Sleep deprivation, altitude, fresh air, competitive and adventurous spirit, along with great teammates and the high is better then any drug.  This was the Gold Rush Mother load, 2011.

The 2011 race was the only World Adventure Racing Championship in the United States and only 1 of 2 in North America.  The course was designed and put on by Adrian Craine and Mark Richardson along with a long list of out standing volunteers.  It was a trans-Sierra-Nevada crossing, starting in the Historic town of Bridgeport and ending in the equally Historic town of Columbia on the Western slopes near Sonora.  In between were 10,000 foot peaks, bush whacks, rocky climbs plus a great ropes course.

 Angle Garbarino and I had talked about doing this race last year but didn’t solidify a team till early this year.  And what a strong team.  First, Angel is super strong, has a great attitude and is a generally wonderful person.  We were very luck to pick up JD Eskelson.  He has had some great results in major races, has raced for years and this year did both Raid the North, Expedition Idaho and climbed Mount Witney the day before showing up to the race.  In other words, he’s a monster.  Our 3rd male was Garrett Bean, attacking his first expedition length race.  Strong on both the bike and run, he had a natural knack for the type of endurance that this type of event requires.

 We ran under the team name of the Breakouts.  Both Angel and Garrett are in their mid 20’s, and JD is in his late 40’s.  At 51, I was certainly the old man in the group and clearly the weakest link.  By many standards that made this a pretty good team.  However, going in, I was very concerned about my bothersome IT band and an achy knee.  My bike riding had been concerning and the heat often gives me trouble.  But I never drop out and get stronger as the race goes on.  At least that’s what I told everybody so they wouldn’t be too concerned with a slow start.

 We got through check in with out event and participated in the somewhat lame prolong.  We had to have one team mate run around a field, one ride a bike then all 3 had to carry a team mate the full circumference.  I was a bit fun, but totally established that we were at elevation by driving up the heart rate from normal to red line instantly.

 We got the maps and plotted the course.  There would be only 4 transition areas.  The lay out was as follows: A 1 mile run through Bridgeport, then a short 12 mile ride to Twin Lakes to take a 1K swim.  Then we would start on a 25 mile trek topping over a 10,000 foot peak.  This would lead to a 70 mile ride up and over the ridge of the Sierra Nevada’s.  After the bike would be a longer trek leading to a ropes course.  Up to this point all of the CP’s were mandatory.  After the ropes there would be numerous optional check point.  After completing the long trek (distance depending on the number of options the team got but would be between 28 and 60 miles) we had a long bike (40 to 100 miles) down to the Stanislaus River.  Once on the river there was a paddle with options and finish with a short bike ride to Columbia.  This type of course has long legs, requires good planning, sleeping on the trail and heavy packs.

 The race started at 8 am with a quick run around town to spread things a bit.  The run took us through a muddy boggy creek.  Then we jumped on the bikes and raced at over 20 mph to Twin Lakes.  The front of the group was bunched in a peloton with our team just a few minutes back.  We were riding so fast, I was just on the edge of redlining right away.  The 12 miles along with our transition into wetsuits took us under an hour and the swim including peeling off the wet suits took 47 minutes.  We started out on the trek as the day began to warm up.

 This is where the race really started - a 24+ mile trek.  First we had to climb several hundred feet up to a ridge to the first CP.  We moved steadily to the ridge then started running.  This is where I needed to step up my game.  I’m not a big fan of running anymore but to keep up with Garrett and JD, that was what I needed to do.  We ran to CP 3 then did a 180 and started working our way down the ridge toward CP 4.  We had a bit of trouble finding 4 just because we had not gone as far as we throughout we had (typical AR mistake).  The team just kept running and I did my best to keep up.  My real problem was that running aggravates my IT band and once that goes I’m in a world of hurt.  I would go as long as I could till I could feel the knee (where the pain manifests) start to come, then would back off to a fast trek till it would subside.  Once it loosened a bit, I could run again.  This was how it went for hours.

The first several miles were relatively flat with rolling hills.  We kept pushing and I struggled to keep up as the day got hotter.  Finally we turned to start up the trail towards the first major peak.  I was probably the only one who was glad to be climbing so I wouldn’t have to run. Up till now we had been moving north.  We turned west heading for Rickey Peak.  JD had me on tow and Garrett had Angel on tow.  We just kept grinding up.  By mid afternoon we reached the summit and learned that we were in 11th.  I think we were surprised that we were that far back given how hard we had pushed. 

 The downhill off of the peak almost broke me.  Rough downhill just kills my IT band and this was no exception.  I hobbled down and fortunately the grade was reduced for the remained of the decent.  That plus some strong vitamin I.  In any event we keep pushing, cutting cross county.  We caught Racing with Giants and another team and we just pushed down the hill heading to Highway 395.  Just before we got to the Highway we caught up to Perdidos.  We crossed the road, did the quick climb to CP 5 and the short jog to ACP1.  We got to our crew just as the sun was setting.  The trek took us about 9 hours and 34 mins.

 We had the greatest crew - Club 111.  Nikki and Scott were completely into helping us with great food, encouragement and support.  We ate better then any other team out there and everything was as ready as it could be.  At the after race party they won the best crew award - well deserved.

 Just as we arrived at the ACP (Assisted Check Point) team TMT was just leaving.  Perdidos had a quick transition and left about a 1/2 hour before us. Starting this 70 mile bike ride just after dark and after a 54 min TA I think we though it would be a long but fairly uneventful ride.  I didn’t appreciate that right out of the gate we would start climbing.  I was put on tow right away and pretty much stayed that way all night.  We pushed hard and moved steady north over a series of pretty steep climbs towards Little Antelope Valley.  Then we crossed 395 again and began back south ascending up Mill Canyon.  For a long way this was a good dirt road with a steady upward pitch.  I was successfully being towed along.  At one point JD took my pack while Garret towed me.  I was happy for the help but distressed that I was being such an anchor.  At some point along the way we hit an intersection and choose the road that headed more directly up the hill.  There were several sets of bike tracks so we felt good about this.    This road was not on the map but that is not unusual for these kinds of maps.  After climbing for a while the road ended and we found both Perdidos and TMT poundering where to go.  In the end we all wound up bike whacking in different directions.  We tried to contour along for a while until it became clear that that would take forever.  So we dropped down till we finally found the trail - a mostly ridable single track.  We followed that along, riding and pushing as necessary until we came out on to a double track.  We followed that double track for a while.  Just as it ended we heard voices.  We were sure that we were at the CP.  We started up what appeared to be a trail when we ran into team TMT coming down with a second team.  They said that they had been bush whacking around there and it didn’t go any where.  Even though we knew that the CP was above us we followed them back down to where we first got on the double track - down about 200 feet.

It was around 3 am at this point and it was clear that no one, including us knew where to go.  So we decided to lie down and sleep for an hour till sun rise.  We heard the other teams moving around for a little bit then I fell asleep.  At sun rise we woke and now we could triangulate off the surrounding mountains.  Now we were pretty sure where we were and headed back up the double track.  This time we found the small trail going off diagonally.  We pushed the bikes up the trail and it opened up  to a road with several port-a-potties.  Looking at the map, CP 8 was on a road and the clue was next to a port-a-pottie.   We knew the ones at the intersection were not right.  According to the map it would be about 500 meters from the intersection.  Close to that distance was another set of toilets.  Long story short, we were pretty certain that this was the right place even though the flag wasn’t there.  2 of the toilets had been knocked over so we figured the flag had been taken.  We searched around and then decided that we were right, took a picture and off we went.  After the race, I looked at the satellite and realized that we were on the opposite end of the meadow and that CP was not on a road at all.  We were faked out by the road on the map rather then relying on the more permanent features.

In any event, we continued on.  There was a ton more of climbing.  Up and over several 9200 foot passes.  It was quite unexpected as we hadn’t really gone over the maps that carefully and kind of expected that after CP 8 it was going to be mostly down hill.  It took us several hours of climbing up and over the numerous ridges before we finally hit Highway 108.  Another climb up to Sonora Pass then a bomber down hill for about 14 miles to the Danelle Resort to the 2nd ACP.

 We hit the ACP late morning.  Our crew was ready with good food and cold drinks.  We got our selves ready as fast as we could, got some foot care, packed up and took off.  It was after noon when we hit the trail, loaded down with climbing gear.

 The first part of the trek was hot and I was struggling with the heat.  We caught Racing with Giants within the first hour and trekked with them for a while.  We had to cross a couple of streams.  At one point they stopped and we continued on.  Shortly after that we caught up to team Mojo.  We were all heading for Eagle Peak a 10000 foot climb.  We had been warned not to go up the east side as it was all cliffs.  Again the map showed a trail that went around the south side of the mountain.  This trail wasn’t there.  We followed a trail as far as we could then went cross country toward the mountain.  JD found a saddle that we could get up and it took us very close to the peak.  We saved a great deal of time with this move.  We got to the summit around 6 pm and made good time to the next CP - 10. getting there before dark.  We were of good spirits and making good time at this point.  The next CP was the ropes.  We took a shortcut , cutting cross country as we headed towards the ropes course.  At this point we had to make a decision as to whether we sleep before or after the ropes course.  I urged that we sleep before so that we would be fresh for the climb and that after the climb we would be too pumped up.  Everyone agreed and about 20 minutes from the climb site we lay down.  We over slept by about 20 minutes but we were quickly up and heading to the cliffs.

When we got to the ropes we were told that 3 teams were currently on the course. The ropes course was both hard, scary and epic.  We started with a short low angle repel then continued down to the first jumar - about 100 feet of fairly technical ascending.   Then over to the first large repel - about 600 feet.  With it being pitch black I couldn’t see anything outside my head lamp - which wasn’t much.  It was rapping into the abyss.

After the first long repel we had to scrabble around the foot of the cliffs and find the red rope to jumar up.  This was a single rope for everyone.  At one point there were 7 of us on the rope at the same time.  The second jumar was about 500 feet (maybe more) of generally low angle climbing with several ledges that we had to negotiate.  It was hard work and slow going but we got to the top.  Then we had another 600 foot repel into the blackness with a nice overhang.  The second repel was much easier then the first as the rope fed much easier.  After the repel we had to scrabble back around the cliff then climb up to the CP.  The climb was a bit dicy and required some serious scrabbling.  At one point we needed to use the 30 feet of rope we were required to carry to get Angel passed a tricky ledge.  The whole ropes course took us 4 hours and 15 minutes and we finished just as the sun was coming up.

