Yak
Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic Takes 1st Place at Equinox Traverse
Charlie Kharsa, Matt Hayes, Mari Chandler, and Kyle Peter of Team Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic were off to Covington Virginia for the 2010 Equinox Traverse 2 day adventure race. Looking at the course layout and number of CP’s (19 mandatory, and 21 optional) the night before the race, Kyle predicted we would finish within 36 hours. We talked to the course director Chris Caul and he predicted the winning time to complete the entire course would be about 40 hours, we wanted to prove him wrong. This race was unsupported and with the exception of paddling gear, we had to carry everything we would need for the entire race from start to finish. We were a little concerned about the 83+ degree temperature and 90% humidity, but it would be the first race this year that we would not be freezing cold and wet at any point which would be a nice change of pace.
The race started with a 30-k bike ride. Unfortunately after fixing a flat tire we over shot the 2nd CP and spent about 1.5 hours looking for it and re-attacking the point. The CP was ‘optional’, but knowing we needed every point to win it was not optional for us to skip. Kyle and Matt worked well together and were able to finally get us to the control and we were back on our bikes, slightly frustrated, and in last place motivated to put the hammer down, and make up the time, and catch the front-runners.
We did catch one team at the final CP before getting to our canoes for a 65-k paddle. The first half of the paddle section was in Lake Moomaw followed by a 5-k portage down a paved road to the Jackson River for the remaining 28-k. While we were at the boat takeout we were told we were 1 hour and 53 min behind the lead teams, which was somewhat of a shock as we were not accustomed to being that far off the pace. We entered the river at 9:30 pm and the warm air mixing with the cold river water created a thick layer of fog over the water which was kind of eerie, and quiet, and we stealthily gained on some teams . We had been told earlier that there were class I rapids down the length of the river. What would normally be tiny little ‘ripples’ in the water during the day time sounded like raging white water to us in the dark and our headlamps were almost useless in the fog. But after we ‘survived’ the first few rapids we got comfortable running the river ‘blind’ and learned to navigate the small rocks. Earlier while on the bikes we had crossed a bridge over the same river and Matt had noticed that there were 2 gnarly strainers on opposite sides of the river hanging out over the water where the water was moving fast. He reminded us of this which was very helpful and we were able to maneuver around the strainers in the darkness without any trouble. Unfortunately 2 teams did not do so well, and had caspsized in the fog. We saw a team standing on shore and we asked them if they were ok, and they said they could not find their boat. A few seconds later we saw their boat upside down with another team’s boat also upside down and pinned against it into a large rock. We immediately pulled over to the shore to help them. 20 minutes later we had both boats on shore, and made sure they had all of their gear gathered back up and we were back into our boats and continued on our way feeling good to have helped out some fellow adventurers in need. Shortly after 1 a.m. we left the river and were off for a 25-k trek. We knew we had our work cut out for us as we were still 2 hours behind and were all motivated to let fly our feet and close the gap. We set a strong pace throughout the night working very well together, and by day light we had passed several teams and at the next TA we were told we were only 25 minutes behind EMS and ImOnPoint, the 2 lead teams.
After fixing another flat tire, we were back on the bikes and with our spirits high we hammered out the next 25-k bike section. We caught sight of EMS on an out and back section and knew we had closed the gap a bit more. We were now back in the hunt for the win, and we were excited to be racing once again. At the next TA we were able to unload some weight out of our packs as the this section was a 10 point optional orienteering section and we would be returning to the same area to pick up our bikes and gear again. With the heat of the day coming on strong, and starting to take its toll on all our competitors, we took off on the O course about 10 minutes behind EMS and ImOnPoint had not checked in as of yet. Kyle’s spot on nav and great route choice brought us back to our bikes with all 10 points and into the lead. We would NOT relinquish this lead, and wanted to push hard and stretch it out a bit. We were in the home stretch but it wasn’t over yet and we transitioned quickly and were off on our bikes. We had 28-k to go with 3 CP’s and a monster 3000′ foot climb ahead of us to the last CP at a look-out tower high up on the ridge and then a short rappel right as the sun was setting. What a beautiful sight and a welcome, albeit short respite off our feet. Once we finished the rappel we had a short hike back up to our bikes and were off for the final 25-k to the finish.
