Newsflash: Yak Attack 2016.

The big news out this week, from Race Director Phil Evans, is the release of the new stage details for this years 10th Anniversary Yak Attack,

The rather appropriate tagline for the showdown in The Annapurna's is "Into the Forbidden Kingdom", reflecting the momentous decision to take the race high into the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal.

10 stages. 350km. 15000m of ascent, and 17 mountain passes above 3600m. The high point, as usual, is the mighty Thorong La at 5416 breathtaking (literally) metres above sea level.

That's right - 17 passes above 3600m.

I'm going to stick my head above the parapet here and suggest that this years edition is probably the hardest mountain bike stage race on the planet in 2016; surpassing even the legendary IronBike for brutality.

Entries currently stand at 74 riders. A figure almost as astonishing as the race stats themselves.

I hope that the race can continue to have a grassroots family feel to it even with the elevated number of entrants this year.

There are plenty of familiar faces returning for second, third, fourth, or more bites at this indomitable cherry.

There is the welcome return to the fold of high profile elites this year including Cory Wallace (Canada), Yuki Ikeda (Japan), and Sonya Ewonus - nee Looney (USA).

Other returnee's include such lovely people as Steve Edwards, Wendy Lyall, Brian Sweat, Paul Cooper, Zoltan Keller, Tania Tryhorn, Sonam Drukpa, Matt Rousu, Pete McCutcheon, Zbigniew Wizner,  and Tetsuo Shimoda.

My very dear friend and great adversary Tyler McMahon returns again for his record (for an international rider) fifth consecutive race. 

Nepal's great ambassador, role model, six-times National Champion, and five-times winner of Yak Attack, Ajay Pandit Chhetri will of course continue his unmatched and incredible run of having raced in every single edition.

I'm really looking forward to seeing plenty of my old friends, and meeting plenty of new ones too.

Did I forget to mention that I'll be there too? :D

I'm assisting Phil with officiating the race again this year and I can't wait. so much so that I'll be off out to Nepal at the end of September. Keep an eye out for my dispatches before, during, and after, the event.

In the next couple of months I'll be researching all of the riders and I will post my, now annual, prologue, discussing the likely movers and shakers, and highlighting one or two people to look out for.

If any riders wish to contact me with a few details I would appreciate it very much. The best way is via the Chase the Rainbow Facebook page.

Please consider giving your support to NCRR - Nepal Cyclists Ride to Rescue.

You can also follow Yak Attack here:

Facebook

Twitter 

Vimeo

All of the details for this years event can be found here

You can also follow Chase The Rainbow here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Strava

YouTube

Thank you for looking.

Please don't forget to Like, Share, and Comment, if you enjoyed it :)

Yak Attack - 2015. Inside out.

The NorthFace Nepal Yak Attack from TheYakAttack on Vimeo.

 ^^^ Check out the new video ^^^

Yak Attack 2015 was a very different experience for me this time. Race organiser Phil Evans asked me if I would be interested in supporting him with the day-to-day running of the event in one form or another.
We've become good friends over the last four years and I jumped at the chance to be involved. 
(For those that don't know; Yak Attack is an 8 day mountain bike stage-race held in Nepal and is considered to be one of the toughest races in the world). 

2015 had been a tough year in Nepal. The devastating earthquakes in April & May decimated not only communities but also much needed tourism. This was swiftly followed by a long and still ongoing border blockade, a political crisis caused by a short-sighted, and divisive, new constitution, and deep political corruption, that has resulted in chronic shortages of essential goods and fuel.
For Phil Evans to be able to convince and cajole 29 riders to take part in the race is nothing short of amazing, especially considering it was on the verge of being cancelled at one point.

