Pea Gravel paradise on the Munda Biddi Trail

The Munda Biddi Trail (which means path through the forest in the Noongar Aboriginal language) is a 1000 km off-road, hard out, mountain bike ride that takes you from Perth to Albany in South Western Australia. The trail has you traveling on coastal paths, forestry roads, rail trails, technical single track and remote four wheel drive tracks. You will experience surfaces from soft sand to pea gravel and hard packed dirt. You will pass through towering eucalyptus forests, unspoiled bushland and farmland. You will see emus, kangaroos, kookaburras, magpies, parakeets, crows, flies, spiders, iguanas, pelicans and lots more. The weather will deliver every weather pattern known to mankind. This ride is a true off-road mountain bike touring paradise. It is an incredible wilderness experience and pure bliss to someone who loves mountain biking and being in the outdoors. I give this trail a 10 out of 10. Put it on your bicycle bucket list for sure.  

Here is our account of the trail.

According to a number of blogs and the official trail website, the recommended number of days for completing this trail is around 20 or so. Unfortunately, when booking the air tickets I failed to notice this and decided that we should be able to knock it off in around 9 days. After all, how hard could 1000 kms through the Aussie wilderness be? In my infinite wisdom I also thought that it would be simple for us to get a ride or catch a bus from where we were staying in Augusta to the trail start in Albany as it looked a short distance on the map. The few kms down the road turned out to be over 400 kms. To cut a long story short we were extremely lucky to get a lift and to be dropped off 30 kms short of the Albany and the start of the trail. 

Day one: Albany to Denmark

Our first day on the trail started at 4pm with a 30 km reluctant road ride to Albany to the start of the Munda Biddi trail. We tried hitchhiking with passing motorists by putting our thumb out as they drove past, but most of them just tooted and waved. In retrospect it was unlikely anyone was going to stop for us. We finally arrived in Albany and had a quick chat to a guy who had just completed the trail on a fat tyre bike. After a startline photo we were off following the well-marked Mundabiddi trail and trying to make it to Denmark for the night so we could keep to our schedule and make our flight out of Perth 9 days later.

We broke two rules this day – don’t ride at dusk and don’t ride so fast you fall off. Last time I rode my bike at night in Aussie I was hit by a Kangaroo and broke my thumb. I made a decision never to do it again. However, here we were surrounded by massive red kangaroos riding into the night. I was prettified and found myself constantly scanning left and right and braking whenever I saw something move.  We had also been warned numerous times of the perils of pea gravel on this trail. It is gravel that is round and acts like ball bearings. We knew it was risky riding at night as it is harder to see,  however there we were hurtling along at breakneck speed when nex minute Emma was eating the dust. Luckily, she only had minor bruising and no real damage to the bike so on we peddled at a more sedate speed respectful of both the wildlife and the track surface. We rolled into Denmark around 8.30pm with 75kms on the clock and made our way to the YHA. Ah bliss dinner, a hot shower, and a bed.

Day two Denmark to Walpole

We were anxious to get a good days riding in so were up at 5am ready to rock and roll. The trail started out along the coast and our first stop was a beautiful beach called green pools. Here we met some lovely locals who shared their chilli chocolate with us and tried to convince us to take a swim in the crystal clear water. Unfortunately, it was a tad on the cold side so we softed out. The day turned out to be a mega mission as we headed inland and went up and down every ridge in sight. We were on the road for 12 hours and 44 mins,  climbed 2247 metres and descended 2229 metres, our highest point was 233 metres and we travelled 149 kms through to Walpole. We had a bit of everything on the trail from wide gravel roads to narrow single trail and hard packed pea gravel to soft soft sand.  We had a swim in a freezing river, managed to lose the trail, got attacked my March flies, met three other people riding the trail in the other direction, saw a snake, swallowed a fly and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We arrived into Walpole elated but exhausted and searched for a place to stay. It was just on dark and everything looked closed. We found a nice restaurant for dinner and pigged out on a steak pie. We even got the chef to make us lunch for the next day as all the shops were closed. We then headed towards the information centre and found a nice warm baby changing room where we set up our beds for the night. Let’s just say it wasn’t the best sleep we have ever had …

Day three Walpole to Northcliff

Once again we were on the bikes at the crack of sparrows eager to make the most of the daylight. We were treated to a variety of trails and scenery and even came across a total of eight others doing the trail – all in the opposite direction. It was interesting to see the different gear people had, some had the kitchen sink and trailers others had the basics, some had gps to navigate by, others like us had maps and three guys were simply relying on the trail markers to get them to their destination. We managed 10 hours and a half hours on the go (including breaks) travelled 120 kms saw one vehicle, 1 snake, 1 lizard, 1 wild cat, 1 kangaroo with a joey and managed to spit two flies out. We rolled into Northcliff around 3pm more than happy to be off the bikes as we both had some descent chafing. We found a supermarket to stock up supplies and then headed to the camp-ground to find a nice hot shower and a comfy bed for the night.

Day four – Northcliff to Manjimup

We started the day with an awesome breakfast of scrambled eggs made with free range eggs given to us by the campground owner – delicious. One of the campers had warned us that the wind was going to pick up and the weather turn for the worse so we were on the road by 5 am hoping to beat the bad weather.  Although we covered 121 kms and climbed over 1600 metres this day was a relatively easy day with awesome trails and scenery and lots to stop off and see. We both rated it as the best day yet. The highlights of the day were finding a café with sensational coffee, having a delicious lunch of blue cheese, crackers and salad, climbing a 54 meter tree, spending the day on free flowing single tracks, passing through a pine plantation and not seeing many flies or mosquitos. After 10 hours or so on the go we were more than happy to find ourselves in Manjiup. The last 10 kms were straight into a howling headwind so we were pretty pleased to be heading indoors for some shelter. We ended up staying in a motel as the back packers was full and lay in our comfy bed after a hot shower and a massive dinner listening to the rain on the roof and the wind howling outside. Ah bliss.

Day five – Manjimup to Donnybrook

This turned out to be a bit of a lonely mega day, we covered 160 kms and were on the road for 13 hours and didn’t see any other cyclists. It started off cold and wet which was not pleasant.  We were both miserable and struggling a little with our headspace contemplating a day in the rain and cold. Luckily the rained eased off and we found ourselves at a quaint little café at Donnelly Mill, what a bonus as we were simply expecting a dilapidated old mining town. Whoop whoop we treated ourselves to carrot cake and coffee and left with caffine in our veins feeling a lot more positive about the day. About an hour down the trail we discovered we had left the wallet behind at the café – doh – reluctantly we unpacked our gear, stowed it in the bushes and navigated our way on roads back to the café. To our relief it was there and back we went to the bikes. Once back at the bikes we were stunned to see a road train truck travelling about 100 kms an hour down a narrow gravel road. We counted our lucky stars we were not on the road at the time.  The day was full of ups and downs with soggy wraps, soggy lollies, a massive gravel road detour due to fires and bikes creaking due to the mud and grit. However, once the rain cleared we appreciated things a bit more and enjoyed fly free and cool riding for most of the afternoon.  We noticed a real change in vegetation and trail type today, the forest felt smaller and more dense. We saw lots of Kangaroos, 5 baby emus and fifteen adults, 1 impressive eagle and one aggressive iguana.  We rolled into Donnybrook just on dark, found a supermarket then a back packers, had a hot shower and a meal of fish and chips and called it a night. The full moon was stunning.