We made really good time down the mountain heading to Pinecrest Lake.  We were followed by a camera man and eventually outran him.  Once we got to CP 13 we were free to start hitting the optionals.  We decide that we would get 13A at the foot bridge.  Once we hit that, after some long discussion we decided that we would be more efficient getting optionals on the bike so headed straight to Strawberry and the 3rd ACP.

 When we got to Strawberry we were pleasantly surprised by several things.  Only 4 teams were ahead of us and all of the teams had only gotten 13A and no other optionals.  We also surprised our crew by coming in so early in the morning.  They weren’t completely ready but got food and gear ready in no time.  While we were prepping and going over the maps for the next leg Perdido came in.  It was clear they were disappointed to see us already in the TA and getting ready to leave..

 With over 24 hours left in the race we wanted to try to clear the bike course.  The ride started with a quick peddle to CP 15 which was the start of a cool single track section which would lead to the flume trail.  I have ridden this section before so took the lead.  I was feeling better then I had the entire race and rode the section with some urgency.  We got some good video.  Then on to the flume with the numerous sections of walking over the flume itself, which Angel didn’t like very much.  This took us to CP 16 which was at a PG&E substation. From there we went to CP 16E - an out and back climb up to a communications site.  We came back down and then dropped down almost all the way to Beardsley Lake. Picked up CP 16F and started the ride back up.  About 1/2 way up it began to rain.  Then it rained hard with thunder and lighting.  By the time we got back to the PG&E station it was coming down pretty hard.  We sought shelter in their  “house”, and put on some rain gear.  About this time TMT came by.  They were soaked and didn’t look too happy.

 As the rain let up we headed to CP16D finding that without too much trouble.  Then on to CP 16G which was on a small peak.  We got there just as it was getting dark.  We were moving well, I was ridding strong and we were very encouraged with the time we were making.  We headed down the hill heading to CP 16B, which was on the rail road grade.  According to the map, there was a trail that would get us across the South Fork of the Stanslaus River.  We didn’t find that.  We wound up going across some locals land, and then wading the bikes across the stream.  We had taken our shoes off and the crossing was very painful on our extremely tender feet.  We were told that on the other side was an old trail.  Where we came out it wasn’t much of a trail and I was pretty concerned but within 50 meters it opened up and we were on our way.  A couple of quick misdirection’s and finally we were on the grade and riding.  I had expected it to climb more but it was just a steady low angle grade.  It seemed to go on for ever and we were really getting tired.  We road on and on and finally found the CP in a washout.  We took a 20 minute nap and then back on the bikes to grab the last optional CP 16A.  (CP 16C had been removed by the race management.)

 We were going to attack CP 16A from above and bushwhack down to it.  We got to the right place and spent and hour looking for it in the dark.  Finally, discouraged we had to move on.  Long story short, the CP was misplaced (The race management had marked it in two different locations on the master maps.) As a result most of the teams didn’t find it.  You would only find it if you rode the length of the rail road grade.

 From the CP 16A location it was a long ride to CP 17 through a maze of old dirt roads.  I wasn’t navigating so I’m not really sure how we got there but we wound up in a location called Star Ridge and Jupiter.  According to the map you could get through but it was now all private property and closed off.  We were with another team at this point and we got re-routed  through Italian Bar which required another big climb.  I remember I had to really work hard to stay up with the group or I would have been left behind.  We continued on for a while till it became necessary to stop and sleep again.  JD especially was asleep at the wheel but we were all fighting sleep monsters.  I was very concerned at this point that we would not make the 2 pm final cut off but we had to stop or someone would have gotten hurt. 

 We over slept a bit but around 5 am we were back on the bikes and moving forward.  One last long climb out of Rose Creek and we got to CP 17 just as the sun was coming up.  There were Pepsi’s and pizza.  This really lifted our spirits and the caffeine really helped.  From CP 17 there was still some climbing to do, especially out of Knight Creek but we rode and pushed and just keep moving.  Finally we were at the last high point and had a long, windy ride down to the Stanislaus River.  Angel’s and JD’s brakes were pretty shot so we had to take it easy but by 7:30 - 8 am or so we were in our TA and getting ready for the last push.  At this point I was certain that we would make the cut off.  The only question was whether we could get an optional on the paddle.  After looking at the maps we figured it would take an additional 2 hours to get a single optional and that would be cutting it too close so we opted to go directly to CP 19 then the finish.  We had a great plate of pasta for breakfast then jumped in the boats.  The paddle was uneventful.  We passed one team and at the take out was TMT and DART.  We carried our boats up the ramp, jumped on the bikes and started the short, but up hill ride to Columbia.  The ride (about 5 miles) took us about 40 or so minutes.  We dropped the bike, had to do a run around the town and crossed the finish line at 11:40am.  We had cleared the bike , got the same amount of optionals on the trek and the lead teams.  Only three (3) other teams cleared the bike course and got optionals on the kayak.  We finished ahead of Pordido on time.

Now the politics began.  If we got credit for CP 8 we were in 4th.  If not, we had missed a mandatory and would be moved back to 10th.  Not withstanding my best arguments we were not given credit for CP 8, but were for CP 16A.  So officially we were 10th.  I was very disappointed in that but over time came to realize that we did miss the CP - apparently everyone else found it.  The important thing was that we put in a great effort, had a great time and really worked well as a team.

 I have never been pushed so hard and had so much fun in the process.  Every race has it’s memories but this is certainly one of my favorites.

Charlie Sheen has nothing on me.  I’m sure that Tiger blood pumps through my veins, that I also have the DNA of Adonis and that the normal rules don’t apply to me.  After all, I’m an adventure racer.

The normal rules can’t apply to me.  I go days on end, non-stop with little or no sleep, looking fear in the face and spitting in it’s eye.  I boldly go where few have gone before.  I cover great distances with little resources and under the power of my own body.  How can the rules apply.

I have had the good fortune of racing some of the greatest races in North America and lived to tell the stories.  I greeted by 50th birthday by starting a 9 day race through the most dangerous land on the planet and came home to tell about it.  Of course the normal rules don’t apply to ME.

And yet her I sit, just after my 51st birthday, with a sore back and struggling to get through my daily training routine.  How can this be??

Well, I guess the rules have a limited degree of application.  I often get nagging injures this time of year as I try to shed some of the weight of winter and start putting the miles under my belt.  Motivation becomes harder as the press of business, family and marriage take it’s toll.  And yet, in my mind, I should be able to do it all.  After all, in my head, I’m as much of a “Rock Star” as old Charlie (without the cash or the live in porn stars.) 

For the past three or four years (at least) I have noticed that the late winter and early spring are the toughest time of year for me.  Races are still months away (at least the big ones) the days have been short and I’m not feeling quiet as spry has I did when I was - say 45.  The joints take a minute to snap into place, the back gets stiff in the morning and my motivation wanes from time to time.  The most disheartening is that I’m just not as fast as I was in my youth.  The days of running 6 minute miles, back to back are over.  I find that I get dropped on my bike more often then before.  This plays on the mind.  Every year I notice everyone else seems to get faster and that the training is a little bit harder and it takes a little be longer to get back in to race shape. 

The shorter races, anything 24 hours or less seem too short, and I feel like I’m red lining the whole way.  For me, expedition races seem to be the best fit.  It takes 6 or 7 hours for me to get warmed up and settle in.  I get stronger as the race goes on and by the second or third day I’m leading the group.  This is more a function of experience then fitness, and being long in the tooth helps in that area.

On those long workouts where all I have are my thoughts and my iPod, my mind often wanders to those pro athletes that continue to play past their prime.  The old stars who have lost a step, who no longer can hit the long ball or brake away like days of old. Am beginning to become like them?  Past my prime and ready for retirement.  Should I listen to my wife and friends who ask me, when are going to give that silliness up and concentrate are more grown up endeavorers.  Be like the normal fathers and husbands and have BBQ’s and beers and watch the waist line grow.

I find more and more often that I am not able to do what I think I use to be able to do. 

But this is adventure racing.  The great thing is that the emphasis can be more on the adventure and less on the racing.  Sure I want to always do my best and help the team be as successful as possible.  But I’ve never been burdened by being the best or the fastest.  I have always done well but never been a champion on any level.  So finishing in the pack is not the trauma for me that it is for the others who feel that finishing 2nd is failure.

In the end,for me the fun and the challenge is the adventure.  Getting older and slower only slightly detracts from the experience.  Experience  has it’s benefits.  Some things I’ve learned the hard way while others I just figured out.  These “tricks” help the team move faster and to be more comfortable.  And I can still walk as fast as anyone I know - a skill that helps in a multi-day race.  As long as we can move fast enough to complete the long course and to be “competitive” in our own way, I am happy.

So I will spend another year or two pretending that the rules don’t apply to me and continent to push my body beyond what mere moral believe is possible.  I will be returning to Raid the North in July and Motherload in September with a few other events sprinkled  in. 

In fact I suspect that I will be doing adventure races long after Charlie Sheen has fallen off the radar and the goddess’  have moved on.

Traveling through the Mojave Desert is about survival. Problem solving, navigation, and team work are critical to making it out alive. Without being too dramatic, death can come in the desert quickly if one forgets the importance of making wise choices. The intense heat, the canyon climbs, both up and down, and the various critters can be fatal.

Desert Winds was set up to be several things. First it was the longest expedition in North America this year. It was designed to be an epic journey - one that is unlikely to ever be repeated. And it was put together by adventure racers who truly believe in the sport. Great emphasis was put on allowing the teams to continue to move forward without cutoffs or penalties so long as the athletes wanted to keep moving forward. Teams were rewarded for sticking together and the few teams that stayed intact were given the highest ranking. This was not as much a race as it was a true expedition.

The Dirty Avocados were proud to be a part of this event and applaud the hard working staff that made it possible. This sport needs more people like the Finley’s to keeps this sport what it was meant to be - an experience that you can- and will tell your grand kids about.

If the after party was any indication there was not a single participant that regretted his or her decision to be involved. The overwhelming applause for the staff, the course and the event as a whole demonstrated that the people most affected were glad there were there.

For this event the Dirty Avocados were joined by Masha Glanville of the Dancing Pandas. Masha brought so much to the team and kept us laughing the entire event. No one has a better adventure racing spirit then Masha. The rest of the team was made up of Brian Schmitz, Adam Doti, and Mike Chastaine.

The event was centered out of the Hacienda Casino near the Hoover Dam. This one star hotel was accommodating and seemed to need the business.