We hammered the final stretch, and we finished the race at 10:13 pm, with a race time of just over 36 hours (as predicted by Kyle…..) and our first win of the season after so many trips to the podium, finally a first. Yeah Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic! We had a great time at this event and take great pride in our ability to work well together as a team despite having a terrible start, and having to recover, we were able to rally and push on for the win. Thanks to Doug and Chris for putting on a great race. Thanks to EMS and the other east coast teams for great competition. As one of only two 4-person co-ed teams to complete the course, we are excited by the way the team is gelling going into the second half of the season. We are fit, experienced, and have some great races ahead. We are looking forward to seeing you at there Tahoe Big Blue in july and the Untamed Adventure race later in the season. It’s going to be a epic battle.
RoanokeOutside.com partners with ‘Gear Junkie’ for outdoor Treasure Hunt
RoanokeOutside.com – a resource for the Roanoke, Va., region’s outdoors – has teamed with GearJunkie.com, a top outdoors blog and publication, to host a one-day-only Treasure Hunt event in a Roanoke wilderness park on July 11th.
The event will be called “Gear Junkie’s Treasure Hunt: Roanoke.” More than $40,000 in outdoor gear – from backpacks to kayaks – will be given away to an estimated 300 participants.
Additionally, during the run up to the event, GearJunkie.com will hold online contests for its readers. Details including sign-up information and event schedule are available at http://www.GearJunkie.com/Treasure-Hunt-Roanoke.
“The Treasure Hunt is a first-of-its-kind event,” said Stephen Regenold, founder and editor of GearJunkie.com. “Roanoke provides a great venue for this activity, which will blend elements from adventure racing with a substantial gear scavenger hunt.”
Gear Junkie’s Treasure Hunt: Roanoke event is presented in partnership with Odyssey Adventure Racing, Roanoke Parks & Recreation, and Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
“The Roanoke region is one of the best spots anywhere for outdoor recreation,” says Pete Eshelman with the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “By teaming up with Gear Junkie – a nationally-recognized web site that specializes in outdoor gear – we hope to further solidify our region’s standing.”
ABOUT THE ROANOKE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP
The Roanoke Regional Partnership was founded in 1983 as a regional economic development organization for the greater Roanoke area that includes Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties plus the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the town of Vinton. Its program of work includes image building, asset development, and business recruitment. The Partnership has been involved in business locations and expansions that have created more than 13,600 jobs and $1.3 billion in investment in real estate and equipment. To learn more, please visit www.Roanoke.org.
ABOUT GEARJUNKIE.COM
Operated by Monopoint Media LLC of Minneapolis, Minn., GEARJUNKIE.com was founded in 2006. It is an online publication devoted to the outdoors, health, fitness, adventure travel, and all the gear and equipment associated with those pursuits. It is based off a nationally‐syndicated newspaper column of the same name written by freelance journalist Stephen Regenold, a world‐traveling adventurer/journalist with a home base in Minnesota.
raid the north extreme WEST KOOTENAYS moving to 2011
Organizers of Raid the North Extreme, the week-long expedition race which was to take place in the West Kootenays from September 4-12th, 2010, have decided to reschedule the race until late summer 2011, in order to take advantage of opportunities to make the event, and its impact on the region, as great as possible.
“We’re really encouraged by the support from racers, volunteers and partners for this event,” said Geoff Langford, the Race Director and owner of Frontier Adventure Sports & Training. “But we have so many opportunities with funding, television, and enthusiastic partners that repositioning the event to the summer of 2011 will really enable us to take it to the next level for all involved.”
Raid the North Extreme features adventure athletes from around North America undertaking something most people would never consider. Four person teams will test themselves in a 500 km adventure race - over 6 days, non-stop, day and night, they will mountain bike, paddle, trek, use ropes, and navigate an unmarked wilderness race course through the Kootenays.
Organizers are anticipating the announcement of a new date by the end of June, as they research other event dates globally and regionally, and analyze everything from historic weather patterns and water levels, to tourism patterns and flight schedules.
For more information, visit www.raidthenorthextreme.com, or contact Geoff at 1.888.295.8181 or [email protected]
Checkpoint Zero Signs on to Adventure Race Costa Rica
Team Checkpoint Zero will be travelling to Costa Rica in late August to throw it’s hat in the ring with an international field of expedition adventure racers at the Adventure Race Costa Rica, an AR World Series event.