Day six – Donnybrook to Yarri campsite

The way things had fallen for us we had managed to spend every night in a town and hadn’t yet experience one of the awesome shelters provided for riders along the trail. Today we were determined to sleep out so decided to by-pass the town of Collie and set our sights on the Yarri campsite. We were now confident we would make the trail in 8 to 9 days and not miss our flight home, so were able to relax a bit and focus more on the journey rather than the destination.  We woke to a beautiful morning with a full moon and rather chilly temperatures. Our first mission was to ride to a town called Boysup for a coffee. Unfortunately, it was average but nothing could dampen our spirits as we were quite excited about taking a more leisurely approach. We spent the day riding and chatting and re-capping on highlights of the ride so far.  The trail was slightly disappointing as much of it was overgrown, sandy and messy but we still managed some good climbs and awesome descents. We travelled 100 kms with1160 meters of climb and 992 meters of decent. This was our shortest day for a while with only 8 hours on the go. We arrived at the Yarri shelter mid afternoon, set up camp and prepared dinner. We spent a very pleasant evening with a 71 year old guy from Aussie called Jim who was doing the trail on his own.
 

Day seven – Yarri Campsite to Dandalup campsite

Wow what a day this was – it was hot hot hot, hot as hell. We managed to hit the trail early and stopped for morning tea at the Logue brook dam campsite hoping to gain some relieve from the heat, however the campsite was full of people and March flies so we didn’t dwell. We then pushed on to Dwellingup our least favourite town of the ride where we restocked and tried to escape the soaring temperatures. We met nobody on the trails and only saw the odd emu, the bush was small and scrappy but at least the trails were not overgrown. We made a slight boo boo and sent ourselves on a detour which took us smack bang into a huge mining road 50 or so meters above us – whoops we were then forced to back track to find the real trail and a tunnel through the road. For the second time on the ride we learnt not to disregard signs that send you on a detour. We ended up travelling 140 kms spent 13 hours on the go with 9 of those hours ride time we climbed 1937 metres and descended 1817 meters. The trails were full of loose pea gravel and sand but we now considered ourselves pea gravel and sand drifting experts and didn’t get too phased by this. For the first time on the ride we met two hills we couldn’t ride but we were rewarded with stunning views of lakes and rivers. We limped into camp just on dusk and were treated to spectacular panoramic views.

Day 8 Dandalup Campsite to wherever we get to.

Wow what a night. Hot as hell and pesky mosquitoes. We awoke to the most incredible electric storm. We could see the lightening in the valley below and hear the thunder so without hesitation we shut off the alarm and decided it was a better choice to stay safe and snug in our sleeping bags.  Before long it was directly above us the thunder cracked and rumbled shaking our shelter and the lightening lit up the dawn sky, then the heavens opened and the rain teamed down. After the storm had passed we braved the day and set off on some incredible single trails only to be hit by another furious storm a few kms from the next town Jarrahdale.  We put head down and bum up hoping not to be hit by lightening and high tailed it into the town where we arrived dripping and filfthy. Luckily the café had an outside area and we soothed our souls with scrambled eggs, a shepherds pie and coffee.  Once the weather settled a bit we were back on the rail aiming for either the Carinyah Campsite or the finish of the trail in Mundaring. The trails were reasonably fast flowing although the downs were interspersed with tough climbs and lots of pea gravel. I narrowly avoided a near fatal accident involving pea gravel, a tree and  and a sharp left turn at speed but apart from the it was pretty uneventful.  We didn’t see anyone on the trail but we did see 15 emus, 10 wallabies, 2 goannas, and 1 short tail lizard. We covered 91 kms in 8 hours 30 mins with 6 hours ride time and climbed 1348 meters and descended 1285 meters. We cruised into the Carinyah campsite mid afternoon and debated whether to spend one more night on the trail or to push on to the finish and get picked up 43 kms down the track. We decided to spend another night on the trail in order to really appreciate what the munda biddi is all about.  We had an awesome afternoon washing clothes, chatting and enjoying the surroundings.

Day nine – Carinyah Campsite to Mundaring

Wow this was our last day on the trail. We woke up sad to be ending this trip but also grateful to have experienced it. The trails were awesome nearer the campsite but soon turned into rutty rocky steep climbs and we were glad we hadn’t pushed on as this section turned out to be tougher than we thought. After 4 hours of pretty tough riding we cruised into Mundaring and the end of the trail. True to form we headed for the nearest café and ordered scrambled eggs and coffee. What a great feeling – we had pushed ourselves to our limits and achieved the goals we set. We felt calm and quiet and at peace. However, we then had to ride 40 kms to Perth to the place we were staying at. Arrrgggh cars, people pollution … at least it was pretty much all dowm hill.

Tips

Use this site http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/

Plan according to your fitness level

Allow plenty of time

Invest in the maps

Never ignore a detour

Travel as light as you can without compromising safety

Make sure you are self sufficient

Take water purification

Take a fly net

Take a mosquito net or coils if sleeping out

Don’t forget your camera

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Taking on the Search for the Lost Amphibian – An adventure race for all levels and ages

This year's September edition of the ARC adventure race on the Coromandel Peninsula was titled the Search for the lost Amphibian. In order to cater for as many people as possible there were lots of different course options ranging from a six hour supported event to a 12 hour unsupported event with a kayak option. Teams could consist of 2-5 people. We chose to enter the 12 hour, supported, kayak event in a team of two. We arrived in Coromandel town relatively early on Friday evening so we could get our bikes boats and gear checked before the briefing which was scheduled to take place at 8pm. This paid off for us as we didn’t have to queue and were able to head back to our accommodation for dinner prior to the briefing. The hall was buzzing when we arrived for the briefing as teams discussed the race and speculated where the course might go. The briefing itself was straight forward and there were no real surprises except for the weather map that the organisers put on the big screen showing torrential downpours and thunder storms. The announcement that we would be abseiling 25 metres below ground into a water-filled mine and swimming out via numerous passages also drew a few nervous gasps from the crowd!! At the end of the briefing the course was revealed and the team captains were asked to collect the race notes and the maps of the course. We wasted no time in heading back to our accommodation to decide on our route choices and to prepare our gear and food for the day. We are well aware that planning and preparation is the key to a good race. The more time you can spend analysing the map the better your chances are on the day of not getting confused or lost. That night the heavens opened and the thunder and lightning was intense and right above our heads. We lay in bed wide awake wondering what race day would bring and dreading the thought of being out in such conditions, it was hideous. Lucky for us the weather gods were smiling on the race organisers and we woke to a beautifully sunny and calm morning. Our race began on Saturday morning at 8.00am at Tucks bay which is a couple of kilometers from Coromandel town. The 12 hour non-kayak teams started just before us and we watched teams build their rafts out of tyre tubes, pieces of wood and string. There were a plethora of different models, some more sea worthy than others. It was hilarious seeing teams attempt to paddle their craft around the point, there were people everywhere. Some teams were doing more swimming than paddling … Lucky for us we had chosen the kayak option so headed off in our double kayak for a 12 km paddle to find checkpoints on a number of the islands off the coast. The conditions couldn’t have been better and we were all smiles and laughs as we paddled off into the stunning scenery. We couldn’t believe our luck given the weather the night before. It was flat calm and we made light work of the first leg coming into transition at the front of the bunch. After a quick transition out of the kayak we were on our bikes heading out of Coromandel town to Te Kouma harbour. We then headed up onto private farm land at the end of the Peninsula. Wow, talk about awesome scenery. Although it was muddy and covered in fresh cow pats we loved every minute of it. It was cool to see so many school teams out on the course working together to find the checkpoints and helping each other negotiate the mud. The next part of the ride was in forestry and we were very careful to keep a close eye on distance, direction and altitude. Forestry areas are notorious for having numerous roads that are not marked on the map so the only way to get through them is to be aware of your general direction, distance travelled and altitude. Our vigilance paid off as we managed to find the two or three checkpoints in this area without too much confusion or backtracking, unlike some teams who struggled to match the map with what was on the ground in front of them. We finished the bike leg with a steep climb to Castle rock feeling pretty good that we hadn't been passed and that we had caught up some of the 12 hour non-kayak teams. There was a transition here and we were very pleased to see my Dad had nicely laid out our gear for the next trek leg and had sandwiches and pink buns ready for us. We quickly changed, grabbed some food and headed off into the mist to find the checkpoint at the top of Castle Rock. Unfortunately there was no view as it had started to rain but as our strategy was to travel as fast as we could to get as much of the course completed in daylight, we weren't planning on hanging around anyway. The next section of this trek was off track so we knew that we needed to focus again on direction, altitude and distance. Once we hit a checkpoint on a high point we took our time checking our compass and height to make sure we had hit the right ridge and constantly checked our direction to ensure we didn't stray off a spur or lose the ridge completely. This strategy paid off and we made good time skipping through the supple jack and crawling under trees and branches. Once we hit the road near the transition we relaxed and tried to keep up a good pace along the gravel road. We were a bit faster than Dad had expected and we caught him out coming up the road for a stroll. The next trek leg involved the abseil so we packed our helmets and wetsuits, had another good feeding session and headed back onto the course excited about the adventure ahead but quietly nervous about the water levels in the mine. We made good time to the mine and also picked up an optional checkpoint on the way. On arrival at the mine we put on our wetsuits and head caps, donned our harnesses and approached the entrance to the mine where the abseil began. After a brief explanation from the instructor, we went one at a time into a big black hole 25 meters underground into the mine. The water was freezing but we knew we had no choice but to plunge in and navigate our way through the tunnels passed the occasional plastic rat, crocodile or snake to get the four checkpoints that were placed in various shafts. At one point the water was just under our armpits and our shoulders were screaming from trying to keep them out of the water. We were relieved to see the light of day at the exit and burst out of the mine giggling with excitement. All we had to do to complete this leg was to run back to the start of the mine, grab our packs and then head down to the town of Coromandel which was all downhill. We ran as fast as we could, partly as we were racing but mostly to warm up. Once again Dad had everything set up at the transition and we grabbed some food and put on some warm clothing before heading off on the final mountain bike plus shooting leg to the finish. Dad had cleaned our bikes and yelled out to us to keep them clean!!! That did not happen as we were soon skidding our way through muddy farm trails and trying to avoid more fresh cowpats. We arrived at the shooting without any drama and were pleased it was still daylight as the metal duck targets were quite some distance away. I got to shoot the large ducks and Emma got the small circles - let's just say the ducks must have been much easier!! From the shooting it was just five minutes to the finish line. What a great feeling! We had survived the course, got every checkpoint, made no real mistakes and finished before dark. We finished in just under 11hours and first place overall. I would highly recommend this event to anyone interested in getting into adventure racing. It is more than your average adventure race; the mystery activities are a great challenge and a lot of fun. We had a ball! Thanks to GU for fueling us and to the ARC for such an awesome event. If you want to give adventure racing a go, the ARC are running another event on March 14-15 2015. They have a 12, 24 or 8 hour race…. Check out their website, www.arcevents.co.nz