The check in was Saturday. The scheduled prologue of biking, trekking and rope work was set for early Sunday morning. A slight permitting issue presented itself in the form of being stopped by the rangers and turned back. This caused much discussion among the racers about whether we should start the race. After a group meeting and assurances that the manned CP’s would be staffed and water would be available all but one team started the race.

A note for critics of this event - none of whom were actually present - This race was well organized and safety was never compromised. Anytime a team requested help they received it. When teams were lost and unaccounted for the staff went out and found them. Without getting in to the politics of the permitting issues, I never felt that we were in unnecessary danger beyond what a course like this would present. I have raced all over the world and, in my opinion; this race delivered everything that it promised. It’s too bad that politics can (and often does) prevent experienced outdoor persons from experiencing the best and most epic terrain that an area has to offer. As a tax paying citizen who (in theory) owns our federal lands, why should we be denied access to the best parts of it? At Desert Winds we were not denied. (This is the authors personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any other person or organization. It’s my opinion, but I could be wrong.)

The event regrouped and began with a staggered start beginning at 8 pm with teams leaving from the casino in 5 minute intervals. We left at 8:35 with our packs loaded down with 2 pack rafts, paddles, rope and climbing gear and as much water as we could carry. We exited out the hotel’s side door, crossed the dark parking lot lit up by only the large strobing casino sign. We crossed the street and disappeared into a dark canyon directly behind the gas station.

The basic course was broken-down as follows: 60 miles of desert and canyon trekking with canyon repelling and pack rafting. The 2nd leg was a 100 mile mountain bike ride with some tricky navigation. 3rd leg was a 20 mile desert trek with more pack rafting. The final leg was a 35 to 50 mile canoe paddle. There were 12 “mandatory” CP’s and 55 optional points. Most check points were man made objects on the course like windmills or signs with associated questions. A few were PVC stakes or stores.

The first trek took us south from the Hacienda Casino, over a ridge and in to Boy Scout canyon. We moved well though the canyon towards the first repel above a hot springs.

A short repel into a dicey down climb put us back into a canyon with hot water running from the hot springs. Slipping and sliding down we worked our way to the Colorado River and the 1st pack raft section. We had experimented and found that the hull speed of the raft was so slow that it was more efficient to have only one person paddle while the other person held on to packs and rested. We got our 2 rafts pumped up and paddled about 5 kilometers to a take out marked by glow sticks. The take out was a tricky cliff scramble, but we got the boats out of the water and up to a ledge where we could deflate and repack. We had to be very careful with the boats as they are quite thin and can be easily punctured. Our next goal was to climb out from the river about 600 feet in elevation gain and head to adventure canyon. The bottom of the canyon was tricky scrambling but we worked out each problem as a team to get over the obstacles.

We steadily climbed to the ridge in the dark. When we got to the top we did not see what we expected. The map showed a large flat area. What we found was rocky undulating terrain. In the dark, even with the full moon, we struggled to find a landmark that matched up. We thought we knew where we were but were north of that location. We worked our way south for several hours till the moon went down behind the mountains. At this point we decided to take a sleep till the sun came up so we could figure out where we were. An hour or so later, as dawn broke we could see and determined that the flat area were looking for was about 200 meters east of us. Finding that, we moved quickly to the entrance of one of the real highlights of the event - adventure canyon.

Adventure canyon was a series of repels and down climbs. Nine separate repels with the last dropping us directly in to the Colorado River. It was beautiful, challenging and scary all at the same time. Excellent fun.

After dropping into the Colorado River (which was about 50 degrees) we inflated the boats and were off again paddling our pack rafts about 3 miles. The water was calm but the day was starting to heat up.

An hour later we pulled on to a little beach at the entrance of the next canyon. Just leaving was a team from Pennsylvania - Gung Ho. We filled up every container we had with water, deflated and packed the rafts and shouldered our heavy pack and set off up the canyon. Our goal was CP2 about 1500 feet above.

The early part of the canyon was full of technical climbs and scrambles that required team work to get 4 bodies and packs past. As we continued to climb the temperature continued to climb. It was easily 120 degrees F in the sun. After a while we would have to stop in the shade every 45 minutes or so, just to cool off. About 3/4 the way up the canyon we caught up to Gung Ho. From there on in we played leap frog all the way to the top of the canyon and on to the road that took us to CP2 - a truck full of water.

Robert was there to greet us. We arrived at about 3 pm in the heat of the day. We knew that we were about 6 hours behind the teams in front of us and 10 hours behind the leaders. That navigation error had cost us both time and confidence.

We had two options at this point. The first was to trek through the desert in search of the 5 OP’s that lead back to the river. This was about a 20 mile section. The second was to go back down the canyon and pack raft 16 miles to CP 3. Gung Ho was going to try the pack raft route. So far our experience on the pack rafts had been pretty good and with the current we figured we could do the whole trip in 10 to 12 hours. Our concern with the trek was the fact that there was no water for the entire 20 miles. This is where the confidence in our navigation came to bear. If we got lost, would we cook in the desert? Finally, after much discussion we decided to do the trek.

We left around 3:45 and made pretty good time across the open desert, past the power lines and into the valley we were aiming at. The trekking was slow as the ground was covered with rocks and tough going. We climbed to the ridge and got on the razor ridge on which OP 7 was located. Just as it got dark we were walking along this ridge. We were very confident that we were in the right place but could not find the PVC stake that was OP 7. This was very discouraging. We continued on toward OP 8. We were beginning the traverse around a large knoll. In the dark the features didn’t look right. We stopped, took inventory of our water and determined that after about 5 hours we were through almost 1/2 of what we had taken. At this point, with doubt about our ability to get to the river, we decided to turn around and go back to CP2. Feeling that we were going to have to drop out we made our way slowly back to the CP. We were pretty sure that no one would be there and that we would have to request help. What a bummer.

To our great surprise, the truck and more important the water was still there. We took a nap and when we got up in the morning Briana was there. We found Adam who got the chills, curled up in the back of the truck bed spooning a giant roast beef sandwich apparently belonging to Briana. She lifted our spirits and we decided that we would head down the canyon and do the pack rafting. We knew that we were way behind at this point, but figured that if we could keep the team together we would be fine. We were pretty sure that if we were having these types of problems, other teams were as well.

We made it down the canyon in under 3 hours - even with all of the technical down climbs, and got our rafts pumped up and loaded. However, instead of the calm water that we had experienced the night before, the wind was really picking up. Paddling these pack rafts was a lot like paddling a beach ball. The wind really impacted our progress. Being adventure racers, we put our heads down and just paddled along. We were covering a couple of miles an hour and making progress. After 8 miles in about 5 hours we were about 1/2 way, but the wind was getting stronger. If we stopped paddling for a second, the boat would go backwards.

Finally a power boat came up with race officials in it. They told us that the wind was even worse further down the river and we were strongly recommended that we take advantage of a ride to CP6 - the bike TA. Given that we were behind, we figured this was the smarter move.

When we got the TA - which was Roberts house we discovered that we were right. Other teams were also having problems and many of the teams had either been rescued, received assistance or had lost a team member. We were still in the race.

We were given new maps and had to plot the bike ride as well as the last trek and paddle. The bike started with a 30 mile loop that we were told was tricky. This could easily be short cut. We figured at this point, the key was to get to the finish line in tack.

We went directly to CP7 then followed along the many roads to the various OP’s. This was a bit tricky in that the map and the roads didn’t match up. But using features and some plain old deductive reasoning we were pretty successful in moving through this area at a good speed. The route consisted of a maze of very confising fireroads that we needed to navigate through the night. It was a very surreal and lonesome experience navigating around old abandoned and some still operational windmills creaking and moaning in the dark. Finally we got to Red Lake - a dry lake bed. The CP was in the middle and we had to navigate it in the dark using nothing more then a bearing. We were only about 100 meters off when Adam happened to look over his left shoulder and saw a faint dark black man made object in the distance. Dreuce‘ s truck in the middle of the lake. We found a couple other teams sleeping as well as Druce. From there it was about 10 K to the next OP - also in the dry lake. Upon finding that we took an hour sleep at the base of a giant water tank. Upon waking and gathering our belongings, Brian found a small scorpion taking refuge in his bike shoe.

When we got up we headed to the highway and traveled south in to the teeth of a very strong head wind. We worked our way to Vock Canyon and started the long slog up the mountain. We were told that it was 70 to 80 % rideable. Not on our best day. We pushed and pulled our bikes up the mountain to almost 7000 feet. Finally, after several hours we were at the junction. We had the option of dropping the bikes and climbing the last several hundred feet to the top for an additional OP. We were pretty beat up so skipped it. We got back on the bikes and jumped on the unmarked single track that took us for 5k to the road that lead to the town of Chlorine. This down hill section was uneventful and finally we arrived at the little town store. We cleaned them out, eating pizza, burritos, ice cream and several cold beverages.

From the store it was mostly down hill, across highway 93 to the TA. We arrived there in the late afternoon, got the bikes packed, gear ready and took an hour sleep. We looked at the maps and concluded, consistent with our game plan, to skip most of the optional OP’s pick up the mandatory CP and head to Cottonwood road that lead to the paddle TA. This was not going to be a short trek but we would avoid the canyons and many of the navigation issues that could arise.

We left the bike TA at sunset on foot for a long cross country desert trek through the night. The trek took us through some very remote sections which occasionally would bring us near makeshift neighborhoods and compounds whos resident dogs would signal for us to not come any closer. We zig zagged around these and made our way to Cottonwood Road.

As the sun was rising we arrived at the paddle TA. 4 of us in a canoe was quite the sight. We paddled for 11 hours getting out of the boat only twice. One to swim in the heat of the day and a second time to grab some optional CP’s along the way. Just after dark we hit the beach at Willow Creek - the finish line at 95 hours, 7 minutes and 22 seconds.

True to our strategy we were awarded 4th place. Staying together, never giving up and grabbing all of the mandatory CP’s except 3, 4 and 5 put us ahead of all but 3 of the other teams.

While, from the perspective of things going well, this was not my best race. Without a doubt this was the most fun I have had out on the race course. We laughed at ourselves and everything else throughout the course. Masha kept the mood light, even when we thought we were on the verge of dropping out. The entire team pulled together and really made this an epic experience.