Arenal Volcano
At the annual meeting of the AR World Series, held just after the end of this years World Championship, staged in Portugal early in November, Costa Rica got the OK from AR’s president Geoff Hunt. Alexander Baker, racer and co-organizer of the race in Costa Rica along with Antonio de la Rosa, racer an organizer of the Bimbache Extreme (next years World Championship), came to agreements with the organization. The race will be held during August 20th-28th, 2010.
The race will cover a wide variety of landscapes, beaches, warm ocean, dry forests, rain forests, cloud forest, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, whitewater and even a traditional local sport will be part of this fantastic race. The race course was carefully designed and scouted by de la Rosa and Baker: “We guarantee the racers to have a great time during the race”, “they won’t be bored with the same scenario, and the scenery changes constantly as you proceed the course”.
“All you need is your bike and trekking gear. The organization provides climbing and paddling gear. No need to bring loads of clothes, a rain jacket and a couple of cycling shirts and shorts should do”, adds Baker.
The race is sponsored by the Costarican tourist board (I.C.T.) and other local business. We expect to get a lot of teams from Europe. We already have one team from Finland, two from Spain, one from Portugal, one from France, one from Ecuador, one from Colombia, two from the U.S and three from Costa Rica. We have limit for the race of thirty teams. This because the race passes through protected areas and we want minimum impact to the environment.
The race organization will also offer for friends and family, an adventure tour that will travel along the race visiting strategic points along the race course, where they can watch their teams go by and enjoy different attractions like canopy rides, rafting, horseback riding and even the opportunity to see part of the race start from the air in a ultra light. While the racers are having fun in the race course, their family and friends don’t have to be waiting at the check points. They can enjoy the race as much or more than the racers (they will have time to sleep) and can be at the end of the race to celebrate with their teams. A great way to spend your holiday.
For more information visit the official race website at http://www.arcostarica.com.
Global Sport and Outdoor Brand Hi-Tec behind ‘Liquid Mountaineering” viral
After two weeks of worldwide buzz, Hi-Tec, the Global Outdoor and Sports brand has revealed they were the team behind the ‘Liquid Mountaineering’ viral which has taken the Web by storm.
The documentary-type film features three guys who run across a lake thanks to the water repellent qualities of their Hi-Tec shoes.
Simon Bonham, Hi-Tec Group Head of Marketing comments, “We wanted to create a piece of entertainment around our hydrophobic footwear and get people talking and thinking about the brand differently.” He added, “The idea was to take a traditional form of marketing and totally turn it around on its head, in the process capturing the fun spirited side of our brand. The reaction to the viral has surpassed all expectations; with people all over the world debating whether this could indeed be possible or not and even trying to do their own Liquid Mountaineering. We’ve even seen a number of entertaining attempts appear on YouTube and other places on the Web”
To create the viral Hi-Tec worked with CCCP, an independent ad agency in Amsterdam known for their award winning work for Dutch retailer HEMA. Liquid Mountaineering has become one of the most viewed and discussed phenomenon’s on YouTube in the past month. It has now featured on thousands of blogs. TV coverage of the film has included Japan, Brazil, Germany, the US, Australia, Korea, Spain, France and Georgia.
Simon Bonham continues, “After the initial buzz and well over 4 million views on YouTube to date, we thought it was finally time to come clean and unveil to the world that Hi-Tec were behind the viral. Whilst our shoes have some amazing liquid repellency features, even we still can’t walk on water… it was all a well intended hoax”.
Blackheart.com.au Wins XPD Australia
The XPD that seemed like it might never end … for supporters, organisers and no doubt the racers as well! Blackheart.com.au (1) hit the finish line in the evening of Day 7 at 20:55.
The Aussie team were the only team to finish Cairns XPD 2010 in a week. They had an unexpected last few kilometres without their rivals on their tails when Orion Adventure (40) withdrew due to an ankle injury in the morning on Day 7 during the final trekking leg back into Cairns. Up to that point these two teams had fought a sustained battle up the front of the field, particularly since the Chillagoe Station trek (Leg 8), This unfortunate withdrawal was a great disappointment, of course for Orion Adventure (40), but also for Blackheart.com.au (1), the other teams and all the supporters. This incident left Blackheart.com.au(1) far out front with plenty of space for the rest of the day.
McCain Adventure Addicts (51) from South Africa gained a lot of time and ground during the last trek (Leg 11) as they closed in on the finish line and came in second, scraping in 4.5 hours later on Day 8 at 01:23.
