# Alpe d'Huez



## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

Hi guys i'm really new to cycling and next year the father in law in treating me to a holiday in frace to see the tour and as told me we will be cycling up alpe d'huez so was wondering what's the best way to train to get me ready for this.is it just get the miles in or are there certain ways i should train?


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## PK99 (31 Dec 2012)

bainy16 said:


> Hi guys i'm really new to cycling and next year the father in law in treating me to a holiday in frace to see the tour and as told me we will be cycling up alpe d'huez so was wondering what's the best way to train to get me ready for this.is it just get the miles in or are there certain ways i should train?


 
hills hills hills and more hills


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

There isn't a hill in the UK which will prepare you for the alpe, but it doesn't matter anyway. With the appropriate gearing, you could probably ride up it now - but the faster you want to go, the more aerobic fitness you will need. The short answer is just ride your bike a lot, and get used to riding at a high intensity for up to an hour at a time - you can do that on the flat if needs be...


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

so shorter rides at higher intensity are better than longer easier rides or do you mix it up........sorry if this sounds stupid.


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## jdtate101 (31 Dec 2012)

Try and do lots of endurance rides at higher tempo than you normally would, you need to build up your strength over longer periods of effort. I'm doing Alpe D'Huez next yr as part of the Marmotte. The 1st 2KM is the hardest at 10%, then it backs off to between 7-8% for the other 11KM, so make sure your gearing is appropriate. Most will use a compact chainset with something like a 11-26 or 11-28 depending upon your abilities.


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

bainy16 said:


> so shorter rides at higher intensity are better than longer easier rides or do you mix it up........sorry if this sounds stupid.


 
You will need to be able to endure a sustained high effort for about an hour or so, or however long it takes you to get up the Alpe (Pantani rode up it in about 36 minutes, I think). So combine some 2-3 hour steady rides with some shorter, harder 20-60 min efforts. Like I said though, you could probably ride it now at the right speed and with the right gearing, so it all depends on how fast you want to ride up it when you get there...


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

jdtate101 said:


> Try and do lots of endurance rides at higher tempo than you normally would, you need to build up your strength over longer periods of effort. I'm doing Alpe D'Huez next yr as part of the Marmotte. The 1st 2KM is the hardest at 10%, then it backs off to between 7-8% for the other 11KM, so make sure your gearing is appropriate. Most will use a compact chainset with something like a 11-26 or 11-28 depending upon your abilities.


i beleive mine is 11-28


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

the training at the mo will just be on the turbo so it looks like been high intensity is that correct.?.. saying that next sunday i have my first 100k ride


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## Rob3rt (31 Dec 2012)

If the climb is going to take an hour, and you intend to get up it as fast as possible, you need to be able to ride at or just below your current limit for an hour. To do this, you will need to ride at your current limit for increasing durations and/or raise your limit by savaging yourself at an intensity above your current limit at shorter durations. It is best practice to do both. Add in some longer rides, i.e. your 100k road rides as a basic endurance ride and you should be good to go. Training for a hill like this is basically the same as training for a 25 mile time trial. The intensity will be comparable, but the speeds will be lower when going up hill.

If you don't care how fast you go, then riding your bike is all you need to do.


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## ayceejay (31 Dec 2012)

I always wondered how this Alpe was so called. I drove up it once and right at the top was a guy taking a wiz.
True story.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

Rob3rt said:


> If the climb is going to take an hour, and you intend to get up it as fast as possible, you need to be able to ride at or just below your current limit for an hour. To do this, you will need to ride at your current limit for increasing durations and/or raise your limit by savaging yourself at an intensity above your current limit at shorter durations. It is best practice to do both. Add in some longer rides, i.e. your 100k road rides as a basic endurance ride and you should be good to go. Training for a hill like this is basically the same as training for a 25 mile time trial. The intensity will be comparable, but the speeds will be lower when going up hill.
> 
> If you don't care how fast you go, then riding your bike is all you need to do.


so riding at 80% of mhr for an hour or is this the wrong way of thinking?


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## Rob3rt (31 Dec 2012)

bainy16 said:


> so riding at 80% of mhr for an hour or is this the wrong way of thinking?


 
Your limit should be much higher than 80% MHR, I am talking 2x20 min efforts at 90-95% MHR (if you can not hold 90% for 20 mins, start with 2x10 mins). The even harder efforts for shorter period, just ignore HR and make damn sure you are suffering. If you want to go fast, you need to play the gain game, not pussying about at base ride efforts (i.e. 80%, save that for your 2-3 hour endurance rides)!


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

so looks like i need to start suffering pretty soon thanks for all the advice much appreciated


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

Ride over to Holmfirth and tackle Home moss, then freewheel down and do it again, and again. when you can summit Holme moss in 15 ~20 minutes on each occasion then you can aim to tackle the alpe in under an hour.