The Great Southern Brevet 2014 - report

Someone once asked me what my dreams for the future were and my answer was "I just want to ride my bike." When I saw the Great Southern Brevet advertised a few years ago I knew it was something to add to the ever expanding bucket list. Luckily this year things finally fell into place and a fellow adventure racing team mate Emma McCosh and I locked and loaded the event into the race calendar for 2014. The Great Southern Brevet is a 1100 km off- road mountain bike adventure. It is an unofficial event which means that riders must take responsibility for everything - the organiser just provides the course and the infrastructure - the rules are simple - all participants must navigate their own way over a pre-determined course and they must stop for a block of at least 4 hours in every 24 hour period. All riders must also carry a spot tracking device for safety and to allow friends and family to follow their progress. Emma and I arrived in Tekapo the Friday before the start and spent most of the afternoon eyeing up other peoples gear and reorganizing ours. It seemed that most people were super experienced and were travelling reasonably light in terms of gear. We were determined not to be seen as the newbies carrying too much but we also wanted to make sure we were going to be safe if we got caught out in bad weather and that we could be self-sufficient and stop whenever and wherever we wanted. We spent the night fretting over whether to take the tent or not but in a last minute panic just before the start decided to ditch the tent and risk finding places to sleep without it. This year the event started at Lake Tekapo outside the Church of the Good Shepherd. What a beautiful location. It was an amazing feeling rolling down to the start line and seeing the 70 or so other participants from all over the country and Australia lining up ready to take on the 1100 km adventure ahead. Day one - The plan for the day was to settle into a nice rhythm and enjoy ourselves and to get as far as we could before stopping for the four hours mandatory rest. We weren't sure how far we would travel or what the terrain would be like so we didn't bother pre booking any accommodation. The start hooter went off and it was all on. What a great feeling to be setting off on such an unknown adventure. The first climb was a bit chaotic with riders crashing into each other and vying for places, but before long the field had spread out and we were able to relax into the ride. The first section of the ride took us over a small pass then dropped us into Lake Pukaki. Wow the scenery was so stunning we had to keep pinching ourselves to check it was real. Before we knew it we were in Twizel. We raced into the supermarket to supply ourselves with food for the next few days and nights and headed back onto the course. Emma was feeling pretty chuffed with herself as during the brief stop she had managed to buy some new pink cycle gloves – (she had forgotten her others) The next leg was a bit of a bash and a push over Flannigans pass followed by a whoop whoop descent of epic proportions and then a speed trial along the Alps to Ocean trail into Omarama. We raced into Omarama on dark and were relieved to find the fish and chip shop still open. With eyes bigger than stomachs we ordered half the shop then sat in the corridors stuffing our faces and sculling coke. Whilst in the act of eating we decided to push on until midnight and try and get over the next pass to Top Hut up the Manuherikia valley. The next 20 kms or so were a bit of a disaster as our bodies struggled to digest our fish and chips and we tried to relentlessly push on over the next pass. Finally, around 11.30pm we saw the hut and were stoked to find a couple of beds free and the fire already lit. Ah bliss – time for four hours sleep. Day two – 4.30 am and the alarm was ringing out loud. Luckily there were three other riders in the hut with us who were also getting up at that time so it made it a little easier to get motivated. Brrrr off we went into the dark and straight into 20 or so freezing river crossings. Once on the move we soon warmed up and half way down the valley we stopped to eat a breakfast of baked beans and remove our outer layers – somehow we had managed to buy baked beans and sausages – I’m just saying the sausages were not well received! We were petty amped to get into Saint Bathans and our next check in point – I had visions of a quaint little café serving eggs and mushrooms. Sadly we passed through St Bathans around 7 am and it was as dead as a door mouse with no one in sight. We couldn’t do much but push on so headed out of town deflated and disappointed into a rather annoying headwind which stayed with us for the rest of the day and nearly did our heads in. The next pass up Thomsons Gorge over to Tarras was a real battle it was up up and up and straight into a 90 km headwind. Talk about soul sapping each corner we went around nearly resulted in us either being blown backwards or off the track completely. However, we knew that sitting down on the road crying wasn’t going to get us there so we dug deep and soldiered on telling jokes to try and make light of the situation. Finally, we made it over the pass into Kurow and once again ordered far too much food. We spent a bit of time here staring into space and dreading the next twenty or so kms into Hawea which was directly into the headwind and a menacing looking cloud. Reluctantly we got back on our bikes and put heads down and bums up into the brutal wind. We struggled all the way to Hawea and at one point threw our bikes down on the side of the road swore at the wind and stuffed our faces with more food. Finally, we reached the shores of Hawea. The weather was taking a turn for the worse and it was starting to pour down so we were quite relieved to be turning our backs on it and heading down towards Wanaka. The Upper Clutha river track to Wanaka via Albert town was a hoot but we were pretty knackered and struggled to appreciate it fully. Once in Wanaka we flopped to the ground on the waterfront and spent a few minutes staring into space before debating our next move. Our dilemma was this: it was only 7pm and we still had a few hours of daylight, we had a place to stay in Wanaka with a warm bed and a hot shower, the next 2 hours of riding was reasonably flat and would be good to get under our belt whilst we had a tail wind, the riding after the flat was over the Crown range and quite extreme and we didn’t want to be up there at night, we were knackered and would benefit from a good rest, Emma was starting to get a bit of a cough and rattle … we went around and around debating our next move before settling on staying in Wanaka the night having a good night’s sleep and then heading off a 2am the next morning. Given our competitive make up pulling the pin at 7pm was a hard call as it felt like we were being soft and giving up. However, once we