Adventure World Magazine

Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 2

editor’s noteAdventure WorldmagazineCelebrating our EnvironmentPhoto by Justin LichterEditor-in-ChiefClay AbneyManaging EditorDave PoletoOnline Content ManagerJacob ThompsonContributing WritersJustin Lichter • Trace AdamsCynthia Engel • Harper ForbesDave Romilly • Paul CoxMark Manning • Susan HollingsworthTroy Farrar • Ty StevensNicola CameronContributing PhotographersJustin Lichter • Walter AlvialValentino Saldivar • Tim HolmstromTony Hoare • Robert EspinosaAdventure Lead MediaAdventure World Magazine is dedicatedto the preservation our natural resourcesby producing a GreenZine. “Of theapproximately 12 billion magazinesprinted annually in the U.S., over 95percent are printed on 100 percent virginpaper. That results in more than 35 milliontrees being cut down each year.” (statisticcourtesy of Socialfunds.com)Happy 40th Anniversary to Earth Day!When we started Adventure World online in 2008, we knew that wewere on to something great and were dedicated to preserving our naturalenvironment by producing the publication digitally. Our old growthforests are still being destroyed for more wood/paper, a sea of plasticthat is larger than most states is floating in our oceans, we are still largelydependent on oil as our primary energy source, and the list goes on.AW was created out of a love for our natural environment and for humanpowered sports. We feel that with knowledge comes the power toenvoke action to make a difference in our homes, our communities, ourcities, our states, our countries and our world.Reduce your impact on our planet by commiting to changes in your dailylife to make our planet a better place for all that live here!www.adventureworldmagazineonline.comClay AbneyEditor-in-chiefAdventure World Magazine is publishedfive times a year by No BoundariesMedia, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA. AWMis only available online at www.adventureworldmagazineonline.com.The opinions and the advice expressedherein are exclusively those of the authorsand are not representative of the publishingcompany or its members.Copyright © 2010 by No Boundaries Media,LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction inwhole or part without written permissionis expressly prohibited.Adventure Sports are inherently riskyand can cause injury and death. Consultyour physician prior to beginning anyfitness program or activity and wherepossible, seek out a qualified instructor.No Boundaries Media, LLC will not beheld responsible for your decision to liveadventurously.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 4

contributorsHarper is captain and navigator of Team Running Free, anOntario-based adventure racing team that races locally andaround the US/Canada. This year they are focused on defendingtheir FAC Canadian Championship title, WildernessTraverse 24 and Untamed New England. Harper is a biostatisticianwhen he’s not running around in the woods.TEAM NAMEFebruary 2010POINTS1. HoustonAdventureRacing/Hammer........ 105.002. Trakkers................................................... 79.003. iM.O.A.T. ............................................... 55.004. Team Kuat .............................................. 44.005. Bikes Plus - Little Rock.......................... 41.006. HFAR Knights (of Ni)............................. 41.007. TexasAdventureRacing.com II................ 35.008. Werewolves of Austin ............................ 29.009. DFW Hounds........................................... 29.0010. TooCoolRacing.com................................ 26.00March 2010Dave Romilly is a 31 year old Civil Engineer who resides inKensington, NH with his wife and two cats. Dave and fellowteammates started GRANITE AR about 1.5 years ago andbuilt the team around a strong desire to explore the expansivewoods of New Hampshire.1. HoustonAdventureRacing/Hammer........ 105.002. Trakkers................................................... 97.003. Berlin Bike.............................................. 95.004. HFAR Knights (of Ni)............................. 82.005. Eastern Mountain Sports......................... 69.006. Werewolves of Austin............................. 67.007. ARMD (Adventure Racing Maryland)... 61.008. iM.O.A.T. ............................................... 55.009. Vignette................................................... 44.0010. Team Kuat............................................... 44.00Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine5

Adventure World Magazine March 2009 6

Remembering John WalkerWe mourn the loss of a greatcompetitor and good friend, JohnWalker. In December, John lostthe final battle in his ongoing warwith cancer. John is survived byhis wife Vanessa. John was one ofthe pioneers of American AdventureRacing. John served on theUSARA board, was a competitiveadventure racer & duathlete. Icould write pages about John, butthought it would be more appropriateto have his friends share someof their favorite memories of timesspent with John.I’m going to start with a mostlynon adventure racing story aboutJohn. We were at the USARA Nationalsin Missouri and were eatingbreakfast together. I went toget some breakfast from the buffetand left John at the table with my 1year old daughter who had taken areal liking to him. When I returnedJohn had Izzy’s high chair pulledreally close to him and his face wasright down there by my daughtersface. I asked, what are you doingJohn? His reply was I’m trying toteach your daughter how to wink.We all laughed and did not thinkmuch about it at the time. Over thenext few days we quickly realizedthat when my usually smiley 1 yearold daughter tried to wink at someone,what happened was a very seriousscowling face. I teased Johnand told him he should go into thechild care business because thereare just not enough scowling kidsthese days and he had perfected themethod in a few short minutes. Weall had a lot of laughs and thankfullylittle Izzy outgrew the Walkerscowl fairly quickly.I had met John in the early daysof American adventure racing. Althoughwe lived a few states apart,each year we raced against eachother at the USARA sprint nationalchampionships in Florida. John becamepart of the USARA board andwas a big part of shaping adventureracing in the US. Our friendshipgrew over the years and we got toknow John’s wife, V a little too. Iwill always remember John as aloyal, positive, and enthusiastic adventurer.Towards the end John &I had several talks and it gives megreat comfort to know John was astrong & faithful Christian. We’llmiss you Johnny, Godspeed.-Troy FarrarThis race was a few weeks beforethe Duathlon National Championships,and it was held on a steamyhot and humid Wednesday night inCoconut Grove. We planned onAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 7

meeting up at the starting line, andwhen the gun went off John, Javier,and I ran together for the first threeor four miles. We ran in a tight littlegroup and were just chatting awayand sharing the lead. I rememberthinking to myself that John wasrunning really well despite claimsthat he had not been training a tonthat winter. Eventually, if I recallcorrectly, on the way back up theslightly uphill Old Highway weseparated a bit but all finished inabout the same time in the end.Duathlon Nationals, Richmond,Virginia.John was my roommate and thehero of the weekend. John racedon both Saturday and Sunday, andhis spirit was inexhaustible. I wastired from walking around in theheat on Saturday before Sunday’srace and John was his usual mellowcan-do self. We walked to dinnerand all had a fun time. There wasa lot of stress in the air due to thehigh temperatures but John didn’tseem to worry. The day of the race,it was crazy hot, John impressedus all by having a good race afterhaving raced the day before anddespite the extreme conditions. Iam pretty sure he beat me that day,it was so tough. Looking back itis hard to believe he raced twice,and lugged two bicycles around allweekend and didn’t let any of thelogistics hold him back from havingfun and racing well. There areall kind of guys that race and Johnwas the type who took everythingin stride, didn’t let obstacles bringhim down, and always performedwell.When I think about John I think ofa few things: I admired his dedicationto helping his niece improveher running, he was a great sportand fun competitor, his calm toneand the way he carried himself, hisvaried interests in both sports andin career, and his slightly mischievoussmile and hilarious laughter.The punchline is this - John was agreat guy, and I am so glad that weall got to know each other andlaugh. That all started at the qualifyingrace in Sharks Classic andthat friendship took us all the wayto Italy.-Joe G.I met John when he approached meabout becoming a third partner inour company Adventurous Concepts.He was excited about thesport of adventure racing and wantedto be part of its development inSouth Florida. John brought a lot ofvaluable knowledge to our youngcompany and was an extremelysmart and friendly person with agreat passion for this new sport.We used to scratch a line in thedirt as our finish line but then Johncame along and had bigger ideas.He brought in sponsors, createdour website, increased the numberof racers attending and made surewe had an actual “finish line” forracers to cross under. He broughtclass to our simple events.John was a competitor as well as abusiness partner. He and his teamwould compete as Team AdventurousConcepts for many years. Ithink people always suspected thathe might have “inside information”about the race courses. John madesure he was separated from the racedetails and course designs. Thisbecame quite evident to all the otherracers when Team AdventurousConcepts, who were fairly competitive,finished in last place in morethan a few of our races. It took along time for them to lose the name“Lost Concepts” that other teamsjokingly renamed them.John was an energetic, hard-working,honorable, and generous partnerand friend. All adventure racersbenefited from his efforts. Iwill miss him as will the adventureracing community that knew him.-Jim MolaschiFC2C will be held in memory ofJohn Walker, one of the foundingmembers of the Florida Coast toCoast Adventure Race, who passedaway recently from Colon Cancer.John was a key catalyst in developingthe sport of Adventure Racingin Florida and one who espousedintegrity, optimism, and commitment.In his honor, AC will contributeto the John A. Walker MemorialFoundation, Inc for everyteam that participates.-Elias JimenezI began racing with John Walkeras a part of Team AdventurousConcepts back in 2000. Over severalyears of excruciatingly longpaddles, painful blisters and sleepdeprivation, we as teammates developeda friendship that extendedbeyond racing. John’s animatedpersonality provided endless entertainmentduring long races andtraining sessions, while his motivationand legendary speed made himthe driving force behind our team.While John was intensely competitive,he never expressed anger orblame towards any of his teammateswhen we fell behind or gotlost, which unfortunately happenedoften (hence our self-imposednickname of “Lost Concepts’).Instead, John used humor to alleviatethe frustration of setbacks andAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 8

the disappointment of loss. He didthis both on the race course andoff. And John, ever the exampleof humility, was often the subjectof his own humor. For instance, hewas not afraid to tell anyone howhe made my husband, Jamie, carryhim through a wet bog, refusing toget his last pair of dry socks wet.Later that day, however, it wasJohn who sacrificed his socks bymaking multiple trips into an alligatorinfested canal to wet our hatsafter he noticed we were sufferingfrom heat exhaustion. We ended uppulling out of that race, and while Iam sure John was disappointed, henever showed it. John always actedas if the stories of heroics and mishapsgained from these races meantmore to him than any medal or ribbon.I think that says a lot aboutsomeone with such an astonishinglist of achievements. There wasn’tanything John couldn’t accomplishthat he put his mind to. Thatis why I am certain that had John’scancer had been diagnosed earlierand he had been given a fair fight,he would have won that battle. Hefought the battle anyhow, regardlessof the odds given to him, withthe same determination, toughnessand humor we knew and loved. Ihave learned a lot about characterfrom John Walker, and I considerit an honor to have been his teammateand friend.-Kerri ScolardiJohn Walker was more than just afriend to me, he was a brother. Wegrew close, along with our other 3teammates, through years of adventureracing together on TeamAdventurous Concepts. Adventureracing is a unique sport in thatyou tend to form very tight bondswith your teammates. You get toknow each other very well throughthe long hours you spend together,through the highs and lows youexperience together, through problem-solvingtogether, and, best ofall, laughing together. John wasour funniest member and would alwayshave us laughing with his stories.He was also our most talentedathlete although he would be toomodest to ever acknowledge thatfact. Because he was so strong, Ialways knew that I could count onJohn for support when I was feelingweak or encouragement when Iwas feeling low. This was not onlytrue in races but in life as well.I have so many happy memories ofJohn, however, one of my favoritesisn’t from racing at all. It’s from atrip he, my husband and I took toTsali, North Carolina to train. Onour way into the park one morningwe spotted an extremely weak andemaciated stray dog wondering bythe road. John pulled over and Icalled out to her. She ran right overto us smelling like a skunk. Withouta moment’s hesitation, he puther in his brand new Tahoe SUVand drove her to the local animalshelter. Later, when my husbandand I decided to keep her, he droveher, bathed but still very stinky, allthe way back to Florida with us.This is just one example of his verybig heart.When our adventure racing dayscame to an end, all 5 of our teammembers remained close. We celebratedholidays, birthdays, vacations,weddings and births together.We truly enjoyed each other’scompany and cared about one another.On December 14th, 2009Team Adventurous Concepts lostits greatest member, my “brother”,John Walker. Words cannot expresshow much I miss him and thesize of the hole he left in my heart.However, I have ten years of incrediblememories that I’ll treasureforever. And John left us one lastgift, his wonderful wife Vanessa.She is now our honorary 5th teammate...always will be. I miss youJohnnie.-Allison FontanaJohn & I became teammates rightfrom the start of our adventure racingdays. We didn’t know eachother at the time but we were bothlooking to put a team together. Wequickly became good friends, racingand training each week, and ourteam eventually grew to include 5members: John, Allison, Kerri, Jamieand myself.John became our most talentedteammate and excelled in runningand biking way beyond the rest ofus. If you knew John you knew hewas super competitive and alwayswanted to win, yet he was very modestabout his skills and accomplishments.He always kept the teamAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 9

