which means before you begin your ride – e.g. booking a B&B, arranging to meet a vehicle
• No travel by any motorized means during your ride – by all means, do so if necessary, but understand if you do your attempt is over
• Gear – nothing required, nothing prohibited

The only difference between the two events in the rules was that in the French Divide you were allowed to use private lodgings as long as you didn’t know the people, so basically you could go and knock on someone’s door and ask for a bed for the night.

With both events being very different in both distance and terrain I decided to ride different bikes for each. Check out Stu’s write up of his kit list and bike choice here.

So, which was harder?

After a quick review of the bikes and taking myself back to the events, it really is hard to compare the two: the HT550 was a sprint compared to the French Divide marathon.

But for me and the style of riding I love, which is true mountain biking, the Highland Trail had amazing big mountains. Yes, big hikes and carries, but your rewards were superb with ribbons of single-track and exposed technical trails that kept me engaged and excited to ride for most of the adventure. Yes, there were tough moments but the rewards soon came and outweighed the dark times. Believe it or not, I had so much fun on the HT550.

The French Divide being nearly three times longer became much more of a mental game. In the early days, riding for up to twenty hours a day on pretty much the same terrain some days with very little change in scenery, it was hard to stimulate my mind and keep me engaged. During that time around thirty riders would scratch from their brevet. Don’t get me wrong here, it was an amazing route and riding, but it was definitely a case of mind over matter. For me, it wasn’t an option not to finish so that wasn’t a worry, but little things played on my mind like the extra kit I was carrying and the fact I had plugged my tubeless tyre before the start instead of buying a new one. I must have squeezed and checked that tyre three or four times a day every day to check it was staying up. Little things escalate into bigger issues, and while your head needs to be clear for both events, the French Divide combined with the length of time you’re on the bike gives plenty of room to drive yourself mad.

After approximately 700 miles, at around halfway, my pedal bearings collapsed, causing the pedal to come off leaving only the spindle. I ended up replacing it with a cheap plastic flat pedal from an old farmer’s bike, resulting in one foot clipped in and one not. Mentally knowing I was going to complete the event made me embrace this and more determined to use it as a challenge – can I ride 700 miles one foot clipped in one not? I did!

Sleeping and surviving throughout both events was very similar, I slept from around midnight wherever I could, which varied from roughing it in old barns or by a loch in the Highlands, to a French family’s house or bivvying close to a bakery during the French Divide. On both rides, you refuelled when you got a chance and didn’t risk passing any supply point without stopping in case you never saw another option for 60 miles.

Looking back, the French Divide was tougher due to the added mental toughness required overall. With the length of time riding, it was as physical, but not as intense. The Highland Trail personally was very physical and intense with a lot of tougher sections but also so much fun as a result which made for more miles with bigger smiles!

3 Lessons Learned

• Do not pack your fears!
• If you need a beer, then have a beer! You need to look after your mind, body and soul.
• Not finishing is not an option! The minute the going gets tough you’ll deal with it and ride on.

Which would I do again?

It’s that time of year when entries for these events are on the countdown to opening, so which one will or would I find myself registering for?

Although both amazing events in their own right, for my style and passion for riding and real mountain biking, I would go for the Highland Trail. This also has a slight feeling of unfinished business… Now equipped with the knowledge of the route, and in particular the distances and timings to food and bothy options, along with fine-tuning of kit, could I join the elite club of under four days?