Specialist altitude simulator, Altium i10, has partnered up with the ‘Wolf Pack’ a group of riders undertaking a gruelling non-stop charity ride across the Alps this summer, from Geneva to San Remo, on Saturday August 12th.
The Altium i10 team is giving its backing to the feat of endurance, as one of the company’s partner coaches – Mike Duff of Halo Cycling Project – is behind the formation of the Wolf Pack. The charity ride across the Alps is supporting the incredible work of Save the Children and aims to raise £10,000.
Alan Montgomery, Director at Altium i10 explained that, “The Wolf Pack was set up by four friends and involves a non-stop ride of 500km, and includes 11,000 vertical meters of climbing. What joins the riders together is that they are all deeply moved by the suffering of children caught up in the refugee crisis, particularly in the war in Syria.
“So, they are getting on their bikes to raise some funds and do their bit to try and help alleviate the anguish of children caught up in this brutality. At Altium i10, through our partnership with coach Mike Duff we felt we had to support them, and put the word out to the wider endurance sport community.”
The Wolf Pack fundraising page can be found at justgiving.com/fundraising/wolfpack-gsr; and the endurance sport community is encouraged to donate even the smallest amount to help Save the Children.
Wolf Pack rider Mike Duff said, “Rather than just do something difficult and ask people to sponsor us, we created Wolf Pack – a ride so ludicrously challenging that it will be a badge of honour for any rider to complete it, and so brutally difficult that it will prise open people’s wallets and raise a lot of money for this urgent cause.”
He continued, “Wolf Pack is a dare. We will depart from Geneva just before dawn on Saturday August 12th, and roll down into the French Alps. We’ll head south, climbing some of the most iconic mountain passes in France along the way. As we near the coast we’ll take a left into Italy, and roll along by the sea into San Remo. The challenge is to be in San Remo by Sunset on the Sunday. That means we have to ride all night, over the high mountains. Probably the hardest non-stop cycling challenge in the world.”
The route is 500km. The 11,000m of climbing includes ascents of the Col du Télégraphe, the monstrous Galibier, Vars, and Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France.
Mike Duff added, “That’s something like three hard mountain days of the Tour de France, in a single ride, without sleeping. Another way of looking at it is that it’s more climbing than cycling up Mount Everest. We did say it was difficult!
“We don’t know for sure if we can do it. We don’t know how many will join us on the journey. We do know that it will be as spiritual and magical as it is brutal. Riding into the sunset, climbing by moonlight, and catching the first glimpse of the azure sea – these will be experiences that will live with the Wolf Pack forever.”
The invitation to join the Wolf Pack is open to all. Riders can gather their best riding friends and form their own Wolf Pack.
Further details on Wolf Pack can be found at wolfpackhowl.tumblr.com and interested riders can contact wolfpackhowl [@] icloud.com to find out more. The Wolf Pack fundraising page is justgiving.com/fundraising/wolfpack-gsr.
Based in Glasgow and officially launched in September 2015, at the Cycle Show in Birmingham, UK, Altium i10 has been making waves across the endurance sport community in recent months. Altium i10 is currently being used by keen amateur athletes competing at age-group level, along with elite cyclists, runners and triathletes aiming for the Olympic Games and the pinnacle of their chosen international sport.
Brand ambassadors include: the BMC-Etixx Pro Triathlon Team powered by Uplace; Rio 2016 athletes Callum & Derek Hawkins (marathon) and Hannah Miley (swimming); and former British Half Marathon Champion Jessica Coulson.
Unlike altitude tents or other simulators that can be priced in the thousands, Altium i10 has an RRP of £499. This includes the device and cartridges for the main 28-day altitude simulation phase. Cartridges typically last two to three sessions and can be bought separately at £10 per unit. A free iPhone app works with the device to analyze and track progress.
Altium i10 is billed as ‘the performance edge you have been searching for’. It offers a way of physically stressing the body to simulate altitude without overloading the body. It is a convenient and alternative method to deliver the endurance benefits of being at altitude.