Merrell/Alkali (42) (13:15) from Canada/NZ/France managed to stay out front and take out third place ahead of Aussie team City Bike Depot (27) (14:41).
The other team ticking off the full XPD course on Day 8 was the first all men team from Queensland, Starfactor (52) (16:28).
Very few teams finished XPD in time to follow the State of Origin on Wednesday 26th … this had been the goal of at least one XPD team before beginning. Surely XPD is way more exciting though, no?
It looks like It’s All Good (33) followed by the Dancing Pandas (50) will be the next teams over the line …. whether night or day, HQ will be ready by the pool with champagne and pizzas!
MOMAR Squamish: New Champions, New Trails and One Big Old Rock
Team Corsa Cycles
There were new faces on the podium, and satisfied faces in the crowd following this year’s Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR), held this past Saturday in Squamish, BC.
After five years of being a race favorite, John Markez finally won his first MOMAR title, completing the race in 4 hours and 14 minutes. “In 2009, Markez was leading the race at the halfway point when he crashed during the mountain bike stage, and ended up in the hospital with a gash to his leg,” says Race Director Bryan Tasaka. “He ran a really clean race this year – it was great to see him come out on top.”
Trailing Markez by just over four minutes was the defending champion, Bart Jarmula of Revelstoke. Placing third overall and first in the team of two male category were teammates and former MOMAR champions, Gary Robbins of North Vancouver and Todd Nowack of Victoria.
Line Augaitis of Vancouver topped the podium for female racers, finishing in 5 hours and 30 minutes. Trailing by only 1 minute and 27 seconds was North Vancouver’s Lucy Eykamp, with defending female champ, Sarah Seads of Courtenay, coming in third at 5 hours and 42 seconds.
Squamish’s Shannon Collier Goetsch and Pamela Skeans were the first female team of two to cross the finish line, at 7 hours and 8 minutes. Michelle Steel and Shawn O’Toole of Ladysmith topped the team of two co-ed category, completing the race in 6 hours and 1 minute. First in the team of four male category and ninth overall were teammates Ryan Clozza and Barry Duplantis of Victoria, Jesse Wheeler of North Vancouver and Trevor Lang of Abbotsford, finishing in an impressive 5 hours and 16 minutes. Team Tag, You’re It, consisting of Victoria’s Ryan Clozza and Barry Duplantis, Jesse Wheeler of North Vancouver and Trevor Lang of Abbotsford, were first in the team of four co-ed category with a time of 6 hours and 46 minutes.
The 50 km Enduro Course began with a 1 km run around Quest University, followed by a three part, 35 km mountain biking section. The ride began with a steep uphill climb on a logging road, followed by some technical, uphill single track. Racers were then sent down the thrilling Half Nelson, a 2.5 km downhill section, which was a new addition to the race and a definite highlight. “The jumps, berms and tabletops of this trail left many racers saying they had never had so much fun on a mountain bike,” says Tasaka.
John Markez
Racers then traversed the Pseudo Tsugas and Powerhouse Plunge trails, arriving at an 8 km orienteering section where they had to bushwhack their way to find eight checkpoints. Racers then had to hike 600 meters up a granite monolith, the Stawamus Chief, followed by a 50 m rappel down a sheer cliff face. A waist-high river crossing through the frigid Mamquam River followed, ending with an urban run through downtown Squamish.
The 30 km Sport Course was offered again this year with 24 registered teams. The Sport Course included many of the same elements as the Enduro Course, excluding the trek up and rappel down the Chief. Teammates Kevin Reynolds and Scott Simser of Vancouver came in first overall, finishing in 4 hours and 26 minutes, followed by North Vancouver’s Matthew Peake and Jonathan Hawkes.
Over $1500 was raised for the Make A Wish Foundation, MOMAR’s official charity. A donation was also made to the Squamish Trail Society.
Once again, a huge thank-you goes out to the Squamish community and landholders for supporting this event. The next MOMAR will be held in Cumberland, BC on September 25, 2010. For more information on racing, volunteering and MOMAR training clinics, check out http://www.mindovermountain.com/momar or call 1.866.912.3331.
XPD Racers…Just Keep Going Forward
Another big day saw the two pull away leaders, Blackheart.com.au (1) and Orion Adventure (40), continuing to leapfrog each other on Legs 9 (MTB), 10 (kayak) and the final 60km trek (Leg 11) into Cairns. It’s anyone’s guess as to which team (and when) will be first to the finisher’s couch – it’s going to be close with still only minutes between them.