moving together, doing whatever ittook to get ahead even if that meantarguing about something just tokeep us awake. As John would say“real adventure racers don’t sleepin the first 24 hours of a race”. Healso kept the team laughing withhis quick-witted one-liners and hisanimated story telling. We knew tokeep our distance during one of hisstories to avoid getting hit by hisflailing hands or frightened by theloud smack of some sort that he alwaysincluded.One of my favorite racing quotesfrom John, which he usually saidduring the paddling sections becauseI was hounding him to keepmoving, was “I’m doing the bestthat I can”. This was always true ofJohn. You could count on it. He attackedwhatever task was at hand,whether it was at work or at play,and he always gave it his all.Over the years our team becamefamily and we have adventure racingto thank for that. All the roadtrips together, the preparing forraces, the meals after the races...that’s what made it fun to be together.John, I’m proud to haveknown you, to have raced withyou, and most of all, to have beenyour friend.-Mike FontanaHis friends and I established theJohn A. Walker Memorial Foundation,in December 2009, the weekof his passing. It just felt wrongto have someone so young, soathletic, and so healthy slip awaywithout telling the world what atreasure was lost. Beyond the suddendeath of a 44 year-old athletewas the stunning speed in whichhe departed (December 14th), only15 weeks after diagnosis, and moreshockingly, only 19 weeks aftercoming in 3rd overall in his last triathlon,August 8th, 2009.We believe his athleticism allowedhis body to fight until thefinal stages. His body, such a wellhoned machine, had been trainedto withstand 80 mile rides and 30mile runs per week in the hot Julyweather in sunny South Florida ashe trained for the October, ChicagoMarathon. I began to believe thedisease moves faster in an athleteof this caliber because his metabolismwas operating at maximum,and cancer spreads faster thanone’s own metabolic rate. I beganasking his oncologist if this couldbe the reason it spread so quicklyand thought about Lance’s four organmetastasis even before it hadbeen discovered.Dr. Caio Rocha-Lima of the prestigiousUM Sylvester Cancer agreedto conduct research on the “metabolicrate of athletes with cancer.”He and I believe the disease maybehave differently in someonewith a supercharged metabolism.I asked “how much would it taketo conduct a study?”, and the answerI received was shockinglylow. “What we do need, are athleteswith cancer, people in incredibleshape to join this study,” Dr.Rocha-Lima said.We would like those of you whoare suffering with cancer, or knowan athlete with a similar, advancedstage diagnosis, to contact us atwww.johnawalkerfoundation.com.The doctor would need to studyyour scans and progress throughtreatment. There will not necessarilybe additional test or samples ofany kind taken, just interaction withyour doctor and a chart of the progressionof your disease. We need150 participants. I believe, as hiscaregiver and wife, John’s diseasewas moving more rapidly becausehis metabolism aided it. If we slowdown a person’s metabolism whilethey undergo treatment, perhapswe can give their immune systemenough chance to overwhelm thecancer or become more receptiveto the treatments.We plan to use funds from the JohnA. Walker Memorial Foundationin research of this type, and also toinspire physical fitness for adults.Please log onto to donate to a worthycause.Thank you, Vanessa Walker(John’s wife)Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 10

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Adventure Sports InterviewAn interview with The Dean ofExtreme.By Theressa SvobadaDoug Crytzer redefined his life.Now he’s asking you (& your kids!)to redefine your own.A marked event came in DougCrytzer’s career as an adventureracer when a he was interviewingfor Extreme Wilderness Sportschannel. A reporter cast him witha title he’s lived up to: The Deanof Extreme. Now, running his ownadventure racing camp for children,Crytzer has learned quickly there isno such thing as modest ambition.If you ever met Doug, you’d realizehis ambition is contagious.An experienced adventure racerand coach, Doug is setting a modelwith his first enterprise, AmericanAdventure Sports, based in WesternPennsylvania. Pioneering hisvision for a healthier family, TheDean is asking us all to live it, loveit and share it with our kids. Theit, being the message of healthfulliving, and putting it in the core ofour family values. After years ofsuccessful experimenting throughAAS adult and youth outdoor fitnesscamps, the “Dean of Extreme”is ready to tell all of us at the startingline how to navigate our waythrough the hurdles of life by knowinghow to get to the finish. As withall adventure races, it’s not an easyone, but the families that choose tostand in his line quickly learn themessage he shares spreads quickly,and more kids than ever before arewaiting to be led to a better lifethrough healthful-minded living.I got to meet up with the Dean himselfdeep in the Allegheny Mountains.When I arrived at his newestcamp, an adventure racing campdesigned for kids, I felt the greatnessof his message and he wasable to share it with me.TS: Tell me more about AmericanAdventure Sports. Yearsago, your company introducedYoga Fit Adventures: AdventureWithin, Corporate Wellness Expeditionsand Junior NaturalistOutdoor Adventure Camps(JNOAC) for kids. Now youhave taken your junior outdoorgraduates onto the next level inthe first of its kind - Kids AdventuringAcademy for kids. Is yourmessage more about self-empowerment,giving kids a drive to beactive or trying to give them a bitof what they’re missing?DC: Not a message so much as amission. Our country is obese andout of shape. Each day, our childrenare getting less healthy andmore nature deficient. Not all ofthem but for the most part, a largerpercentage each year. Childrenneed some instruction on how tobe healthy and appreciate the outdoors.If this country thinks that wehave problems keeping up with thecost of health care now, wait another20 years.Many parents are either to busy,undisciplined, or afraid of beingthe “bad guy” in their children’seyes. So they don’t ask their childrento shut off the X-box or theTV to go outside and play. Parentsneed to learn that’s not tough love,that’s appropriate love.When I hear parents complainingabout their children spending toomuch time with the TV or videogames, its upsetting. We need to bestronger by setting the appropriateexample and exercising with ourchildren. By eating healthy mealstogether and, not blaming our busyschedules on eating fast food forAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 12

determination. Most adults couldnot have done that canoe portageback up the mountain any better.I was moved by how much theexperience meant to them. To seechildren crying because they wereso happy with what they had accomplished& so proud of themselves,nearly brought me to tears.That was one of the most perfectmoments in my life.In the history of adventure racing,you were the first director tochange the dynamic of a grouprace, allowing every team achance to finish. Can you explainmore about the changes you havemade to your races that are pioneeringa new standard of teamadventure competitions?I don’t know that I was the first. Ijust know that I have been told bymany that their first time with thenew format was with us. AdventureRacing used to be linear by design.In order to complete the race, youhad to knock off 1 check-point ata time, and in order. If you misseda check point, you would not finishthe race. The old format reallylimited a team’s ability to developa strategy that supported their teamstrengths. It also caused a lot ofteams to not finish, simply becausethey missed a single check point.Nobody wants to compete that hardand not have success. It also feltelitist to me which I did not like.Many other race directors are nowusing that format, which is flattering.I wanted to designed courses thatchallenged teams mentally andphysically. With the new format,teams have tons of choices to selectfrom in terms of route strategy.Also, with checkpoints being givena point value based on the distanceto them and the difficulty of terrain,race strategy is evolving, makingadventure racing even more interesting.Finally, it gives racers theopportunity to succeed.We kept reinforcing the same lessonsat the Kids Adventure RacingAcademy. Race as a team, don’trace your teammates. Take time tomake good decisions. Your teamis only as strong as your weakestmember. Synergy is an energy multiplier.The only failure is in not trying,etc. All of these messages arelife lessons, life tools if you will,that we teach our campers throughsports and competition.I want to know what you say tothese kids every day. A guy likeyou isn’t about dazzle. Your messageis probably the same at thestart of the camp week than it iswhen you say goodbye to yourcampers. Your constant messageto them is what?It’s your life, your body, your ecosystem,your path.Our children are amazing. The weaklink in the American culture rightnow is the adult, not the child! Ourchildren aren’t corrupt. They’re notselfish. They are strong and courageousand when we empower themand challenge them they can amazeus all. We can learn from them.It makes me laugh when I hearsome old guy talk about how toughthey had it growing up. Sure thedepression was tough and the greatwars where tough but, when I wasgrowing up there were no drive-byshootings, no school shootings, nocrack cocaine, no internet or Nintendo.Life was a lot more simpleand easier to maneuver through.Kids today face very tough challengeswhile growing up. That iswhy it is important to challengethem through physical exertion.That’s why it is important thatthey spend time in the calmnessand beauty of nature, away fromthe trappings of today’s hectic lifestyle.I can only sense a man like youAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 14

has bigger visions. We talked abit about this. You have some experiencein going green, right?Our AAS staff cottage is about70% green. The cottage is coolednaturally by an underground springin the summertime with double theamount of fans in a normal space.All of the windows & doors arerecycled. All of the wood was cutby our Amish neighbor & is a renewableresource when managedproperly.As far as training, we are going toproduce both an Adventure RacingAcademy & a Triathlon Camp forKids in 2010. We need to continueto evolve our training methods togrow as an organization by challengingourselves as leaders.We hired Alisa Pitt who is a CollegiateNational Champion and allaround amazing person to evolveour camps and she is doing amazingthings. I’m really excited forthis years camps.Camp had stacks of recyclablesyou were saving to haul backhome and you serve up organicmeals for your campers. Nowyou are thinking about incorporatea farming education/ allnatural/sow-what-you-grow duringcamp. How will you achievethis goal?Our ultimate goal is to have a campwhere the campers tend their ownorganic garden, harvesting freshfruits and vegetables daily, collectingeggs each morning fromthe camp’s free range chickens,drinking water from a spring andshowering in solar showers. At theAdventure Racing Academy thecampers had free time each day torest their bodies from all the physicaltraining that we do. Often theywould catch fresh fish which theylearned to clean and prepare.We also are focusing on re-usablesources of energy such as wind, solarand water; campers are buildingsolar panels and wind turbines.You are not alone in this, Doug.What drives you to fulfill yourpromise of helping the youth oftomorrow?I consider it my responsibility togive back as much as possible as Ihave been so blessed. I have livedan amazing life. I have 3 beautifuland healthy children who all lovenature. Providing scholarships tothose less privileged is an honorfor me. Each one of us can make adifference for improving our environments.This is 1 small way thatI am able to impact my own.Doug Crytzer lives in IndianaCounty, Pennsylvania. A retiredArmy paratrooper and mountaineeringinstructor, professionalmountain biker and kayaker, Dougis the founder of American AdventureSports. To continue yourjourney from the starting line, goto http://americanadventuresports.com/jradracecamp.htmAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 15

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Team Untamed NewEngland At TheEnd Of The WorldStory by Harper ForbesFor the past few years our teamhas talked about doing one of themost isolated, pristine and trulyepic adventure races out there –the Wenger Patagonian ExpeditionRace. We had seen the pictures andspoke with past racers who confirmedthis is one amazing experience.Unfortunately our regularteammate – John Ranson - couldnot make the commitment with DeniseRispolie, James Galipeau andmyself. It was November and therace was in only 3 months so weneeded to contact some others weknew who might be up for the task.The first person we asked was AndrewCameron, from Team Salomon-Suunto.We’d raced with himtwice in the summer of 2009, bothto some enjoyable overall wins, sowe knew he’d be a great fit, plusa very strong athlete and navigator.Amazingly he responded he was upfor the challenge and our team wasset.Next, we contacted some companieswho we thought might be interestedin helping us with some ofthe extensive gear required. Theamount of support companies wereceived was outstanding – companieslike Princeton Tec, Hillebergthe Tentmaker, Fox River Socks,Aquatabs, Icebreaker, Meal KitSupply Canada, Smith Optics,Mountain Hardware along with ourusual sponsors Running Free andSalomon, Phat Moose and Rohloff– all provided us with some essentialequipment needed for a successfulrace. We would be namedafter our title sponsor (and a favoriterace of ours!) Team UntamedNew England (which drew somecurious questions given our homecountry of Canada!).We took the 20+ hour flight out aslate as possible, missing the officialregistration and crammed in registration,grocery shopping, packingand testing for the next few daysin Punta Arenas prior to race start.The international atmosphere andan exciting course preview had usrestless in the nights prior to therace. The course would feature an8K paddle across the Strait of Magellan,followed by a mix of 300+Kof trekking and biking across therelatively flat portions of NorthernTierra Del Fuego. Once at thesouth end of the island, it featured a100+K trek across the Darwin Cordillera,featuring many mountainpasses and basically up-and-down(repeat 5-7 times) for the entiretrek. Finally arriving near the BeagleChannel, we would kayak 50Kacross to Navarino Island where a40K trek and similarly distancedmountain bike took us to the finishin Puerto Williams, the southernmostcity on earth. Total distancewas right around 600K.The maps were a mix of rough satelliteimages on a 1:200,000 scalewith the occasional 1:50,000 “contoursonly” detail, all featuring contourintervals of 100m! Such largescale maps would make navigatingdifficult as we had heard from previousyears. Apparently these mapswere even better than in years pasttoo! Checkpoints were pre-plottedwith recommended routes, whichusually made good route-sense.The course designer Stjepan hadspent the last 18 months scoutingall areas of the route so the sug-Photo by Valentino SaldivarAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 17