arrived at my friend Jacky’s house had a shower and sat down we realised how tired we were. We could hardly string two words together and around 8.30pm had to excuse ourselves for an early night. Ah bliss a comfy bed! Day three – Unfortunately, for us the night wasn’t as peaceful as we’d hoped. I was fretting about relentless forward motion and having stressful dreams and Emma was coughing her lungs out, struggling to breath and starting to develop a weird lung gurgle. What a mess we were. We missed our 2 am alarm completely and jumped out of bed feeling completely shattered around 5am. Back on the road we went. The next section along the Cardrona road passed without incident but then it was ALL on. We spent the next 5 hours pushing our bikes up Tuohy's Gully to Tuohy's Saddle and then along the ridge to on the Rock Peak Track to the Crown Range. Man it went on and on but again we knew that the only way to get to our destination was to keep soldiering on. By this stage Emma’s asthma wheeze had become even worse and she wasn’t in good shape. Both of us turned a blind eye to it and tried to pretend it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. However, deep down both of us were secretly processing the thoughts that maybe our ride was over. I kept checking Emma was ok and she kept assuring me she was fine – even though I later learned that her arms were going numb !! Phew at long last we hit the downhill and massive ride towards Arrowtown. After fixing a flat tyre we sped into Arrowtown and headed straight for the Medical clinic desperate to get something to relieve Emma’s symptoms. We needed to keep an eye on time here as we were keen to catch the Earnslaw sailing across to Walter Peak that day and avoid overnighting in Queenstown. After grabbing some Ventolin from the doctor we sped off toward Queenstown hoping to get there in time. Just out of town my derailleur started playing up and we stopped a few too many times to try and sort it. It was so frustrating as we were so close but it felt so far. Highly relieved we rolled into Queenstown with only an hour to spare before the next sailing of the Earnslaw – we frantically dropped our bikes into Outside sports to get a new tyre and a derailleur repair, raced into the shops to replenish our food supplies and ordered some hot noodles for the ferry ride. Luckily, things fell into place for us and we arrived to board the Earnslaw slightly stressed but in the nick of time. As we were queuing to board Natalie, Emma’s friend appeared out of the crowds – how nice it was to see a friendly face and get a boost of moral support. Arrghh how blissful was the trip on the Earnslaw. We filled our faces with noodles, supped on chilled ginger beer, caught up on the stories of the other 12 or so riders on the boat and put our feet up. Our only wish was that it was longer. Before we knew it we were off the boat and facing a massive ride to Mossburn through the Mavora lakes with another unfriendly headwind. Reluctantly, we got back on our bikes and headed into the lakes. The scenery was stunning which made up for the brutality of the riding. We struggled on into the headwind and later on into the bitter cold determined not to stay the night up near the lakes which seemed so bleak and desolate. Our plan was to get to Mossburn and try and find a verandah or something but 10 kms out of town in the cold and dark at 11.30pm we decided we’d had enough and started looking for some kind of shelter to sleep in – after a couple of disappointments we turned the corner to see a massive, well lit, shearing shed. It was lit up like a Christmas tree and seemed to be beckoning us. Wow we couldn’t believe it. We pulled over all smiles. I was about to put my mattress down on the poo and mud of the shearing shed floor grateful for the shelter from the elements to provided. Emma looked at me and said what the hell are you doing? – let’s go upstairs and inside!! I guess a farm upbringing has its benefits!!. I followed Emma and we found ourselves in a room with lights, toilets and hot water – what a score. Feeling chuffed we sat down for a dinner of salad and chicken and settled in or a night of sleep in our warm little shed. Emma even made herself a wool mattress. Unfortunately, the Ventolin hadn’t given Emma much respite and she had the night from hell – wheezing, coughing and hardly able to breathe. It was like sleeping next to someone who is having their last breath. During the night I decided enough was enough and that we would pull out the next day in Mossburn. The alarm went off at 4 am, then 5 am then 7am but we decided to wait as long as possible to give Emma more chance to recover. However, when we heard a car pull up outside the shed we bolted out of bed and sheepishly made our way down to our bikes. Luckily, the farmer was sweet with our trespass and simply gave us a wave and a smile. Day four- Day four started with us feeling a bit down and out and thinking we were riding to Mossburn to pull out. On arrival at Mossburn we discovered there were no doctors for miles so rang a friend in Alexandra and asked her to make an appointment for us that afternoon. Now we were committed to keeping going and getting to Alexandra but we were still dubious Emma would make it that far. Back on the bikes we hooked up with Bruno Geldermans and made steady progress helping each other tackle the headwind. Just out of Garsten we picked up Julian Morton and the four of us struck up a friendship pretty quickly. We stopped in Garsten for a caffine fix and to restock food and then headed up the Nevis Valley towards Clyde as a group. From here on in the four of us rode together. The ride up the Nevis was something out of another century, and an experience we will never forget. We were invited to have tea and biscuits with a lovely lady called Anne, what an experience being in one of the original settlers homes and hearing all the stories of past generations, we rode passed an incredibly good looking stockman with fresh white teeth and a couple of beautiful horses. We looked for the film set for a Speights advert as it was sooo Southern man, we crossed over 30 or so rivers and had the pleasure of experiencing our first ever tail wind of the ride. The end of this ride over Duffers saddle and into Clyde was bloody hard work as we were all completely trashed, but lucky for us a friend of mine and multisport legend Bernice Lepper rode up to meet us and delivered fresh cherries and apricots at our feet. Wow what a buzz !! We were almost in tears at this point. Bernie lived at the base of the descent into Clyde and invited us all home with her. We were too late for the doctor for Emma so decided to sleep the night and reassess her health after a good night’s sleep. We soon found ourselves in a spa with a glass of wine and all the fruit and food in the world. The four of us were like pigs in shit – boy were we feeling blessed! Ah bliss a hot shower and a comfy bed.

