539.4 kms
5,987 meters/ 19,642 feet

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Head North via roads less travelled into lake country, wilderness and serenity. Riding through well over 100 lakes and following the Red River for over 50kms, take on this rugged route and follow the water! While predominantly in the Laurentians, the route does spend some time in the Outaouais region (South-West part of the route). 

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The start is located a little over an hour from both Montreal and Ottawa, moving North into the remote Papineau Labelle Wildlife reserve, connecting east into the Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve and Mont Tremblant National park. With carefully planed re-fuel stations, please note the distances between re-supplies as they are fairly distant from one another due to the remoteness of the area. Also note cellular reception is quite limited along the route, GPS/ SPOT trackers are highly recommended, as is bear spray. 

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Finish the last 60kms via infamous Big Red roads; following the Red River from the Gray Valley, past the Tam Bao Son buddhist monastery, finally down infamous Scotch road to the finish.  

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IMPORTANT: The ideal time of year to ride the route is mid/late May through September 6th. Before mid may, a significant portion of the route is flooded, after Sept 6 hunting season begins in Papineau Labelle and Rouge-Matawin wildlife reserves which no longer allows for cyclist access. Keep in mind the remoteness.  

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Route gps file link available here; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39783633 (will be updated as needed, please download as close to your riding the route as possible, to ensure using most up to date version) CURRENT VERSION = FTW500 - 2022 OFFICIAL ROUTE - August 10th - 2022 

Race date/ grand depart; summer 2023.