Photo by Valentino Saldivargestions were not taken lightly,although we did veer off them occasionally,usually on purpose ;)The other important note about therace was that gear bags were to beseparated by specific checkpoints,so no one was going to have theirown gear bag at every checkpointtransported every time; instead, wehad to pack our bags according tothe section following the checkpoint.Smart packing was essentialwith respect to clothing and foodfor race success.The race start consisted of a busride to the Strait of Magellan wherehigh winds/swells forced Stjepanto cancel the paddle at the adviceof the Chilean coast guard. Wetook a ferry ride across to TierraDel Fuego and within minutes therace was on. Since the paddle wascancelled the ‘trek’ was increasedanother 5K or so, making it ahalf-marathon distance along thebeachline. Teams were told not tostray off the beach since there wereland mines still in the upper shoreline– remnants from the formerwar between Argentina and Chilefor the possession of Tierra del Fuego.We weren’t sure how fast thestart would be considering we hadabout 8 days of racing to do, but wefound out quickly that the top teamswould be running this at a verystrong pace. With our ~25lb packswe followed suit and were finallyracing! The sand was slow goingand I’m pretty sure we all redlinedfor the first few hours along thebeach. Not the start we expectedbut we made it into the first CP/TA in 5th. We assembled our bikesas soon as we could but our slowtransition (a recurring theme in thisrace for us) got us out in 7th, wherewe made our way along the gravelroads of Tierra del Fuego.The wind! Wow… is all I can say.We were blown all over the placewith a constant wicked 60-80km/hhead/crosswind coming in from theStrait of Magellan. We formed adiagonal pace line (echelon) andtried to stay on our bikes as muchas possible. The first 30K along thecoast took us nearly 3 hours! It wasmentally very tough to be pushingso hard pacelining at just 10km/hand having to pedal downhill at12km/h! We did get through it, albeitwith several comical crashes,and managed to pass the 2 otherteams that beat us out of the TA inthe process. Once out of the head/crosswind we had the wind at ourbacks for the complete opposite experience.No need to pedal as wewere pushed 35km/h with NO EF-FORT. Some uphills didn’t evenrequire pedalling… it was nuts.We eventually made it further inlandwhere wind wasn’t as much ofan issue and into the next CP/TA.At the TA we disassembled ourbikes and changed into our trekkinggear. I think we were somewherearound 5th. Unfortunatelyour transition bag had not arrived,where I had placed our detailed(1:100,000) trekking maps, foodand clothing for the next section.All the teams were in the same boatfor this section though; the ferrywe caught across the Straight ofMagellan earlier that morning wasclosed shortly after our sail due tohigh winds and heavy seas, strandingour gear bags on the mainland.That explains our difficulty biking!It wasn’t too much of a hindrancethough, as the race provided somefood and our cycling clothing wasstill dry.For the next trek we decided to veeroff the recommended route and takethe road to the next CP, followed fora while by adventure racer-turneddocumenterMike Kloser, who wasdown to film footage and ask ARrelatedquestions while racing. Itwas a boring trek, where we decidedto run for 1 min and speedwalkthe next minute, repeating this aslong as we could for the ~40km tothe CP. It took us through the nightand into morning when we arrivedat CP5 shortly after the Swiss andHelly Hansen who were vying for1st place. Our gamble had paid offtaking the roads and we used thesame thinking (roads) to CP6. TheAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 18

oads would add a good 5K or soto the 18K trek but since the mapswere so poorly detailed and we nowwere in some hilly areas, it seemedlike a logical choice. Once again,it paid off and we came into transition1st, 4 minutes before HellyHansen and 10mins before the 3rdplace Spanish team.We had a really slow transitionhere, taking just over an hour tobuild our bikes and eat, whereasHelly Hansen was out in less than20 minutes! We had been pushingat near full-steam for the last 30hours so I think that also slowedour eagerness to get on the bikes.The Spanish beat us out of the TAas well, although one of them wasbegging around for spare chainringbolts. James lent him his spare boltto help fix it but I think they guyjust ended up removing his middlechainring completely.Once on our bikes we were subjectto the harsh Patagonian windsand decided to walk our bikes overseveral extremely windy parts toensure we stayed on the road andaway from the roadside cliff. Fora while again we were joined byMike Kloser who had no troublekeeping up with us on our loadedbikes. After about an hour of sometechnical doubletrack James’ seatpostbolt exploded and we had todo some repairs. After a few iterationsof creative zip-tying andduct-taping and an eventual supplementof a rack strap, it seemedto support James very well for theremaining ~150km. We had lostsome time here, but it could havebeen much worse. We continuedto plug along in a paceline for along stretch heading further southacross Chilean Tierra del Fuego.Eventually we passed the Spanishteam and darkness soon fell. Wedebated stopping to sleep at CP7but decided to push through thenext ~50km to CP8 - the transitionto trekking. Andrew was battlingthe sleepmonsters but was quicklyback in action after a little helpfrom a caffeine pill. The remaining50km on the bike was tough…mostly all uphill, with a huge ascentat the end which seemed tolast forever. Denise, James and Iwere especially struggling with theclimb and sleepiness at this point,the only cure seemed to be endlessannoying banter and terrible singing,but we eventually made it overthe pass and descended while therain fell. It was a cold ride downthe mountain and we were a littlechilled when we eventually madeit into the TA at CP8. Once therewe took our first sleep of the race,deciding on 4 hours to get us fullyrecharged for the huge trekkingportion of the race, which we estimatedto be three days, but it wasreally anyone’s guess.After 4 hours of sleep we awoketo the Swiss, Spanish and Germanteams also in the TA about to depart.Helly Hansen had left in themiddle of the night after gettinga few hours rest. We took downcamp, packed our bikes away andstowed 3 days of food each in ournow monstrous packs. Though ourpacks were very heavy, we knewthis weight investment would payoff later in the trek.We ascended sharply into the DarwinCordillera and the scenery wasspectacular. We made it up andover the first major mountain pass,giving up spots to the Swiss, Spanishand Germans, who appeared tobe quicker mountain trekkers.Eventually we made it to CP9 atProfundo Valley, where the rappelwas located and the Germans werejust about to start. Waiting for themto rappel on the single line cost usa good hour of precious daylight,and we eventually made it downinto the canyon after the rappel justbefore dusk.We scrambled along boulders andllama trails between the canyon’smassive walls for about 5km downto the end of the canyon, where itPhoto by Walter AlvialAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 19

opened up to a perpendicular valleybetween two alpine ridges. Wewere to take the Los Vientos pass(pass of the winds) located in anotch, high on the mountain. Wehad a lot of difficulty in this stretchdue to the darkness – firstly becausewe prematurely thought we hadreached the valley floor when weturned out to be still in the hangingvalley at the exit of the canyon.This led to an unexpected andsketchy final decent into the valley.Additionally we could not seem tolocate the recommended route upthe following mountain.Photo by Valentino SaldivarAfter several hours attempting tolocate where we were using triangulationoff of night-cloakedfeatures, we decided to bed downfor a few hours until sunlight. Weawoke halfway up the mountain,still unsure of our exact location,but decided we would try and go upa bit and maybe find the route fromwhere we were. We were shortlycliffed-out into a slot canyon withinthe mountain and decided to turnaround and descend back to thevalley floor where we’d maybe trygoing around the mountain alongthe ocean’s coast using the low tideinstead of the recommended upand over. We trekked for an houror so out to the shoreline until finallyrealizing the beach along thecoast only ran 1km or so beforesteep sea cliffs plunged deeply intothe water making our creative ideaimpassible. We went back to themountain area and located the approximatestart of the re-entrant ofthe recommended valley route andfinally made our way up and overafter wasting much time lookingfor alternate routes.After finally gaining the ridge andstepping over the breath-takingpass, we descended into the nextvalley to the south where we followeda river which would lead usto CP10, a Tyrolean traverse overthe river. I took a mental break herenavigating and we started lookingaround the wrong area for the CP,but got back on track to the correctarea, and in the process realized itwas not in the intended spot. Weran into several of the photographerswho indicated they had beendropped off at the headwater ofthe river and couldn’t find it fromtheir way either… We backtrackedalong the river to where we’d seenan old bridge with a rusty cablespanning the raging river, but itwas not the CP. Back and forthwe went searching the area untilwe finally ran into a volunteer whoindicated the CP had been movedfor safety reasons to 3K past the intendedarea. We’d wasted a good3 hours of sunlight looking for thisthing but we tried to remain positive,knowing that us and the fourteams ahead of us had the sameproblem. The traverse was brutal -basically you were dragged throughice-cold water. I am not sure whyit wasn’t placed higher – we mayas well have swam it (which HellyHansen did since it was so far offthe documented location).Once off the traverse, we changedquickly and were about to take our‘secret’ route which was using aroad unmarked on the topo mapsthat we had found in the road mapgiven to us in our race package. Itwould make the trek a bit longerdistance but wouldn’t require usto traverse the Escondido Pass atnight. As we were about to departto the road I asked one of the volunteershow decent the road was.Maybe I shouldn’t have asked becausethey indicated the road wasnot useable other than for militarytravel and that we could be detainedfor using it – D’OH! Withthat in mind we decided to abandonthat idea and use the recommendedroute.We made it into the valleybelow the pass before nightfallbut were unable to see much onceit counted at the higher elevations.We continued up and up until wefinally thought we had reached thepass. We descended and startedheading down into the next valleybut I quickly noticed all the elevationand streams were not going inthe correct direction. Did we as-Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 20

Photo by Tony Hoarecend over the wrong pass at nightand into the wrong valley? Westudied the maps to try and figureout where we were but at night wecouldn’t see anything helpful. Wedecided again to take rest and figureit out in the morning under light. Ithink we got maybe 4 hours again,although only 2 was intended butwe slept through the alarm! Weheard the Finnish team outside andwe quickly broke down camp andlooked around the fog to figure outwhere we were. Luckily a recognizablerainbow feature on a mountainrange to the north allowed usto triangulate our position, whichwe realized was still shy of the EscondidoPass. The 100m contourshad led us over a false summit andwe still needed to go further southto hit the intended pass. We madeit up and over and finally onto thenext CP, trading spots with theFinnish team over the infamousPatagonian Turba (peat bog) ontoCP11. Since it appeared most ofthe high-elevation mountain trekkingwas over we really wantedto push until the paddle from thisCP, however, we were told it wasanother 2 days trekking from hereat a good pace. We needed to takestock of our food since we were onDay 3 of the trek and still had anotherpotential 2 days. James wasalmost out of food after developinga voracious appetite during thefirst day of the trek, but Andrew,Denise and I had enough to sharewe figured. It would be tight, butI think we were in better shapecompared to most teams alreadywho’d passed through. Many werealready out of food completelywith 60K left still! On we pushedto CP12 situatied at a glacial morrainelake. I really wanted to getas much done as we could beforedark but once again night descendeda few hours before we couldmake the pass and we found ourselvesunsure once more of exactlywhere we were on the mountain.The situation was compounded bya freak blizzard and a route whichindicated there was only one correctvalley to take once we arrivedat the pass; any other valley wouldbe disastrous. We kept our bearingsand hit the proper elevationsall according to the maps but the100m contours would once againwreak havoc on us with us ascendingand descending, running intocliff faces to the point where wedidn’t want to risk the incorrectdescent and decided to bed down.As day broke I looked outside thetent only to see more blizzard andwhite-out conditions. Ugh!! Wesat in the tent and drifted in and outof sleep until we heard voices. TheFins once again were passing usAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 21

injury to a teammate). During thepaddle we had the Chilean CoastGuard and Navy surrounding ourkayaks!Photo by M. Clarkwhile we slept! We took down thetent and could now see better thanearlier. Over the Las Lagunas Passand into the correct valley we went.Also catching up to us was the USteam, GearJunkie.com. We hadnow dropped to 7th but assumedwe would be given a time-bonusfor the delay in finding the movedtraverse CP, and we knew the otherteams were out of food for a whileso we maintained a positive attitude.The descent down the valleyand into CP13 and CP14 werefairly uneventful, mostly downhilland easy to obtain. We normallywould have ran this part as some ofit was on llama trails (for the firsttime in the race!) but unfortunatelyDenise’s leg/ankle was killing her,with a possible stress fracture, sowe fast-hiked it as much as her legwould allow. From CP14 it was acoastal trek onto the paddle TA atCP15 where stop-time was also ineffect (you could only leave fromthe paddle at 6:30am - no othertime was allowed). We got into thecamp, set up our tent and readiedfor the paddle the next day, settingour alarm for 4:30am. The windswhipped outside the tent and we allfeared for a dangerous paddle thenext day. All of the sudden Jamesyells out – “guys it’s 5:35am, weslept through our alarm again!”.We had 20 minutes to pack up, takedown the tent and gear-up for a>50km ocean paddle and a 30kmtrek! I ran out of the tent to makesure they hadn’t left yet and hopedto stall for time, when we luckilyfound out the paddle was going tobe re-assessed at 7:00am becausethe swells were currently too dangerousfor us to paddle. Whew!We got a huge break here or I’mnot sure we would have made it.Around 9am we finally embarkedon our first paddle of the race,across the legendary Beagle Channel.The race organizers decidedto make it mandatory for all teamsto stay together for the first 8kmacross the channel for safety reasons.The swells were reported at1.5m but the boats were so stable,we felt more than safe paddling. Asusual, the scenery surrounding uswas stunning. Once all the teamswere collected near the south shoreof the Beagle Channel, the racere-started. It was the Swiss, Spanish,Germans, USA (GearJunkie.com), us and half of the Finnishteam (they had to pull out due to anThe trek was to include an ascentto Mount King Scott but due toblizzards the previous day andthe advice of Helly Hansen (whohad completed the paddle/trek theday before and now finished in 1stplace) the race organizers decidedto skip this portion of the trek dueto safety reasons. We were also informedthat the final short bike wascancelled due to logistics in movingour bikes, so instead of havingjust under 24 hours to the finishline, we suddenly had less than 12!We hurriedly packed up and bushwhackedup to higher elevationswhich was extremely tough forDenise and her injury which was infull blown pain mode. Eventuallywe made up along the mountainplateau and criss-crossed the existingtrail set by the earlier racers. Atlower levels we bushwhacked untilcoming across the recommendedtrail to the finish. A painfully slowand sketchy boulder-strewn beachtraverse took us to the finish. Under7 days after starting the race wewere finished! We were elated asthis was the toughest race we hadall ever done. We gave a short interviewto the cameras and headedoff to camp to congratulate all theother racers and get off our feet.The next day we were transportedto Puerto Williams and had acaptains meeting to determine theranking. Unfortunately, it was decidedthat no time bonuses were tobe given for the incorrectly placedtraverse (even though all teams afterus were directed there exactlyfrom the intended location) and weended up in 6th overall, beat by theAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 22