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## Peteaud (31 Dec 2012)

http://www.strava.com/segments/alpe-d-huez-tour-de-france-661401


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## Mr Haematocrit (31 Dec 2012)

The climb of l'Alpe d’Huez has a total elevation gain of 1071 meters or 3513 feet. The total length of the climb is 13.2 kilometers or 8.25 miles with an average gradient of 8.1% and a max of 10.6%; a challenge for any level of cyclist. 
The climb’s initial impression is one of a very steep grade on a wide, straight road. Cyclists attempting the climb for the first time will do well to remind themselves that the later slopes are far less steep.
Tour de France racers, both super stars and lesser known names, have their names painted on the road. Some names are still quite clear while other names have faded over the years.
There are 21 switchbacks in total on the mountain. Each switchback has a sign counting down from 21 on the first switchback, to 1 on the last turn before the summit. Past stage winners like Hampsten, Bugno, and Pantani have their names displayed with each switchback number, sparking memories of past tour battles and race emotion.

Imho you would be advised to get some big miles under your belt at a sustained high effort, you should also consider the weight of the bike/equipment your taking. I would not want to drag anything unnecessary up the l'Alpe d’Huez. Im doing it during 2013 as well.


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## Rob3rt (31 Dec 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> Ride over to Holmfirth and tackle Home moss, then freewheel down and do it again, and again. when you can summit Holme moss in 15 ~20 minutes on each occasion then you can aim to tackle the alpe in under an hour.


 
15 mins up the Holmfirth side would be blazing fast I hope you know (not sure if that is your point or not)  Tejvan Pettinger holds the KOM on Strava with a time of 15:24 and he is a HC machine!


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

Rob3rt said:


> 15 mins up the Holmfirth side would be blazing fast I hope you know (not sure if that is your point or not)  Tejvan Pettinger holds the KOM on Strava with a time of 15:24 and he is a HC machine!


More pointing out the magnitude of climbing the Alpe in under a hour, Holme moss is 4k at 6.9% or from Holmfirth 7k at 5.9%, the Alpe is 13.2k at 8.1% So 15mins a rep from the Glossop side is a fair estimate, maybe 20 from Holmfirth is a bit harsh~ have 25


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

the guy is riding up it with his father-in-law - he's not riding the TdF.


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## jdtate101 (31 Dec 2012)

.....or just spin up on a triple and enjoy the stunning views. Just make sure you take enough water. The alpe can get awfully hot in the afternoon, but a quick shower under one of the many waterfalls does wonders.


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> the guy is riding up it with his father-in-law - he's not riding the TdF.


 
Your the one that brought up the hour (or so ) mark,


black'n'yellow said:


> You will need to be able to endure a sustained high effort for about an hour or so


 
imo/e unless the guy is a regular cyclist, which he isn't,


brainy16 said:


> Hi guys i'm really new to cycling


 
then he needs to get in some serious training, and not to be given a false sense of security reading that he could piss it now so long as he is on a compact with a wide rear cassette.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (31 Dec 2012)

For a new cyclist, quoting the Sufferfest motto in his signature sets alarm bells off for me.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> For a new cyclist, quoting the Sufferfest motto in his signature sets alarm bells off for me.


could i just ask what in meant by this?


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> Your the one that brought up the hour (or so ) mark,


 
indeed - as an _estimate_ of the amount of time it _may_ take him to ride up it.



oldfatfool said:


> imo/e unless the guy is a regular cyclist, which he isn't,


 
see above



oldfatfool said:


> then he needs to get in some serious training, and not to be given a false sense of security reading that he could **** it now so long as he is on a compact with a wide rear cassette.


 
Nobody said he could pi55 it. If you are targeting a time-limited event like the etape, then 'serious' training might be necessary to get up it within a particular time-window. But disregarding that (because it is not relevant in this case),anyone competent on a bicycle could ride up it given the appropriate gearing and an appropriate amount of time. It only gets harder when you try to go faster.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (31 Dec 2012)

bainy16 said:


> could i just ask what in meant by this?


The line in your signature stems from www.thesufferfest.com training videos. Although shortened to IWBMATTKYT.

Not something I'd expect someone "really new to cycling" to reference.


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## zizou (31 Dec 2012)

Alpe d'Huez will be tough at the end of a long hard ride like the Marmotte but on its own its not too bad with fresh legs.

For now concentrate on getting some miles in, getting fitter and losing a bit of weight if you are overweight. Do not bother doing high intensity intervals without the base - you wont get the full benefit of the intervals and you are also risking injury by pushing too hard too soon.


