I went to YouTube and watched a few videos and that’s exactly what I saw on descents in the videos. People going wide on blind turns barreling down descents. Just nuts. People are crazy.
Not just physically but grinding up hills is mentally taxing as well.
When I’ve ridden gravel up there on some of the roads they run the Southern Cross race on it’s just a mental and physical grind
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Six Gap is awesome. I have done it several times, but haven’t done it in the past few years. I hope to be able to do it this year. I actually like that they are doing Hogpen backwards. It is steeper from the north side but it is a shorter climb and the descent is a lot more fun.
Try to get up there as much as possible between now and the event. Being familiar with the climbs definitely helps. Don’t push the pace at the start and pace yourself as it is a long day in the saddle and you are going to get tired. Get in as much SweetSpot intervals as you can and even do them at a lower cadence to match your cadence on the climbs. If I have to go too long climbing at a lower cadence it really wears on me. Make sure your nutrition is dialed in.
I hope you have a great ride.
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I highly suggest trying the Gran Fondo National Series event in the spring that is out of Helen, GA, half of it is the same as 6 gap, half of it gets a bit less climby, but still hilly. Very well run event.
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I did the App Gap (Appalachian Gap) in Vermont on a Trek Trip, and really halfheartedly tried to train for it. (And I 
)
The climbing got me. Hard. But I did not take the sag wagon, but did walk it a bit. There is a video of me powering up the last kilometer, but it was pretty brutal. It was dry and not exactly cool, even though it was ‘fall’. I loved the scenery, and the views leading up to ‘the big day’ was beautiful, and that climb day was also amazing. Seeing more climbs after clearing a corner that was preceded with climbing was an experience.
I’d say work on recovery under effort for sure. If you can’t get a respite at level 3 or 4, I’d say work on that? (If you are doing this for time)
I tried to ride the ‘hills’ around where I live, and the hills there are just on a totally different level. Like they seem to never stop! THEY GO ON AND ON AND ON!!
Work on what hydration and fuel you need, and follow that data. Do cruel and brutal climb workouts and do them, don’t bail. I don’t think you can over train (well, you actually can) but if this is anything like the ride I took, only longer, get used to suffering, and climbing a lot. You need to get proficient at putting out power and knowing how hard you can push in the moment.
I’ve seen people that looked like they could climb a wall with their bike, and the use the terrain to their benefit. I was amazed, and their performance still seems to have escaped me. I tend to over power the climbs, and waste the moments where I could take a bit of time off and try to recover/recoup.
Prior to my surgery, I was doing 30/30’s and raising the recovery intervals because I knew it would be a long time before I could get back in the saddle, so I was trying to ‘pay it forward’, and it seems to have helped tremendously. But the first day back on took a bit out of me. Don’t be me, work on the suffering. You know what it will likely be like, and if the weather trends hold, it could be even worse: hotter, windier, rainier: worse. (I’d love it!)
But have fun, celebrate your training and accomplishment!! Enjoy the punishment!
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One advantage of being a Strava early adopter…. In 2010 I was 2nd overall on the Hogpen from 75 segment. Only about 20 min slower than Phil Gaimon’s current KOM. 
https://strava.app.link/RcaeOWufmKb
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