GearJunkies.com by a mere 45 minutes and outof the podium by only 3 hours, which is prettynegligible over 8 days. They also didn’t penalizeteams who had been given food by the race volunteers,which was a serious offence, but probablytoo hard to pinpoint who got what/where.We looked back and thought of all the times wewasted sleeping in, having slow transitions andtrying to negotiate the alpine passes at night (theonly time we seemed to arrive there) and it stingsa little, but overall given the adversity of our bikemechanical and Denise’s injury we did prettywell and know we could have easily been muchfurther up the standings. After a 35-hour ferryride back to Punta Arenas courtesy of the ChileanNavy we wrapped up the event by an awards ceremonyparty before heading back to Canada thenext morning.Overall it was an incredible experienceand one we will never forget. The scenerywas the most beautiful we’ve ever witnessed andthe absolute remoteness was incredible. We wantto thank all of our family and friends for theirencouragement before, during and after the race.You were in our thoughts at all of those toughtimes during the race. Also, we’d like to thank ofall our sponsors for their support – we were trulyamazed at how far beyond our expectations theequipment/food they provided us performed duringthe race in the most brutal conditions.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 23

The Coastal Challenge ‘Route of Fire Edition’by TCC Adventures…A Journey of DiscoveryBy Ty StevensTHE EXPERIENCE:Touted as one of TCC Adventuresmost epic, and enduring of runningevents. Route of Fire proved to bejust that. In six days, runners fromacross the globe covered more than220 kilometers of exotic and wildCosta Rican mountains, countrysideand rugged coastline with anaccumulative elevation gain ofover 31,000 feet.It was an expedition run of epicproportions. Competitors pushedtheir limits of will and endurance.The terrain was mixed with mountainand rainforest trail, windswepthighlands, old country farm roads,beach and reef with rock outcroppings,and knee deep river crossings.The landscape varied dramaticallythroughout as we traveled througha consistently changing ecosystem.And the views were spectacular aswe crossed the continental dividewith panoramic displays of LakeArenal, Arenal Volcano, the Pacificand Carribean coastlines.MY PERSPECTIVE:For myself…and the many friendsI made during the week. It wasmore than just a race and a run.It was about finding out what wewere truly made of. Discoveringourselves in our most raw, and exposedstate with just the elementsof nature between us and completinga race unthinkable to many.The choice to participate was animportant one for me. After muchconsideration, I decided that it wastime. To then realize there was no‘better time’ to face this, to facemyself. The months ahead preparing,sacrificing, and disciplining.My preparation unveiling strengthsthough always within lie dormantor untapped in some way just waitingto be summoned.The experience was humbling, andheroic in the same breathe. To discovermyself in moments amidstthe grand backdrop of Costa Ricafeeling rather small in size in comparison,yet significant in purpose.To journey through an expiditionrace so authentic that I rememberagain what it is to feel at one withall around. To have toed the startline not knowing what was possible.To then cross the finish lineknowing ALL is possible.I experienced, as we all did manychallenges and obstacles to overcomealong the way – mostly opportunitiesto remind us who weare, and that we can. And so it began.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 24Photo courtesy of Lead Adventure Media

BY DAY:Day 1 – La Fortuna to Rancho Margot- 24.3k – 1550m elevationPhoto courtesy of Lead Adventure MediaLeaving the friendly,and intimatetown of La Fortuna. It was hardto imagine what to really expect.With so much distance ahead of usand so many unkowns. All I couldremind myself was to take it oneday, and even more one step at atime. There were going to be a lotof them.The first day proved to be mentallytough. Though feeling freshand ready I discovered as we madeour way into the jungle trail myday would consist mostly of hikeand slogging as we ascended thewet and dense rainforest filled withroots, mud, and overgrowth. It soonbecame a journey of up, up, and up– and often at a rather slow pace.We climbed our way into ArenalNational Park up and over CerroChato (3,740 ft), an inactive volcanoadjacent to the Arenal Volcano(5,360 ft), one of the most activevolcanoes in the world.Day 2 – Rancho Margot to TierrasMorenas – 62.4k – 4280m elevationThe longest day would take usthrough some of the most difficultterrain, and across the continentaldivide. This would be the day tobreak us or see us through. I experiencedboth. As I had decidedafter day one to take each day asit came. I no longer thought abouttime, place, or position. This wasa day to commit, and re-commitagain and again. To pace well, andhydrate for the long haul. Crossingthe continental divide at thehalfway point was symbolic to usbreaking through to the other sideof our ability, and commitmentto finish. Completing this day, 38miles later, confirmed the beliefthat it was possible to finish thecoastal challenge even in seeminglyimpossible circumstances.Day 3 – Tierras Morenas to Cuipilapa– 32.9k - 1550m elevationThere was a chuckle in the morningafter the race director announcedthat this stage was considered our‘recovery day’. Yes, shorter indistance than most days. He wassure to mention we would finishthis section with a handedly steep1500m climb up ‘Cerro La Giganta’.This was essentially the day tofind yourself again, and your legs.To NOT leave it on the trail.For me…this was the day that mybody decided, “ok, he’s taking thisto a whole other level. New territoryfor anything I’d done in thepast.” Adaptation at its finest…ormore so, the aches and pains justturned to a comfortable numb.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 25Photo courtesy of Greg Dawson

nomenal runners and this was thesecond hardest stage of the race,but I took a risk and ran alongsideJavier for most of the day.Running next to Javier, one ofCosta Rica’s finest runners, wasa huge highlight. To know that Iwas keeping pace and to feel anunspoken connection between usas we shared the trail for majorityof the day. It left me humbled, yetinspired to realize what I was capableof and that I had made the rightchoice to be here, running. I was inmy element.The day winded down into a halfmile stretch of water holes, andriver rapids funneling us to a waterfallfinish. My overall place onthe day, 2nd just minutes behindJavier. A few tears were all thatcould explain the exhilaration, andinspiration that day left with me. Iwas going to finish, and well.Photo courtesy of Lead Adventure MediaI finished the evening with my routineof stretching, bandaging myhorrendously shredded toes, andan early curfew. The following daywould be a pivotal one.Day 4 – Cuipilapa to Curubande –46.5k – 1550mThis was the day I determined thisrace would be about somethingeven more. Initially, I had enteredthis stage race to finish. To plan,prepare, and complete it first, andforemost. After taking second onday four of The Coastal Challenge,I found myself in competition forsecond place overall. A new perspective.I started the day keeping pace withrace leader Javier Montero. I didn’twake up and think I would takesecond this day. The Ticos are phe-Day 5(am) – Curubande to Canas Dulces– 11.5k(pm) – Cuajiniquil Bay to JunquillalBeach – 20.4kComing off a strong second placefinish on day four, I knew day fivewould be difficult, and unpredictable.I also knew I had nothing tolose. Everyone out there was “feelingit.” At the same time, we allcould nearly taste and feel the exhilarationof finishing what was justaround the bend. With two days togo and nearly 100 miles under ourbelt, 30 miles seemed quite attainable.We all shared in the pain ofbattered feet, tired legs, overheatedbodies, and an accumulated exhaustion.Yet, we were motivated,determined, and in all humility,confident that nothing would holdus back now.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 26

The day was split into two efforts.In the morning, a fast and graduallydescending 11.5k time trial.In the afternoon, a late starting(11 A.M.) 22k run to the beach inthe heat of the day with a long immediateclimb. The morning wentwell. I repeated my second overallfinish. The afternoon proved to bea different beast. After starting outin good form, and running parallelto Cesar in second, my body, atnearly 4k out from the finish, hadreached its limit. As Cesar pulledaway with a couple of miles to go,I found myself dizzily walk-joggingmy way through the mid-afternoonheat. The exhaustion fromhigh temperatures and a full exertionin the morning left my tanknear empty. I eventually staggeredonto to the beach for the final 500meters surprisingly holding a comfortablethird position.Photo courtesy of Lead Adventure MediaThat afternoon, I lay beachsiderather spent with just a 20k runthe next morning between me andaccomplishing the most enduring,enlightening, and enriching experienceI had known to date. Thatnight was spent indulging in fluids,electrolytes, good food, andthe comraderie of every runner allwith one thing left on their mind:finishing the final day of the coastalchallenge.Day 6 – Junquillal Beach to BolanosBay – 22kHigh tides kept us from startingearly morning. Our final jauntwould start on the beach about 9A.M. and weave us between inlandfarmroads and scenic shoresfor 20k. The finishing stretch wasa mix of coast and beach alongthe Pacific. The misty air and coolbreezes off the ocean water broughta final smile and assurance that theend was near. We had run for sixdays, through 230 kilometers ofepic scenery and essentially everytype of terrain and bio-diverselandscape in Costa Rica. Ascendingover 30,000 feet, a distancegreater than climbing to the peak ofEverest, we triumphantly marchedacross the finish. For me, it turnedout to be my best day of all. A feelingtook over that transcended theexhaustion, pains, and sore muscles.It created a momentum leadingme to cross the finish only 29seconds behind the overall leaderthis day and an accumulative timeto secure third overall for the week.That far exceeded any expectationsI had before landing in San Jose aweek prior.At the finish, I imagined what eachperson must be feeling in this mo-Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 27

ment as I watched every other inspiringindividual leap (or crawl)across the finish in their last steps—flags in hand, arms outstretched,and hearts open. There were nowords, or explanations. Everyonehere shared in the challenges, facedthe elements, and pushed through,moving past anything that was putin front of us. Further leaving connectedin shared purpose, and a familiarjourney.Top Overall Finishing Times:Men- Javier Montero (CRC)21:36:14, Cesar Ortega (CRC)22:15:03, Ty Stevens (USA)23:53:05, Mark Lattanzi (USA)27:09:04 and Rolando Moreira(CRC) 30:03:29.Women- Margaret Phillips (Canada)32:37:26, Stacey Shand (Canada)35:23:13, Melida Barbee(CRC) 35:39:39 and Shannon MacLeod(Canada) 39:59:46.IN THE END:Lessons Learned. I am one man,one traveler, one seeker. Rathersmall in a greater perspective,but significant. There is much wecan do despite what we often tellourselves, and even convince ourselves.This message universal.The many individuals that came togetherat Coastal Challenge may befrom different regions of the worldbut share in similar goals, and purpose.In my journey I discovered theimportance of being able to movewith the moment, prepare forchange, and overcome obstacles inmy path. To plan, yet remain flexible.Continuing in persistence, andtempered by patience. As I learn topace myself for the long journey, asthere is much to endure along theway.Personally, I can’t think of a betterplace to take this journey thanin Costa Rica. A country filled withabundance, rich diversity, and equilibrium.In this race, the beauty andrichness of its surroundings carriedme many times when it was mostdifficult. I depart taking with me agreat connection to this land and itscommunity of people, local Ticos.Pura Vida.ABOUT TCC:TCC Adventures mission is of purposedriven, experiential travel. Toprovide a personal journey withnew challenges daily and a deepenedcommitment to oneself andthe road ahead. TCC inspires authenticadventure and discoveryamidst some of the most breathtaking,remote and challenging runningroutes across the globe.The approach is to strive for culturalinteraction by going deeper intothe heart of a country and sharinga glimpse of a more traditional wayof life. In essence, stepping backin time and bringing competitorsalong. With a compelling conceptin hand, TCC plans, promotes andproduces a variety of race formatsfor runners, ultra runners and enduranceathletes of all differentabilities.Each year TCC Adventures’ flagshipCoastal Challenge event inCosta Rica attracts runners andtheir friends or family membersfrom all over the world. TCC Adventuresnow hosts races in threecountries, including Costa Rica,Panama and Bolivia. The races:The Coastal Challenge: Routeof Fire, The Coastal Challenge:Rainforest Run, TCC Panama: IslandRun, TCC Bolivia: Inca Run,The Coastal Experiences, xx-y Surfand Run Adventure. Learn more atwww.tccadventures.com.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 28

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Dear Kayak, I’ll Be Home Soon!By Susan HollingsworthThe year began and ended with themost irresistibly unstable kayak Ihave ever seen. A kayak that madeclass II whitewater turn my knuckleswhite. A kayak that would slowdown for nothing. A kayak I justcouldn’t get my mind off. Surfingon China’s colossal Salween River,steep-creeking in California’s SequoiaNational Park and paddlingthe drainage of Machu Picchu’sUrubamba River could not evendistract me from this kayak.This past year served up some ofthe most incredible adventures Ihave ever experienced. Yet after allthe traveling, kayaking, biking andexploring; I find myself back in theoverly tippy and somewhat uncontrollablekayak that will hopefullycarry me to a world championship.My Wildwater race kayak and I didnot have much time together beforeI set out again to travel around theworld. It began when I lovingly putmy 8-foot Pyranha creekboat asidein exchange for the ’89 PerceptionMirage and Dagger’s 12-footGreen Boat. They were longer andfaster, yet felt comfortable even onWest Virginia’s classic Cheat andGauley Rivers, both stacked withmiles of class IV/V rapids. But ateach race the winner would alwaysbe paddling a lightweight, torpedolookingboat that left his competitorsin the dust.So naturally, I had to find one.When it came to me, it came onflatwater. To understand thiskayak, one must throw out everyvariable possible. No current, norapids, no rocks. I had discovereda way to jump from being an advancedwhitewater kayaker to apure novice. While not the typicalprogression one takes when learninga new sport, it gave me a wholenew reason to love the river.Just as I was beginning to find asense of stability and control, Iwas offered a kayaker’s dream job.Forced to put aside my fiberglassboat, I joined the teaching andcoaching staff of the World ClassKayak Academy, a traveling andkayaking high school. For the nextyear, I would feed my other passion,that of traveling to uncommonplaces and discovering the intricaciesof a foreign culture.I packed my Subaru and droveacross the country to begin work.The first of many cross countrytrips I would take over the courseof the year.Within the first week of work Ifound myself floating down China’sYangtze River in a six-footkayak made for rodeo, not racing.My students learned about the socialand political effects of dammingmajor rivers while sleepingon their banks every night. OverAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 30Photo courtesy of Adam Elliott