The majority of the field (34 teams still racing ranked) are spread over the Walsh River kayak (Leg 7) and Chillagoe Station trek (Leg 8) with the faster teams already well on their way from Mt Mulligan (CP17) to Lake Tinaroo (CP22) on the 130km mountain bike (Leg 9). This cycle leg travels from outback savannah country to the fertile tableland agricultural areas, and the navigation through the first third is proving particularly challenging for all the teams.
On the Walsh River, ten teams transitioned through CP15 during the daylight hours on Day 6. The site known as Nine Mile is located by the side of the river (the opposite side to where the trek begins) with plenty of sandy riverbed space for teams to spread out, enjoy a fire and rest under the shady melaleucas and river gums. It has been noted by the volunteers manning this CP, that the water level has been dropping about 10cm a day. This is taking its toll, especially on heavier and unranked teams (paddling three in a kayak), as so much of this Leg requires that the kayaks be dragged through shallows. The frustration of some teams is showing as they pull in, saying that the location is really pretty but that the dragging and navigating is terribly gruelling work.
A lot of teams have been paddling by day and resting at night, camping by the river side and making a fire, sometimes in groups of 3-6 teams. It is clear that this paddle leg has really deepened the camaraderie amongst the teams – the encouragement and genuine interest in each other’s wellbeing is great to see, yet so typical of the adventure racing breed.
- Blood, Sweets and Beers (43) – the paddle was like pushing a shopping trolley up Mt Kilimanjaro!
- Adrenamen (32) – What a BRUTAL paddle … but how fun!!!
- More Training Required (10) – a nice paddle but 70km to long!
- Goldfish (11) – the best leg so far!!
Teams have been reminded at this CP to take plenty of food for the next trek (Leg 8) as the fastest teams took 25-35 hours and underestimated their needs. At this point the racers are also re-evaluating their pace estimates for this leg, and even whether it will be at all possible for them to complete the course before Friday evening. In the meantime they can only just keep progressing onward with the positive attitudes and high spirits they are nurturing, for both themselves and for their team mates.
More racers have blisters than haven’t, and everyone’s feet are looking soggy and painful (before starting the trek). Adrenamen (32) have a theory that Craig, the race organiser, wants them to do everything with wet feet – proven by the trek starting with a river crossing! The teams are now more clued in and are leaving the foot drying and blister prep part of their transition until after crossing the Walsh, and in terms of the forewarned spear grass, at most it seems teams are priming little beyond wearing on gaitors.
Somewhat daunted and apprehensive about the length and difficulty of the remote trek, teams embark on Leg 8 anticipating its completion will be the key to their homeward run.
The trek is said to be difficult to navigate, especially at night as Orion Adventure (40) explains there is not a single track, road, fence or anything non-natural for 60km, and that they are not used to that. Merrell/Alkali (42) lost a few hours out on this trek but then regained it again later, proving that they will still be strong competition for McCain Adventure Addicts (51) who remain keen & ready to race them. On a lighter note Merrell/Alkali (42) shared that they have been having an interesting time translating / deciphering the team’s three official languages (Canadian, Kiwi & French), especially when interspersed with sleepmonsters.
As the winners, finish sometime on Day 7, their achievement will lift the drive and motivation of all the teams in their wake, reviving their goals to finish and just keep going.
Follow the race online at http://geocentric.geo-loco.com/xpd/default.aspx
Motoring to Midcamp on Day 3 of XPD
Day three and generally teams were onto Leg 5 cycling 130km of the Bicentennial Trail via Irvinebank and punctated by an orienteering trek at Stannery Hills. Reports from teams arriving at midcamp (CP11, Dimbulah) was that they loved the cycling leg a lot, despite the warm and fine weather. Some reports were that the orienteering quite challenging and the French team Wenger-Nam-EasyImplants (3) were particularly stoked about having seen so many kangaroos on this section.
Teams arriving at midcamp are generally in very high spirits, even the particularly bruised and battered. It seems that the cycling leg has given racers both the physical and mental distance and to put their stinging Misty Mountains experiences well behind them. It’s questionable whether the Muppets (39) will readily forget waking up on that trek with a leech in one of their mouths though! And Townsville Adventure Racing (18) blogged at Ravenshoe that their XPD was quickly turning from a race to an experience and soon to pure survival – so hopefully it will be full revival again for them with the treats and a break at midcamp.