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> If you are targeting a time-limited event like the etape, then 'serious' training might be necessary to get up it within a particular time-window. But disregarding that (because it is not relevant in this case),anyone competent on a bicycle could ride up it given the appropriate gearing and an appropriate amount of time. It only gets harder when you try to go faster.


 
IMO Cobblers.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> The line in your signature stems from www.thesufferfest.com training videos. Although shortened to IWBMATTKYT.
> 
> Not something I'd expect someone "really new to cycling" to reference.


just liked the moto .......i was adviced to use there vids to aid my training which i have yet to use


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> IMO Cobblers.


 
which bit are you disagreeing with..?


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> which bit are you disagreeing with..?


 
Most of it tbh,

The assertion that serious training _MIGHT_ be required to post a quick time.
What do you call appropriate gearing and an appropriate amount of time, I am guessing the op hasn't got 24X36 mtb gearing and would like to reach the summit the same day he sets off. Regardless even to ascend using 24x36 would require serious training if for no other reason than the length of time he would be sat in the saddle spinning the pedals. There is a reason you see so many folk pushing bikes up the various cols and climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees and it isn't because they where trying to go too fast!


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> Most of it tbh,
> 
> The assertion that serious training _MIGHT_ be required to post a quick time.


 
that was your assertion - not mine. Are you now saying that serious training is 'not' required in order to post a quick time?



oldfatfool said:


> What do you call appropriate gearing and an appropriate amount of time


 
Appropriate to his level of fitness. What else did you think I meant?



oldfatfool said:


> There is a reason you see so many folk pushing bikes up the various cols and climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees and it isn't because they where trying to go too fast!


 
It probably was, tbh. Presumably they are pushing because they lack the fitness to continue riding at the level they were riding at. Ergo, riding at a lower level of effort or in an easier gear may mean that they stay on the bike for longer.

Congratulations on trying to turn the Alpe into some kind of mythical, elitist climb which must only be tackled by the super-fit. In my opinion, if you can walk up it, there is nothing to stop you riding up it. The only variables will be the gear chosen, the effort required and the time taken.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> Ride over to Holmfirth and tackle Home moss, then freewheel down and do it again, and again. when you can summit Holme moss in 15 ~20 minutes on each occasion then you can aim to tackle the alpe in under an hour.


no way will i be aiming to do it under 1 hour my father in law did 1,12 last year and i would class him as a cycling nutcase


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## screenman (31 Dec 2012)

Unless you are already the perfect weight for your height I would say lose some.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

screenman said:


> Unless you are already the perfect weight for your height I would say lose some.


thats the intention........from tomoz


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## black'n'yellow (31 Dec 2012)

bainy16 said:


> thats the intention........from tomoz


 
good idea - coz nobody who is overweight has ever made it to the top...


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> good idea - coz nobody who is overweight has ever made it to the top...


well now theres the motivation i need...... i know its going to be no easy task but that is 1 of my aims for next year,look a fool if i dont make it. plus the 3 riders who will be with me wont be impressed if i dont make it....so onwards and upwards i say.........let the training comence thanks for all the advice


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## ayceejay (31 Dec 2012)

Funny you should say that, the guy having a wiz was dressed in the finest Lycra making his figure resemble an Easter egg, in fact when I think about it none of the guys we passed going up on bikes were "the perfect weight" but I never saw any wasted skeletons lying about so they all must have made it.


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## screenman (31 Dec 2012)

That as you know was not my point, just that carrying extra lard means extra work. Trust me I have experience on that matter.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

screenman said:


> That as you know was not my point, just that carrying extra lard means extra work. Trust me I have experience on that matter.


2 stone to lose for me


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## screenman (31 Dec 2012)

Good luck, I lost 4 stone in 2011 not easy but well worth the effort.


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## oldfatfool (31 Dec 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> that was your assertion - not mine. Are you now saying that serious training is 'not' required in order to post a quick time?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I won't bother insulting you, but if you read your post it is you assertion that training MIGHT be reqd, mine is it will be. As for turning the Alpe into a mythical elitist climb, I have been up the Alpe, and many other climbs rated much harder than the Alpe riding a bike (something I would hazard to guess you probably haven't) so not mythical just realistic.

To the OP, sod it and just turn up on the day, sure you will be ok. Walking, riding, you have all day rite?


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

screenman said:


> Good luck, I lost 4 stone in 2011 not easy but well worth the effort.


well done .....secret to your success please


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## Pedrosanchezo (31 Dec 2012)

Bainy 16,
Sometimes, on here, you get good answers and not so good ones. I am almost sure though, in this instance, you are going to get the best answer from your father in law as to what is required of you. He may have ridden it before or he may not have but, as a keen cyclist, i am sure he has a good idea of the pace he is going to attempt.

