The Highlander is the Tour’s marquee event - it is a formidable Century challenge. It is a full century (105 miles), with over 10,000 feet of climbing in 18 major climbs, several at grades of up to 23%.

Suggested group start 7am, estimated ride time 7-8 hours.

The 10th Anniversary Highlander is significantly rerouted so that now the ride visits five lakes and climbs the hills (mountains!) separating them. (Area riders will recognise the course as the RBC Five Lakes Century with some changes). The Highlander now summits mountain passes such as Groveland Hill, Sliker Hill, Niver, Purcell Hill and Burch Hill. The Tour will visit new Towns such as Springwater, Scottsburgh, and Groveland Station. But lest ye Highlander fans despair, the Tour will remain true to its core and tackle many of the hallmark climbs of the first decade. Fabled climbs such as Le Grand Egypt, Mont. Ste. Millers, the now legendary steeps (23% grade) of Le Alpe de Bopple and the incomparable Col de Gannett, have all become Highlander staples.

The route will be marked with yellow chevrons on the pavement and in places where the Highlander and the Midlander courses separate the Highlander route will be marked with an "H".

You can open and save a printable PDF two page map, they are quite large files so are on separate pages: Page 1 and Page 2. Also you can save a Cue Sheet of the route. If you ride with a GPS unit, you can load the route from Bike Route Toaster. The page opens with the route map, click the Summary tab and follow the directions for downloading the GPS File. If you use Google Earth, you can download also a klm file and do a virtual tour of the Highlander ride. Note that most of the route terrain has low resolution, as evident in the images on the left (click on the image to enlarge).

If the Highlander is not a sufficient challenge try the Highathlon, which combines the highlander ride with a marathon run the next day.

Up to the challenge? Then go to REGISTRATION page.

PAST HIGHLANDER RIDER COMMENTS:

"I've done one thing tougher so far in life and that was taking lead down range in Iraq." - Sgt Chris Edgerton, USAF

"I rode the 6-Gap Century in Georgia in 2005.  The Highlander was more demanding." - Mike Corcimiglia, Rochester, NY

"I've done the assault on Mt. Mitchell, and this was way tougher." - John Price from NC

"...My sadistic Russian coach could take a lesson from you guys." - Member of US nat'l rowing team from GA

"Calling this ride a tour is like calling a canoe trip over Niagara Falls doing some whitewater." - John Swart, St. Catherines, Ontario, CA

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