We would like to thank the following companies for all their support and encouragement in making our adventure possible…

Camelbak
Outdoor Research
nuun
Aquan Sports
Headsweats
National Geographic Maps
Rudy Project
CAMP

   Members of the Dirty Avocados were all over the place.  Brian was at Untamed New England, DP was racing with Galen, Will is getting ready to have a baby. Abomb just opened a business and Doti was being a race volunteer.  This left Angel and I to race as a 2 person team at the 2010 Gold Rush 24 Challenge.    We were racing under the name of Big Blue in hopes of winning some sponsorship dollars. 

 Mark, Adrian and their crew always put on a very well thought out, challenging and fun course.  As they say, it is not a race you will finish in24 hours.

There was a very good field but the class of the teams were the Yogaslackers and DART/nunn.  Angel and I were just looking to run a solid race.

The race started with a paddle O course where we would get bearings and distances at each checkpoint on the lake.  The teams were divided in to 2 groups - an A group and a Z group.  We were in the Z group with the Yoga slackers and DART.  We paddled well.  DART and Yoga got turned around on the bearing and we pulled a significant lead over them.

We were 2d off the water and after a very quick transitions, including loading the boat onto the car, we were off on the bike.  We rode hard up to Crandell Peak, almost 3000 above.  We picked off the CP’s as we continued to ride hard through Strawberry and were working our way to the TA when I began cramping. The last climb was 2300 feet, mostly on exposed pavement.  I chased Angel up the hill but really suffered with massive cramps in the major muscle groups.

We finally got to the TA, still in the lead.  however, that lead was short lived as Yogas and DART pulled in within minutes.

After a quick TA, we headed out on the trek towards the ropes course.  We ran down the hill and instead of following the road bush whacked straight  up the mountain.  We moved up the mountain as fast as we could and eventually found a downhill mountain bike trail that lead us to the main road.  A slight misdirection and then back on then right path hitting the CP at the top.  We hustled down toward the ropes running into DART.  DART beat us into the CP just as Yoga was getting onto the ropes.

The repel was a fun 200+ foot dropping down a rocky face.  There were 2 ropes.  I took the more aggressive route which included a short overhang.  This was Angels biggest repel ever so she was a bit nervous but handled the rope work without any problem.  After getting ff the rope and traversing over to the spine we affixed on to a rope for a jumar assisted climb back to the CP.  This was a beautiful repel with a wonderful view off towards Pinecrest lake.

After the climb we gathered ourselves and began heading to the canyon.  There was a waypoint at the junction of the rivers.  I took a quick bearing and began down the ridge.  We ran into a bike trail and followed it a ways.  I sort of lost track and we followed it too far.  The long and short of it was the decent was tricky requiring many down scrabbles and bush whacking through nasty Manzanita

It was getting dark as we finally got down to the river.  We were too far to the West of the way point.  As it was getting dark we by passed the way point and headed straight up the mountain towards the next CP that was located at the top of a ski lift.  It was a long hard climb but eventually we made it.  Just before we got to the CP we were caught by the Brazilian team including our local friend - Jen Klifflin.  We got to the CP and quickly moved on while the Brazilian team took a break. 

We bushwhacked down toward the road that would lead to CP 10.  The bush was nasty and scratchy and tore our legs up.  Even though I tried to stay on the compass moving in the dark around the various obstacles we hit the road father west then I had planned .  We walked a ways till it became clear we needed to turn around. We quickly adjusted and found the CP 10 in short order.  At this point time was becoming an issue.

Looking at the map we realized that we would have to skip CP 11 in order to give our selves a chance to get all of the bike CP’s..  The map showed a horse trail that went from CP 10 to CP 12.  We couldn’t find the trial head so we just started bushwhacking along the creek.  After a while we ran into the trail and moved on at a good pace.  We arrived at the TA at the base of Dodge Ridge Ski resort around 3:30am.

After a quick transition we were back on the bikes and climbing.  We had a trouble finding CP 14.  I missed the turn off and we did some extra climbing.  Just as the sun was rising we found 14 and started working our way through the check points.  There was a lot of climbing and many of the down hills were rocky and sketchy and slow.  It was taking us a long time between the CP’s.  The cut off for finishing was 2 pm and the clock was running.

We had decided that we would have to skip a few CP’s including 21.  We were moving as fast as we could and our navigation was solid but this was a very long bike ride.

As we were heading to CP 22 we came to the last bail out point.  We had only 2 hours to finish.  I was beat.  We took the bail out and finished in just over 29 hours.

When the finally tally was done we were 3rd overall.

Gold Rush had a great course.  The swag was great - a really nice long sleeve tech shirt, an engraved pocket knife and a nice personalized finishing certificate.  The organization was great and everyone was very nice and very helpful.  The Gold Rush is a must do race every year.

XPD - the final trek

We got to the ski club at Lake Tinaroo around 4:30 - 5:00pm on the 7th day.  I was a mess and my feet were killing me.  We wanted to get on the lake as quick as possible.  However, I was moving slowly.  I had to work on my feet - get them cleaned and re taped.  I was hoping to let them rest during the paddle.  While I was taking care of my feet (with the assistance of one of TA members,) Brian and Karl were getting the boats blown up and Jen was packing the boxes.  I was just moving slowly.  I felt better then I did at the cafe but was still not in very good shape.  The rest of the team wanted to finish the paddle and head straight into the trek.  I just wasn’t going to be able to do that and insisted that we sleep some before the trek.

Several teams came into the TA and left before we were able to get on the lake.  Just before we left, I noticed we had 4 mountain house packages in the box.  I spoke to Karl about whether we should take it.  He thought we had some in the next TA box.  Why I would listen to some one so sleep deprived just shows how sleep deprived I was.  Anyway, I didn’t bring the food.

We got on the water right at sunset.  After being past by several teams in the TA we were out of the top 20.  The paddle was uneventful except that Brian and I did crazy Ivans down the lake.  I had a very tough time keeping the kayak going in a straight line.  Jen navigated us to the take out where there was a nice fire.

Sure enough, we had very little food in the TA box, and no mountain house.  I had to settle for a can of tuna fish before I laid down.  We agreed to hit the trial at midnight.

We got up, packed up our packs for the final trek and hit the road about 12:30 am.  The trek started on a good fire road the climbed up the ridge towards Caines.  I was feeling much better after that short sleep.  According to the map, after getting to the top of the ridge and rounding a bend there should have been a trial head leading north.  About 12 kilometers in, around 3am we got to the spot I thought the trail should have been, but couldn’t find it.  We were at the right elevation, the trial turned as indicated on the map but we couldn’t find anything that looked like a trail.  We went back and forth, up and down the trail, but no luck.  We went back up the ridge and found a trail head with a tent of another team that was taking a nap.  We tried heading up the trail but it was going the wrong way and I found it on the map leading to a peak we didn’t want to go.  Leeches were falling out of the trees and I got one attached on my lip.  We didn’t go up the trail too far before we turned back, quietly sneaking around the tent without waking it’s occupants.

We were at a loss, so we studied the map some more.  Further down the trail, there was a trail on the wrong side of the road that was marked “overgrown.”  I thought, maybe it crossed the road.  As we were heading down the trail we ran into an all male team that had been out there for hours.  They did not look like they were in very good shape. Sure enough, there was a solid trail with nice blaze markers.  We took off moving well.  I was feeling pretty good at this point. 

We were doing well until we crossed a stream.  We picked up what we thought was the right trail.  We followed it for a while and all of a sudden dropped onto the road.  We had found the original trail head we had been looking for before.  It was completely overgrown and required a climb up to it.  The sun was just coming up.  So we turned around and trekked back to the stream.  The first trail we followed had nice blazes.  The trail we were now on had only yellow ribbon marking the way.  At this point, I was pretty sure I knew where on the map we were and was able to follow it as we moved forward.  From that point on, we made good time. The trial was not very good, completely overgrown.  Every once in a while we would lose the trail.  One team member would stand at the last ribbon till we found the next one.  That worked well, especially when there was a lot of tree fall. We later found out that this section caused a lot of teams a great deal of trouble.

Youtube – last jungle trek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOCgWfkG_Ks  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BToY1ZNt6c&feature=related

We had a very big climb up to a peak, then down along a ridge and finally came out to the intersection we were looking for.  This was the trail to the outlook where the next CP would be.  This was going to be a 2000 foot climb.

We got to this intersection around noon.  We took a quick 10 min lay down and then we were off.  There were two ways to the top - a shorter, steeper section, or a longer, more gradual path.  We picked the shorter path.  It was extremely steep.  Those Aussi’s are a tough breed, calling this a walking path. 

 A couple of hours of climbing and we were at the lookout.  It was a nice little clearing by a tower.  We got there around 3:00.  We took a bit of time to eat and work on our feet.  I was getting concerned that we were going to get stuck in the jungle in the dark. 

The next section was a 5 kilometer jungle bush whack.  I had been concerned about this section since I first saw it.  When we originally got the maps I had located a second route - one that was all on road, but was about 25 kilometers longer.

From the outlook CP (located at Kalphalim Rock) we dropped down into the jungle, attempting the bushwhack.  After 45 minutes, we hadn’t gotten anywhere and realized we were not on the ridge that we wanted to get on.  We got back up on the trail that lead us to the outlook.  We were looking for an entry to the correct ridge.  As we worked our way along the trail, looking for the ridge, we saw two teams show up.

At this point, given the lack of sunlight left, we started to talk about doing the longer “walk around” route.  Not only was I concerned about the slow going in the jungle, but I knew sleeping in the jungle with the leeches and other nasties would be very tough.  Also, given our physical state, I was concerned that someone might slip and get injured. We figured that the best we could do would be 1 kilometer an hour in the jungle, while we could do 5 kilometers an hour on the road.  We also figured that if it didn’t go well in the jungle we could be in the jungle for hours, while on the road, as long as we keep moving we would do fine.  So we agreed to take the longer route.   

The Kiwi girls and an all male team were with us at this point, but didn’t seem interested in working together.  They took off to somewhere, I don’t know where they went.  We headed down off the ridge back to the parking lot near the intersection we had been at several hours before.  We dropped down about 1700 feet and hit the parking lot just as the sun went down.  We did an hour lay down and got a little sleep before starting this long trek on the road.

The trek on the road was long and painful.  My feet were really hurting.  It appeared that everyone had bad feet and the trek was just a grind.  The road turned out to be much more hilly then I had expected.  Very steep up hills and steep down hills as we moved along.  Although it was painful we were making good time.  We headed West, then cut down some power lines north.  We found the main road heading East.  We were looking for the dam that crossed Lake Morris.  It seemed like it took us forever to get there.  As I was sleep walking (Brian was navigating) I kept thinking how could we miss a huge lake and dam.  As is always true in AR, you are never as far along as you think.  Finally, we got there and found the dam around 3 am.  We were beat so just laid down in the middle of the dam and slept for an hour.