Racing the 15th edition of the Coromandel Classic

What an awesome weekend we have just had. It doesn't get any better than the Coromandel Classic. It doesn't matter who you are or what you are training for, if you enjoy the outdoors and a challenge then this event has something for you. The scenery is unbeatable and the atmosphere is one of support and friendly banter. You can take on the full challenge and enter as an individual, hook up with someone and do a traverse team of two three or four, or you can get a team together and share the load. Teams range from 2 -4 people so there is something for everyone. Doing it in a team means you don't need a dedicated support crew and you only have to do the legs you are good at. This year the organisers added a duathlon option so even if you don't have a kayak or a kayaker you can now do the duathlon. I have done this event twice before as an individual but this year I opted to do the two person traverse option with Emma McCosh. The fact that she currently holds the course record for an individual female had me a little apprehensive but I backed myself to keep up with her and trusted that she would play the team game and keep an eye out for me. The race started at 7am on a particularly brisk morning with a 16km mountain bike up the Kauaeranga Valley. Our hands, ears, noses and feet were frozen for the duration of the ride but the stunning scenery made the gravel bash and numbness worth it. It was great to hear conversations in the bunch as people caught up on each other’s news as they warmed into the first leg. As we wove around the numerous potholes and jostled for position Emma was particularly thankful to CYCO for having got her shocks replaced the previous day. Our tactic was to ease into the day and to use this ride as a warm up for the 27km mountain run. We were fully aware of conserving a bit of lung and leg capacity as the tendency is to go hard at the start and to get into oxygen debt which is almost impossible to recover from on the run. So we put all our efforts into getting into a reasonably quick but not too fast bunch all the way to the road end and the transition to the run. Before we knew it we were off on the run which begins climbing almost immediately following old Kauri logging and packhorse trails past the Pinnacles and onto the summit. Wow, what a blast! This must be one of the best technical off road runs in the North Island. It had everything from a lung burning climb to the summit, technical muddy downhills; to a leg thrashing descent which was topped off with a 9 km gravel grovel. Amongst all this focus and pain were views to die for. It really was stunning looking out over to the Coast. Luckily for us we both felt pretty strong on the run and neither of us entered the hurt box at any stage. This was a huge relief for me as I had been fully expecting to suffer horribly on the gravel as I had done in previous years. I'm guessing that having someone to talk to and making sure we were well fuelled with GU gels and chomps, took the focus on the pain away It was a great feeling running into the kayak transition knowing we would get a chance to sit in the kayak and rest our feet. After a quick bite on a peanut butter sandwich and another squeeze on a GU gel we were on the water paddling our hearts out. The conditions were perfect and it was nice to be sitting in the back of our double kayak safe in the knowledge we weren't going to have to worry about falling out once we hit the open sea after Whitianga. The 17km paddle to Cook’s Beach was stunning with the sun glistening off the sparkling water and the tide not causing too many problems. We thought the tide was going to be against us and had planned to hug the shoreline but then noticed the moored boats were still facing up stream so stayed in the main channel and managed to pass a few boats that were hugging the coast. Once again having someone to chat away to made a huge psychological difference to this leg. However, we were more than happy to catch sight of the beautiful white cliffs indicating the turn into Cook’s Beach and the end of this leg. Whoop whoop! Now it was simply a matter of a short 28km scenic ride over Pumpkin Hill to Tairua. A group of three riders caught us up and we worked with them until the bottom of pumpkin hill where they promptly pulled away from us and left us entertaining ourselves trying to think of words with pumpkin in them to get us up the hill. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, roast pumpkin and on it went…... Once we hit the top it was all downhill with sweeping corners and magnificent vistas through to Tairua. We crossed the line in six and a half hours and in first place in our category feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. What an awesome day we had had. It was now time for a GU brew recovery shake, a rest and some food to prepare for the next day! Day two started with a deep water rolling start in the kayaks. We had to work hard against the outgoing tide for the 15km paddle to Hikuai. We were happy with our choice to paddle in a double kayak, as we found ourselves paddling alongside Rachel Cashin - something neither of us had achieved as individual competitors. It certainly wasn't easy but there was no wind and not a cloud in the sky. The conditions couldn't have been better. We pulled into transition just behind another traverse team the Kauri Coasters feeling pretty happy with ourselves. After a quick feed of apple, oranges and bananas we set off on the next leg which was a 30km road ride to Whangamata. We caught the Kauri Coasters on the up hills but couldn't hold on to them on the descent. This was really frustrating as we could see them just ahead working nicely in a big bunch. However, we couldn’t catch them and ended up doing the last 10 km or so on our own. The next leg was a 21km mountain run past the Wentworth Falls and over to Maratoto. We eased into the five kilometre run up the gravel road making sure we were well fuelled then pushed a bit more once we hit the bush track. This tactic paid off as we managed to pass quite a few people including the Kauri Coasters. Once we hit the clay track above the Wentworth falls I managed to talk Emma in to getting out the towline so she could pull me up the hills and maintain our pace. The downhill into transition was slippery, technical and leg thrashing. We were in our element and put the hammer down, arriving in transition covered in clay but smiling from ear to ear. Our support crew (my Mum and Dad) had a flannel for us to wipe our faces and legs. It was a real unexpected treat and refreshed us for the final leg. All we had to do now was ride 30km through some spectacular farm land to the finish line in Thames. Unfortunately there were no other competitors around us to form a bunch so we worked together sharing the load trying to get to the finish line as fast as we could. Luckily, there was no headwind which is rare for this event and we were able to focus on keeping speed. We crossed the line in five and a half hours muddy but happy. Overall, we took a total time of twelve hours to complete the event. We finished first in the traverse team’s category. What a great weekend Thanks to Sherryl and Graeme Chambers for supporting us, GU for fuelling us, CYCO Ponsonby for keeping our bikes ship shape, and a huge thanks to Tania and Matt for the opportunity to compete at something we love. To all of the other competitors, we hope to see you all again next year. Bring your friends and family, this event shouldn’t be missed. Thanks also to the sponsors of the event – we love the Sunnto watches and can’t wait for the Marmot vests. To find out more about this awesome event, go to www.coromandelclassic.co.nz

Race Report XPD 2013 South Australia

 

This year's XPD adventure race promised to be something special due to the outback location and the inclusion of a 50 km trek across a salt lake - it didn't fail to deliver and we were constantly blown away by the places we went and the things we saw.

The race started in Arkaroola on top of a hill with views showcasing the true nature of the Aussie outback with miles and miles of nothingness in all directions. It was an extremely emotional start as we reflected on the deaths of two Japanese adventure racers who had lost their lives whilst training for the XPD. This was a very poignant occasion and made us really appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to participate in this sport.

After the whole field counted down to the start, we were off, hearts racing and smiles a mile wide. It had been a big build up to the start and we were more than ready to let our journey begin and focus on the business of conquering the course and getting into our team bubble. The first leg was a 29 km trek with a rogaine to start followed by a trek along the Arkaroola Creek through the Tillite Gorge. It was stinking hot, rough and dry underfoot and the flies were quick to make their presence felt. Luckily we had had the forethought to bring fly nets with us so were able to hide under those - although at times they did make it hard to eat, drink and see. We made steady progress through this leg stopping only to cool ourselves in the few stagnant waterholes along the way.  At these pools we took our shirts, hats and buffs off, soaked them in the water and then put them back on in an attempt to control our temperatures in the searing 34 degree heat. We also filled our drink bottles with water to pour on ourselves between pools, as our clothing was crispy dry within minutes and it didn’t take long for us to heat up again. We were extremely conservative on this leg ensuring that we were all working well within our limits and were not risking pushing ourselves too early on. At one point we were running low on water and were forced to get water out of a waterhole that had a dead wallaby at its head. We doubled the dose of our purification tablets, washed the water down with a GU gel chaser and prayed that we wouldn't get sick. After about 9 hours on the trot we stumbled into transition keen to get out on the first bike leg as soon as possible. We felt as if we'd just completed a 24 hour trek the conditions were so brutal. Anne had struggled a bit with the heat on this leg so rested in the shade in the TA while the rest of the team put the bikes together and got the water and food ready for the next leg.

Leg 2 was a 48 kilometre mountain bike across Wooltana Station. We were pretty stoked to be on our bikes and heading into the coolness of the night. We moved efficiently and with purpose on this leg. That was until the tracks we were on continued to peter out. On one particularly frustrating occasion the track we were on started to head completely in the wrong direction. We were forced to travel cross-country back and forth over thorn infested terrain, looking for a track heading in the right direction. Thank god for the CYCO boys who had set us up with tubeless tyres as after this foray we all spent 10 minutes pulling thorns out of our tyres. After what seemed an age, we finally stumbled on the correct track and regained our momentum. Unfortunately,  just a few kms from the TA we became unstuck again due to the tracks we were following going nowhere. We then spent a fair amount of time backtracking and roaming about aimlessly. The frustrating thing was we could see the lights of the TA but didn't seem to be able to get there on a track. Finally, we decided to head cross country and made a beeline for the TA. It was amazing to see the lights of other team all converging on TA from different directions.

We were in our happy place at TA and intrigued about what leg 3, the 50 km trek across Lake Frome, had in store for us. This leg was the main reason we were so excited about this event. How many people get to say they have trekked across a salt lake for a half night and a day? After loading up with over 7 litres of water each we headed out of transition just behind Team Mawson and followed signs to Lake Frome. Anne was a little concerned that the road we were on was different from the map but we kept going. After around half an hour of road walking we found ourselves at the edge of the lake. Being on the salt lake even in the dark was mesmerizing and we took some time out to take in the beauty of the stars, moon and lake spread out in front of us. Anne and Sakkie then tried to get to grips with where we were and work out the bearing that would take us through the night to the next CP. It was all a bit surreal but we knew we just had to trust the compass and keep on walking through the night.


