Muggaccinos.com The Bullsheet Click on pointer on map to display 7 day weather forecast for nearby Nowra

Monday 7 Nov to mid-arvo Sunday 13 Nov '11 - 8th annual King of the Mountain Challenge in Illawarra & Southern Highlands - Click on "November "Push On"

Option to drive from Sydney to Kiama early Saturday morn' for the final two tough KOM Climb days. Following our Saturday ride, at 2:52pm catch the train from our finish at Albion Park station south to Kiama station and pick up you car at Kiama, thence drive from Kiama to Berry Showground

The Attendance Schedule for this year's 8th KOM Challenge lists 38 cyclists, so far, who have indicated they were coming to Berry, with another 6 awaiting responses. 32 cyclists attended last Nov. Three wosses, Justine aka Trumpeter, Caroline aka PrincessCaroline and Greg aka ArchitectToo have booked the same apartment as last year for Thurs, Fri and Sat night. Real cyclists camp under the stars.

Muggaccinos invite you to join the 8th annual King of the Mountain Challenge from Mon 7th Nov to Sunday 13th Nov 2011 inclusive (or any of the days therein), with most camping at the verdant Berry Showground which adjoins the 20 yards Berry Swimming Pool for $10p/n with warm showers, to cycle seven 60km approx Hilly Day Rides (Monday to Sunday inclusive) in the Mecca of scenic cycling country, namely the Southern Highlands, which include all 14 KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region. Cyclists are encouraged to log a Climb Time at KOMpm.com. Each day's ride heads Westish to the escarpment/mountains.

On three of the seven morns' we catch trains from Berry station to nearby -

* Wed. - Albion Park station to climb Macquarie Pass and Saddleback Mountain up Fountaindale Rd;

* Sat. - Kiama station to climb Saddleback Mountain up Saddleback Mountain Rd and Jamberoo Pass; and

* Sun. - Bomaderry to climb Cambewarra Mountain from both sides, and also up to the pristine Cambewarra Mountain Lookout Cafe

If you aren't up to serious climbing, shorter / flatter routes are available between Berry and

* East quiet countryside to Seven Mile Beach's National Park, picnic area and surf and return - 16km

* To Bomaderry via Sth down Wharf Rd, Ahead into Coolangatta Rd, R into Bryce's Rd, R into Back Forest Rd, R into Bolong Rd to Bomaderry and retrace - 44.4km

* picturesque Gerroa Beach - just a few flat kms away.

* rustic Gerringong and Shoalhaven Heads.

Detailed Ride Descriptions for the following Day Rides are accessible in "Rides Calendar 2011 - Oct to Dec" at a URL under the distance eg ''52.6 in the 'km' column for the particular date, or in the 'km' column below:

#	Day	Date	Route	Climbs	km
Day 1	Mon	7th	11am Start Berry Showground, climb Berry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley, climb Woodhill Mountain descend to Berry	2	47.1
Day 2	Tues	8th	9am Start Berry Showground, climb Woodhill Mountain descend via Wattamolla Rd to Kangaroo Valley, climb Cambewarra from Kangaroo Valley, descend to Bomaderry, then back-roads to Berry	2	64.5
Day 3	Wed	9th	8:03am train from Berry arriving Albion Park 8:47am, climb Macquarie Pass to Old Cheese Factory, descend Jamberoo Pass, climb Fountaindale Rd to Saddleback Mtn, descend Saddleback Mtn Rd to Kiama station for train to Berry	2	65.7
Day 4	Thurs	10th	8:15am Start Berry Showground, climb Berry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley, climb Barrengarry Mtn to Fitzroy Falls, climb Berry Mountain to Berry	3	76.3
Day 5	Fri	11th	9:30am Start Berry Showground climb Woodhill Mountain descend via Wattamolla Rd *to Kangaroo Valley, climb Cambewarra Mtn, then climb to The Lookout Tea Rooms, return along Tourist Rd*	2	55.1
Day 6	Sat	12th	Drive to Kiama or catch 8:58am train from Berry arriving Kiama at 9:18am. Climb Saddleback Mtn Rd to entrance, then to Lookout, descend Fountaindale Rd, climb Jamberoo Pass to Plateau, then into Robertson to The Pig ' Whistle Cafe, descend Macq Pass to Albion Park station	2	70.8
Day 7	Sun	13th	8am Start Berry Showground and cycle 17km down main drag to Bomaderry or catch 8:32am train arriving Bomaderry 8:42am for coffee at cafe outside train station, climb Cambewarra Mtn to Kangaroo Valley, climb Cambewarra Mtn from Kangaroo Valley, returning along to Berry Tourist Rd	2	63.4
				16	442.9

