Wilson's Adventure Racing, Multisport & Triathlon Sanctuary

I've done many stupid things in my life. Wearing flip-flop slippers and trekking from the main road to the three-pitch abseil section of the ARWC course rates as one of the stupidest of these.

Yes, for four hours, i walked with two other photographers along a 4WD track, then cut off into a boggy, slug-infested track that wound its way around the back side of the mountain where teams were abseiling off. I climbed up to the final pitch and stood there waiting as the wind and rain picked up and the temperature and visibility plummeted. The windchill factor was right up there, and soon my gloveless fingers were hurting from the cold. As for my toes and the soles of my feet... well, i could not feel them.

In near-whiteout conditions we photographed some of the teams coming off the ridgeline above. I stood around in my slippers while the rope crew and photographers ribbed me for being 'a bloody mad idiot' for coming along in my 'magic walking boots'.

Even more stupidly, i had forgotten to put on my Gore-tex pants, so my nylon pants and thernmals were saturated by the time we finished the trek and returned to the car.

Update #6 - ARWC 2007

May 31, 1152hrs GMT - The Inn, Dalwhinnie, Scotland

Just got off the phone with Esther. The team is in recovery mode now, having had a solid night's sleep and a good feed.

Esther's knee was a chief concern for her, as she was uncertain if it would be able to hold up to the uneven terrain of the second big trek of the race. Stuart's back was playing up, as was Ryan's inflammed left wrist following the first 60km paddle. Stone's shoulder pain was causing problems during the short paddle across Loch Ness, and would have definitely affected his ability to push hard on the next big paddle leg.

Overall, these accumulated ailments entailed that rather than risk permanent injury, the team decided to make the best of their time here in Scotland in other ways (other than suffering through the rest of the epic ARWC course).

Speaking to other racers, the general opinion was that this was truly an ambitious (over-ambitious?) route that would only be enjoyed by a team worthy of the title of 'World Champion'. Other teams would more likely fall by the wayside - as indeed was what happened to them in the past 48 hours. A keen study of the leaderboard and satellite tracking map will give one a clearer idea. But it is when one actually watches these teams push the limits of their own endurance and willpower - in the flesh - that one really appreciates the fact that maybe, just maybe, this race may be too much for even the best of the best.

A retrospective account of the race would not do it justice. To see the shit going down, here and now, is what it's really all about... pain, camaraderie, agony, hope, anguish, grit. The competition against each other has faded into the background for many teams - and the race has become more of a battle against the forces of Mother Nature more than anything else.

Nike is currently blitzing the course and is expected to summit Ben Nevis later today. Wils Helly Hansen, having enjoyed a good run for most of the course as the lead team, is grimly hanging on to second spot, while Kiwi squad Orion is slogging it out in third place. Balance Vector, typically unbeatable on the kayak, got passed by Bjurfors on the current paddling stage - a rare occurrence by any means. Teams Aberdeen Asset Management (the top UK squad) and Sole have had to retire two members each, and have joined forces to continue the journey as an unranked hybrid team. Team Halti is sorely disappointed to be racing on the short course - they will miss the full course cut-off on the upcoming kayaking stage. They had spent too much time languishing at TA6 during last night's bitingly cold and wet conditions.


Wilson
Scotland

30 May, 2000hrs GMT - Dalwhinnie

Shortly after 6am today at TA4, mixed Hong Kong/Singapore team TNF
Greater China withdrew from the short course of the Adventure Racing
World Chamiponship. At that point, they had been racing for more
than 3 days (including the prologue stage) through some of the most
challenging terrain of the western Highlands of Scotland.

Speculation abounds. Stuart had had a good block of sleep at TA3
after battling the sleepmonsters on the 140km-long bike ride prior;
Stone was cold, cold cold from the ride, but had battled on
stoically; Esther was worried about her knee possibly playing up on
the 30+ km hike through the track-less Monadliath mountain range;
and Ryan was perhaps the most chipper/alert of the team at TA3.

The reason for TNF Greater China pulling out of the race are unclear
at this point. But what is clear that as the race progresses and the
weather closes in on the course, teams have started to succumb to
exposure and accumulating fatigue.

Will keep you lot informed as soon as i find out more, trying to
phone Esther now.

May 30, 2059hrs GMT – The Inn, Dalwhinnie, Scotland

Weather woes – just another typical day in Scotland

The past 24 hours have revealed the true extent to which weather can
compound the difficulties of the epic race route that is the
Adventure Racing World Championship here in Scotland.

Temperatures remained in the single digits for most part of Tuesday.
That infamous hallmark of Wilderness ARC events – the water jump –
was the bane of the lead full-course teams in the hunt for top
places. Virtually all teams stripped naked for the jump in order to
preserve their cycling attire for the remainder of the 140km-long
ride to TA3. Other teams decided to receive the penalty of 30
minutes added time per racer rather: a small price to pay when
measured against the risk of possible hypothermia.

Further down the route, safety crews closed down the canyoning
section on Tuesday evening as water levels swelled to unsafe levels.
On the ascending and multi-pitch abseil section at Moy, high winds
made for bitterly cold conditions on the rocky ridges and crags, and
officials closed that section down only a few hours ago. The few
teams that got through have pushed on to the settlement of
Dalwhinnie.

Here, respite from the weather beckons – in the form of the hotel
just a stone’s throw from TA6, the start of the 65km kayak stage.
Several teams have pulled into the hotel - The Inn - in various
states of fatigue and hunger:

- Jari Kirkland of Salomon/Crested Butte has just recovered
from the edge of hypothermia after spending some time in front of
the hand dryer machine in the ladies’ room.
- Spanish squad Buff Coolmax had a relaxing pub meal,
complete with beer, before heading out again. I lent team captain
Emma Roca some loose change to pay for some hot drinks and a giant
cookie - which she has promised to pay me back at the post-race
festivities!
- Bjurfors had a pasta feast in pretty much the same fashion
- Team Sole has changed into some warm transition apparel and
are currently deciding what their next plan of action will be

But for the teams at the very pointy end of the field, the heat of
competition continues to be sustained. Team Nike has kicked into an
extra gear on the 65 km long kayak/portage leg, and has overtaken
Wilsa/ Helly Hansen. Orion, an extremely strong team on the water,
is currently making their move against Wilsa too, as will Balance
Vector, another Kiwi squad with strong paddlers.

A quick update. Balance Vector's Nathan Fa-avae has fired off an e-
mail from a castle next to the loch they are paddling. The gist of
the e-mail is that Richard Ussher is hypothermic from exposure on
the kayak section. Currently sleeping and regaining his core body
temperature in the castle, Richard's ability to finish the race
remains a question mark at this point. They are encouraged by fellow
Kiwi team Orion's effort to bring the fight to the frontrunners,
Wilsa Helly Hansen and Nike, as the race enters its fourth day.

Over here at The Inn at Dalwhinnie, Petri Forsman from Team Sole is
currently undergoing medical treatment. In te hunt for a top finish
amongst the world's best teams, the stoic Finn has battled strongly
as one with his American and Canadian team mates - but the effects
of nearly 4 days of continuous racing are showing.

Esther's team still can't be reached by phone... am still tying.

Wilson
Scotland

P.S:

Balance Vector and Orion just got handed more penalties for taking
unauthorized shortcuts on the ascending/abseil section. So really,
what's new?

28 May, 2335hrs GMT, Nevis Center, Fort William

Meeting people from all around the world is all part of the job of being a journalist. Some interesting people i have met, as well as the interesting circumstances under which i met them, are as follows:

- Hanging with journalists and photographers from all over the world
- Bumping into and chatting with Team Orion while doing grocery shopping
- Watching a few athletes from the top ten AR teams in the world get seasick aboard a cramped ferry.
- Hiking with Geoff Hunt and his assistant to CP9 of the Prologue stage on the Isle of Rum
- After dinner chat with Justine Curgenven, producer and director of the "This is the Sea" kayaking video series.
- Catching a car ride back to Fort William with one of the race directors for the ARWC2007
- Grabbing a pub dinner with Team Merrell/Wigwam suport crew Jeff Akens (who is also team captain Robyn Benincasa's husband).

I particularly enjoyed the car ride back to Fort William, as the race director and myself discussed the ethical and safety implications of the rules for AR. The meeting with Justine was a total fluke... just chatting to her after dinner at the Isle of Rum, i found out that this was none other than the creator of that series of iconic kayaking films. i have always wanted to watch that film series, and so I was stoked!


Wilson Low
Scotland

27 May, 2230hrs GMT – Nevis Center, Fort William

The Isle of Rum is a picturesque, remote, and historically significant island within the Inner Hebrides of Scotland’s west coast. As the setting for the prologue stage of the ARWC 2007, it has thrown up even more controversy. I left the island by ferry today with mixed emotions. While I was glad to have had the chance to visit this beautiful little gem of an island in glorious weather, I was saddened and disillusioned by the competition I had witnessed the day prior.

The top seven teams to finish the prologue were all slapped with a range of time penalties, most of them two hours in duration. Among them were teams Nike, Balance Vector, Orion, Sole, Mitsubishi QuasarLontra, and Speleo Salomon. These teams had improper or missing gear, or flouted the mandatory sequence of picking up checkpoints. The race organization was uncompromising in meting out the harsh but necessary sentences for these infringements. Although slower teams copped time penalties for finishing behind these offending teams (many of them powerful, well-sponsored squads which are widely known on the global AR circuit), and eventual decision was made to have them serve only their time difference from the leading team’s finish time.

A couple of teams lodged appeals against their penalties, all of which were later overruled by the race jury.

I have only just learned that all teams would be made to serve their time penalties at the end of the ‘micro-nav’ running section before TA1, at Tarbet Bay. Now dubbed ‘Guantanamo’ Bay by race officials, this spot is but a mere patch of land on the edge of a sea loch, infested with midges, and offering teams nothing more than dry, flat and stable (as opposed to a bobbing kayak) land to serve out their time.

In 2004, when crisis rocked the AR world - in the form of the death of Nigel Aylott at Primal Quest due to a freak rock fall accident - then-top adventure racer Ian Adamson's summation of the situation was that “whatever we do now would reflect (to the world) on the sport”. Although by no means as tragic, the implications of the prologue outcome at this year’s marquee race have exposed a dismal realization. If the current top seven teams in the world have been caught “giving a liberal interpretation of the rules”, or (for want of a better definition) cheating - as indeed they were, for a seemingly insignificant prologue stage, then who knows what larger infringements have they previously gotten away with in races past?

This is not the first time penalties have been given out to the main contenders of an adventure race, nor will it be the last time. It brings up a dilemma similar to the doping scandals currently plaguing the pantheon of professional cycling stars: if top teams are committing the same offences, cutting the same corners, bending the same rules - would it then be worth it to do the same for the sake of keeping up with them? These seemingly superhuman athletes may be making very human errors; but even then, what hope do lesser mortals have?

Can people still turn to these and other elite sportspersons for inspiration and motivation? Are there exemplary sporting heroes we can turn to in this most grueling and character-revealing of extreme endurance sports?

What happened on the Isle of Rum yesterday would indeed reflect on the sport. In this particular instance, a far more disappointing and disconcerted reality seems to have been revealed unto the world.

27 May, 2000hrs GMT – Loch Morar

Buff/lakedistrictoutdoors.co.uk had a harrowing opening stage to their ARWC 2007 campaign. Using relatively tippy downriver racing doubles with a pole between the both of them, they attempted their journey from Rum to the mainland as a makeshift catamaran. The Buff racers were reasonable paddlers, but the boats they chose were clearly unsuited to the open water conditions they were facing. As soon as the stabilizing pole linking their craft together snapped, Buff was left fighting to stay upright in the freshening choppy conditions. Officials came to the aid of the distressed team, which faced the ignominy of being the only squad to be made unranked within sight of the start line.

After Buff were plucked from the waters off the Isle of Rum, they were whisked by fishing boat to the Inverie (TA1), start of the arduous trek through the Noydart region. As luck would have it, the main feature of Inverie was the local food and beverage joint. Buff was unranked as a result of their sea-borne misadventure, but was allowed to continue on the rest of the full course. They would be let loose only after the four leadings teams has passed TA1.

Interestingly enough, Noydart is situated between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn. With ‘Nevis’ translated as ‘heaven’ and ‘Hourn’ translated as ‘hell’ respectively in Scottish, Buff had literally gone from a hellish start, to a brief period of utter bliss languishing in the warmth of the pub, surrounded by food and drink. And it would soon face the ordeal of hitting the race trail once more - in the middle of the night, with a high northerly wind blowing and several top teams breathing down its neck – before reaching the next transition 44km away. Buff’s altercation between pleasure and pain would continue amidst the ranges of Noydart, widely considered as the most remote peaks of the British Isles.

25 May, 1552hrs GMT – Nevis Center, Fort William, Scotland

The race briefing for the 2007 edition of the Adventure Racing World Championship (ARWC) has just finished. It has revealed an arduous course through the rugged western landscape of Scotland. With air temperatures ranging anywhere from 15 to -10 degrees Celsius; the waters of the rivers, lochs, and the North Sea at around 4 to 9 degrees Celsius; perpetually saturated soil; and with generally wet weather (including snow and sleet on the higher slopes) driven by high winds – Scotland is not the place to be ill-prepared, whether physically, mentally, or equipment-wise.

The race opens with a prologue section on the Isle of Rum incorporating a 700 metre swim and a 26 km trek, before camping overnight at a sheltered bay on the island’s north shore.

The first leg of the race proper involves a massive 65 km paddle from Rum to the mainland, including a micro-navigation stage on the neighbouring Isle of Eigg. Along the way, teams will paddle Loch Lohar, the deepest lake/loch in Europe.

A hike through the remote peninsula of Noydart will bring racers to the start of the first and longest bike leg of the route, a 138 km journey into the heart of the Scottish highlands. Along the way, challenges such as water jumps off cliffs, canyoning, and the Red Bull Aerial Exposure high element section, will test the nerve of participants.

Off the bikes at transition 3, two racers will swim a kilometer along the shore of the fabled Loch Ness, buddies by their team mates in an accompanying kayak. After that, a road section of Nordic walking before taking on the task of navigating some 30 kilometres through the remote mountains of the Monadhliath region, many of its peaks and ridges still blanketed with snow. The subsequent bike section includes a fairly technical but fun cross-country circuit – here, teams will be allowed to drop their bags and blaze the singletrack – before continuing on to the second major kayak leg. 60 km later, including three portages, racers will be glad to be rid of their boats as they proceed on the remaining trek and bike legs.

From transition 7, teams will traverse all the major peaks and ridges of the stunning Glen Coe, before dropping down to Loch Leven where they mount their bikes for the last time to reach the foot of Ben Nevis. As people familiar with the area may have guessed, the race then embarks on an ascent of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles.

Finally, thankfully, mercifully – for the teams that make it this far - the race will then draw to a close with a finish in Fort William, having covered some 530 km of the best and most challenging aspects of Scotland’s rugged terrain.

Portaging efficiency will be key in this race, with an estimated 15-18 km of portaging, some of it over extremely rough ground. Snow travel is very likely, as is the possibility of encountering thick fog or mist. But it is even more obvious now that the care of feet will be critical to the success, if not survival, of all participants in this epic race.

May 22, 2136rs GMT – Fort William (Lochy Holiday Park)

Stuart, Ryan, Stone and Esther had a bit of a photo-shoot today in their bike kit. After that, they set out for an evening bike ride to the top of the outflow pipes above the town. I made do with an hour’s run to town and back. The team had a good little session out there and they even saw a stag long the way. Alas, most of the eateries in town were closed by the time they returned. Solution? To the fish and chip shop! Authentic British cuisine was the order of the night: while the team scoffed down their battered seafood, I made do with a second sampling of haggis (this time in the form of a deep-fried, salami-like stick).


May 23, 1308hrs GMT – Fort William (Lochy Holiday Park)

The days before the race proper starts are a constant whirlwind of frenzied activity. Today was no different. The team has made several trips to the shops over the past couple of days, and there are STILL things to be bought: favourite foods, correctly sized socks, extra clothes, and critical spares and equipment for repair and storage. As soon as everyone was up this morning, they got into the organization of their climbing kit. The morning’s team meeting got into the nitty-gritty of planning for nutrition for the race, with the all-important visit to the local supermarket scheduled for after lunch.


May 23, 2320hrs GMT – Fort William (Lochy Holiday Park)

Spent three hours at the supermarket today buying all the race food, plus some extra food to tide the team over for the remaining two days. Came back to the cabin and spent a further two hours “repackaging and organizing the food for optimal race and transition consumption”. Calorie requirements were adhered to and good mixes of sweet and savoury food were sorted – overall it meant more junk flying all over the cabin, where space, as well as tidiness, was quickly becoming more and more of a premium.

After a pasta dinner (while watching the UEFA Champions League soccer final), Stuart ran his team mates through a familiarization and practice session with the climbing rope systems for the race. In the fading daylight by the riverside, a short length of static rope was strung over the branch of a tree, and the practice began in earnest.

After that, it was more run-throughs of medical kit, bike repair kit, and a quick test of the bike lights. Tomorrow, the team wakes up to load up the van with gear before heading to race HQ for the registration proper. I will be going along to capture their progress on video, in images, and in words. Oh yes, and I’ll schmooze to the best of my ability along the way too.


May 24, 0903hrs GMT – Fort William (Lochy Holiday Park)

Woke up the earliest (as usual) and went for a 25 minute run to work out the stiffness. The team has woken up and we’re having breakfast now. My batteries are charged and we’re going to load up the vehicles shortly. Expect to spend a long day today in town doing all the race admin.

May 20, 1016hrs GMT – Glasgow Int’l Airport

I have not gotten access to the Internet yet. So far, it has been a restful trip over to Scotland. Caught up with Esther on the way, talking shop about AR and exchanging our thoughts for her upcoming ARWC effort.


May 20, 2230hrs GMT – Fort William

Met with Stuart, Ryan and Stone at noon today. Did some shopping at Xcape, then drove up to Fort William. Stuart, back on home turf, was really keen to point out the amazing sights along the way. Had dinner at ‘The Lochy’. Jet-lagged… on the go for the past 48 hours!


May 21, 1610hrs GMT – Fort William

The team had a relaxed start to the day with a breakfast / team meeting at the Nevisport cafe. After that, the team embarked on some retail therapy. Some equipment shortfalls had to be addressed, as well as the very important task of grocery shopping! Several bags of gear and one full supermarket trolley of food later, we headed back to the cabin for a late lunch, but not before stopping by at the Nevis center to check out the race headquarters and meet up with Phil Humphries.

Ryan and Stuart caught up on their e-mails after lunch. We are going to go for a hike shortly.

May 21, 2136hrs GMT – Fort William (The Food Stop Restaurant and Bar)

Stuart did not disappoint, pointing out magnificent views as he led us on a short training hike one evening from the head of Glen Nevis. At Steall Bothy (shelter with mountain rescue kit, used by hikers and campers, originally farmers and shepards). Crossed the River Nevis on a wire bridge, which was a load of fun – all the while overlooking the stunning Steall waterfall. They then put their navigation skills through their paces, trekking over a saddle and through a gully back to the car.

Another free-writing session is upon me. Now, i have to think about how to best approach the story of the Raid the North Extreme effort our team is making.

I wish i could contribute more to the sport back home in Singapore. It seems so useless to be stationed out here in Melbourne and be unable to work the media and publicity angles back home for the team. At the same time, i have to keep the following mantra in my head at all times:

"I will not think about my own glory... i will not think about my own glory... i will not think about my own glory...."

As an 'exile', one does not enjoy the glamour and publicity that the main brood receives back home. To revisit the age-old adage, one is truly 'bi guan xiu lian' in this most condusive of training environments. The 'represent Singapore' stuff, i am getting quite jaded about.

I'm doing it for myself now, really... no hard feelings about that towards anyone, but you got to understand, passion runs deeper and stronger than patriotism or the allure of glory.

I've discovered the source of my pain (in the ass, literally). It is sciatic nerve inflammation... brought on by sitting around too much. Apparently must have got it during the 5+ hours i spent in the kayak at Coast to Coast, then all this sitting on my butt all day for long periods just made it worse (aptly though, i was doing ass-ignments for most of it!). Lesson: get out more!

Oh well, still got one more ass-ignment to go, then it's off to Scotland.

Aye?

I'm sitting here, suffering from writers' block again (as far as my assignment goes) and so have commenced on bashing out another blog entry to get my rear in gear again.

Let's freewrite...!

Hmm, i just covered the Puffing Billy Great Train Race over the weekend. Damn fun, especially since i wasn't running at all... hahaha! Took some pictures, got some video footage, and inhaled some good ol' steam engine exhaust (along with heaps of fresh Dandenong Ranges air).

Also received a surprise in the mail box: a little keychain with the title Victorian Aquathlon Championship: 3rd Male (20-24) 2007... imagine that?! Stuff happens when you decide to do a little race on a whim and a fancy, i guess.

Bloody left hip/thigh is giving me the shits now. It is tighter than my right side. Am having Liam massage it down for me over the next couple of weeks. Somehow it was non-existant during Sabah, caused little distress during the rogaine, but now it just seems like this big storm-cloud hanging over my head. Rather distressing, yes, especially when i am supposed to be clocking up my mileage and strength endurance work in preparation for RTNX.

And to top it all off, my perspective on the training/racing lifestyle here in Melbourne has shifted ever-so-slightly. Do i want to remain incognito here? Who wants to be high-profile and (God forbid) represent the country once again in another publicity-grabbing bid? I want to manage myself well for the next two months of F***ing hectic schedules and programs! Once again, i find myself accompanied, yet alone; supported, yet exiled.

Purity of purpose, purity of goal. Do i have a life outside of what i currently have? Who knows? My personality and my choices have given rise to a set of circumstances that have put me on 'a certain pathway of progression'. Beauty!

This is the time... seize the day!

Here is the picture of the XPD team - Stuart, Del, Mark and Luke - with me after the 'training event' that was the 15/24 hour rogaine in the hills of Strathbogie. As you can see from our attire, course conditions were wet, and cold... and wet... and cold.

Steam coming out of Goretex jackets!

I've given a lot more thought to navigation technique now - having done the rogaine over the weekend. Comparing it with the Google airphotos i used for the SAC, i would say that there are several key adjustments one has to make when using airphotos for navigation.

1. Shortcuts may not really be the best. When you can't make out steepness, or the existence of through-roads, or the presence of water bodies... it is usually best to stick to the biggest, fattest road you can see on the photo.

2. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. This actually applies to all styles of navigation and strategy along a race course. Do not get caught up trying to speed through everything , because you will just increase the risk of losing track of where you are on the map.

3. Catching and guiding features.

For airphotos:
- Different coloured roofs / structures
- Changes in road texture / colour
- Bends and width variations in roads
- Vegetation colour interfaces

For topo maps:
- Gullies and spurs, no matter how insignificant
- Obvious slopes (change in contour spacing)
- Surrounding slope profiles, encompassing a 360 view of the terrain (this is different from obvious slopes, which may be off to one side only)
- Vegetation density changes
- Man-made features marked on the map

As someone who is preparing to take on a leadership role on an AR team, navigation is one of those aspects where 'inspiring confidence' is a key tenet.

One has to be strong for a start - in order to operate at an efficient enough level such that navigational awareness and mental acuity are not compromised.

One then also has to be willing to accept responsibility for guiding the team through the course. It is not a light responsibility, but boy is it one of the most rewarding!

Delegation of navigation-specific tasks must be undertaken - firmly and with an eye one making sure everyone is aware of 'the plan' - to make lessen the burden of this sometimes-overwhelming responsibility. Asking for help is to be respected, not ridiculed.

Finally, be assertive with your calls - so that even when in doubt, you and your team do not stuff around unnecessarily out on the course. It is easier to make notes, plot bearings, and measure distances accurately in a controlled environment rather than out in the wilderness. Remember, proper planning prevents piss poor performance!