Photo courtesy of Susan Hollingsworthsteep-mountain passes, we passedmilitary checkpoints on our way tonew rivers. Tibetan monks greetedus as we climbed out of the river,just to see these fascinating boatsand the people who paddled them.It was a like being hit by a hurricaneof loud and sharp voices, pungentaromas and bizarre symbols.As each week passed, the rapidsseemed to get bigger and bigger.From the Mekong to the Salween,we explored hundreds of miles ofpristine rivers. I guided studentsthrough the hardest whitewatersome had ever seen and faced afew of my own apprehensions.We returned to the United Statesand resumed our tour in Californiafor the fourth quarter. Smooth bedrockand bright sunny skies were onthe menu daily. We continued ourschedule of class in the morningsand kayaking in the afternoons aswe descended classic stretches ofrivers like the Kaweah, the Featherand the Trinity. We walked throughGiant Sequoia and Redwood forestsbefore we wound our way upthe steep and craggy Oregon coastline,stopping for a surf when themood struck.The semester wrapped up back inMontana with a unique graduationceremony and a rodeo competition.Three months of summer vacationlay ahead of me and all I wanted todo was keep traveling and kayaking.China’s vast, unexplored landscapehad left me wanting more.So I packed up my Pyranha Burncreekboat and flew back to the otherside of the world for more awkwardforeign moments and newrivers.Thirty-six hours of flights later,I landed in the middle of anotherbustling, smoky, endless Chinesecity.I met up with my friends at LastDescents Rivers Expeditions inBeijing and began planning the logisticsfor a high-water descent ofthe Tong Tian He. Imagine puttingon a river at 14,000 feet elevationthat is ripping trees from the banksand crumbling boulders the size ofhouses. This is the Tong Tian He atflood stage.Monks begged us not to go. Whenthat didn’t work, they prayed forus to survive. A local town threwscarves from a bridge to bring goodfortune. Of course, none of thesepeople had ever actually been in akayak. While the waves swallowedus and the current propelled us, weloved every minute of it.China, round two, also topped mypersonal international travel list inanother way. Never before had Ifelt more stripped of all ability tocommunicate. Deciding to travelwithout my Chinese-speakingfriends might not have been thePhoto courtesy of Alex LopezAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 31

Yet through it all, I craved myWildwater kayak.Photo courtesy of Sebastian Schollbest decision, but I figured I couldmake it work. Wrong. It also didnot help that I was a western femaletrying to travel through the borderterritory between the autonomousregion of Tibet and China on the60th anniversary of China’s seizureof all Tibetan lands.I eventually made it, only by themore expensive and far less scenicair-route.Summers always come to an end,however, and I began to prepare foranother semester at World Class.We began in Canada this time andmade our way down the east coast.This quarter gave me tastes of theworld of racing I did not realize Imissed so much.In Pennsylvania, I paddled behindmy students in the annual UpperYoughiogheny race. I glowed withpride as we sat at the finish line.One student had won the short-boatdivision with the others not far onhis heals. Once in West Virginiawe raced on the Upper Gauley River,another difficult class V run. Itwas all coming back to me.But still, racing had to wait.After fall break our group traveledeven further south to Peru. Cusco,Peru might just be the completeopposite to Beijing, China. Spanishclass went to meat marketsand History classes went to IncanRuins. As with school policy, wewent kayaking every afternoon.Only miles from Machu Picchuwe explored multiple stretches ofthe Urubamba river, our backyardrun. Side creeks provided alternativeadventures, all within minutesof our canopy camp.In addition to kayaking and classes,the school also satisfied my cravingto train in other ways. Throughoutthe semester the head coach andmyself led our team of studentsthrough strength and flexibilityworkouts every morning. China’sterraced mountainsides made foran intense running course. Oregon’ssandy dunes provided moredifficult terrain for Ultimate Frisbeegames and nothing comparedto doing 500 sit-ups at 11,000ft inthe ancient ruins in Cusco.The semester ended and I began tosee myself paddling the race boatagain. After some deliberation, Ichose to move to Asheville, NC,mostly because I had always wantedto spend more time in a kayak inthat part of the country. The eastcoast is also the home to my fellowracers on TeamSOG, which Ilook forward to being a strong partof this year.Keeping with my penchant fortravel and adventure I stopped inFlagstaff, Arizona on my way tomy new home to do some mountainbiking in Sedona, snowboardingon the San Francisco Peaks andan epic hike into the Grand Canyon.I had never been there, whatcan I say.Now the gears have changed. Ihave traded the coaching positionfor that of a teammate and the smallplayboat for my 15ft fiberglass raceboat. As a member of TeamSOG, Iam looking forward to training, goingfast and crossing the finish linefirst in 2010. It’s good to be back.Susan Hollingsworth is most often reminiscing abouther last adventure, planning the next while enjoyingthe present. As a member of the US Canoe & KayakDownriver Race Team she looks forward to steeringher travels toward races all over the United Statesthis year. Summer in Washington’s Columbia Gorge,winter in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains, andSouth America and China in between, Susan neverstops finding new rivers and new ways to test herphysical abilities on them.Follow Susan’s 2010 competition season and travelson TeamSOG Blog: www.americanadventuresports.com/blogsite and Susan’s Blog: www.SusansEvolution.blogspot.comAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 32

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Winter Ascent ofNew Hampshire’sMount WashingtonBy Dave RomillyWinter training in the Northeast is,without question, frustrating! However;the rewards are great to thosethat battle through the conditions.Wednesday, 30 December 2009,4:00 PM - I break from my deskwith eager anticipation for whatwill become one of the most memorablehikes of my years thus far.I hopped into my car and headednorth from my Portsmouth officein haste towards the foothills ofthe White Mountains and the behemoththat lay ahead.I was meeting my greatest offriends and teammate, Dave Lamb,at his home in Jackson, NH for an“EPIC.” Very few missions aregranted this term, but this one definitelydeserved the title.I made a quick stop into InternationalMountain Equipment inNorth Conway to round up my lastpieces of gear around 6 PM beforemaking dinner time at the Lamb estateshortly thereafter.I was greeted at the door by tworambunctious canines anxiouslyanticipating play time. After 10minutes of rough housing, I wasable to subdue them into a franticpant while I sat at the dinner tableand was served a wonderful chickenparm and pasta meal by Mrs.Carol Lamb. The dogs were neverfar as they thought that table scrapswere going to be discarded at anymoment.Around 7:30 PM, Dave and I madeour final preparations, packed ourbags and donned Darn Tough MerinoWool Socks and our Roclite295 INOV-8 shoes (sorry SOLE,you didn’t arrive in the mail yet, soyou’ll have to wait for the next mission)for the short drive up Rte. 16to the Pinkham Notch parking areaand the base of Mt. Washington.Both Dave and I had large packsstuffed to the gills with plenty ofextra clothes, food, water, survivalgear, plastic mountaineering bootsand crampons. Due to the nastyweather that could formulate at anymoment, we packed for an expedition.Winds can often reach 100mph at the summit, but are felt ator slightly below summit intensityfor the final 1+ miles of the hike.Compound winter conditions andsometimes spotty night time visibilityand we were definitely settingourselves up for calculatedrisks and choices. Summiting thismonster is never guaranteed and,even though small in comparisonto giant’s such as the Seven Summits,it still deserves a great deal ofrespect.Our mission started off with ourINOV-8 shoes and a single trekkingpole. From the parking lot atPinkham Notch (elevation 2,000ft), we headed up the TuckermanRavine trail , one of the most wellknown spring skiing trail routesin the nation. But this evening wewere not going to ski, nor were wegoing to enjoy a nice evening picnicon Lunch Rocks - we were goingto summit one of the most wellrespected mountains in the country.We made the trek to the base of theLion’s Head winter route (elevation3,800 ft) in just under an hour anddonned our summit gear; whichconsisted of mountaineering pants,jackets/suits, boots and ice axes.Since we were making a gearchange, it allowed us a brief momentto take in the night’s winterair, shut down our head lamps andlook into the clear sky at the endlessarray of stars while listening to thesilence of the surrounding woods.The solitude we felt on this nightis what makes each and every outdoorenthusiast contemplate earth’sAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 34

deepest and darkest mysteries.Our goal was to summit, but inthe true spirit of adventure racerswe wanted to make it snappy.With only enough time to capturea few pictures and video to commemoratethis adventure, Dave andI huffed and puffed the cool winterair as we made our next pitch to theLion’s Head (elevation 5,000 feet).The hike from the start of the Lion’sHead winter route to Lion’s Headhas you ascending 1,200 verticalfeet in just under 0.5 miles. Thatequates to steep and technical, especiallywith two-inch spikes stickingout from the front of your boots- ready to trip you every step.Lion’s Head is on the nose of a ridgeline that runs along the north rim ofTuckerman’s Ravine. Its location isa prime spot for intense winds andis where the hike becomes seriousbusiness. On a previous summit attempta year earlier, teammate ChadDenning joined Dave and I for anotherEPIC assault on this mountainwhere the winds topped 70+mph and the temps dropped into theminus 60 degree category. Duringthat mission, the Lion’s Head wasthe spot where we all stopped talkingand made certain that no pieceof skin was left uncovered. The assaultwas strategic and fast fromthe Lion’s Head to the summit andback down. Though this attemptwas not as intense in temperatureand wind as our previous bid, thenight time planning did not offermuch reprieve in terms of evacuationand rescue opportunities.Dave and I scurried along thecrusty wind packed snow as we interceptedsmall animal tracks andtrail markers left in the snow byprevious day time travelers. Davesuggested that the trail markers,small flags stuck in the snow, wereleft by guides leading their groupsduring inclement weather and lowvisibility. We followed the markersfor a period of time before weintercepted the main hiking trail,marked via large cairns. The tops ofthe cairns were visible, as were thelargest rocks on the slope side butdue to the snow, the mountain sidewas quite barren with little nubs ofexposed rock everywhere. A slipand fall could result in a multiplehundred foot uncontrolled glissadeif a self arrest was not quickly performed.We became very alert atthis point - toe pick, side step, toepick, side step.11:10 PM - An hour and a half afterleaving the start of the Lion’s Headwinter route (elevation 3,800 feet),we crested the final steps over thecog rail way and forged through theblistering wind towards the summitstake (elevation 6,288 feet). Thetemperature was close to -15 degreeswith winds around 40 mph.These conditions are consideredpleasant for Mount Washingtonstandards, and it allowed enoughtime to leave hands exposed longenough to snap a few pictures. Asany experienced hiker knows, thesummit is only the half way point.We spared little time exposed tothe elements and ducked behindthe observatory building in orderto re-organize some gear, grabsome food and guzzle some nuunenhancedwater.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 35

Fortunately the descent was uneventful but nerveracking none-the-less. We made it down to Lion’sHead in about 30 minutes where we made our 4thgear change and downed the remaining caloriesthat the frigid air on the summit prevented us fromingesting. I was able to take advantage of the gearchange and made some of the descent without headlampand well in front of Dave. I could see for milesin all directions even in the pitch of the night andit was breathtaking. Even watching Dave descendbehind me allowed my brain to think we were in aworld removed from our own, almost as if we werewalking the surface of the moon.Thursday, 31 December 2009, 12:45 AM - Dave andI arrived back at Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center forthe conclusion of our EPIC mission.Thursday, 31 December 2009, 1:15 AM - Consumptionof a few carbohydrate enriched recovery beveragesfollowed by a prompt 2:00 am bed time.Thursday, 31 December 2009, 6:00 AM - Up andat ‘em and on my way to a 7 AM client meeting inFarmington, NH with an intense sun glaring backat me, shaded by the polarized lenses of my NumaOptics Sparta Lenses with fond memories of the lastfew hours. No better way to spend a “school night”than climbing Mt. W with a great teammate andfriend.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 36

Adventure 101 - PaddlingLove to paddle and curious aboutlong distance events? Well, therecan be too much of a good thing --if you’re not prepared. Follow thesefive tips to increase your chances offinishing a long race and have fundoing it.Pick a boat you can go the distancein. The “fastest” boat mightnot really be the fastest in a longrace. Comfort over the long haulcan translate into speed. With astable boat, you likely will findyou can use proper paddling techniquelonger. And when you haveto reach for that tasty snack late ina race, you’re less likely to take adip in the pond. So, if you’re newto the sport, you might want to optfor a hearty sea kayak with plentyof secondary stability rather than asleek surf ski.Train in your race-day boat. It’sbest not to show up on race dayin a boat you’re unfamiliar with,if you can help it. Your derriere ismost likely to suffer the most whenit has to conform to an unfamiliarposition for hours on end. Problematicpressure points might notreveal themselves immediately.But, you’ll be able to find themif you spend plenty of time in thesaddle before the starting gun goesoff. Plus, you’ll want to be familiarwith how to quickly fix itemslike rudder cables if they loosen orbreak during the event. The samegoes for the paddle you will use.Whether it’s a wing blade or a flatbladedpaddle, train with it so youcan learn to get the most powerfrom good technique. Find a friendto video tape your paddling fromthe front, back and side. Watchingyourself will help you find hitchesin your technique.Cover up. Since you’ll obviouslybe on the water, you’re likely tofind yourself spending nearly allyour time exposed to the wind andsun. So, cover your arms, legs andneck with clothing that will blockUV rays and keep your skin fromgetting painfully burned withouttrapping too much of your bodyheat. Use plenty of waterproof sunblock, too. Yeah, you might looklike a white-faced mime out there,but you’ll be happy later. I didn’ttake the time to apply lip balmduring the Yukon River Quest andcould barely talk after the race. Andoh, the post race pictures! Everysmile for the camera was immediatelyfollowed by a painful-lookinggrimace.Put food and water in a handyplace. It’s pretty easy to fall intothe trap of eating and drinking toolittle while paddling if it meanshaving to stop swinging the blades.Photo courtesy of Peter JollesAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 37