We headed off into the night across the lake ensuring two people were focussed on the compass at all times and that we were not veering off course. In order to keep awake we played word games, sang and told jokes. Our plan had always been to push through the night but in this case we were even more determined to make good progress during the cool of the night as we were well aware of the fact that there was nowhere to hide on the lake in the heat of the day. Sunrise was particularly magical and we all went nuts with our cameras as the lake and its surrounding land masses and islands came into view. Although it was harsh on our feet and tough on our minds we were all blown away by the size and beauty of the white lake against the blue sky. Sunrise brought with it new challenges for Anne as she struggled to identify the landscape around us which was distorted due to the shimmering salt. It was near impossible to discern distances and shapes. However, it confirmed that the point we had taken our bearing from was not the point we had thought it was on the map. This meant that over the past 30 kms of walking we had been angling in slightly the wrong direction. In hindsight we should have taken the bearing directly from the TA. We quickly readjusted our course and managed to nail the CP without wasting too much time. Once again a number of teams converged on the CP all at once. It was crazy given we hadn't really been aware of any teams around us all night and a bit annoying as they were invading our team bubble.

After collecting the CP things got a bit brutal; the flies arrived on mass, the lake looked like it would never end, our feet were hurting due to the abrasiveness of the salt, the heat began to intensify and the excitement and initial thrill and adrenaline rush of being on the lake had well and truely worn off. It was now a battle of the mind as we still had 20 kms of monotonous slog to go. We each retreated into our own headspace and personal bubbles in order to manage our own demons. Conversation was sparse and all our energies were honed in on getting off the lake. To add to our frustration, not long after the CP we were faced with a sea of water, it was impossible to decipher how deep or wide the water was so we were forced to follow around the edge of it until we could see a way across. This detour was extremely frustrating as it threw us off our compass bearing and meant we were forced to travel further than we wanted. Also our feet were now soaking wet and our shoes were full of salty, silty water. We were most definitely not in our happy place at this point. Luckily, we saw a couple of teams ahead cutting through the water and we realised the water wasn’t deep at all so decided to cut the detour short and make a beeline for the lake edge.  After what seemed a lifetime we found ourselves back on dry land, but our elation at having achieved this turned to despair as we hadn’t hit the lake where we had wanted to and the 1:150,000 maps gave us little detail to use to work out where we were. Our feet were screaming for us to get off them and the heat and flies were driving us to craziness but once Anne had got her bearings by using the shape of the lake edge we pushed on and made our way in the right direction towards the TA. After 2 hours or so and a quick 5 minute sit down we found ourselves in the safety and comfort of the TA.

We were so happy to be in TA and so exhausted from our 16 hour or so brutal mission on the lake, we decided to collapse in the shade and grab a breather for thirty minutes before heading out on the next leg. Talk about a bad decision! There were other teams around asking questions, media wanting photos and flies wanting to get in every crevasse of our bodies. Arrgghhh!! This wasn't exactly what we needed and not conducive to sleep. We made a call at this point never to attempt to sleep in a TA again. Before long we were packed up and back on our bikes, just after dusk.

Leg four was a 90km mountain bike leg to Wirrealpa. Once again we were stoked to be riding our bikes through the night. The second bike leg was generally easy going with straight forward navigation but we overshot CP10 because there was a map overlap at this point and the first map was lacking in detail. Luckily, after a chat with Team Mawson we realised that the second map, which was a different scale, had way more features on it so we were then able to backtrack to the CP.  Our sleep strategy had always been to push through the first night and then sleep for 2 hours on the second night. At some stage on this leg we all became a bit sleepy so decided to take our first nap of the race. We found what we thought was a sheltered knob in amongst the shrubbery and huddled down for a 2 hour kip. Unfortunately after an hour and a half or so the wind picked up considerably and we awoke to find ourselves sleeping on an exposed mound, shivering and cold. It didn't take long for us to get up and back on the bikes again in order to warm up. Let’s just say I wasn't the most popular team captain at that point as I had chosen the sleeping spot. There were more than a few loose comments bandied about the team that the standard of accommodation was less than satisfactory.

Once again we were back in TA after around 10 hours on the bikes and we were pretty happy with how things were coming together. We were stunned to find ourselves now in third place. How did that happen? Our conversation went something like this: “Shit we are in third place. Do we change our strategy from beating the course and doing our own thing or do we start focussing on racing other teams?”  It was a dilemma we'd never been faced with before but a nice dilemma to have. We decided to stick to our knitting and continue to focus on beating the course and looking after each other as we knew we still had a hell of a long way to go.

The third trek leg, which was 36 kms through Angorichina Station, is what we do this sport for. It was an awesome navigational challenge and the type of terrain we are most at home in. Finding a smooth route across the valleys and through the chain of high points was awesome. We were able to stick to our planned route and accurately attack each CP.  
The heat was once again oppressive in the valleys and pushed us to our limits of heat tolerance but the scenery, flora and the wildlife made up for it. We had sightings of emu, kangaroos, lizards and goats. We even spotted a lone emu egg hidden safely under a tree. During this stage we came across a stash of water and coke that the organisers had dropped under a tree.

Talk about a buzz, we were like little kids at a birthday party. There was singing, dancing and a lot of giggling. The water was a godsend as we were able to make up our Absolute Wilderness dehydrated food sachets and enjoyed a feast of banana smoothies and bacon mash. After reaching CP15 things came a bit unstuck when the camera crew asked us to walk towards them away from the direction Anne wanted to travel. Once we had done this she struggled to re-orientate, getting put off by some power poles in the distance and we all got a bit discombobulated - this was a low point for the team as we struggled to regain composure and support each other. After a bit of thinking Anne finally got us heading in the right direction to the airstrip. From here it should have been an easy bearing to the next CP but somehow we ended up on the wrong high point. Sakkie stepped in and took the map and got us back on track to the next CP and into transition. Once again our goal was to move efficiently through the transition. We were now in 2^nd place and were pretty focussed. We even turned down the opportunity to buy hot pizzas and merrily chomped away on our tuna wraps.

Before too long we were back on our bikes for leg 6, a 68 km ride to Wilpena through the Heysen Range. This is where things didn’t exactly go according to plan. We were riding along the tarseal about 10kms into leg 6, it was dark and we were going at a fair pace. A few minutes earlier a kangaroo had hopped across in front of us which sent out warning signals. Just as I was about to voice my concerns to the team about how dangerous it was, I noticed a blur from the right hand side of the road. I slammed on my brakes and tried to avoid it but a kangaroo smacked directly into me. The next thing I knew I was flat on my face in the middle of the road with the kangaroo not too far from me trying to stagger to its feet. Anne was the first to reach me and saw the roo get back on its feet and limp off into the bushes.  Emma and Sakkie arrived and the team assessed me and my Trek Superfly bike thoroughly. The damage seemed relatively minor and although my thumb was extremely sore there was no other visible damage so we carried on riding. I was pretty shaken and struggled to ride at speed as I was petrified it would happen again. Somehow my team mates coaxed me into riding a bit faster. Luckily we turned off the main road so I could relax a bit more. At the turnoff Emma taped my quickly swelling hand, squeezed it  back into my cycling glove, forced some pain killers down me and handed me the HTFU (harden the f.... up) bracelet. At this point Team Pharos came through and passed us. They stopped to give us some panadol and moved off into the night in front of us. We were a bit gutted at having lost a place because of a bloody roo, but continued this leg at our own pace. I was particularly angry at what had happened as was the entire team so we took our aggression out on the course and rode pretty hard for the next 50km. This leg ended with an awesome single track that had us all in good spirits as we rode into the transition at Wilpena.