I have actually raced it three times previously; in 2012, 2013, & 2014, and with mixed results I might add!
In 2012 it was part of a bigger adventure; the first half of my trip was spent trekking the "Old Expedition Route" from Jiri to Everest Base Camp with my friends Dave Slater and Wilco Voulon after which I stayed on in Nepal and took part in the race, more for the adventure than for racing.
In 2013 I decided to do it again to actually race it proper and see how I could do. Unfortunately it ended in disaster with a high speed crash on Stage Six which resulted in a dislocated shoulder!
Fortunately (sic) that year the race was being filmed as one part of a documentary series for Channel Five in the UK and I made a cameo appearance for all of the wrong reasons.
(You can read my account of that here in Part One and Part Two).
So in 2014 I had to return again! Fortunately it went well and I finished the race in one piece and happy with the performance I put in.
And that was supposed to be it for me, "No more!" was the cry!
But it's a special event, it is one of those races that pulls you back again and again. I'm not the only one with this affliction either, several international racers have returned two, three, and even four times. Paul Cooper, Yuki Ikeda, Peter Butt, Andre Deplechin, Sonya Looney, and Tyler McMahon are all multiple veterans.
2016 will be the Tenth Anniversary and it is set to be very special; if it can be pulled off logistically then the race might well have some new stages in The Forbidden Kingdom of Upper Mustang. I may or may not go back and race it once more; but then that's it, no more!!! Hahaha :D
This years event was definitely the best one yet, for a multitude of reasons, read on to find out all about it.

Eastern Promise: A cycling adventure in Nepal with ThamBikes.

Some time ago I was contacted by a lady I had met at one of our "Tongba nights" in Kathmandu, Jo Chaffer.

She was  embarking on a project (ThamBikes) to search for, and then package, new mountainbike routes and destinations in Nepal. Jo wondered if I "might be interested in getting involved?"

Let me think about that for a minute - "Would I be interested in exploring uncharted trails on my mountainbike in Nepal with the potential to follow it up with guided trips? Hmm?

Not many Benny!!! Absolutely I would!

And so it came to pass, that in March this year, I, along with my buddy Mitchell Bryan, found ourselves being collected from Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, by Jo and a couple of guys in a pick-up truck from Thamserku (Nepal's leading adventure travel provider, and partner in the venture).

Yak Attack 2015 - The Prologue.

It's Yak Attack time again!

Namaste!

Here's my view on the potential "movers and shakers" for this edition of the worlds highest mountain bike race in Nepal.

After the disastrous earthquakes that shook Nepal in the spring a lot of racers have deferred their entries until next years 10th anniversary race. It's a real shame but I can hardly blame them for being cautious, the recovery process is painfully slow and will be ongoing for many years to come.

However a magnificent 27 adventurous souls have still committed to racing in what is widely recognised as one of the hardest mountain bike stages-races on earth.

As a three-time contestant I can certainly vouch for its status, every year throws up different challenges and its "extreme" tag is well deserved. This year I will be out there supporting my friend, Race Director, Phil Evans with the organisation; instead of racing. It's actually something of a relief, and a personal challenge that I'm really looking forward to. I don't actually have a title but I think "Assistant Race Director" has a nice ring to it!

Well you've got to dream BIG :D

Once again The North Face (Nepal) have stepped up to the plate as title sponsors for The Showdown in The Annapurna's, and even with the reduced field there are some big guns lined up for the shootout.

Tyler McMahon warming up for the start of Yak Attack 2014.

Another milestone is to be surpassed this year. My friend (and great rival!), Nepal based USA rider, Tyler McMahon will become Yak Attack's most decorated international racer with his fourth tilt at this testing event. I'm not the only one with a passion for this race.

Tyler is always good for a strong finishing position and I'm certain he'll put on a good show. Good luck my friend, I'll be shouting for you (mostly, haha).

Shaken & Stirred. Earthquake Nepal.

Where to begin? Tough question.

Tough experience.

What remains of the magnificent Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu.

11.56am April 25th 2015

When the recent earthquake shattered the peace of Nepal I was caught right in the middle of it all.

Wilco Voulon, our friend Celine Hullemann, and I, were sat chatting and enjoying coffee on the first floor of Himalayan Java, on Mandala Street, in the heart of Thamel, Kathmandu (Just about the last place in the city that you would want to be under such circumstances, tall buildings, tiny streets, and packed with people and vehicles).
As we sat drinking I thought to myself "What's that noise?", a strange low rumbling sound outside; and then all hell broke loose. The building began to shake violently, stuff started falling off the walls. People screaming. Someone shouting "Get out of the building". We were already on our way.
Luckily we were close to the exit. The floor was moving under our feet, the doorway rocking from side to side, the whole thing was moving in three dimensions, and we were being thrown around. There was a lot of panic around us but I managed to keep my wits about me and remain relatively calm; perhaps it's a lifetime of solving problems, as an engineer, that gave me the tools to do that, or perhaps a lifetime of adventure that allows me to allows me to assess, and respond to, danger very quickly; who knows? I'm thankful for it now, whatever it is.
I was though still fighting the urge to panic.
We had to cross a small bridge, descend some stairs, and enter the street, before we could even consider anything else, and with debris falling all around us each split-second decision was gut wrenching.
I was shaken, like the buildings around me, to my very foundations.