He will keep you right. End of the day you wouldn't think he will fly away up it and leave you on your own?
He might even have some good training tips and, if you live close together, take you out on a ride or 10 to help.

Good luck though. Not many get to do Alpe D'Huez as a beginner. Lucky bugger.


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## bainy16 (31 Dec 2012)

i'm sure he wont leave me just keeps telling ride more more and then somemore with a little rest inbetween lol he as cycled in the alpes many times goes over several times a year(now that is lucky) we live about 80 miles apart so tends to cycle up to see us aleast once a month now plans on coming up more as i'm now getting into cycling hes already planning a few rides which we can do together hes not one for all the technical stuff just get out and cycle is his advice got my first 100k with him next week.found this forum is great place to search for advice but like you say everybody as different views but so far found the feed back to be really good


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## addictfreak (31 Dec 2012)

I did some climbing in Italy about 18 months ago. I was a little apprehensive to say the least. I was over there for a week, I hadn't really done any serious climbing before the trip. A few days out in the north Pennine, but in comparison with Italy the hills were no where near as challenging. We tend to have short steep climbs over here.
Anyway I need not have been worried I actually found the climbing much more enjoyable in Italy, even when it's a 28 km climb at an average of 6%.
The key is enjoyment, don't start off like a whippet or you will pay the price. Take it easy find your pace and stick at it. Getting to the summit is the ultimate goal, but there is so much to see and enjoy on the climb and if you are head down and arse up you will miss some great views.


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## lukesdad (31 Dec 2012)

Enjoy the moment, you don't know when you'll get a second chance.


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## black'n'yellow (1 Jan 2013)

oldfatfool said:


> I won't bother insulting you, but if you read your post it is you assertion that training MIGHT be reqd, mine is it will be. As for turning the Alpe into a mythical elitist climb, I have been up the Alpe, and many other climbs rated much harder than the Alpe riding a bike (something I would hazard to guess you probably haven't) so not mythical just realistic.


 
You sound awesome. You also sound like an old fat fool. You've probably been told that before though.



lukesdad said:


> Enjoy the moment, you don't know when you'll get a second chance.


 
BnY in agreement with lukesdad, what's going on?


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## Pedrosanchezo (1 Jan 2013)

lukesdad said:


> Enjoy the moment, you don't know when you'll get a second chance.


Never a truer word spoken!


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## Pedrosanchezo (1 Jan 2013)

bainy16 said:


> i'm sure he wont leave me just keeps telling ride more more and then somemore with a little rest inbetween lol he as cycled in the alpes many times goes over several times a year(now that is lucky) we live about 80 miles apart so tends to cycle up to see us aleast once a month now plans on coming up more as i'm now getting into cycling hes already planning a few rides which we can do together hes not one for all the technical stuff just get out and cycle is his advice got my first 100k with him next week.found this forum is great place to search for advice but like you say everybody as different views but so far found the feed back to be really good


Tell him to cycle to you. 80 miles should even the gap!! lol.

Just ride dude and be taken aback by the bug that bites you ten fold, that is cycling!! "Once you pop you can't stop".
Now i am sure that's for Pringles but seems more apt in this case.


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## screenman (1 Jan 2013)

*Bainy16, I stuck it by using myplate on the Live strong site, I still go back on it for a week or two should the belly start to grow again.*

Other sites may be available.


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## bainy16 (1 Jan 2013)

lukesdad said:


> Enjoy the moment, you don't know when you'll get a second chance.


i sure will try to enjoy it


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## oldfatfool (1 Jan 2013)

black'n'yellow said:


> You sound awesome.


 
I am awesome, but it is nice to be reminded, keyboard warriors and internet wannabees can make me feel insecure as a rule but now you have given me this lovely warm feeling


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## ianrauk (1 Jan 2013)

A thread ban is imminent for a couple of members.
Stop the sniping please.


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## lukesdad (1 Jan 2013)

ianrauk said:


> A thread ban is imminent for a couple of members.
> Stop the sniping please.


 
Sh1t Ian have you gone telepathetic all of sudden I hadn't even started


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## Booyaa (2 Jan 2013)

Peteaud said:


> http://www.strava.com/segments/alpe-d-huez-tour-de-france-661401


 
That must be the ultimate KOM to have!


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## Mark Walker (3 Jan 2013)

black'n'yellow said:


> good idea - coz nobody who is overweight has ever made it to the top...


Have to disagree with you there.
A work colleague of mine climbed it on Boxing day and he is way overweight .


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## black'n'yellow (3 Jan 2013)

Mark Walker said:


> Have to disagree with you there.
> A work colleague of mine climbed it on Boxing day and he is way overweight .


 
I'm sure that's true - I was being ironic, but never mind...


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