It was a short walk from the dam to the turn off down to Crystal Cascade. The trail that dropped down to this very beautiful park was extremely steep and several hundred feet vertical - all switch backs.  We worked our way down and as the sun began to rise we were at the park. We walked past the CP marker in the dark and went all the way to the end of the park.  We cursed the race director and took a picture of the end of the gate thinking that some one may have stolen the flag.  As we were walking out of the park we saw the marker and gathered the CP. 

Now we were on the home stretch.  20 kilometers to the finish.  As we began to walk out of the park, a lady on a bike rode up to us.  She was very excited to see us and said she had come to the park hoping to find a team.  Like many of the locals, she had been following the race.   She, like many of the people, was very encouraging and urged us on.  During this last trek we had several cars pull over and the people get out and cheer us on.

Just before we left the park Karl jumped in one of the bathrooms and was greeted by a huge yellow spider, the size of his head.  Deeming that stall occupied he moved on.

Like horses smelling the barn, we were on a mission to the finish.  We had no idea if our walk around had changed our position, but we knew we were going to finish well in advance of the cut off ( a concern that I had had that entire leg.)

First we needed to trek east around a mountain range (we did have the option of climbing over the range; an option we soundly rejected.). We were trekking at a strong pace.  We cut though a neighborhood, through a sugarcane field and into a park.  We cut through a creek and around the end of the range.  At this point we had 10 kilometers of walking through the town.  For me this was the toughest section.  So close, yet such a long way on hot, hard pavement.  We stopped briefly at a gas station for ice cream and red bull.  We kept working our way to Carins.  I had misplaced the final map - the one of the city that showed the location of the final CP - on the north end of the Esplanade (about 5 minutes from the finish.) 

We had some trouble locating the CP.  The instructions said it was at a phone box but there was no phone box at the north end.  We found the closest phone box, got the number and took it to the finish line.

We found the finish at the pool at the Rydges.  We crossed the line at 11:30 am, just a few minutes shy of 8 full days after we started.    We were the 13th team overall and 11th in the Premier (Co-Ed) division.  In the last trek, between passing teams and drop outs, we moved up 7 position.  20 teams finished the full course fully ranked, 3 teams finished the full course unranked, 2 teams did a short course and 21 teams did not finish.

This was a great race for us.  For all of us it was the first time we had finished the long course of an expedition race fully ranking.  For me this was the hardest race, both physically and mentally, I have ever done.  The great support of my teammates got me through.

I came to his race hoping for an Eco-Challenge type expedition.  I got exactly what I was looking for.  It was hard, interesting, and exciting, with leeches and all. 

For more pictures see the gallery at www.Dirtyavocados.com.  For more video, go to youtube and search under Dirty Avocados

mid camp - day 3

Once we pulled into mid camp we were feeling pretty good about things.  We were all healthy, we were 1/2 way (as far as distance) and we were going to get a big sleep.  We were fed a nice hot meal, given the opportunity to clean up with a warm bucket of water and get some sleep.  This was the only real opportunity to look at the trail mail but there really wasn’t time to go on line to do that.  I spent a couple of minutes looking at it but really needed to get sleep.  We greatly appreciated the trail mail but didn’t get to look at it till the race was over.

The race management  provided a wake up call, for us it was 3 am.  I was hopeful that we would be on the road by 4:19 (our 6 hour point) but I was really moving slow and we were a little late.  Brian gathered up the kayak stuff and loaded the wheelbarrow.  I was struggling getting my bike taken apart and my gear put way.  Finally, about 4:40 we were off.

Being off meant pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with kayak gear down the road for 20 kilometers.  In the 1870’s Queensland had a gold rush (much like the one that occurred in California a few years before.) Many on the miners had no horses or wagons, so they transported all of their worldly possessions to the mines in wheelbarrows.  Midcamp was at a town called Dumbula - apparently the wheelbarrow race capital of the world.  It was from this transition that we pushing our nice green Kelso wheelbarrow.

It was very dark and foggy when we set off and I really had to rely on the bearing because we couldn’t see more then 50 feet.  We wanted to make sure that we got to the bridge to get across the Walsh river. Less then 1/2 a click down the road Jen realized she wasn’t wearing her mandatory vest.  She quickly ran back and got it and we were on our way.

We had agreed that we would alternate every 5 minutes and everyone would take there turn.  At first, it wasn’t too bad.  Our wheelbarrow was pretty nicely balanced and the weight wasn’t too bad.  As the hours rolled on the push became harder as we each in turn was glad when our 5 mins was up and we would have 15 mins of walking without pushing. 

As the sun came out and the fog cleared it got hotter.  We were clearly heading to the outback.  The narrow road we pushed Kelso had almost no vehicle traffic except photographers and one lady who scolded us for being on the wrong side of the road.

Finally, at a little before 8 am we got to the kayak put in.  It wasn’t much to see, just a spot by a very low river.  It because obvious that the rumors were true, the river was so low we would be doing a great deal of portaging of one kind or another, including just dragging the boats over the shallows.

For hours it was paddle a little, push and pull a lot.  The river bottom was very treacherous with large slick rocks making up the entire river bottom.  Walking along the bottom risked twisted ankles and banged up shins.  Also the consistent   jumping in and out of the rubber boats tore up the shins, especially as they got burn burned.

We “paddled” for hours.  Some times we would be in an open area where we could actually paddle then we would be looking for some small river off shoot were the river continued and flowed into another open area.  Jen quickly realized that we had to always follow the moving water and became our route finder. 

Around 5 pm (an hour before darkness) we located the bend in the river where the 1st CP on the river would be.  We beached the boats and Karl and I went looking for the  flag.  It appeared to be close and I thought I would just grab it quick. I must have over run it because soon I found my self heading up a creek bed and was too far.  I tried to circle back but must have missed it again.  Daylight was waning and I didn’t want to be out there without a light.  As we were heading back to the boats we ran into Latitude 19 and they had already gotten the CP.  They gave us a bearing and I walked right to it.  I had gone completely around it on my first go.

When I got back it was almost dark.    We changed into our night kayaking gear. The bad news was that all of my gear was soaking wet.  The good news was that it was not too cold so we were fine.  We got back in the boats and continued on.  Hour after hour paddling and pulling and following little shallow narrow water ways.  We saw some “freshies” (small fresh water crocs.) Finally around 1:30am we need some sleep so we pulled off on to a beach and build a fire.  We had seen Latitude 19 pulled up a few 100 meters before.

I wanted to sleep for a few hours but the general consensus was that we would only sleep for a hour.  After a very quick, but comfortable hour we were folding up camp and putting out our nice warm fire.

Our getting started early strategy didn’t work so well.  We paddled to the end of the water.  We didn’t see or hear the outlet.  I got out of the boat and looked around but did not do a very good job because I missed the water which was about 50 meters to the west.  I was relying of hearing the sound of moving water which was not happening at that location.  Soooo we paddled back up river running into the Kiwi girls.  We didn’t find any other way so we turned around again and paddled back to the end of the water.  This time, as the sun was starting to come up, we found the outlet that we were looking for.

We continued to paddle and pull boats over the rocks.  In this last half of the paddle there was actually longer stretches of real paddling.  We were with the Kiwi girls off and on.  There was one section where we were weaving in-between and through a groove of trees.  Watching the little yellow boats go back and forth between the trees reminding me of a ride at Disneyland.  Finally we were getting close the final kayak CP.  It was on a big bend in the river, where the river turns 180 degrees to go south.  The map also showed 2 creeks feeding the river with the CP at a hot springs in between the 2 creeks.  We over shot the CP by about a 100 meters but used our backstop (the bend in the river) to know where we were.  The river was so low the creeks were not apparent until we were out of the boats.  We made pretty quick work of finding the CP (there was a muddy bog with steam coming out of it). 

After the last CP we were approaching the rapids.  We were promised a set of rapids with specific instructions regarding how to approach them.  They were not very impressive and a lot of work to get the boat past the little waterfall to lead into the 30 meter stretch.

 Youtube of the rapids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XJrnJCNOsY

After the “rapids” the paddling was pretty straight forward except a little strainer we got caught in that caused us to lose our Sun Screen and had me chasing Brian’s helmet down the river after it fell out of the boat.

Finally, 30 hours after starting we arrived at nine mile, the TA.  We came in just ahead of the kiwi girls.  We were told no team had been there for 6 or so hours.  Just after we arrived, however a whole parade of teams came in and soon the TA was very busy.  We had to deflate the boats, stow our paddle gear, try to dry stuff out, eat, and get ready for the most intimidating legs on the course - The Tigerland trek.  This trek was completely without trials, roads or any man made objects.  The navigation was going to be difficult. 

And we were starting just after sunset so we had to travel the early section in the dark.  We had agreed to team up with Latitude 19 again to tackle this section.  We all felt that we would move faster if we worked together.  While I contributed and was very active in the navigation Adrian from the Aussi team really did the lions share of the work.  His ability to concentrate hour after hour was pretty amazing.  There were certainly times when I just faded and was really glad for the help.

 youtube - 1st part of the Tigerland trek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysCUPjFG_-U&feature=related

By taking and maintaining accurate bearings we were able to cover the large distances to the first way point, a canyon heading in the main part of the area.  We did some serious climbing that night and were very glad to be doing it in the cool of the night.  We were very concerned about locating water.  We were told that there was water on this section, but seeing is believing.  Fortunately, there was water, as long as you kept to the many streams.  Not all of the water was that great, but we were able to locate enough to keep us going.

We moved well through the night and were getting pretty close to the sole CP on this leg.  However, around 2 am, everyone was tired from the paddle and trekking and we agreed to take a sleep with the understanding that we would be on the “trail” by daylight.  I found a relatively comfortable spot to lay down and was instantly asleep.  Our alarms woke us and by 1st light we were on our way.

By early morning we had located the CP and were pretty pleased with our progress.  We worked well together as we slogged along hour after hour through this hot, barren hostel terrain.  We were making good time as we were trekked along.  As we began climbing a pretty steep hill, I felt the tape on my right heel slip and an instant blister developed.  Up to that point my feet were doing ok, but all of a sudden, I was in a great deal of discomfort.  After a few steps, I had to stop to fix this.  I hated to stop like that but I was doing some real damage.  A few minutes of taping and I was good to go again.