I think it's time for another adventure! Yo-Yoing back to Nepal.

This week I am off on my travels again! :)

I'm heading out to Nepal for a couple of different adventures; two weeks of Mountainbiking, followed by three weeks of high-altitude trekking.

As you might imagine, I am looking forward to it.

This time around I will be travelling with friends again. Mitch Bryan is coming out for the first part of the trip which will see us out in Eastern Nepal, around Ilam & Kanchenjunga, recce'ing new routes for an upstart tour company called ThamBikes.

After that I am meeting up with Wilco Voulon for the trekking part.

Musings from the couch (potato).

Given the title of this piece you might well be thinking that I've been sprawled out on the psychiatrists couch, and to be fair that wouldn't be an unreasonable assumption. Although, let's be honest, your common or garden psychiatrist would probably have a complete meltdown, and require the services of one of their own practitioners, if they spent half-an-hour trying to psychoanalyse some of the stuff that floats around inside my head! 

Nope, the fact is I have become a couch-potato. There, I said it. It's out in the open.

It isn't entirely self-enforced, well, I say not entirely, what I mean to say is that it wasn't a concious decision; I fell off my bike. And broke my elbow. And two ribs. And my iPhone. Luckily the bike is OK, which is good, because they are expensive to repair. Ribs heal by themselves, for free.

Soooo, given that I have time on my hands, I thought I ought to do some catching up.

Earthing the current.

Earthing the Current.

I've been on an awfully big adventure!

The real problem with long trips and big adventures is coming home!

Now don't get me wrong with that statement, it's not that I don't like coming home, because I do, and I always look forward to the warm familiarity of family, friends, my own bed, my real life, even a little bit of routine; and I'm not the biggest fan of routine at the best of times! But it's oddly reassuring and it gets my feet back on the ground. And aside from all that I like to see my Son, and my Mum & Dad.

Most people, it seems to me, suffer from a touch of the "holiday blues"; I hear it all the time. Guy's I work with go away for their annual fortnight in the sun and then come back to work, regale us with their tales of lying around the pool, relaxing, getting sun burnt, drinking beer, and generally letting off a little steam, before they start to mope around for a few days and come out with the age-old statement "I hate this country, I wish I was still in "... (add destination of choice)..." and the timeless classic "I need another holiday, to get over that holiday!".

After longer trips, and especially those involving a challenge like the Yak Attack, the physical and psychological dynamic is slightly different.

The problem, as the title suggests, is earthing the current. Let me try and explain.

It's Time to Burn!

Nepal and The Yak Attack 2014

The Yak Attack Circus comes to town!

It's raining today in Kathmandu!

That's only the fourth time in the two months since I arrived here, so I can't really compain!

My source of all things Nepali, Jenny Caunt from Himalayan Singletrack, tells me that after today the Nepali Summer arrives.

Apparently it rains for three days towards the end of February (which it did) and then once more on Shivaratri, the day that Hindu's celebrate Lord Shiva. She was pretty much spot on with her prediction, except that it's two days late; Lord Shiva's "Birthday" was on Thursday. (Today is Saturday, but hey, who's counting!)

And tomorrow brings's the registration for The NorthFace Yak Attack 2014. The sun will surely shine on us for that :)

Yak Attack - Last minute tips for Nepal, and surviving Kathmandu! (and some inspiration!).

Kathmandu/Nepal.

If your idea of idyll is a tourist brochure paradise with all the comforts of a developed society it's probably for the best if you don't come! :D

However if you have a sense of adventure and wonder for the world, and you can leave a few of your "necessary" comforts on the doorstep, then this could be just the place for you!

Colours of Kathmandu.

For newcomers to Nepal, and particularly Kathmandu, the culture shock can be overwhelming.