Once again we found ourselves back in 2^nd place and wondered what had happened to Team Pharos. We were keen to keep urgency so moved through transition with purpose. The thought of getting back on our feet was painful but we sucked it up and headed out onto the trek around Wilpena Pound.  As we were leaving we were stoked to see the Bivouac Colts heading into transition just behind us, which meant that Dayne had obviously recovered. The trek was a little tedious in the dark as we couldn’t see the real beauty of the pound.  After a few hours we decided to take a 20 minute power nap and headed into the shrubs just off the track. Whilst we were resting the Bivouac Colts cruised past us singing and telling jokes as they went.  Luckily, the sun came up just as we hit the final CP of the trek, which was a lookout, and we were treated to spectacular views of the area.

 We crossed paths with Bivouac Colts again here and met Team Pharos at the CP. We were surprised to see Team Pharos so soon but apparently they had made a mistake and were collecting the CPs in the wrong order.

We headed out of Wilpena Pound ready to take on the next leg and hoping the heat wasn’t going to be too harsh on us. We were pushing ourselves here as this was the second last leg before midcamp and a 6 hour rest.  First, there was the ropes section to get to which was 14 kms around the east side of the Pound. The ride was pretty straight forward with mind blowing scenery and it didn’t take us long to roll into the TA. Once at TA we then had a long hot steep 2.5 km trek up to the ropes. We spent the whole walk scanning the cliffs for ropes and trying to work out where we would be climbing. It was cool to see the Biovuac Colts heading down off the ropes, they were all totally amped and it gave us confidence to know they had all had an amazing time up there. We were all a bit anxious but on arriving at the site took it in our stride. Emma who is scared of heights went first, then Sakkie then me then Anne – yo yo yo it was incredible – a 100 metre jumar up a sheer cliff face, the colours were awesome. I was a little apprehensive about my hand but managed to ignore the pain. On the way down we were put on a controlled flying fox back to where we had started the climb – it was incredible and we were all able to sit back and enjoy the view. The buzz from the climb meant our walk back to the bikes was full of adrenaline fuelled jokes and the usual ramblings of the sleep deprived.

Back on the bikes we got down to the business of completing Leg 9, a 54 km ride to midcamp. It was as hot as a hot thing with flies galore and we were stoked to find a water tank with a tap in the middle of nowhere. Bliss!! We all went crazy soaking ourselves from head to toe – anyone would have thought we had never seen water before. After our dousing in cold water we were all in better spirits and attacked the steep as track up the gap through the Chace Range with gusto. I couldn’t ride the rough stuff with my hand so we all hooked up our tow lines and moved up the steep terrain as a team caterpillar. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy the descent either but again the team pulled together and worked to get my bike down the rough track. At the base of the descent we went too far left and got a bit confused as to exactly where we were. We faffed around in the fields a bit riding all over the show but were soon back on track and managed to locate the last CP of the leg. From here we hooned towards the town of Hawker and midcamp, appreciating the colours of the sunset and the onset of dusk.  To our great surprise a couple were out in front of their house and gave us a clap and a cheer. How nice it was to see people!

Talk about perfect timing, it would have been hell arriving at midcamp in the middle of the day and trying to sleep in the hot tents. For us midcamp was absolute bliss – food – showers – blogging - packing and prepping then SLEEP. We were sooooo happy to be there and to be able to get around 3.30 hours kip.  I had a bit of a stressful sleep and woke up during the night convinced that we had put all the gear in the wrong bins and that our race was stuffed.  Luckily, it was just a nightmare and Anne managed to talk me out of my panicked state!

All too soon it was midnight and we were back on the bikes and off on the 155km ride through to Wilmington.

 This was a great leg for us as we flew along the smooth flat roads in the dark of night. We had a few enjoyable stops on the way where we chatted, took photos, shared salami and snacks and had some good laughs. At one point we all got excited as we rolled into our first town of the race during the day. We all had visions of sculling cold chocolate milk … but to our extreme disappointment nothing was open. We needed water so knocked on the door of the town’s retirement village – thank god for old people who wake up early!  After making our own GU recovery chocolate smoothies we headed up the road to the next TA. We hadn’t seen any other teams in transition apart from Bivouac Colts so we knew we had a bit of a buffer to 4^th place.  We rolled into the next TA just before midday just as the sun was heating up.
 

Wow!  This trek was officially the last trek! We were stoked to know this was the last time we would have to stuff our sore swollen feet into our shoes. We couldn’t wait to get through it. After a feed of hot soup, some Absolute Wilderness kumara mash (nom nom) and a hot chocolate we headed out into the heat of the day. Our first stop out of transition was at a shop for the much talked about and anticipated lemonade ice block – so good!  Just down the road we met the Nothin But Shorts film crew and posed for some photos while walking through some yellow fields. After several painful kms on the road in the sun we headed into the bush and into the trek proper. On the way to the first CP we decided to bush bash up a creek instead of climbing up a big hill. We are not sure if it paid off but I got the shock of my life as I realised I was following a big brown snake up the creek – I may have screamed!  At this stage we had been pushing quite hard in terms of not sleeping as we knew that we would probably get a full 10 hours overnight during the paddle. We were also trying to think strategically as we knew that teams ahead may be forced to wait out the night and we may be able to catch up to them. We were also aware teams behind may get the chance to catch us! We hadn’t slept for a while so it came as no surprise that things started to get a bit hazy on this leg and our team started to come apart a bit at the seams. Some of us were pushing for more urgency, while some of us were suffering from sore feet and sleep deprivation. Our lines of communication weren’t working effectively. At one point we missed the turn off to a CP and had to back track a few kms.

This was demoralising and put us all in a bad frame of mind – especially Anne who was kicking herself for not reading the map more thoroughly. We then missed the CP for a 2^nd time and were forced to retrace our steps back down a hill. After eventually locating the CP, which was off to the side of the track, we were back on track but the team dynamics were at an all time low with all of us struggling to come together. We plodded on up some really steep inclines in the wind and cold and finally made the call to find a sheltered spot and take a 20 minute kip. On waking up we made a beeline towards the next CP which we found with relative ease. However, on the way to the last CP of the trek we were once again off our game and lost our togetherness.  We were following a clear track but it petered out and I questioned where we were. My questioning of Anne caused confusion and we ended up back tracking and taking a bearing and ending up back in the same place. We were petrified of going into the out of bounds area in the dark so decided to descend down into a steep gully earlier than we should have. We then decided to head up the other side and attempt to dissect the track to the right but soon found ourselves surrounded by dense bush. As sunrise was only a couple of hours away we made the call to bed down until the sun came up.  It was a blustery sleep on a rocky steep slope but somehow we all slept soundly in a pretty impressive display of team spooning. On waking up at sunrise we checked our messages from the race officials to learn that the kayak had been cancelled. We were stunned and had mixed emotions, we were partly gutted but also partly relieved. It felt liked we’d been ripped off but we were also excited to know the finish was one bike ride away. Anyway it was back to business as Anne and Sakkie relocated and we headed into the bush to bash our way to the summit of Mt Remarkable. What a feeling to get the CP and start the descent to the transition and the last bike ride home to the finish. Spirits were high as we made our way off the mountain. We thought it would be an easy descent but it was a long hard slog along a never ending rough and rocking track that really pushed our sore blistered feet to the limits.

 

Yay!  We had made it to the last TA of the race and found ourselves in a town with people – it was a huge shock to the system. We ordered hot chocolates at the local bike shop and scoffed a pie and sauce – Mmmm pies never tasted so good. For the last time we mounted our bikes and headed off on the final  60km ride back to HQ and the finish line. The problem was we were riding into what felt like a 100 km headwind. Once again we pulled together as a team attempting light banter to take away the pain of the headwind. Anne was suffering from sleep monsters here and spent some time weaving over the road. So we used Sakkie as a wind shield and Emma put Anne on the tow to keep pace. We pulled into a garage in Wilmington and skulled a couple of litres of coke and spent some time out of the wind and heat. The finish took forever to reach and we seemed to skirt around Port Augusta for hours and we spent what felt like half an hour waiting for the longest train in the world to pass! Finally, the finish line was in sight. Wow!  We had achieved our goals of beating the course, managed a third place and finished in good spirits. What an achievement!