So, put your food and drink in avery accessible spot. I most oftenpaddle a kayak, so I like to attachmy hydration tube to my PFD, butI keep the bladder resting on thefloor of the boat to keep the weightoff my back.Don’t dodge the draft. It’s not justfor road bike races. Drafting canincrease your max speed if you getbehind the right boat. But, moreimportantly, it can help you maintainyour speed much more comfortably.Prior to the race, find afriend and practice your technique,either by getting directly behind theboat you want to draft off or ridingthe wake off to the side. But, just asin bike racing, there’s real etiquetteto drafting. Talk to your potentialdrafting partners before the raceif you can. Make sure they’re finewith it. If they’re in a different boatclass, for example if they’re paddlinga tandem and you’re a solo,then they’re likely to be agreeable.Be sure to take your turn at thefront. If you work together, you’llfind you can go much farther, muchfaster.Grab your paddle and give theseendurance events a try:• Texas Water Safari, Texas, 260miles, June, http://www.texaswatersafari.org/• Missouri River 340; Missouri,340 miles, July, http://www.mr340.com/• Yukon River Quest; Yukon Territory,Canada; late June; http://www.yukonriverquest.com/• Adirondack Canoe Classic,New York, 90 miles, September,http://www.macscanoe.com/90-Miler/90-miler_Index.htm• Colorado River 100, Texas, 100miles, September, http://www.coloradoriver100.com/• Phatwater Challenge, Mississippi,42.5 miles, October, http://www.kayakmississippi.com/phatwater/• Suwannee River Marathon andChallenge, Florida, 26 and 52miles, October, http://www.aca1.com/Paul races with Team CheckpointZero and has won the unlimiteddivision of the Suwannee RiverChallenge and placed third in thetandem division of the Yukon RiverQuest with Checkpoint Zero TeammateAllen McAdams. Paul hasn’tfinished every race he’s entered.Some lessons he learned the hardway.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 38

Adventure 101 - HikingBy Justin LichterThe first day of spring has passedand Old Man Winter’s wrath isstarting to give way to springweather. It is a great time of yearto start planning and looking into along distance hike or expedition; ora shorter hike.Here are a few pointers that I wouldrecommend.Plan, Plan, Plan.You haven’t planned enough ifyou haven’t thought about a lot ofthings for your trip. The route isone thing and the most obvious.However you should also be lookinginto how frequent and reliablethe water sources are, how oftenyou might be able to get more foodor purchase food at a store, theweather for the area during thattime of year, and fine tuning yourgear. No doubt you will have somenerves at the start of a trip, but ifyou plan well and are comfortablewith your gear going into the tripthen that should ease the nerves alittle.TrainAs your trip begins top take shapeyou will ideally start to train forthe experience beforehand. Thiswill help make your trip as enjoyableas possible as well as gettingyou used to your equipment. Thiswill help your feet get ready, and ifneed be callused, for you to breakin your shoes and help your hipsand shoulders get used to wearinga backpack. If you prepare beforehandthen you’ll be ready to hit thetrail when the time comes and themileage that you planned for thetrip won’t be daunting. The trainingwill also help in your planningbecause it will let you know whatdistances and terrain are obtainablefor the trip in the time that youhave.Gear Up, But Not Too MuchResearch the gear that you wouldlike to use on the trip. Do as muchresearch as possible looking onlineand asking questions of shop employees,but definitely do NOT justask shop employees. Some storeemployees are great, but each hastheir own personal opinion andthey might not even have done theactivity or been to the terrain youare looking at doing. My typicalgear list has many recurring piecesof gear, but there are also manythings that change depending on locationand time of year. This helpsto keep your pack light by takingonly what you will need. For example,there is no reason to carry a3lb. -20 degree sleeping bag if youare heading out to the High Sierrasin the summer. Chances are youcan probably get away with a sub2lb. 30 degree sleeping bag, especiallyif you plan on sleeping in atent because that will add about 10degrees to your sleep system. Getyour system streamlined and dialedbeforehand and then only take whatyou think you’ll need. If you don’tuse it every day then generally youdon’t need it. Also, try to makethings have multiple uses. For example,I use a half length sleepingpad and then use my backpack forthe lower half of my sleeping pad.This saves about 8oz on my sleepingpad and makes it more packablesince my backpack won’t beneeded for anything else while Iam sleeping.GO!!!! And Have Fun!(Sample gear list on next page)Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 39

Sample gear list for Alpine in summer/fall (such asthe Rockies or Sierras)• Backpack- Granite Gear MeridianVapor w/o lid or Vapor Trail, w/hipbelt pocket 2lbs 4oz• Granite Gear White Lightnin Tarpand 6 titanium stakes- 23oz• Sleeping Bag - Montbell U.L.Down Inner Sheet- 11oz (summer),Montbell U.L. S.S. #3- 23oz (fall)• Pad- Ridgerest- 7oz• Supermarket brand trash compactortrash bag- 2.2oz• Pair of Icebreaker socks- 1.5oz• Montbell Chameece Earwarmer• Hat- 1oz• Icebreaker wool gloves- 2.5oz• Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket-10oz• Montbell U.L. Wind Pants- 2oz• Montbell U.L. Wind Jacket- 3oz• Montbell Ex Light Down Jacket-5.5oz• 1 Medium Air Space (for foodbag)- 1.7oz• Ditties (book, phone #’s and inforewritten on a piece of paper, pen,Princeton Tec Scout headlamp, andsmall Gerber nail clipper multitool)in a medium Air Pocket- 8oz• Toiletries (small toothpaste, toothbrush,contact lens case, glasses,and saline solution, sunscreen) in a#1 Air Bag- 7oz• Wallet and town necessities (creditcard, ID, and cash)- 2oz• Camera in Aloksak- 6oz• Cookware (.9 liter titanium pot),Etowah outfitters alcohol stove,fuel bottle (small powerade bottlewith duct tape wrapped on it, titaniumspork, HEET (about 1 oz/day)- 10oz + fuel 1oz/day• Steripen Journey- 4.5oz w/CR123 battery• Water bottle (1 liter Pepsi bottle)/straw- about 2oz• 1 3L Platypuses- 1.5oz• Extra Insoles (ground downWaldies that can fit into my shoes)-3oz• Native Eyewear sunglasses w/case- 3oz• Tyvek ground sheet- 4ozWearing:• Highgear Watch- 3oz• Icebreaker Wool Boxers- 3.4oz• Icebreaker Socks- 1.5oz• Icebreaker Long Sleeve Half Zip• Merino Wool Shirt- 9oz• Montbell Sunnyside shorts- 5oz• Visor- 3oz• Leki Makalu Carbon UltralitePoles- 12.6oz• Garmont 9.81 Trail running shoe-26oz/pair with Superfeet insolesJustin is currently living near LakeTahoe, CA and he loves to hike,ski, surf, swim, climb, and dopretty much anything outdoors andactive. You can find more info onsome of the long-distance trips thathe has done on his website at www.justinlichter.com.Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 40

Desert Winds II Adventure Race • May 8www.desertwindsadventureseries.com/indexSheltowee Extreme South • July 10www.sheltoweeextreme.com/Wild Adventure Race • September 17www.wildadventurerace.com/Atomic Adventure Race • May 15www.atomicar.com/Lake Tahoe 24 • July 31www.bigblueadventure.com/pub/mainSan Juan Island Quest • September 25www.islandathleticevents.com/Central Coast Adventure ChallengeMay 15 • www.ccadventure.com/MISSION Adventure Race • May 15www.dinoseries.com/USARA Collegiate National ChampionshipMay 15 • www.usaranationals.com/USARA Sprint National ChampionshipMay 15 • www.usaranationals.com/The Longest Day and Night • May 21www.nyara.org/nyara_races/Chadron Adventure Race • May 22www.angrycowadventures.com/angry/TeamSOG Equinox Traverse • June 4americanadventuresports.com/traverse.htmThe Cradle of Liberty 24HR AR • June 5www.goalsara.org/The Crux • June 12 / The Crucible • June 13www.adventuresportsweek.com/indexRun, Row, Rock and Roll • June 19www.nscracing.com/Riverlands Rampage • July 31web.me.com/earthscapes66/Riverlands_ramble/Casa.htmlBushwhack This! • August 7www.alaskaadventureracing.com/MVP Health Care Bitter Pill • August 7www.gmara.org/bitterpill/index.htmlTeamSOG Lionheart 24 Hour • Aug 7www.americanadventuresports.com/The Thunder Rolls • August 28www.thethunderrolls.org/Wild West Eco • August 28www.adventureracekansas.com/New England Adventure WeekendSept 11 • www.racingahead.com/Raid The Rock • September 11www.raidtherock.com/Sheltowee Extreme • September 11www.sheltoweeextreme.com/Terra Firma Adventure RaceSeptember 25 • www.terrafirmapromo.com/The Shag • September 25www.nyara.org/Florida Coast to Coast • Sept 30www.adventurousconcepts.com/Howl at the Moon • Octoberwww.adventurousconcepts.com/The Rock Ranch Adventure Race • October 2www.therockranch.comLewis & Clark Ozark AR • Oct. 29www.ozarkadventurerace.com/Huntsville Hammer • Novemberwww.texasadventureracing.com/Red River Gorge American Classic. The FigNov 6 • www.racethefig.com/Dave Boyd Adventure Race • December 11www.texasdare.com/The 2010 Coed USARA Adventure Race National Championship team will receive free entry into the 2011 Lycian Challenge in Fethiye,Turkey. They will also receive free entry into all 2011 Regional Qualifying Events.Zanfel is proud to donate $100.00 towards the entry fee to the 2010 Zanfel Native USARA Adventure Race National Championship to theAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 41winning teams from each regional qualifying race. Teams may only win one Zanfel sponsorship per year.

Huairasinchi AdventureRaceBy Nicola CameronI was so mad. I couldn’t switchoff the voice in my head – “thisis IMPOSSIBLE; this is DUMB;there is NO WAY we’re going toget there.” And more than that –“this HURTS.” It was dark, and somisty it was difficultto tell if it wasraining or not. I was biking up asteep mountain road with my fourteam-mates, 36 hours into the Huairasinchi,an Ecuadorean adventurerace with the claim to fame that itis the highest adventure race in theworld. That was a hint: the top ofthe hill was a long way away.My team-mates and I had just lefta check-point where we had beeninformed, over the blasting radiothat celebrated Ecuador’s Carnavalweekend, (even though all that wasleft of the party in the dingy squarein the dusk was garbage and a fewdrunks attempting to play volleyball)that the cut-off time for ournext checkpoint had been pushedback – we now had a chance atmaking it – we had 3 hours leftto cover 40 km. What was more,the volunteer chirped, most teamswere SO HAPPY to hear this thatthey had biked VERY FAST andhad made it with lots of time! Muchotime! We stared grimly at him.The mountains were so steep, andwe were so unprepared for thelength of the climbs, that we wereaveraging 5km an hour. When wewere going fast. By the time weleft the checkpoint, we had 2 and ahalf hoursto go. “That’s like, timetrialspeed!” said Trish.Huairasinchi actually meanssomething along the lines of “thestrength of the wind” or “the agilityof the wind” in Kichwa, one ofEcuador’s indigenous languages.Our local support crew memberRaul taught us how to pronounceit – and then fell in love with itsvowels and, presumably, its spiritand used it to cheer us one wheneverpossible. Hooo-eye-rrrrra-SEEEEENCHEEEE!!! When Leanne,our team captain, emailed meto say that she was putting togetheran all-female team for the race, myresponse consisted largely of enthusiasticexclamation points. It wouldbe 60 hours: two nights,three daysof biking, paddling, and trekkingacross a new landscape. The websitepromisedthe discovery of “hiddenplaces in Ecuador, rich places”of natural and cultural significanceand a chance to exceed your ownphysical and mental limits. I loveracing with Leanne and an all-femaleteam and the chance to visitEcuador conjured up appealing imagesof llamas and ponchos.There was one tiny snag – Quito,the capital of Ecuador where welanded, is 3000 metres above sealevel, and the race would only climbfrom there, hence the race’s distinguishedtag line. Coming fromessentially sea level, we knew wewould need to acclimatize to the altitude;we hadn’t realized how muchwe needed to get used to mountainsas well. The mountains on the wayto Ibarra, the region where the racewas held, were not the innocent,isolated swells of the ones aroundQuito. These ones were a savagethrong, rocks punching out of desertearth. At one point we passed aPhoto courtesy of Roberto EspinosaAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 42

cut through the mountain where themineral lines in the rock actuallydoubled back on themselveslike agnarled tree – evidence of ancientgeological violence. We took apicture on the side of the road withthe jagged peaks as a background.My smile seems forced. “Are wegoing to have to go UP this?” readsmy thought bubble.After a race briefing that includeda standing ovation for our lackof y chromosomes, Las QuattrosChicas, as we were dubbed, wereon the start line in a cobble-stonesquare in Otavalo, a city famed forits weekend market that attracts localindigenous groups to sell theircrafts. We hugged and giggled nervously,then jumped on our bikesand headed off in a huge pack tothe sound of the start horn. We setoff down a hill, Leanne’s long legsspinning double-time and the restof us following in line,turned offthe cobble-stone road onto a dirtback road, and started to climb.And then we didn’t stop.See, here’s the thing: in EasternCanada, the athletic challenge forendurancesports – biking, running,cross-country skiing – involvesmaking it to the top of the hill.Keeping going until the downhill.We practice interval trainingto help us sustain that intensityfor longer periodsand to train ourbodies to recover fast once the hillis over. What we were going tolearn in Ecuador is that this racingrhythm doesn’t work in mountains,where the top will never be reachedin one burst of effort.We climbed and climbed until Ipanicked, over-heated, fell behind,and got off my bike to throw up.The teams that had applauded usthe night before passed us whileLeanne took my bike and packand I walked until my legs stoppedshaking. I took my pack, then a fewsteps later my bike, then got on it afew steps after that. We continuedat a slower pace, but the hill neverstopped, generating the illusionthat we weren’t actually climbing ahill; we were just biking through anextra-strong gravitational field.Our all-women teams are usuallyvery competitive, placing with thetop teams in most races we enter.Our favourite game is watching thesurprise on the face of athletes thatdon’t know us as we pass them.When a team actually RAN by uson the first trek while we draggedourselves along, leaning heavilyon our trekking poles and doingthe “everestwalk” (locked knees,little steps) that Trish had taughtus would save energy, we began toquestion ourselves. At hour twelve,Leanne, known affectionately asthe bionic woman, confessed: “Ifeel like I’m on day three of a reallytough race. What about youguys?” We moaned in response.The altitude and the elevation gaingenerated that dream-like feelingof disconnect between the desire torun and the total lack of responsefrom our legs.The positive aspect of our reducedspeedwas the opportunity it providedus to observe the landscape.We climbed to the top of a mountainand found little stone houseswith hill-side farms, where we metindigenous people, some in traditionaldress, and filthy but adorablechildren guarding their farmswith machetes. We descended likescuba divers into the rainforest andwatched as it grew lush and dankaround us; we crawled up a mudslideinto the golden paradise ofthe paramo, the Ecuadorean grassland.Over the 60 hours we coveredmountain tops and rainforests,farming areas carpeting the valleysand climbing up the sides; wideplains with shimmering lakes likeheat hallucinations andwindingrivers. The mood and the tempo ofthe race changed like switchbacks,living up to every expectation wehad, but the climbing and our fatigueremained constant.Another constant was the pres-Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 43Photo courtesy of Roberto Espinosa