As the trek went on my feet became more sore and various blisters started to pop up.  I taped them as best I could but the ground was so rough and uneven that the feet were taking a beating.

All day we trekked on.   It was hot and barren.  No human has any business in this place.  As the sun began to set we were climbing the last hill that would drop us on to the river that we had aiming for.  We were running low on water and figured this river would be our supply.  The river was dry.  The next part was a climb over another ridge to shortcut the bend in the river.  This was a very steep climb and an even steeper decent down into a creek bed.  After carefully descending into the creek bed we had about 3 kilometers of negotiating  the rocks and uneven ground.

It seemed like this creek bed went on for ever.  Finally we got to the river.  I was so tired I had to sleep.  We got to the river, which did have water, and I immediately laid down and went to sleep.  Latitude 19 went on.

We got up about an hour and half later.  It was still dark as we made our way, crossing the fingers of the river.  We started out pretty well but turned the wrong way on the river for a short while.  Just before sunrise, Karl climbed to a high point and we got ourselves back on track.  We were making good time as we were working our way towards a road that was on the map.  As we were crossing one of the river fingers, we ran into Latitude 19.  They had camped out, explaining that they had become so tired they had to stop.

Again, together, we soldiered on looking forward to finding the road and getting to the TA.  Of course, the road was not where it showed on the map.  So we continued to work our way along the river along the uneven and rocky terrain.  Finally we found something that use to be a road.  We followed this “road” until it slowly turned into a real dirt road.  Still we had several miles to go.  We slogged on till finally hitting the little oasis in the middle of this wasteland - in the shadow of Mount Mulligan - an old cattle station.

Youtube - coming out of the Tigerland trek  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu51p-kw4Mc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvMJxJQ3URs&feature=related

Again, when we pulled into to the TA we were told that no one had been there for several hours.  Shortly after we arrived a bunch of teams came in.  Again we were feeling the pressure of the teams behind us.  At the end of the trek we were in 18th place. It was around 3pm

We took the time to eat, rehydrate and rest.  The station had a shower, which felt great.  We decided to take 2 hours, to get past the heat of the day before we got back on the road.  We rested, got our bikes put together and loaded food in our packs.  We were told that the navigation was going to be tricky as there were many roads that were not on the maps.  This proved to be true.

We had talked to Latitude 19 about riding with them, but when the time came for us to leave they were not ready.  They were having some serious medical issues that ultimately caused one of the team members to have to be taken to the hospital.

Putting my bike shoes on was a very painful experience.  Walking in bike shoes was even worse.  Fortunately, riding the bike was not so bad and didn’t really hurt to much. 

The first CP was only a couple of miles north in a cemetery in a ghost town.  Then we would back track and head south towards a gold mine some 30+ kilometers down the road.  We took off about 5 and within 20 minutes were at the first CP.

As we were heading back past the TA, we saw several teams right on our tail.

We made good time down the road as darkness fell.  We rode along uneventfully and worked our way to the next CP at a gold mine.  The maps (being 30 years old) were not completely accurate but we were able to work our way to the home just above the mine.  The family that lived there was very nice and very excited about the race.  They said that they had been following our progress and gave some helpful local information.  They were also selling cokes which was very nice.  As we were drinking our cokes several teams came up, including the Yogi Bears, BMX bandits and Racing 4 Cancer.   After these many days you would think we could relax, but instead the pressure was still on.

We grabbed the CP 1st and took off.  We were riding well as a team.  The trail was very rocky and rutted and at times technical.  We rode together very well working the climbs and downhill well.  A few miles in I crashed and got a pitch flat.  We quickly fixed it.  A little while later Jen did an endo.  Fortunately she was ok.  Still we were making good time and appeared to be putting time on other teams.  We were told to follow the fence till we got to a gate.  It all came together and I was lulled into feeling like we were going to knock this ride off without any trouble.  Wrong. 

When we got to the gate there were two routes indicated on the map - a northern route and a southern route.  On the map the northern route looked shorter and easier.  However, we simply couldn’t find the right road.  Every road we took dead ended.  After an hour or two we went back to the gate.   The Yogi Bears were also there.  We tried to work with them, but they were not interested in working together.   As we sat there trying to determine what to do, we decided  that a little sleep would help.  There was a nice sandy area and we were able to get a few hours sleep.

When we woke up, we spread out the maps and after looking at everything, and based on Jen’s suggestion, tried the southern route.  I couldn’t find the roads that were on the map, but I figured that if we stayed on roads that went either south or east we would be fine.  We rode past a group of trailers that looked like a meth lab.  That lead to a road south.  We made pretty good time down the road.   It was very misty and foggy and the visibility was poor.  We found a main road and followed it for several kilometers.  We ran into a construction worker who gave us some good directions.

We were trying to find a canyon with a river running through it.  We peddled on and were going in the correct direction.  We went on and on and I couldn’t understand why we had not got through the canyon.  A little after sunrise, we came to an open area and I looked back.  As the fog lifted, there was the canyon.  We had ridden through it and didn’t know it.

A short while later we found the CP, which as on a hill top.

After the CP, we back tracked about a 1/2 kilometer to a “road” that, on the map should lead us to a main road and toward the long paved stretch to the TA.    This “road” was rutted and a real mess.  Slowly, it improved and was looking very promising.  We were moving along at a good rate, and except for some huge spiders, the going was good.  Then all of a sudden, the trail just ended.   We backtracked but could not find a better another way around.  I figured that we were within a kilometer of an actual road.  So the only real option was to bike whack.  As much as it hurt my feet to walk, that is what we did.  Pushing and carrying our bikes through the high grass, soon we could ride and then we were at some kind of farm.  After jumping a fence what did we see - two teams just ahead of us.  We cut through the farm and there we were, back with Yogi Bears and BMX.

Youtube - riding through the field - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHzG_BKT3U4&feature=related

We were out of water so we had to stop to fill up at a garden hose.  The other teams went on.  As we caught them, they were talking to a local who was giving some directions and clarifying where we were on the map.  The other two teams then stopped for water as we continued on.  From this point to the lake was going to be all paved roads.

We worked out a pace line as best we could.  We were making pretty good time and looking forward to getting off the bikes.  About 15 K into this part of the ride the BMX guys caught us and we rode to gather, more or less to the town of Tolga.  In Tolga, about 10 k from the TA at Lake Tinaroo, we hit a cafe for meat pies and drinks.  I was completely spent when we got there.  This was a real low for me.  I ate a pie and had a chocolate milk then promptly feel asleep on the patio.  A solid 20 minutes and I was feeling much better.

We started to the Lake for our TA, but followed the directions given by the ladies at the shop, instead of the map.  So a 1/2 hour later we corrected our mistake and were on our way. 

We got to the Kayak TA around 4:40pm still in 18th place.  While I was a mess, everyone else on the team seemed to be feeling pretty good.  They wanted to push on into the trek without sleeping.  I just couldn’t do it and told everyone that I had to have some sleep before the trek.  At the TA, I worked on my feet, cleaning and re-taping.  I was very concerned about the last trek and was trying to get my feet as ready as I could.

Everyone else packed the boxes, inflated the boats and generally got us ready.  While this was going on Yogi Bears came in to the TA and left before we were ready.   A couple of other teams - BMX and Race 4 Cancer came and left the TA before us.  We were out of the top 20 when we left on the kayak - just as the sun was setting.           

Embarking on an Adventure Down Under
By Lisa Kestenbaum
Daily Journal Staff Writer
On May 28, a week after his 50th birthday,
Michael Chastaine completed XPD, a
10-day, 435-mile race across Australia’s North
Queensland.
The night before the race Chastaine and his
three teammates — Jennifer Rigoni, a planning
manager; Brian Schmitz, a marketing
consultant; and Karl Royer, an employee in the
public works sector — enjoyed a steak dinner
and a good night’s rest. Sleep, and certainly
steak, would be hard to come by in the following
days.
Over the course of XPD, teams chose at what
point and for how long they would rest. Limited
sleep is one characteristic of expedition adventures,
a type of race that combines two or more
disciplines and spans 10 or more days.
Chastaine, a criminal defense attorney in
Folsom, discovered the sport when he moved
to Sacramento in 2001. In 2005 he joined Dirty
Avocados, an adventure racing group based in
the Bay Area and Central Valley. As a seasoned
athlete Chastaine had competed in several
triathlons, mountain bike races and distance
swims but was ready for the next challenge.
Since joining Dirty Avocados Chastaine and
his teammates have competed, and placed well,
in several races. In 2008 the team traveled to
Montana for Primal Quest, the biggest adventure
race in the U.S. XPD was their fi rst time
competing in Australia and out of 47 teams they
placed 11th in the coed division and 13th overall.
The trek began with a 10K run, followed by
paddling and snorkeling around Dunk Island.
Next the teams navigated a sea raft from the island
back to the mainland and then rode mountain
bikes to a wilderness preserve. Once there,
they were required to spend the night before
embarking on the white water rafting leg down
the Tully River. More trekking, mountain biking,
kayaking, and wheelbarrowing — pushing
kayak gear in large wheelbarrows — followed.
Rest breaks came when needed, explained
Chastaine, who acted as team captain. “When
we get to that point when we’re tired and don’t
know where we are, we sleep,” he said. “[Then]
everything becomes a bit clearer. An hour or so
makes a big difference.”
Sometimes the team had difficulties orienteering
even after a rest. Then they would
spread the maps out on the ground and talk options
until they came to a consensus, explained
Chastaine. During one leg of the race, the
team decided to circumnavigate a particularly
rugged area, even though doing so would add
distance to the trek. The move worked to their
advantage and they passed four other teams
while avoiding the unruly plant life.
For Chastaine, the “sticky, pokey, stingy”
vegetation was difficult to deal with; the plants
also added to the inherent danger of the Australian
wildlife. “It’s rocky terrain all the time,”
explained Chastaine. “Your ankles constantly
have to negotiate.” Animals tended to keep to
themselves although the team saw a lot of spiders.
Fresh water crocodiles, or “freshies” were
innocuous and box jellyfish, while poisonous to
the touch, were avoidable. Unavoidable was the
intense heat, which could climb high into the
90s. Staying near a water source was crucial.
Even though Chastaine has completed races
much longer in distance, he said the harsh and
unforgiving terrain and subsequent physical
demands of XPD made it the hardest. “It’s not a
place you go for a holiday picnic,” he joked. “But
it was beautiful.”
Back home in Folsom, Chastaine is gradually
getting back to his routine. He started riding his
bike for an hour each day, more for therapeutic
purposes than training. But the next competition
is never too far off Chastaine’s radar and in
September he will compete in Desert Winds, a
4-day race in Lake Mead.
Until then, he is once again focused on getting
a good night’s sleep. He is also trying to
gain back the 20 pounds he lost during the race
— perhaps a steak dinner would help.
lisa_kestenbuam@dailyjournal.com
Cheviot Hills

XPD race report.  This is part one of a multi-part race report. - 

 Pre-Race

             Australia, especially in the Queensland area, is the home of some of the most dangerous and nasty creatures and plants on the planet. Box Jellyfish, man eating crocs, poisonous spiders and snakes, and plants that sting, grab and tear at the flesh.  This was the site of the 2010 XPD.  A 10 day 700 kilometer expedition race following the general formate and course of the 1997 Eco challenge .  The Dirty Avocados arrived a few days early from San Francisco to match up with 47 4 person teams from around the world.  Jen Rigioni, Brian Schmitz, Karl Royer and Mike Chastaine set out to complete this highly difficult and demanding race that was deemed “As much as an adventure as a race.”