Mid camp at Dimbulah started to fill up slowly from the afternoon – the kitchen kicked into gear cooking hot meals for teams and the tents beckoned teams to retreat and rest sited in the cool luxury of big shady trees. The IGA here is also seeing and increase in trade and many teams have taken a bee-line for the café – & volunteers are counting on these businesses extending their trading hours in response to XPD!
Blackheart.com.au (1) were the first team to leave midcamp with a lead of about 1.5 hours on Orion Adventure (40) – both teams leaving not a minute past the 6 hour mandatory break. The 20km wheelbarrow leg out to the Walsh River, quite a scene apparently – with a mountain of kayaks and paddle gear strategically packed and balanced. Only Blackheart.com.au (1) is expected to put in early enough to get started with some daylight paddling hours. The navigation and portaging on the remote Walsh River leg will be very challenging for teams, even in daylight, so it will be fascinating to follow the progress of the leading pack of teams overnight.
Follow the race online at http://geocentric.geo-loco.com/xpd/default.aspx.
XPD Australia Expedition Adventure Race is Underway
XPD racers boarded the buses out of Cairns at 0630 this morning for a two hour trip south to Mission Beach. Having discovered the main boat booked to transport everyone to Dunk Island had broken down, the event organisers had to recruit other services to help tackle the job as efficiently as possible. By 1130 and several lattes later (for those teams on the first boat) everyone had assembled for the absolutely final briefing, group photo on the beach and minute of quiet contemplative silence. Just before midday the starting gun fired – XPD Cairns 2010 is officially ‘on’!
Teams left their one (1) inflatable kayak, aka ‘raft’, on the beach while they took off ‘trekking’ at a rather cracking pace down the beach to scale the heights and circumnavigate Dunk Island. Within an hour Orion Adventure (40) and Merrell/Alkali (42) were the first back to get their boats and paddle over to Kumboola Island for the snorkelling component of this leg. The head wind and choppy conditions created a challenge for all and although the snorkelling visibility remained good (~ 10m) the buoys proved tricky for many teams to locate between the peaks and troughs.
The strong start established by Merrell/Alkali (42) took a hit when the team damaged their boat on an oyster covered jetty pylon as they left Dunk Island for the passage crossing to Mission Beach (CP2). This damage required repair which gave Orion Adventure (40) comfortable space to lead ahead and transition to Leg 2 at their leisure.
Though the boat reshuffle to Dunk Island before the start had delayed the anticipated kickoff time, the organisers’ concerns that teams could be paddling all night in the choppy conditions didn’t eventuate quite so. By 6pm half the field had passed through transition at CP2 and the two rear teams were departing Dunk Island. It seems that the tailwind across the passage worked to help quell the challenging swell and assist the heavy water and passenger laden ‘rafts’ ashore. The inflatable kayaks, when loaded with 4 paddlers on open water, became more commonly known as ‘yellow submarines’ on this leg … and vomiting featured as a familiar experience (repeatedly!) for quite a few teams during the crossing.
All the teams emerged from Leg 1 in pretty good spirits. For City Bike Depot (27), team bonding proved to be an inevitable outcome when 4 people paddle a Sevylor. It’s All Good (33) (more appropriately ‘It’s All Wet’ on this leg) said that they resorted to bad singing to get them through and several other teams sighted turtles and rays which also helped to elevate the mood at testing times.
Leaving Mission Beach, the teams will cycle 100km during the evening and night up the Tully Gorge, via El Arish and Tully, and then get to decide how they will make best use of their dark zone time … most probably sleeping!
Day 2 (Leg 3) will start at 0630 with teams trekking 9km from the dark zone area to the put in for rafting – the 10km of Tully River rafting (teams staggered 5 minutes apart – first in Wednesday, first out Thursday) will be one of the most thrilling and downright fun sections of the race. They will need make sure they exit the river quickly – no lingering for the resident croc at the edge!
After ‘easing’ into the race on Day 1 and following the fun of Tully River rafting, this is where the true competition and serious racing will really begin. The experienced and strong teams are already displaying their power and ease – so stay tuned for some major excitement to come in this XPD event.
Follow the race online at http://geocentric.geo-loco.com/xpd/default.aspx