Photo courtesy of Roberto Espinosaence of race staff. In the middleof a peaceful night trek, one of ouronly rolling sections, four glowingshapes emerged from behind a hilland floated and bobbed towards us,otherworldly fireballs until theystood before us, resolving themselvesinto four smiling volunteerswearing very reflective vests – justchecking on us. They were typicalHuairasinchi volunteers – attractive,smiling, stylishly ragged inthe way of climbing types aroundthe world. It was wildly disorienting.In Canada, volunteers appearnear roads – you emerge from thebush onto a path, then onto a road– and you usually see the cars beforethe people. Our night visitorswere nowhere near roads and theirrelaxed presence seemedtotally outof place.The moments that followed weretypical of the race organization ofthe Huairasinchi. Joined by theother Canadian team, Milton BasementRacers, we crawled over thesurrounding hills, looking for theone spot in the forest with a paththat would take us up the nextmountain. The volunteers loungedin the valley and watched our headlampsperform intricate loops aswe explored back and forth, sendingus hints in the form of morsecode headlamp flashing and the occasionalpiercing whistle when wewent really off course. Relaxed butwatchful, they let us do our thing.Finally, we heard a voice. “Comedown.” The valley made for perfectacoustics between us and them,and hedidn’t even have to yell.We clambered down and followedthe bearded dude to the right path,into the forest and up a mudslide.It had rained heavily in this regionbefore we got there, and climbingup this so-called “path” was likea Japanese game-show involvingmud and creative face-plants. Notso for our guide. His rubber bootsgripped the way our Salomon XAPros, prized adventure racing footwear,totally failed to do, and hestrolledwhile we flailed and swamuphill. We encountered him quitesome time later, about three-quartersof the way up, leaning backagainst a tree with another goodlookinggirl. They smiled lazily atus, two old friends on a picnic. Iheard him updating someone onhis walkie-talkie... “Las quattroschicas... lento [slow].”After a spirit-lifting stop at a sunny,windy TA, we left on our bikes withfull bellies and Raul’s cry ringingin our ears. This brings us, manyhours later, to the Lentos QuattrosChicas pedalling their way up amountain at 5km/hr to make it tothe rappel. It was dark and drizzly,and, as mentioned, my mood waspretty much identical.Then we came to the miracle ofmountains. As far as they go up....Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 44Photo courtesy of Roberto Espinosa

they also go down. We turned acorner and began to descend. Anddescend, and descend. Trish andSarah led the charge at ferociousspeeds, Sarah to prove her bikingpre-eminence, Trish to just get toa spot where we could stop moving.In a terrifying moment, sheconfessed to me that she was fallingasleep at 40 km/hr. We passedMilton Basement Racers in a blurof headlamps. The mist intensified,and it was impossible to tellhow fast we were going or whatwas coming up. It was like leapingoff a cliff. We found out later thatTeam Buff, one of the top contenders,wasknocked out of the racewhen they rounded a corner on thissection and hit a cow. Oops. Therewas no live-stock on this trail forus, and we rocketed through spaceand time to skid into the rappel sitewith seconds to spare. We swungoff a bridge (well, I had my fingerspeeled off a bridge) and ended upsitting on the ground eating, congratulatingourselves, and examiningTrish as she told us carefullythat she REALLY didn’t feel well.Trish had been making jokes aboutnot feeling well for the majority ofthe race, suffering more than therest of us from the altitude and therelentless climbing. What we didn’tknow was that her body’s responseto the stress was intense nausea, andas a result she had quietly stoppedeating and drinking. Ourpush forthe rappel pushed her body overthe edge, and as soon as we startedbiking uphill again, she pulled overthe side to rest. A few minutes latershe was on all fours, retching likea cat bringing up a hairball, a ritualthat was to be repeated for therest of the bike ride to the safety ofour transition area and our supportcrew. Sarah looked at me with thewhite showing all around her eyes.Leanne looked cross, as she doeswhen she’s worried. “She needs toeat. We just have to get some foodin her.” Trish gamely put variousitems in her mouth and swallowed,then threw them up immediately. Iexamined the perfectly undigestedelectrolyte pills in a little pool ofsaliva on the ground.Photo courtesy of Roberto EspinosaPhoto courtesy of Team UntamedThe rest of the journey to the T.A.was a nightmare. We moved up anothermountain, passing from tinyvillage to tiny village, greeted byviciously loud dogs that never actuallyattacked us, and bid farewellby suspicious smells of sewagethat made me glad of the darkness.Sarah and I pushed Trish’s bike,holding our bikes in one hand anda handle of her bike in the other.Leanne took her pack and attachedher to a tow rope. We moved slowerand slower, discovering thatany increased effort would makeTrish stop for anotherbout of retch-Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 45

Photo courtesy of Team Untameding. She continued to make jokesthe entire way, and Leanne madelight of the situation by pulling outher camera at one point to captureTrish’s superhuman efforts to actuallythrow up her digestive organs.“Trish!” I asked at one point, “Betteror worse than morning sickness?”Trish giggled. “Oh, better,definitely.” Trish had intense morningsickness for a large part of herpregnancy. Tough girl.Leanne wrinkled her nose in disbelief.“Okay, I’m not much better.”We had reached that horrible momentwhere we would have todecide whether to continue as ateam or leave Trish behind. Trishencouraged us to go on withouther. If we continued with her, wewere risking not finishing due toher condition, not to mention howslowly we would have to move. Ifwe continued without her, however,we would definitely not finishranked – a team has to finishwith all four members. More importantly,none of us had any desireto prioritize moving faster overmoving as a team. Leanne finallyleft it with Trish. “You know besthow you feel, Trish. We want youto come with us, but we don’t wantyou to hurt yourself.” Trish lookedup at us standing over her. Trishis an experienced adventure racer;she understands the trick, the hook,the soul of adventure racing. Herresponse was identical to our successfulpush for the rappel earlierin the race. “All we can do is try,”she said, and started hauling on hershoes. This time we didn’t evenbring a pack for her – we dividedher food and water amongst us, attachedher to Leanne, whose packhad treats and drinks dangling offit in easy reach of Trish, and set offup the mountain.It got very hot very quickly, hotterthan it had been at any other time inAfter a final two kilometre uphill upa thin cobblestone path that madepushing two bikes feel impossible,we found the TA, with Raul andBelen, our devoted support crew,worriedly welcoming our late arrivalwith tea and chicken and rice.“We’ll stay here until Trish canleave,” Leanne pronounced, andinstantly fell asleep. We slept forseveral hours and woke to a beautifulday. We were at the base ofan elegant mountain that climbedin various shades of green into thesky. We examined Trish. “Howare you?” we asked. “Awesome!”she squeaked. “Awesome-o 3000!”Photo courtesy of Team UntamedAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 46

the race, and the smell from the lushvegetation intensified. We climbedout of the cobblestone onto packeddirt, then rocks as we hit a tiny villagewith about three families, butalso a school and a play structure.Trish was flushed andweak. Raul,who wanted to walk with us for awhile, stopped at one of the housesand asked for panella, home-madesugar cubes that were a traditionalcure for altitude sickness. The extendedfamily swarmed out, graciousand helpful, and providedus with a chunk of panellathe sizeof a large espresso machine. Rauldelicately declined the chunk andhacked off a tiny portion for Trish,who sucked on it like she wantedvery badly to believe in its powers.We left the village and Raul; theroad stopped andthe mountain started.We were following a mysteriouspath made by wandering livestockthat were apparently far moreagile than us, with encroaching foliageall around. I walked with myhands on my tired thighs as it gotsteeper and started to worry -- theheat was dangerous for Trish andthe terrain not great for us. What ifwe got lost and had to spend evenmore time on this huge solar panelof a mountain? We stopped moreand more frequently, taking a fewwrong turns that frightened me.We heard later that the teams thathad climbed this section during thenight had been defeated by the pathand had to sleep on the side of themountain before finding their wayin the morning. Eventually, wewere bent double under eucalyptustrees, crawling over a carpet of fragrantleaves -- could this really bethe right way? – when movementup ahead made me leap to my feet,knocking my trekking poles out ofmy backpack.I saw flashes of orange and yellowand.. safetyvests? Crawlingtowards us, big grins on theirfaces, rubber boots on their feet,were more Huairasinchivolunteers.“We heard you had someonewho was sick!” they chirped. “Wecame to find you!” By the time Ihad wrapped my head around thefact that there were other people inour heat-delirium dream, they hadpulled off their enormous packs andwere pouring out lemon verbenatea from a huge metal thermos andadding oral re-hydration salts to it,something it had never occurredto us, not once, to feed Trish. Onetook her blood pressure and theother wipedher face. Trish took afew sips and looked brigheralmostimmediately. We were saved.Escorted by our medical team pixies,we made it to the next checkpoint,where a doctor used chickenwire to hang an IV bag off the roofof the ruins of a farm, and madeTrish feel better in twenty minutes.She actually re-inflated before oureyes. I still feel ashamed that wecould not have diagnosed her, asthe doctor did, with severe dehydrationand that we insisted insteadthat she continue to try and eat.While Trish recovered, we lay inthe burning mountain-top sun, hatsover our faces, and savoured nolonger having to walk up things.“Guys?” Trish called us, now sittingup. We went over and sat besideher. “Do you know... are weunranked now? I.. I...” and, herphysical needs tended to, her emotionalstress finally hit her. “I’mletting my family down; I left themfor this; I’m letting you guys down;we’re not going to finish; it’s all myfault!” she wailed. I hugged herfrom one side and Sarah huggedher from the other and we huddledfor a moment. Leanne took a lessemotional approach and went tofind out exactly what our racingstatuswas.Leanne returned with good news –a number of teams were going tofail to finish the entire course, and,as we had not dropped out yet, wewere going to be driven around thenext sections to the final paddle beforethe finish. We would continueas a ranked team. Trish sat up,shaking off Sarah and my embrace.“All better!” she proclaimed. “NoAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 47Photo courtesy of Roberto Espinosa

more tears! Even better than babyshampoo! Awesome-o 3000!”I don’t remember the drive to thefinal section– not even the Ecuadoreanmountain roads could keepme awake as we bounced back towardsIbarra. I emerged from thetruck, wiping away drool and traumaticmemories of Trish’s pinchedface, into the evening sunshine onthe banks of a lake popular withCarnavalrevellers. There werepicnics and parties all around theshore, and paddle-boats shapedlike swans gliding to and fro.Our final task was a paddle aroundthe lake to find orienteering flagshidden in the reeds somewherearound the shore. It was a legclearly intended to raise spirits beforethe finish, and it succeeded.The water sparkled, boats and musicgusted to and fro, and we foundour little flags without issue. Wefinished on foot, walking for a kilometrecarrying our paddles, ourshadows stretched far in front of uswith the last of the evening light. Icould see a small crowd at the finishline – the charming race directorwearing his tilley hat, Raul andBelen, some smiling volunteers –still ushering us through the landscapethat had proved so monumental.We were seventh – the lastof the teams with the distinction ofhaving completed the race. With alittle help, we had made it through.Hooo-eye-rrrrra-SEEEEENCHEEEEEE!Nicola has been adventure racingsince 2005. The Huairasinchi washer second international race. Shelives and looks for adventure in Ottawa,Canada.Adventure World Magazine is a Spring GreenZine 2010 48