Thanks to my teammates – for our first race together we should be very proud. Thanks to our sponsors CYCO bike shop, GU Energy NZ ,  Absolute Wilderness Foods and Gloworm lights. We couldn’t do this sport without you. Thanks to our supporters for your facebook messages and trail mail. Thanks also to the race organisers Craig and Louise – your events are second to none.

 

 

 

 

  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AR World Series XPD - Final Highlights

Preparing for the Spring Challenge Adventure race NZ

With the Spring Challenge adventure race for women just around the corner I imagine there are a lot of women all over New Zealand sitting there thinking about how they can improve their performance or enhance their experience in an adventure race, so I thought I’d write a few tips for preparing for an adventure race. The best advice I can give newcomers to adventure racing is to plan and prepare. 

Preparing for an adventure race is so much more than just doing the physical training. In adventure racing the fittest most talented athletes may not even make it past the first hurdle if they haven’t spent time thinking about their team strategy and the navigational and the logistical aspects of the race. Adventure racing is a sport full of surprises. Firstly the course is always a surprise – teams don’t find out where they are going or the distance of each leg of the race until the night before the start. Secondly, the terrain and weather are always a surprise. The weather can always throw a curve ball no matter how long your race is. Thirdly, your teammates and your equipment can throw in surprises from major gear failure to spectacular individual meltdowns. My advice is as a team you need to spend some time thinking, talking and planning for different scenarios. Expect the unexpected and have strategies to cope. What if someone gets a flat tyre? What if someone gets dehydrated? What if you get lost? What if someone gets a hot spot on their feet? What if someone is slow and holding the team up or if someone is always out in front putting pressure on others to go faster than they are comfortable with? What if you end up taking longer on the course than you planned? 

 Before heading to the race make sure all individuals in the team have a role and you all know who is doing what. We have a lead navigator who makes decisions on route choice and navigation, a well being officer who focuses on food, drink and the well being of everyone and a strategist who manages the logistics of packing the gear in the right place and briefs everyone on what they need and when they need it. Having roles clearly defined becomes particularly important once the course and maps are released as there is often no time to talk and the team has to spring into action to ensure you get organized and get a good sleep before race start. Also remember in a supported race your support crew is an integral part of your team and will need to be briefed on what gear and food you need when and where and what their role is in transition. 

Equipment 

Before you leave home for a race – make sure your bike has been recently serviced and everything is in working order. Get the bike shop to check the chain, brake pads, tyre pressure, tyre tread, make sure you lube and clean the chain before race day. Ensure someone in your team knows how and has the tools to make basic repairs such as fixing a flat tyre, putting a tyre boot in a slashed tyre, dealing with chain problems and fixing rubbing brakes and worn brake pads. 

Gear and Clothing

 It is so important to have good clothing for adventure racing. Make sure your gear is lightweight but high performing. You can find most essential gear at your local outdoor store. Never compromise your safety in a race by taking poor quality flimsy equipment but also don’t add to your workload by carrying extra bulky heavy gear. Buy quality as not only will it last longer but it will enhance your experiences whilst training and racing. I always say there is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choices. Always put your gear in a good quality dry bag in your pack. Compulsory gear is no good to you if it is soaking wet. Make sure you understand the climate, terrain and weather for the location of your race. If you will be bush bashing wear leg protection, if you will be in river beds or scree slopes wear gaiters to stop stones getting in your shoes. Never underestimate the weather and always plan and prepare for the worst case scenario.

Food 

Thinking about what you are going to eat is essential. Food is so important. Our bodies are like cars if you stop putting fuel in you will come to a grinding halt. If you put poor quality fuel in you’ll get poor performance. Make sure you have trained on the food you are going to race with. In shorter races try and eat every 30mins to an hour and have a sip of drink every 15 mins. Don’t wait until you feel hungry or thirsty – by then it is too late. A general rule is 1 gram of carbohydrate per body weight per hour. For shorter races I use a combination of Gu gels, Gu chomps, bars, Em’s Cookies, cake, nuts and sandwiches– peanut butter and jam or marmite and cheese sandwiches cut in quarters on white bread are the bomb. Don’t bother with sandwiches on the raft as they will end up soggy. Gels or bars are best on the river. DO NOT try anything new on race day. Also have some kind of electrolyte supplement to add to your water bottle or bladder. I use Gu brew or NUUN tablets as they are easy to carry and drop into your bottle. Once again plan and prepare your food the day before and pack it into bags for each stage of the race. Always take a little extra incase it takes you longer than you expect. I usually have two spare GU gels tucked away in my pack for emergencies. 

Skills 

Navigation is key in these events so make sure at least one person in the team is comfortable taking the map and making decisions for the team. Get a map board of some sort for your bike navigation. Ideally, everyone should have some idea how to read and map and use a compass. In terms of other skills, efficiency is the key so practice lifting your bike over fences, practice riding across rough terrain. Practice carrying a pack with all your food, water and compulsory gear in over rough terrain. Practice holding a rafting paddle and learn the correct rafting technique. If possible spend time training together and get to know each other’s pace and strengths and weaknesses. Practice towing on the bike if you plan to do it in the race. Lessons learned in training are invaluable on race day. 

 Finally, remember to have fun, laugh a lot, appreciate those around you and enjoy the challenge. Once you have done one adventure race you’ll be hooked for life. If you have any questions about Adventure racing don’t hesitate to ask.

A beginners guide to adventure racing

Adventure racing is a sport that requires teams of four to travel together on foot, by bike and kayak using only a map and compass to navigate their way through the course. Adventure races can range from 3 hours to 10 days in length and take place all over the world. If getting out into the outdoors with a group of friends and pushing your physical, emotional and psychological boundaries sounds like you, then adventure racing is your sport.

I discovered adventure racing in 2000 with a 24 hour race based in Auckland. Thinking back to this race makes me laugh. We had bulky heavy gear, 12 volt battery packs and homemade lights and bikes that weighed a ton. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in for but we had an absolute blast and I was hooked. This sport brought together all my past experiences and my passion for people and the outdoors. I had found the sport for me. Over the past 13 years I have raced in multiple events in numerous locations with varying levels of success. I am no elite athlete, I'm never likely to be on the podium yet this sport has kept my interest all these years and I am still learning new things every time I race.

Where to start? If this sport tickles your fancy then there are a few things you can do to make your first foray into the sport as enjoyable as possible - Find three other teammates that you enjoy spending time with and you know feel the same way you do about the outdoors. The bottom line in this sport is that if you don't like being wet or cold or outdoors getting down and dirty then stay away from adventure racing.
- Make sure that everyone on the team has the same goals and aspirations for the team - if one team member is out to win and another is simply there to enjoy the experience - there will be trouble !! Make sure everyone is on the same page.
- Make sure someone in the team can read map on the go. It is ideal if all the team can make sense of a map but at the least you need one person who is happy to take the lead on the navigation. These days there are plenty of orienteering events and rogaine events ( rogaining is a sport where you must collect as many checkpoints as you can in a set period of time) for you to participate in. Sign up to your local orienteering club and get as much practice reading a map as possible. Also make sure you have a map with you on training sessions even if you know where to go. Plan training missions with your team that involve navigation challenges
- Kit yourselves out with bikes, access to kayaks ( a lot of races these days don't require you to supply your own kayak so you don't really need to buy one but it is important to be able to train on one) and a pair of offroad running shoes.
- Choose an event, train for it - complete it

For those of you living in Auckland New Zealand here are some links to orienteering clubs, rogaines, and adventure races here in Auckland. I have also included the websites of some expedition length adventure races in NZ and Aussie.
http://www.orienteeringauckland.org.nz/
http://lacticturkey.co.nz/
http://www.arcevents.co.nz/
http://www.godzoneadventure.com/
http://www.geocentricoutdoors.com.au/

If you have any questions about adventure racing please leave a comment on this blog or message us on Facebook - girlsontop new zealand and we will do our best to answer

Happy adventuring - Team Macpac Girls on Top