NGAR, The Toughest Race in Georgia
The Berwald curse assures the worst weather of the season
Category: Team Checkpoint Zero
Shelter from the storm: Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2
In my mind, at least when gear & product reviewing, one wants to throw the ‘kitchen sink’ at the product to verify that what it claims in print is true. While the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 is a tent for 3 seasons we put it through an environment and terrain that I’m not sure the Seedhouse SL2 [...]
A different sort of AR training
A different sort of AR training
You know how it goes, pull into some random parking lot at the end of a dirt road. Unload and begin the process of changing into running shoes, filling bladders, packs, finding the topo map and compass. Amidst talking about what the weather will do today, where we plan on [...]
Dec 30, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: The Wrap Up
After all was said and done, our team of four placed 21st out of 40 teams in the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. We took away a lot of good lessons about stage racing, made a few new adventure racing friends from different countries, and had a great time. Coming off this race I think we [...]
Dec 30, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: Day Six, The End is Nigh
As we broke camp for the last time, the skies were still dark but the mood was definitely positive. For the most part, the final day was not going to change the rankings for us, but we still wanted to finish the race on a high note. The day would start with a 15km orienteering [...]
Dec 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: Pedaling towards oblivion?
Day 5 had us starting on bike from our camp in the desert. The first section was a 33.7km section to the Qasr Al Sarab resort. The top teams set a tough pace and we worked hard to stay with the leading pack, but luck was not on our side, as Jenn’s left pedal fell off during [...]
Dec 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: 110 Kilometers in the Desert
Sunday dawned clear and warm as would any other day in the desert of the Empty Quarter. The 3 hour bus trip the day before and arriving a few hours before sunset helped to reinforce what an amazing environment we were in. Sand dunes surrounded us and sand dunes the size of mountains no less, [...]
Dec 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: Paddling, fruit cake, and flamingos
We departed the corniche and set out into the Persian Gulf for the first paddling leg after completing the adventure triathlon in the morning. Two kayaks per team were provided with Peter and Julia in one boat and Paul and Jenn in the other. The boats provided by the race organization were sturdy and well equipped [...]
Dec 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge: Stage One Reality Check
Heading into the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, we knew that the large prize purse would draw a large and competitive field, but without first hand knowledge of the teams signed up, it was anyones guess as to how we would finish. As we toed the line for the first day, we were in for a [...]
Dec 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
The desert draws teams together
Since early yesterday morning, the teams have been struggling against the relentless heat and endless dunes of the Rub Al Khali. The leading teams completed the 120km at around 9h30 this morning – they were followed by a long string of teams throughout the afternoon.
Having contended with soaring temperatures (34°C) and an almost non-existent breeze [...]
Dec 08, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Teams defy the desert
At 07:00 this morning the teams left the camp at Liwa Dune for the first day of a grueling 120km trek through the Rub Al Khali – the legendary and unforgiving “Empty Quarter”.
By the time the teams reached the checkpoint at 28km into the stage, they were already strung out over several kilometres with the [...]
Dec 06, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Kiwis own the paddle
After a restorative night spent bivouacking on an island north of Abu Dhabi city, the teams set off early this morning for the long paddle back to Corniche Beach.
Last night, at around 20:00, the last teams to reach the island bivouac had to contend with the ebbing tide and surging currents as well as the [...]
Dec 06, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Fall of the house of Ussher? Not today…
With a rapid, 28km cityscape triathlon prologue followed by an arduous sea kayaking leg, the teams were thrust into the cauldron of fierce competition from the very start – some familiar faces set the pace.
At precisely 08:15 this morning, beneath clear blue skies, the teams took off at a cautious pace for the start of [...]
Dec 04, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Teams are set and ready to go
With the technical verifications completed, the 40 teams competing in the 3rd Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge are ready to take the start at 8:00 am local time this morning at 8:00 am for the first day’s racing.
This morning in the Rotana Park Hotel, after a team briefing covering the course, the teams went through the [...]
Dec 03, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
We’re huge in Abu Dhabi
Not really, but we found a short article about the race in the “Etihad In Flight” magazine:
Dec 01, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
It’s a LONG way to Abu Dhabi
We’re in the air on our way to JFK. We have a 4 hour layover before the 13 hour flight to Abu Dhabi.
Who’s hungry for orange goo?
Regardless of how tasty Chocolate #9 gels are, we will need to eat something else on our trek through the desert.
Nov 28, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