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trainingTransitionsby Cynthia EngelThis time of year is marked bytransitions. It is the transition fromwinter to spring; when the tippingpoint between daylight and darknessreaches a perfect balancedue to the sun spending an equalamount of time above and belowthe horizon. It is a shift to brighterevenings and warmer days, periodicallymoving us onto decks,terraces, yards and parks. It is are-discovery of the smell of blossomingtrees and budding plants.It is that emerging sense that anythingis possible and the best is yetto come.For the multisport athlete, it alsomarks the transition from the monocultureof one or two outdoor activitiesand the gerbil like feeling oftraining in a gym, to the cornucopiaof essentially every multisport activityavailable. Some of the bestdownhill and cross-country skiingof the season is available while atthe same time, mountain and roadbiking is starting to mature. Thewarmer days and cool nights createa great climate for climbing bykeeping the temps comfortable atthe crags. The rivers are startingto run again making kayaking andrafting challenging and exciting.Paddle boarding and flat water kayakingare fun ways to take advantageof the longer weekends. Andwe can finally shed the headlampsand yaktrax as we set off runningon miles of newly exposed trailsafter work. Honestly, it’s not aboutwhat is possible this time of year;it’s more about what all we can fitinto each day!What also becomes evident at thistime of year is how we, as multisportathletes, seem to find ourselvesamong one of three types oftransition-ers: the “hanger on-ers”,the “moving on-ers” and the “do itall-ers”. There are those that hangon to their primary winter sport foras long as possible; the skiers thatsqueeze every last drop of snowout of the year and hold on to thatregardless of the weather or theconditions. As an eager XC skiermyself, I will admit that I can trendtoward this type of multi-sport transition-er.The idea is that when thesnow is gone, it’s gone, so if I don’ttake advantage of it now, it’s simplylost until next season…whichseems to get shorter and shorteras a result of climate change. Thedownside of this, of course, is that Icould be missing out on some killermountain biking or some greatpaddle days on the river.There are also those that have alreadyput their winter sports gearinto storage and replaced them withthe boats, bikes and trail shoes: themoving on-ers. The idea behind thisbeing that along with the change ofseasons comes a serious desire forAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 50Photo courtesy of Tim Holmstrom

a change of scenery and pace; wecan only do the same things for solong and it’s time to do somethingdifferent…now! The disadvantageto this approach, of course, is thatwe miss out on some of the bestconditions of the season for thewinter sports; the severe stormshave finished rolling through andleft us with corn snow, sunshine,and bluebird skies in their wake.And then there are those that findthemselves in a state of almostschizophrenic multi-sport joy becauseof all the options availableto them at any moment of the day.We wake up at the crack of dawncranking out a non-stop itinerarythat involves skinning up the top ofTumalo Mountain for a few backcountry turns followed by an XCski crust cruise to Todd Lake allbefore 10 am when the snow turnstoo soft. Then it’s a stop in townfor a coffee and a sandwich as weload up the bikes head out for amountain bike ride at Horse Ridge,wrapping up with a paddle on theDeschutes and finally a local microbrew outside with friends, all of uswearing our down jackets and beanies,figuring out what the itineraryis for the next day and doing it allover again. We then find ourselvescollapsed and semi-conscious onMonday morning and that’s aftertwo double shots of espresso!While each of these options is attractivein its own way, each leavesa gap as well. During this time ofyear, just as the sun is spendingequal times on each side of the horizon,we as multisport athletes havean opportunity to find our own balanceand create an opportunity totruly have it all. This is our chanceto make the most of all we love todo while it lasts; to make it all happen.In the process, however, it isimportant to also take the time tosmell those budding trees and flowers;feel the warmth of the sun duringthe day and the coolness of thenights; and pace ourselves enoughto truly internalize the idea thatanything is indeed possible and thebest really is yet to come.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 51

trainingBy Trace AdamsBalance and Flexibility:Essential Components For Outdoor AthletesBalance and flexibility are essentialcomponents for any athlete. Outsideenthusiasts are no different.Outdoor athletes gain agility, andmuscular efficiency through suchtraining. There are many exercisesthat develop the body’s neurologicaland kinesthetic abilities. Thesepractices relate to improved coordinationand space awareness withthe aim of increasing performance,as well as safety.Another term for this physiologicalmodel is proprioception, which canbe defined as the process wherebythe body can manipulate muscularcontractions in immediate responseto external forces. For example,changes in technical terrain, incline,or traction may be met withspeed and fluidity.For the outdoor athlete, the mosteffective way to improve balanceis to train specifically and useMother Nature as equipment. Bywalking across low-lying fences,fallen trees, and bounding fromrock to rock, balance can be improvedwithout the use of a healthclub membership. That being said,there are several excellent inexpensivepieces of home equipmentthat can be used in order to greatlyincrease balance ability. The exerciseball is the most common formof indoor balance training and canbe purchased at any departmentstore. Other less known items arethe BOSU, Wobble Board, andCordisc. Although a primarily indoormeans of training, they canbe highly effective for outdoor athletes.Consult a specific athleticstore or an Internet site for thesefitness tools.promote recovery.” Smooth andcontrolled stretching is the mosteffective means of increasing flexibility.For anyone who hikes, mountainbikes, climbs, or paddles, balanceand flexibility are essential componentsfor performance and injuryprevention. There are many waysto improve both of these abilitieseither through individual exercises,or endeavors such as yoga or taichi. Choose a variety of activitiesthat apply to your specific outdoorinterest. Muscular strength and aneffective cardiovascular system areimportant; however balance andflexibility bring all physiologicalaspects together to create a wellworking human performance machine.Numerous activities are biomechanicallylinear in nature, such asroad cycling, swimming, and roadrunning. However, several of today’sadventure sports demand agreater range of motion. For instancerock climbing, mountainbiking, and trail running movethrough many different anatomicalplanes and degrees of freedom.This is where balance training becomesimperative. According toTina Vindum, founder of OutdoorAction Fitness, “Balance is themost neglected component of fitnessthere is. Exceptional balanceis not something you are born with.You have to practice it to own it.”Another important componentof any fitness regime is flexibility.There are over 660 muscles inthe human body. Weak, inflexiblemuscles produce little power andare likely to experience pulls andstrains. Strengthening and stretchingmuscles will have the potentialto significantly improve athleticperformance. One study estimatedthat up to 80 percent of all runninginjuries resulted from muscleweakness, muscular imbalance, orlack of flexibility. Jeff Jackson ofTrail Running Magazine writes,“By strengthening the core andextremities and making space inthe joints, you prevent injury andAdventure World Magazine March 2009 52

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AWM Navigation Challenge Round 11Adventure World Magazine Spring 2010 54

Adventure World Magazine Navigation Challenge: Round 11Try your navigation skills from the comfort of our own home with this online navigation contest. Answer all theCP questions in order by following the instructions below. E-Mail your answers to info@adventureworldmagazine.com True North and Grid North are assumed to be identical on this 1:24K map.This month your team is El Dorado County for the Eleventh round of the Adventure World Magazine NavigationChallenge, brought to you by www.ARNavSupplies.com. For additional navigation challenges see the newTabletop Adventure Race & Navigation Challenge Books from AR Navigation Supplies.Checkpoint InstructionQuestionStart Find BM 805 Give the UTM of this point.CP 1CP 2CP 3CP 4CP 5CP 6CP 7CP 8CP 9CP 10FinishFind the building at UTM0665720 4292900From the hilltop marked 1342 plot a bearingof 256 Deg from Grid North. From the peakof Flagstaff Hill plot a bearing of 301 degfrom Grid North.Travel via the flattest route to the peak ofFlagstaff Hill.From the peak of Flagstaff Hill follow abearing of 174 deg from Grid North for 0.37of a mile.Bushwhack West to the road and follow itto the point where it crosses creek in DeepRavine.Follow the shortest route by road to GraniteRavine.From the point where Granite Creek meetsFolsom Lake bushwhack to the top of ShirttailPeak.Bushwhack from Shirttail Peak to ZantgrafMine by following a bearing.Pick up your Kayaks at Zantgraf Mine andpaddle SSW to the island marked 544 inFolsom Lake.Paddle to the point where Anderson Creekmeets the Lake and bushwhack to the highestmarked point of the creek.Email your answers to:info@adventureworldmagazine.comTraveling by road what is the distance inmiles from the Start to this CP?What is the elevation of the knoll at theintersection of these two bearings?How many contour lines did you cross?What is the elevation of the point that youreach?What is the elevation where the streamcrosses the road?How many trail intersections did you pass?How many major contour lines did youcross?What Grid North bearing would youfollow?What is the distance in miles you wouldhave to paddle to land closest to thehighpoint?What is the elevation of the highest markedpoint of Anderson Creek?Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 55

The Basic Roamer© ARAs the Official Navigation Tool of the USARA, thedesign of the Basic Roamer© AR has been carefullyconsidered for US Adventure Racing and hasover 20 major features. Originally developed forrallying in Europe this tool is now customized andavailable for the US Adventure Racer. Rally navigatorsmust make split second navigation decisions atvery high speed and any errors can be very costlyto crew, car and team. With these challenges inmind it is easy to see how the Adventure racingnavigator can benefit from the Basic Roamer© AR.www.BasicRoamerAR.com.Adventure Racing Rotating Map HolderA lightweight, rotating design with a quick releasemounting bracket the rotating map holder isdesigned to fit almost any bike, it is built strongenough to withstand the rigors of any adventurerace or bicycle orienteering event. The solidconstruction will not flex or flap on rough roads andwill hold most flexible map covers or just the mapitself http://www.arnavsupplies.com/products.htmlPositioned for easy reading it will make bikenavigation much easier. Proven in many races andsuccessfully used in 2006 USARA NationalChampionships.The Adventure Racing Waterproof PedometerNow you don’t have to guess or time your travel to the nextCP, you can know exactly how far you’ve gone. Mostpedometers fail completely when they get near water. We’vedeveloped one that actually works when wet. It even survivedthe full course at Primal Quest.Check out the full line of navigation products fromAR Navigation Supplies including: Waterproof MapCases, Racing Compasses, Waterproof Pens,MYTopo Maps, Nav Practice Guides & More!www.ARNavSupplies.comAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 56

Kid’s ZoneWhat You Need:Dark outside area1 FlashlightFireflyHow To PlayOnce it’s dark, give a chosen player (the firefly) a flashlight and have herhead away from the group with the light off, silently counting to 60 as shegoes.When the firefly reaches 60, she must flash the light once.The rest of the players then count to 100 before setting out to get the firefly,who tries to avoid capture by hiding and changing directions.But here’s the catch: she must continuously count to 60, flashing the lighteach time she reaches the end of her count.The first person to tag the firefly takes her place for the next round.The Go Outside mission is to promote an appreciation of the outdoors andhealthy lifestyles in children through positive outdoor experiences, physicalactivity and education.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 57

ON THE HORIZONComing up in future issues:Feature Articles:• Return of Fat Adventurer• Night Training• Training and Pets• Adventure Travel• Green Gear and Companies• Cross Training OptionsGear Reviews:• Adventure Travel Gear• Spring Trail Shoe Review• And More!If you have anything that you wouldlike to read about or just havesuggestions or comments...email us atinfo@adventureworldmagazine.comAdventure World Magazine Spring 2010 58

it happened to me!Plan Well, Leave Early and Carry Extra Water In Your Boatby Clay AbneyOver a year before the inception ofAdventure World Magazine, DavePoleto and I decided to celebratea successful season for Gulf CoastAdventure Racing by competing inthe Howl at the Moon AdventureRace in north Florida in late October2007. It was an 18-hour raceand it was within a few hours driveof my then home in Mobile, Alabama.Dave drove from his home in NewOrleans and arrived early Friday afternoonso we could make our finalgear selection and discuss our racestrategy. We would be joining upwith two other 2-person teams forthis event. The race was to beginat three o’clock on Saturday afternoonso we opted to leave out earlythat morning.It wasn’t until we were on the roadheading east that morning and hadcrossed over into the Eastern Timezone that we realized we had failedto compensate for the loss of thathour. After a slight increase in ouracceleration, we arrived a little after11am (at the wire for check-in)where we checked in and joined upwith our other teammates. We hadchosen to race the event as three,2-person teams to allow us to haveextra maps and three possible navigators.After we received our maps, webegan plotting our points and developingour strategy for the race.Before the race start, we seemedposed for a fantastic finish.Until….Right before the starting gun sounded,I realized we had misplaced ourteam passport. By the time welocated this essential component,we were 10-15 minutes behind therace field.The race required all teams to crossthe Suwannee River within 500yards of the starting line. We continuedupriver locating our CPs beforeopting to cross back over theriver as part of our strategy.After starting at the back of thefield of teams close to fifty strong,we reached the paddling leg of therace just after dark to discover thatwe were the seventh team to arrive.Our decision to cross backover the river proved instrumentalin our making up the lost time atthe start.There were multiple choices in canoesand we quickly selected threefiberglass boats and we were off. Itook the front of the boat and Davetook the back.As any paddler knows, traceamounts of water will accumulatein your boat from your paddlestroke but not the volume that wassoon filling our canoe. After thedepth of water surpassed an inch inour boat, I noticed a small tear inthe hull near the front. The furtherdownriver we paddled, the largerthe hole became and the deeper thewater got. Several of the CPs requiredus to go ashore to retrievethem and we used this opportunityto empty our boat.There was one stretch thoughwhere we paddled for over twohours without the possibility of a‘boat dump’. During this stretch,we had over ten inches of water inour boat. Our packs were floatingaround our feet, which remainedsubmerged the entire time. Turningthe boat, and paddling in general,requires a substantial amountof effort when carrying this extraweight (we estimated over 300pounds of water) and sitting thatmuch lower in the water.Even with our extra resistance, wewere able to pass two teams on thewater. After exiting the river, wewere in fifth place. After a quicktransition, and dry clothing change,we headed out on our bikes for thefinal leg of the race.We arrived at the finish line afterfour on Sunday morning after racingfor a little over thirteen hours.We finished the race fourth overall(second in our division) but weremost elated to have made it downthe river where the only creaturesthat spent more time in the SuwanneeRiver that night were the fish!Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 59