Hopefully I can prepare you a little for what's in store.

Kathmandu can be a beautiful place to visit but it also has some environmental and social problems to which unprepared Western visitors might find hard to adjust.

The first thing to remember above all is that Nepali people are trustworthy and friendly. It is unlikely that you will be ripped off, scammed, or robbed. In fact it is more likely that you will get the better end of any deal! I have been followed down the road after leaving expensive items in cafe's and restaurants.

And, of course, a smile earns a smile :)

In the shade of the Banyan Tree.

In the shade of the Banyan tree.

An unmitigated disaster? Or a mini-adventure!

The start of a mini-adventure. The teashop at Mudkhu.

If you have no real grasp of irony, satire, or downright sarcasm this piece may not be worth continuing with. If however you are blessed with a certain sense of humour then feel free to enjoy.

Much of it was written "on the fly" and some of it was written post-ride each day so I apologise in advance for the mix of past and present tense. I've cleaned it up as best I can. And also for the mix of imperial (miles) and metric (kilometres) here and there, in Nepal they use kilometres but my Garmin GPS is set to record miles and I haven't bothered to change it over.

Day 1 - Monday 3rd February.

I left Kathmandu at 11.30am, bound ultimately for Manang, a beautiful town in the shadow of The Annapurna's.
The four mile ride to Mudkhu was harder than the usual easy spin carrying an extra 14 or 15kgs of backpack! I stopped for tea at Mudkhu knowing I had some big climbs ahead. It was going to be good strength training for the old legs.

The climb to Kakani was long but actually pretty steady as it turned out (on mostly sealed road). I was starting to enjoy the extra power I've developed over the last few weeks of long rides and huge hills. Faster would be even better!

The view from Kakani.

Let's go ride a bike (up to the highest height).

I've been riding my bike quite a lot lately.

Today I had a leisurely, and very early, ride around some Kathmandu Valley trails with my friend Jenny Caunt from Himalayan Singletrack, and some quality "urban" trails too given the condition of some of Kathmandu's roads & alleys (Jenny incidentally is also a first class KTM/Thamel restaurant/food/Thungba "guide" and has pointed me to all the hidden hotspots).

Jenny Caunt on our early jaunt!

In the last couple of weeks I've done around 600km of riding, some fun, some training. 
I've got a little regular training route now, starting in Thamel, heading out of the city on sealed road for about Four miles (6km) on the Trishuli Highway to Mudkhu (heading West and then North-West). From there I head off on a short steep climb up a small dirt road to the left of the National Park checkpoint. This "Jeep" trail winds its way around the perimeter of The Nagarjun National Park, undulating up & down for ten miles (16km) to a small pass at Bhimdhunga; and a perfectly located Teahouse. I can then drop down in to Swayambhu via little farm tracks back in to the city for a total of about 38km. What I normally do though is have a cup of tea, turn the bike around, and head straight back along the same trail. This adds another 10 miles (16km) to the ride and includes a testing climb of about 3.5 miles. I have also discovered a few alternative routes along the way, some by trial & error, some by mistake, and some with a little local help. I also found myself a really great bit of technical singletrack, some of which was so exposed that I had to push/carry the bike. The consequences of a mistake are a little too high! I'm not too proud to admit that nearly released a chocolate hostage a couple of times! Scary! I'll be riding it again soon.

A Taste of Nepal.

A Taste of Nepal.

Kathmandu has some amazing sights around every corner.

Sights, sounds, smells, and tastes all make up the delicious, myriad, flavour of Nepal. Although not all of the smells are that delicious!

I arrived in the permanently chaotic Kathmandu a little under three weeks ago, and it's been a blast. So much so that I haven't yet extricated myself out to the high mountains for some much needed altitude acclimation. The trails around the Kathmandu Valley rim are perfect for training, and the hub-bub of Thamel has been perfect for relaxing and having fun. The weather is warm (although the locals seem to disagree with me on that; 16-20 degrees Celsius is considered Winter in KTM. That's what we call Summer in England!) and the trails are dry.

Prologue: Yak Attack 2014. Here we go again!

Yak Attack 2014

Once more unto the breach...

The Showdown in the Annapurna's!

