Hills of Hell

After much deliberating, I have decided to register for the Hills of Hell race in Lawton, OK on March 8th. The course is just about 18 miles in length made of very steep and rocky single track.

The scary part for me is the mass start. In the past they have had upwards of 400 participants of all skill levels on all sorts of equipment. The is a recipe for disaster just waiting to happen, especially if you have my skills and luck. If I survive the start, this race will focus on my extreme weakness, climbing. They do not call me Heavy D for nothing.

One article described the ride like this...

The Hills of Hell takes place on Fort Sill, Oklahoma's rugged granite slopes. Better known as the stomping grounds for the great Comanche Chief Quannah Parker and Apache Chief Geronimo and the notorious James Brothers, the Wichita Mountains provide the perfect setting for the world's #1 sport.

With craggy, gut-wrenching climbs, house-sized rocks, wet-your-pants downhills, and spiders as big as your hand, there's nothing mild about this ride. While the distance may seem a bit short for many experts, the difficulty factor ensures that nobody finishes begging for more.

I found a few photos from past rides that might give it just a little perspective: