ADVENTURE RACING: Gear you need

Adventure Racing: Gear You Need

By Greg Hill

ADVENTURE RACING is a gear-intensive sport so it is important to know what you might need at a race before you decide if this sport is for you. Race organizations generally provide all teams with a list of mandatory gear that must be carried at all times and a list of gear that must be carried on a segment involving a specific discipline. These lists vary depending on the length of the race.

You should at all times and during all segments of the race expect to carry: a compass, whistle, mirror, survival blanket, flashlight, first aid kit (one per team) and a water container with the capacity to carry at least two litres of water. These items can all be purchased at your local outdoor retailer. Each race segment will involve different disciplines, and will therefore require different equipment. The following are the most often included disciplines in adventure racing. Mountain Biking

For each mountain biking segment, you will need to have a mountain bike (obviously), a helmet, a repair kit (consisting of a spare tube, tire levers, pump, allen keys, chain breaker) and a bike light.

In a mountain bike, look for a lightweight and strong/sturdy design. This will be a decision dictated by your budget, as in general, the lighter and stronger a bike is, the more expensive it is.

Your tire treads should be “nubby” for muddy conditions and you should have a set of slicks for hard packed trails. A good bike light can make a big difference. A good bright light can help you get through a technical section at night much more quickly; you won’t have to guess if that shadow in front of you is a rock or a hole.

One AR specific system is a towing system. Any team is only as strong as its weakest link. The best way to make up for this is by using a towing system. It can be as simple as a piece of surgical tubing running from the seat post of a strong biker to the stem of a weaker biker’s bike. These towing systems can also be very useful in trekking and paddling sections. Paddling

Most race organizations provide canoes and paddles, but you may be required to provide your own. You will also need to have a life jacket, a waterproof flashlight, a throw rope and a bailer of some sort (a small bucket or sponge).

The debate continues over kayak paddles versus canoe paddles - there are pros and cons for both sides. This is something that each individual must work out with his/her team to determine which is best. If you are not comfortable using a kayak paddle it can become more of a hindrance than a help. Consider weight distribution, balance, length of paddles, etc.

Paddling is often the most neglected discipline in adventure racing but can in some cases make up the most time. Make sure your life jacket is fitted properly to avoid chafing around your neck and in your armpits, or it will come back to haunt you later in the race. Trekking/Orienteering

Trekking/Orienteering is something that can be improved upon with practice. For trekking sections, be properly dressed and have the proper shoes. Avoid cotton! You want to be wearing quick drying, polyester mix shirts and tights or quick drying pants - anything that doesn’t hold moisture. Try to avoid wearing shorts in trekking sections if you know you are going to be in the bush - you will want to protect your legs. Similarly, a long sleeve shirt will protect your arms. Also try to wear layers so

that you can easily adjust to changing temperatures. You will also need a compass, backpack, and a waterproof jacket. A trail running shoe that is light and offers good support is a good footwear choice. You may also want to look at shoes that drain easily and dry fast. Mountaineering (Rappelling, Traversing)

Mountaineering disciplines are usually part of a race to add some enjoyment and a thrill aspect. Make sure you show up prepared. Get some training if you have never done anything on a fixed rope before. There are various organizations in Ottawa that can assist with those skills.

For a mountaineering segment, you will need a climbing harness, a rappelling device (figure eight, ATC, or Bug), locking carabiners, and prusic ropes or a backup device.

Once you think you are ready to take the next step and register for a race, contact the race organization to ask any last minute questions you may have. Most race organizations offer on-line registration and have an email address where you can contact them with any questions. Remember, the will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.

TYPICAL GEAR LIST

Entire Race

Compass

Whistle

Mirror

Survival blanket

Flashlight

First aid kit (one per team)

A water container with the capacity to carry at least 2L of water

Mountain Biking

Mountain Bike Helmet

Bike repair kit (consisting of spare tube, tire levers, pump, allen keys, chain breaker; one per team may suffice)

Bike light

Paddling

Most race organizations provide canoes and paddles, but you may be required to provide your own. Life Jacket

Waterproof flashlight

Throw rope

Bailer (small bucket or sponge)

Trekking/Orienteering

Compass

Backpack

Long-sleeve shirt (no cotton)

Long pants (no cotton)

Waterproof jacket

Mountaineering

Climbing harness

Rappelling device (figure eight, ATC, Bug)

Locking Carabiners

Adventure Racing—Live it!

By Mike Caldwell

IT’S NOW DAY FIVE AND you and your teammates find yourselves trekking through thick, damp foliage infested with insects, spiders, and snakes. Your captain is delighted because it only took an hour to cover those last 500 metres. You tabulate that you’ve probably had a total of six hours of sleep since this event started and your feet certainly haven’t had the fortune of being

dry for anything close to that length of time. You have been surviving on energy bars, bagels, bags of nuts and dried fruit, but the majority of your meals have been squeezed out of a tube. Your main source of drinking water has come from brackish ponds and giardia-infested streams. Last night you helped remove a leech from your teammate on a part of the body generally considered unmentionable, even among this close group of friends. Now, as you head into the dark caves, knee deep in bat guano, you wonder if your arms will have the strength to pull you up those 200 metres of fixed rope…

This is the Eco-Challenge. This is Adventure Racing. What type of lunatic would compete in such a sport? Well, surprisingly, probably somebody just like you!

Adventure racing has been defined as a non-stop, multi-day, multi-sport, mixed team event, and in many ways can be likened to an expedition with a stopwatch, as each race is a point-to-point journey. During the race competitors will need to maximize their map and compass skills as they are responsible for determining the best way to hike, canoe, and mountain bike through what is often extremely remote wilderness. In order to finish, the team must stay on course and within the time restrictions, remain free from injury, and cross the finish line together.

It might still sound crazy, but adventure racing is the fastest growing sport in North America today, with an annual growth rate of 275%! Now, more than ever, people want to feel that

Presented by Presented by

May 25 June 15-16 July 13-14 July 27 Aug 24-25 6-8 hour & 10-14 hour race 10-14 hour & 24-30 hour 6-8 hour & off road triathlon 6-8 hour & 10-14 hour 24-30 hour & off-road triathlon Ottawa, ON Beachburg, ON Laurentians, PQ Kingston, ON Calabogie, ON

Adventure racing is a non-stop, multi-discipline race covering distances of 50 - 500 km. Coed and same-gender teams of two, three or four complete the race as a team using race instructions and a mapped course. Teams OUTLAST their limits, challenging themselves with a selection of disciplines including mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, canoeing, kayaking, fixed rope climbing, rappelling, tyrolean traversing, white water rafting and whatever non-motorized mode of transportation is available along the race course. These demanding sports, the harsh elements of nature, and competition among competitors are the core of adventure racing.

Fitness, endurance, strength, intelligence, and mental toughness are necessities for all teams. The essence of teamwork ultimately decides a team's fate, the outcome of the race, and the adventure racing experience.

Find a team, gear up, get out and register! Find out how far you can go and whether you can OUTLAST your limits.

they’re alive; they want to live an adventure. Admittedly, expending thousands of dollars to spend a week trekking through the Borneo rainforest is not for the average Ottawa high tech worker. But this same sense of adventure can now be experienced right here in Eastern Ontario at many weekend events throughout the summer.

Organizations such as OUTLAST (www.outlast.ca) and Sea2Summit (www.sea2summit.com) have recognized the interest and the potential in adventure racing and have taken great strides toward making these races accessible to the majority of the public. It is now possible to find races for three and four-person teams that range in length from six to 36 hours. The first obstacle is simply getting started.

Probably the first thing an individual interested in adventure racing should do is share this dark secret with as many friends and coworkers as possible. Adventure racing is infectious; the more you talk about it, the more it spreads. Joining a club, or hooking up with somebody who has experienced a race is also a good idea. As Ottawa is the high tech capital of Canada, it makes sense that this city’s largest adventure racing club is online-based. To join Adventure Racing In Ottawa (ARIO) you simply need to visit their Web site, www.communityzero.com/ario. This web-based forum serves as an adventure racing community bulletin board where members can discuss the latest gear, organize training events, or look for potential teammates.

One of the first things you’re likely to discover about adventure racing is that the more interested you are in the sport, the more you need to learn. Because adventure racing incorporates a multitude of sports, it requires a considerable skill-set. Perhaps you are an avid mountain biker and rock climber but you couldn’t find north if there was a slab of ice and a red and white pole ten feet from your nose. Or perhaps you have been a camper your whole life and you are as comfortable in the wilderness as you are in your own living room, but the thought of dropping your butt over a 50 metre cliff scares the life out of you. Where do you start? How do you learn these new skills?

Interacting with an adventure racing club is one way to solve these problems. Go to some of the various training

sessions or organize your own; talk to the people who have raced before and learn from their mistakes. Adventure racing is more than just a sport; it is a community and a lifestyle. Once you are in, you want to be in deeper. Adventure racers live to talk about their experiences and share their adventures. Ask an adventure racer what shoes he/she prefers to race in and be prepared for an hour-long lecture on the pros and cons of all the various footwear available. You can learn a lot simply by associating with adventure racers. However, adventure racing clubs are not the only source of information.

Another method of breaking into the sport is to do an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. If you previously raced triathlons and feel you have a good level of fitness and skill on the bike, but you are concerned about navigation and the rope component, find a club or take a course that specifically addresses your weaker disciplines. There is an orienteering club in Ottawa that holds regular orienteering races rated beginner, intermediate and advanced (www.magma.ca/~ottawaoc). Participating in those races is a great way to hone your navigation skills and expand your comfort zone. There are indoor rock gyms and rock climbing organizations that can help you master rope skills and overcome your fear of heights. For every sport found within adventure racing, there is a club, a course, or an organization that can help you improve your proficiency in that area. But beware; adventure racing is much more than a simple succession of events. Entirely new dilemmas are created when all of these sports are linked and twisted together, making strategy paramount to any race.

For the person new to adventure racing, signing up for an adventure race clinic is a good option. In the Ottawa area, Synergy Adventure Training (www.synergyat.ca) offers two and three-day clinics that cover the a-z of adventure racing. Not only do these clinics cover all the skills associated with the sport and provide any necessary certifications, they also they teach how to approach these skills with an adventure racing “team” perspective. Within every team there will be teammates with different degrees of strength and proficiency in each discipline. Perhaps you are a pro-elite mountain bike racer and your teammate is a three-hour marathon runner. How can your strength on the bike help your teammate during the race? Synergy AT can teach you how to establish a tow system and how to effectively mountain bike as a team. You can learn different tricks of navigation, when to blaze your own trail and when to follow the road, how to make your way through the darkness of night, and how best to conserve your energy. Synergy teaches participants not only how to race but how to race smart.

There are other bonuses to taking an adventure race clinic. These clinics give you an opportunity to experience all the disciplines of an adventure race in a condensed time frame without the stress and physical exertion of competition. You will learn about yourself and discover where your strengths and weaknesses lie. You will learn how to train, what to practice, and what equipment to buy. Clinics are also fun, and offer the opportunity to meet other people with similar interests. Synergy’s clinics have been used by teams new to the sport, teams looking to improve their race standing, and individuals and couples looking to meet others to form a team.

In adventure racing, it is probably harder getting to the starting line than it is getting to the finish line. However, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. By reading this article you have already taken that important first step. Now let that excitement within you grow and infect others. Go online and join ARIO. See what races are out there; get some friends together and set your goals, perhaps one race this year and two or three in the next. Thousands of people are already competing in this sport and they are no different than you. Master the skills and build your team, and I’ll see you in Borneo! Good luck.

About the author: Mike Caldwell is the founder of Synergy Adventure Training. An experienced wilderness guide and ultra-endurance athlete, Mike brought his two passions together in an attempt to introduce others into the sport of adventure racing. A certified ropes course instructor and an advanced care paramedic, Mike specializes in rappelling, tyrolean traverse instruction and adventure race first aid. It is his responsibility to ensure that safety is the highest priority at every Corpsynergy clinic.

ADV ENT URE RAC ING START HERE!

Synergy Adventure Training utilizes the disciplines of orienteering, high ropes rappelling, mountain biking and canoeing to provide corporate teambuilding, adventure weekends and adventure race clinics.

For an adventurefilled weekend and an opportunity to expand your comfort zone and try something different, visit our website at www .synergyat.ca

Candlelier Candle Lantern • Great when you want the warmth of a flame light with the noise of a LPG lantern • With all three candles lit, it can keep your food warm if you put a pot on the top • Unique spring-loaded candle tubes. Burns for nine hours!

Tasco Amphibian Binoculars • These 8x25 bincolutars are nitrogen filled, waterproof, compact, and rubber armored, with a carrying pouch and strap. • Great when you’re out on the hiking trail, birding or sea kayaking. • A neat product that you’ll get a million uses out of every time you’re outside.

Leatherman Juice XE6 Multi-Tool Merrell Baja A YOUR CAMP ESSENTIAL • Needlenose • These pliers • Straight knife • Wire cutters (various) • XS, S, M, L • Corkscrew screwdriver w/ assist • Phillips • Scissors screwdriver • Saw • Lanyard latch • Awl • Can/bottle • Serrated knife opener • Diamond file

Merrell Baja Activator Approach Shoes

• These sticky-soled approach shoes are excellent for short, fast trips. The water-resistant PertexÆ microfibre upper spreads foot perspiration across the entire upper surface so that the upper dries quickly. Medial / lateral side wall strapping adds support to prevent foot instability. The ripstop micromesh and leather bellows-style tongue keep out grit. • Starfire patterned outsole grips well and is made of sticky rubber for good purchase on dry rock. Oversized rubber bumper for toe protection.

Salomon Exit Mid Hiking Boot

• Salomon Exit Mid 2000 Hiking Boots are designed for weekend backpacking and hiking trips. They can take whatever the most active hiker or backpacker can dish out. These mid-height boots offer lightweight support for day hikes, light backpacking trips, or the approach to your favourite rock climb. The upper is made from full grain Nubuck leather to provide great ankle support for such a lightweight boot. • Most trips are just for the weekend. Why are you clomping around in those stiff, uncomfortable blister factories that weight almost as much as your pack? Makes sense, non?