Click on: Train timetables for South Coast:
(a) in case anyone wants to catch a train from/to Sydney and Berry, and
(b) on 3 of the days we catch a train from Berry to commence from Albion Park Rail, Kiama and Bomaderry. Due to the local train being only 2 carriages, we will drive a few cars with bike racks to those train stations, and catch the trains back there after the rides to pick-up their cars.

Our camp ground is 200m from train station. Trains take 3 hours from Central Railway station to Berry station and only cost $4.70 single fare.

Trains from Central Railway station to Berry station.

Click on: Mon to Fri - where trains depart Central at 7:57am, 9:27am, 11:28am, 12:28pm and 1:28pm arriving Berry station approx 3½ hours later

Saturday morn' - Departing Central station at 6:40am arriving Kiama station 9:13am (just in time for 9:18am train coming from Berry)

Sat & Sun - Berry station to Central station

Berry station 1:40pm to Central Railway station 4:57pm. Berry station 4:58pm to Central Railway station 7:58pm

Click on: Accommodation in Berry if you don't want to camp at quaint Berry Showground or the weather turns nasty

Click on: Directions to Berry and camping at Berry Showground

Click on: Meals at night for an array of fine restaurants befitting the quaint Berry township - toast of the Southern Highlands

Click on: Pics taken at first three annual Berry KOM Challenges

Click on: Pacific Pete's movie of Fri 17-18th Nov 2006 Berry "King of the Mountain" Challenge produced by Peter Tyson

Click on: Scribe's rap-up and pics from 4th Berry "King of the Mountain Challenge Series" - 21 Climbers over 7 glorious days

Click on: Pete's pics of 2009 KOM Challenge

Click on: Pete's 2009 Berry KOM movie

Click on: Bank Teller's pics of Berry 2009

Click on: Pics from Berry 2010

Click on: 2011 KOM Challenge pics

Bank Teller expects -

(i) circa 40 hill climbers will participate at some time over the 7 days of cycling from Mon to Sunday inclusive; and

(ii) a few cyclists to Climb all 11 arduous, spectacular KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region and log their Climb Times in KOMpm.com.

The Climb Reports menu available in KOMpm.com include 'Climb Region Reports' for each 'Age Division', so the website displays 'Climber Rankings' for the Illawarra Climb Region 11 Climbs.

It doesn't cost you anything -

(i) to indicate your interest in participating this November; or

(ii) if you have to bail-out at the 11th hour.

Download below poster for Berry KOM Challenge and invite your bike shop to display it, because more good road cycling "product", such as this annual 7 day assault on all the marvelous mountains in the Southern Highlands and Kiama, will induce more people to road cycling the best concentration of serious climbs in NSW:

* Word version

* HTM version

Risk Warning: King of the Mountain Challenge is targeted at road cyclists who have climbed lots of hills. The ride schedule between Monday and Sunday entails climbing and descending 11 marvellous KOM Climbs. Take the descents slowly, even if the cyclist ahead is ripping down the mountain. One badly taken corner in concert with a motorist coming up the other way, could result in a bad accident...............for you, where they may need paint scrappers and blotters to get you back up. The challenge is in the climb, not the descent.

ScribePJ@Bigpond.com 0434 715.861