Yak Attack; the worlds highest mountain bike race. 8 brutal stages, 400kms. 12000mts of climbing. Heat, Cold, Altitude, Punishing Climbs, Hike-a-bike, Dust, Sand, Rock, Mud, River Crossings, Snow, Ice, Extreme Winds, Yaks!, and the mighty Thorong La pass - 5416mts.

Rightly considered as one of the toughest mountain bike stage races on Earth.

Devised in 2007, by the the devilish (but very nice man) Phil Evans of Extreme World Challenges, to showcase the talents of Nepal's phenomenal mountain biking community, and to test the mettle of the worlds hardiest riders. On both of those counts he succeeded! It is an awesome experience that tests not just your ability to ride a mountain bike but to challenge your ability to survive everything that The Nepalese Himalaya can throw at you. This isn't your common or garden stage race. Deprived of western comforts international riders find themselves in a remote, but spectacular, region; with minimal luxury, basic foods & facilities, harsh - saddle sore inducing - trails, the likelihood of "stomach issues", and debilitating levels of oxygen deprivation in the higher stages. It is a true test for the adventurous rider.

Yak Attack: The Essentials.

Yak Attack. What it's all about! (Image courtesy of Jeremy Dean)

With the experience of two Yak Attacks under my belt I thought that I would share some tips and advice with anyone who is registered, considering it, or just plain interested. It is all based upon my own meandering experience of the event and of my time spent in mountains, and at altitude, and in particular The Himalaya.

Initially I intended to discuss the problems and solutions to the limited kit allowance and how best to solve some of these issues without taking unnecessary risks; but with the announcement of an increase in the portered luggage allowance to 20kg, from 2014 onwards, some of these problems solved themselves.

There should now be no excuse for riders to take risks with kit choice.

Trekking Nepal - Part One. Jiri to Everest Base Camp. Setting the scene

Trekking Nepal. Jiri to Everest Base Camp 2013.

Wilco at The Kathmandu Guesthouse

After enjoying a successful and rewarding trekking trip in 2012, with both myself and our friend Dave Slater, Wilco Voulon had decided to organise a larger party, on behalf of his foundation – Autisme Sportief, to do the same trek in to Base Camp; with the addition of the prospect of taking part in the 2013 Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon. By a happy coincidence this year’s event was to coincide with the 60^th Anniversary of the Everest Summit (29^th May 1953). I was delighted when Wilco asked me if I would interested in helping with the guiding of the trip and jumped at the chance to take on this extremely challenging route once more. I also decided there and then to have a go at the marathon too. Well why not?!

Kathmandu!

Hi everyone. We arrived once more, safe & sound, in Krazy Kathmandu!

After an epic journey beginning in England on Thursday I finally touched down in Nepal on Sunday evening. 5 countries, 4 flights, 2 trains, and a minibus, saw me deposited along with my 22 Dutch friends at The Kathmandu Guesthouse. The oasis in the storm that is Thamel.

Thamel is buzzing as always with the vibrant atmosphere that makes it such a great place to hang out.

Not that Wilco and I had much time to hang out, we have been busy finalising the details of our trek and sorting out last minute issues. We did finally get the chance to grab a nice chicken wrap and a beer this evening.

Tomorrow morning we start early with a long, nine hour, bus ride to Jiri; the starting point for our trek on the Old Expedition Route to Mount Everest Base Camp. If our bus journey is anything like last years it will certainly make for an interesting experience (and the use of some spare underwear!).

We are looking forward to getting under-way now and we can't wait to get started on the trek.

The first few days are very hard but we have a great bunch of people with us and we are sure that it will be a lot of fun. The trek in from Jiri is so beautiful that it can make a grown man cry. It is a truly fantastic experience.

Hopefully we will be able to update you all on our arrival in Namche in about a week, however nothing is certain in Nepal! Last year we experienced the worst storm for seventy years and our arrival in Namche was greeted with no electricity, no hot water, and definitely no internet! It surely won't be like that this year, will it??? :D

Wish us luck!

Our love goes out to all our families and friends. We will see you all soon, healthy and happy.

Namaste!

Love from Neil and Wilco XXX

Nepali Boomerang!

Today I begin my journey to Nepal once more.

I am returning with my great friend Wilco Voulon to trek, in The Himalaya, with a large group of enthusiastic travellers from his home of town of Zwolle in The Netherlands; on behalf of Autisme Sportief and Autism Care Nepal.