            After going through gear check and preparing our bike boxes, we had the race briefing.  The overall course case going to start relatively easy and get harder as the race went on.  While no single leg was actually easy, the early legs were clearly a warm up for what was to come.  It was strongly emphasized that two of the legs were so remote that the only way be rescued was by helicopter.  It was stated several times that one should not go out on those legs unless they were “highly” committed to making it out.

             The briefing went on to discuss the various hazards on the course - snakes - if your bit you need rescue, spiders - if you bit you need rescue - crocs, stinging tree, wait a while plants and all other manner of nasty stuff.

             It also became very clear that there were going to be lots of route choices and the navigation, especially in the second part of the race was going to be very hard.

             We were given our maps and a matrix of where we would see each box.  Some boxes we would see multiple times while other boxes we would see only once.  It was very important to have the right stuff in the right boxes.  While Karl and Mike worked on the maps and routes, Jen and Brian set forth getting the boxes in order.  Working like a well oiled machine we got out boxes and maps set up, waterproofed and down to the drop off at the appointed hour.

             The basic outline of the course was as follows:

Start at Dunk island with a 10k run around the island.  We would then paddle out to some snorkel locations and get 4 checkpoints, then paddle to the mainland - 25k in total of paddling.  100k bike ride to Tully gorge.  This would bring us to a dark zone.  9k hike to the start of the white water rafting and 10k guided white water.  47K jungle trek up the Misty Mountains followed by a 130k bike ride in the tablelands with a 10K orienteering course in the middle.  This would take us to mid camp where we had a mandatory 6 hour layover.  This was where the course started to really get hard.  The next leg was a 20k wheel barrel push with all of the kayak gear.  Next a 70k paddle in a river that was too low and would require a great deal of portage.  This would be followed by the 60K tiger trek.  This trek had only one CP and no trials or roads any where. 

             If you survived the Tigerland trek you got to do a 120k bike ride with more difficult navigation.  This ride ended at Tinaroo Lake and a 15k paddle and finish with a 60k jungle trek to the finish at Caines.

             After the boxes were delivered there was nothing to do but get a good meal and good night sleep.

 RACE DAY

             The race start was at a reasonable time. We boarded buses at 8am and drove south a couple of hours to Mission Beach and then a water taxi to Dunk island.  As the main boat had broken down it took a while to get everyone and the boats out to the island which delayed the start a bit.  But it was after 11:30 am before the race began with 200 excited adventure racers running along the beach. 

            We settled into a steady pace.  It was hot and humid and I was nursing a sore ankle so I was trying to avoid aggravating it any more.    We moved along well in the mid teens.  I was affected by the humidity and after an hour or so was feeling sluggish and dehydrated.  We finished the run, grabbed the kayak and started paddling towards the buoys for the snorkeling checkpoints.  The water was rough and we were paddling into the waves.  We had four people in the 2 person kayak.  This made the steering tricky but Karl did a great job keeping the kayak straight and on course.  We did well on the paddle and got out to the buoy to tie up the rope along with several other boats.  We donned our fins and jumped out looking for the buoys that were the CP’s.  Each CP had a letter that we had to remember.  As the water was pretty rough it was hard to find and the visibility was not very good.  It was disappointing as I’m sure the reef was very beautiful and there was lots of fish life.  Jen did see a stingray.  We swam as a group to each of the CP’s, got back to the boat jumped in and paddled to the 2nd tie up buoy.  This time the swim was longer but we got out the farthest CP to get the last letter.  The CP’s spelled out “nude.”

            After getting the final swim CP we had to paddle back to the island and then on to the mainland.  In Queensland in May there is only 12 hours of daylight and it gets dark at 6pm.  We were a little concerned that we wouldn’t get to land fall before sunset.  We paddled steadily and made really good time, getting to the shore well before the sun set.

             We had to deflate the boat, put away the paddle gear, built the bikes, load up on food and get ready for ride.  It was a 100k road ride on paved roads.    We took off just after dark and Brian really pushed the pace.  Aside from a wrong left turn which cost us a 1/2 hour, the ride was pretty uneventful.  Karl lost a brake pad and and I broke a chain which quickly repaired with a master link.  We passed several teams and made good time.  We were hoping to be in the top 12 as the white water rafts were going to go off in groups of 12.  Even though we rode well we were in the second group of 12.  The good news is we got to the TA around 11pm so had time to eat, and get some sleep.

 DAY 2

            After a good meal and a good nights sleep in our Nemo tent, we were off on the 9K trek up to the put in for the White water rafting.  Because we were in the second group we would not be hitting the river until close to 8 am. However, we had to be at the orientation at 7:30am.  We were told that if we weren’t there on time, we would be moved to the end of the line and go last.  So we wanted to make sure we gave ourselves plenty of time to make the trek.  We also didn’t want to use a lot of energy so we gave ourselves 2 hours to make the 6 mile hike.  We made the hike easily and hung out with the other teams waiting our turn.  We would be going down with a another boat occupied by Kiwi girls from Girls on Top.

             The White water rafting was fun and exciting.  Our raft guild Jessie was very experienced and knowledgeable and interesting to talk to.  This was the same river that the 97 Eco Challenge rafted down.  We took the ride without using too much energy.  We were not going make up or lose any real time on this leg so we figured there was no reason to work too hard.

            After we got off the river - just before 10 am we quickly got ready for the trek.  We left the TA just behind the Dancing Panda’s.  They took off running and quickly put several hours on us.  We moved along at a steady fast trekking pace.  The beginning of the trek was along a fire road.  After several miles we hit the trial head.  The trial head was nice looking with a little building and signs and promised to lead to a well maintained trail through a national park.  We had actually been told that this was a “proper trail.”  In fact this was incredibly overgrown and barely a trial at all.  It was muddy, covered with wait a while vines as well as other grabby, sticky thorns and  stinging tree.  The trail was hot, humid and steep.  The going was rough.  We trekked all day and just before  6 (sunset) we reached the lone CP on this trek.  We thought that the trail would improve but it only got worse and harder to follow.  There was much tree fall where the trail would appear to end and you would have to find you way around and pick up the trail again.  We learned that shortly after we came though they began rerouting teams because of all of the stinging tree.  Apparently this part of the course had not been pre run.  We were pretty lucky.  Only Karl got hit with the stinging tree. I felt bad for him as the treatment was as bad as the sting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZ8TJ7fzEc&NR=1  (youtube video of 1st jungle trek)

           We worked steadily through the bush going from Blaze to Blaze  (markers on the trees) to try to stay on the trail.  Finally, we got out of the jungle and on to the road.  A short hike down the ride and we were at Ravenshoe, Queensland’s highest town.  We hit the TA at 2:15 am haven taken 16 hours to get though these trek.  I got a shower, Karl got some treatment.  We ate and we had a sleep for a few hours. 

             When we got up we put together our bikes and headed out on the next leg, a 130 kilometer bike ride with a 10k O course in the middle.  We were very keen on getting to the O course before dark.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZO1oYoCH5U    (youtube video of bike ride)

            We took off just as the sun came up.  The ride started out with a 20k road ride slightly down high down the Kennedy Highway.  We made good time down the road as the day began to warm up.  We overshot the turn by a 1/4 mile and had to back track to the dirt road.  Soon we were back on track and road steadily along the various dirt roads though the Tablelands.  The road meandered along heading towards Misery Mountain.  As it turn it out it wasn’t that bad of a climb and soon we were at the top.  This was followed by a long steep down hill.  Karl had lost a front brake pad so he was riding with only the rear brakes.  The down hill caused my brakes to heat up so that you could smell them.

             The down hill lead to a little town of Irvinebank. This little town had a tavern where we got meat pies and chips (french fries) with gravy and ice cold cokes.  It really hit the spot.  After a quick brake we were back on the road and heading towards the Orienteering course.                      

          We got to the O course around 2, changed into running shoes and headed out on the course.  The course required locating 5 out of 6 checkpoints.  Most of the CP’s were located at or near abandon mines.  The Queenslands Tablelands were famous for goldmines.  These were the remains of those mines.

            We had a bit of trouble locating the first CP.  Once we got on track we hooked up with an Aussi team called Latitude 19.  We worked together efficiently and hit the remaining CP pretty quickly.  We completed the O course in just over 3 hours getting done just before dark. 

            At this point we  had two possible routes to mid camp.  The southern route which was a little longer and, on the map it looked like the road was less established.  The more popular route was the northern route.  This proved to take a bit longer because there was a fair amount of climbing and the down hills were very rutted and rocky.  There was some hike-a-bike as some of the hills were very steep.

             On one of the down hills I rolled the bead off my tubeless front tire.  It took me a while to repair this; ultimately I had to but a tube in.  Shortly after I affected my repair Karl did the same thing, rolling the bead and had to fix his flat.  This double flat cost us about 45 minutes.

             We got rolling again and were moving pretty well.  We were looking forward to getting to mid camp and a good sleep during the 6 hour layover.  The rocky terrain turned to sand and eventually we got to the highway.  On the highway we formed a nice pace line and really smoked down the highway.

             At about 10:19pm (after 20 hours including the O course) we arrived at mid camp. We were very happy to be at mid camp on day 3 and we’re feeling very good about how we were doing.  We were not concerned with our relative placement (we were in 21st place) because we knew that the race was just getting started and the hardest legs were coming up.