I am excited to going with such a lovely bunch of people.

I am excited to be trekking in on The Old Expedition Route from Jiri to Mount Everest Base Camp.

I am excited to be attempting The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon on May 29th.

I am excited to be returning to one of the worlds most beautiful countries, inhabited by beautiful people.

I now have many friends in Nepal and I am excited to see them all again. They make me smile.

I fly initially to Amsterdam and take a train on to Zwolle for the night.

On Saturday we begin the long journey to Nepal.

Flying from Amsterdam via Dubai and New Delhi before finally arriving in Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon.

I am looking forward to guiding such a large group and the challenges & rewards that it will present.

The route in from Jiri is more beautiful than you can possibly imagine and the high Himalaya is all that you can imagine. The scale of these mountains is impossible to convey with words and images alone. They are colossus's in every sense of the word. I will try, when connection allows, to give you a taste of this magical place throughout our journey.

I am going to try and make a short video too, of the people, places, and sights.

Thank you to Carolyn at Derby Runner for the sound advice on trail running shoes, and to Osprey Packs (Europe) for helping me out with a pack.

My thanks also to the knowledgeable staff at Outside in Hathersage, Derbyshire for their advice (and fab cafe). 

But most of all my sincerest thanks go to my old friend Wilco for presenting me with such a great opportunity. And to my mate Mitch for being such a great source of inspiration and for always beasting me whenever we train or ride together.

Thanks to Phil Evans of The Yak Attack for his inspiration and for proving that ordinary people can achieve the most extraordinary things. Phil also happens to be the only person in the world to have completed both the worlds highest marathon (Everest) and the worlds highest mountain bike race (Yak Attack). On May 29th I hope to join that very exclusive club!

When Wilco conceived this adventure a little over a year ago I had no idea that it would become as personally significant to me as it has. With the loss of my beloved cousin Darren last October (a passionate mountain runner) it has become a personal pilgrimage to honour his memory in the most fitting way I can. We loved him more than he will ever know.

On May 29th I will crawl across that finish line on my hands & knees if I have to.

Darren Holloway. August 10th 1970 - October 7th 2012.

Yak Attack 2013 - Part Two.

Yak Attack - Those Two Imposters!

Hmmmm... CAKE!

I'm sure most people will be familiar, in some form or other, of Rudyard Kipling's very famous poem "If". And "If" you aren't then it's worth looking up. It's a great poem about humility, respect, honesty and decency, in a British Empire stiff-upper-lip kind of way. Bear with me.

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,

And treat those two imposters just the same,..."

"... Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a man, my son!"

Read on.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Yak Attack 2013 - Part One.

Yak Attack - Half Way to Paradise.

In Nepal they refer to their natural terrain as "A little bit up, a little bit down"; I think I can safely say that my experiences of this years Yak Attack were a bit like that!

It's a very tough event, it's considered to be one of the hardest endurance races on the planet; it's tough on the rider, both physically and mentally, and tough on the bikes too.

It's also much more than just a mountain bike stage-race. It's an adventure unlike any other. It simply cannot be compared to any other stage race, there are no similarities.

The terrain, the conditions, and the trails, change dramatically throughout the whole event.

The early stages are punishingly hot and dusty. The mid-stages start to cool and the altitude begins to take affect. The high-stages are very cold, and the altitude becomes debilitating, at the highest point oxygen is 50% that of sea level. All of the stages are very rough, and each and every one has lung-busting climbs, every stage is hard.

Added to all of this is the piece de resistance - The Thorong La - a high pass, sitting at 5416m which has to be hiked over; it is simply too steep and too high to ride.

And just to add further to the competitors discomfort, you are allowed only 10kgs of equipment. Factor in spare parts, a sleeping bag, high altitude clothing, and other necessities, and you are left with very little room for extra's. (Read in to that as "no room for extra's"!) It takes some creative thinking and a lot sacrifices to make the weight. (This will be changing for the 2014 event and riders will be allowed a momentous 20kgs).

Spartan accommodation, less than beautiful bathroom facilities, and pretty basic foods complete the equation. It is a race for the adventurous not the squeamish.

It's a roller-coaster of a challenge; and I love it!

------------------------------------------------