             At mid camp we got a nice hot meal, cleaned up and got some sleep.  The race was just beginning

The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is already turning out to be an unusual experience for the Dirty Avocados.  The course has been revealed and is described in dramatic detail below.  It will be an EEEEEEEPIC experience when we’re there in December.

Abu Dhabi is a country in full flower – the kind of place that requires a rewrite of the travel guides on a weekly basis. New buildings, resplendent experiments juxtaposing futuristic design with cutting-edge material’s science, sweeping cultural projects, luxury resorts and wildlife reserves all combine with the timeless hospitality of the Bedouin tribe to compose one of the world’s most enticing tourist destinations. With all that available, we could hardly pass up the chance make the race the longest yet, giving you the opportunity to race more, see more and, of course, achieve more.

This year’s race includes all those familiar and favourite aspects of the last 2 plus a few tweaks based on your fascinating feedback. On 4th December, Abu Dhabi City, with its skyline of tall, modern buildings interspersed with delicate minarets and elegant seafront promenades will repeat its role as urban showcase for the event by hosting the opening act: a triathlon-style opener that involves 34km of running, cycling, sea kayaking and, for the first time, swimming in the calm waters around the Abu Dhabi Corniche. Not much of a breather later the Arabian Gulf, an essential in the race itinerary with its picturesque desert islands and pristine waters, is an ideal playground for the keen kayaker and an ideal choice for backdrop to the next stage.

In contrast to previous itineraries, when the teams would paddle west of Abu Dhabi and confront vast expanses of open water, this demanding 110km sea-kayaking leg that will take you east around the coast and past the 27 square mile Saadiyat Island, currently in the process of becoming Abu Dhabi’s cultural and recreational haven. This international tourist destination in the making will eventually boast 5-star resorts, immaculate sandy beaches, lagoons, a wildlife reserve and the only seaside golf course in the region. A vibrant cultural district, housing some of the Middle East’s most audacious architectural gems and extensive art collections, is also under construction. An island bivouac among the lush mangroves will give you time to dry your socks, get some sleep and prepare for the another day’s racing on the crystal waters.

After a three hour transfer to the Liwa Desert, via the Liwa Oasis, you are only one authentic Bedouin bivouac away from a very close up and personal rub with the Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter), the world’s largest expanse of unbroken sand, equivalent in size to France, Holland and Belgium combined. The dunes of red and gold are so tall that they attract visitors from around the globe with only one objective in mind: get to the top. A 2-day struggle across 120km of dramatic and uncompromising desert will confront you with one of the most challenging stages of the race. You will need to manage water, effort and itinerary choice to have any chance of “beating” the desert. As if that wasn’t enough, this is the home of the legendary “shouting sands” (Za’eeq al Raml), a phenomenon that local legends often describe as evil spirits trying to disorient travellers and draw them deeper into peril… and you thought that role belonged to your teammates A trusty compass and reliable map should keep you safe from any interfering djinn but watch out for the early morning fog which, if last year is anything to go by, can really stir things up.

On the 5th day, you will take to the saddle to cover a punishing 95km biking stage. Split into 2 legs, the first 40km section, from the heart of the Liwa desert to Hamim, includes a cameo appearance for the luxury, five-star Qasr Al Sarab desert resort, due to opens its doors to guests in October 2009. You won’t get as far as checking in at this unique, authentic Arabian retreat but a quick detour through the palm-shaded grounds should give you a feel for the place. The 54 remaining kilometres will take you from Hamim all the way to the outskirts of the Oasis city of Al Ain. Otherwise known as the “Garden City of the Gulf”, strict planning rules, limiting the height of new buildings, lends an intimacy to the city and an abundance of pleasant parks, age-old markets and cultural attractions, including the recently inaugurated Zayed National Museum, which houses temporary and permanent collections illustrating the life and values of the United Arab Emirates’ illustrious founder, gives it, and the delightfully leafy streets, a distinctly traditional Arabian atmosphere.

After a night camped in a cool canyon to the east of the Jebel Hafeet range, the all important final day starts with a novel, night-orienteering section followed by a trek up the jagged slopes of the mountain range which, at 1,340m, dominates the surrounding area and is one of the UAE’s highest peaks. A technically demanding rope works section will give you a stunning view across the fertile plains studded with date farms that reach the outskirts of Al Ain. From the top of what is one of the UAE’s highest mountains, you will careen 37km down into the city centre of Al Ain along roads closed expressly for the race. The final 4km will be on foot, with teams sprinting through the popular Central Gardens, where a large cosmopolitan crowd comes at weekends to picnic and play, to the finish line at the Jahili Fort, one of the country’s most important historical monuments and the largest castle in Al Ain. You’ll most certainly be exhausted but also a lot wiser… In a race renowned for the quality of its course set in a country celebrated for its hospitality and cultural heritage, longer can only mean better.

Click here for more about this epic adventure!!  http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

                The Dirty Avocados sent a strong team to the Big Blue 24 hour race on August 1^st.  Angel Garbarino, Brian Schmitz and Mike Chastaine made up the threesome with high hopes of getting on the podium.  There was a very good field present including ARnav, True Grit as well as several strong two man teams.

                We got the maps about an hour before the start and saw that the race was a series of checkpoints which we would bike and trek too.  There would not be a separate bike and run section.  Virtually every CP was on a mountain peak so there would be a lot of climbing.  The CP’s were spread out over a large area with no obvious route.   There was a “central” gear drop at Marlette lake.    In reality it was out of the way and not a place you wanted to go more than once. Given the almost unlimited route choices, I suspect that every team took a different route.

                The race started with a paddle across the lake.  We had a strong paddle in our triple kayak covering the distance in 3:15  – about 4 minutes behind ARnav and about 7 minutes ahead of Tim Kuenster and Kent Ryochuck.

                A quick transition to jump on the bike but plans changed.  We had planned on riding up to Spooner Lake along highway 28, get 2 CP’s on the way and then do the orienteering course.   The O course would not open till early afternoon so we figured we had time to get the CP’s and hit the O course in the daylight.  However the highway was closed due to some kind of damage so we had to reroute our plans on the fly.  We did get the first CP (15) on Highway 28, then back tracked to Tunnel Creek. We moved along at a good pace, climbing up tunnel creek and locating each CP after some trekking.   This race required a great deal of cross country navigating.   We would ride to the location we thought was the best access then change into running shoes and hoof it up the mountain to grab the check point.   We got 3 (7200 feet) then 4 (about 8700 feet).  We accessed 6 (8300 feet) off of the Flume Trail.  We jumped off the trail and climbed 600 feet straight up to the peak, then right back down.

                Around early afternoon I was running out of water.  We needed to get our lights for the evening and to get more food to carry us  through the night.  This required that we go to the gear drop which dictated our route a bit and the reason we were on the Flume trail.  We got our stuff and headed off.  We were checking off the CP’s quickly and felt like we were in good shape. 

                After the gear drop we climbed up to Marlette Peak and to CP5 (8600 feet).  We missed the intersection but got a bit of help from Kent and Tim.  At this point I knew we were in pretty good shape and had a shot at getting all the CP’s.

                After 5 we dropped down from Herlan Peak and ran into True Grit.  CP 7 looked like it could be accessed from the trail that we were on but they were having a terrible time finding it and had given up.  Given that information, it looked like it would be easier to access from below, so we continued down the hill, found the reentrant and headed up.  At this location was Tirobe who had just gotten the CP.  True Grit followed us up and we got the CP with little trouble.  From here, it was along the Red House flume trail to Red House for the only easy CP (8) on the whole course.

As we rode to Red House darkness fell.  We were feeling pretty good about things although I had been dragging going up some of the climbs.  At Red House we were still with True Grit.  The next two CP’s were 9 (7740) and 10 (8200) These CP’s were on opposite ends of a ridge so we parked the bikes in the middle and obtained both CP’s by running across the ridge.  True Grit picked a different route. As it was getting dark we could see that a storm was rolling in.  By the time we got back to the bike it was starting to rain a bit.  The rain got harder and the thunder and lightning came in.  For a while it was right on top of us and we sought shelter under a tree.   While we were sitting under the tree, True Grit rolled by heading for the next CP – 11 (8200 feet).  We were concerned about going up to the next summit and wanted to wait it out.  Fortunately, the storm passed through quickly and we were able to get on our way.  We slogged up to 11, which was on the west face of some cliffs and after climbing around for a bit with True Grit we found the flag.

                The next 2 CPS, 12 (8982) and 13 (8992)  were near the top of Snow Valley Summit.  This was a long climb up to 9200 feet.  I was feeling pretty low at this point and the hike-a-bike was killing me.  It took a while to get to the junction next to the summit.  We were leap frogging with True Grit on the hike a bike up.  We both headed toward 12 together, and after some searching found it.  We took off in a slightly different direction back then True Grit and soon we were apart.  We wondered along and before I knew it were heading South, a direction I didn’t want to go.  It was pitch black out but I could see the lights from North Shore so was able to obtain a bearing.  Somehow we had walked over the main road we were looking for.  We turned and climbed up the slope, hoping to find the towers on the summit of Snow Valley.  We found them and then got a bearing.  Here, however, is where we had a brain fart.  Instead of just turning around and heading south to the next CP, which was only about ¾ of a mile away, we headed north down the road towards our bikes.  Once we got to our bikes we decided to skip 13 and 14 and head to the O course.  We had some weird logic about being able to get more points on the O course.  It was about 4 am at this point and our thinking was obviously less then clear.  As it turned out, True Grit got 13 and 14 before heading to the O course.  This was the difference between 1^st and 2^nd.  Now, several weeks later I still don’t know why we did it, except that we were tired and lost focus for a minute. 

                In any event, we did the long ride down Snow Valley and to Spooner Lake.  When we got to Spooner, it was still dark.  Todd told us that the O course was very difficult in the dark and suggested that we go get 16 in the mean time.  We took his advise and heading down the road to 16.  This CP, was on Deadman Point and turned out to be very difficult.  As we were hiking around trying to get to the summit with the CP, we became concerned that we would not make the 9:00 cut off.  The penalty for being late was very steep, so we turned around empty handed and went back to Spooner and the O course.  We got 2 CPs on the O course and headed to the finish for 2^nd in the co-ed  behind True Grit and 5^th overall behind 3 two man teams.

                Over all it was a good effort and we worked well as a team.  We had a 4 am hiccup which cost us, but otherwise the navigation was strong.   We were a little disappointed in ourselves for making a silly mistake but overall were happy with our performance.  We are looking forward to the Tahoe Big Blue.