Training Log Archive: GD44

Expedition Race Results (Team of 4)

Expedition Race (Teams of 4) Position	Team No.	Team Name	Time/Furthest linear CP
1	10	EUSKALRAID-Aralar Kirolak	53h09
2	11	TEAM YETI	54h13
3	3	ISSY AVENTURE OCCITANIE	61h04
4	2	UDABERRI SOPELS BETIBILBO	63h50
5	12	AVENTURAXPERIENCE	CP91
6	1	TEAM DUTCH Energy in Balance	CP74
7	8	FORTSATT ADVENTURE TEAM	CP69
8	7	RAID GALLAECIA Marmar Outdoor	CP65
9	9	K1NSALE	CP62
10	5	TEAM MOBILEFIT DENMARK	CP60
11	13	AXA-Tramo Libre_BudinoRAID	CP36
Unranked	6	TEAM BEAR	Unranked
Retired	4	REDSHIFT	Retired

Adventure Race Results (Teams of 2)

Adventure Race (Teams of 2) Position	Team No.	Team Name	Time/Furthest linear CP
1	23	TEAM ENDURANCELIFE	60h43
2	28	MARQUES DE VIZHOJA-Comelios	64h30
3	27	PUERTO GUARDES-Vizhoja Comelios	CP95
4	15	PES NEGROS	CP69
5	18	FUNDACION JOSEP CARRERAS-GARRI BIKES	CP65
6	24	24H MEALS ADVENTURE TEAM	CP11
7	26	MISTRAL ADVENTURA	CP3
Unranked	25	CAPRAALPINA
Retired	16	BASURDEEXTREME
Retired	19	N&S Estella y CD Navarre
Retired	20	COMPASS POINT
Retired	21	AROMON OS DOUS DE SEMPRE
Retired	22	CLUBBERS TEAM

Event: Long Score Event 8 MTBO Score
 

Basque Adventure Race - TA6 (same place as TA5)

We arrived in the early hours of the morning at about 0415 and had previously decided to sleep if we could find somewhere warm. We found a church with steps leading up to a wooden landing which was one option but we opted for a small shed behind a National Park building which had chairs inside for people to watch birds I think. We emptied the shed and slept in there for 2 hours between 0500 and 0700.

We had cold pasta provided by the organisers before sleeping and we ate some more of it after the sleep.

We didn't leave transition until 0745.

The important thing was that we both got quality sleep which we hoped would be sufficient for the remainder of the race.

This is where we learnt that the leading team in the pairs category had pulled out and team #28 and ourselves (#23) were contending for the lead. We arrived at TA5 five minutes ahead of team#28 and kept ahead of them on the Leg 6 trek/run. We increased the lead to 40 minutes by CP55 (post race analysis). However they must have slept/stopped less than us at TA6 because they got to CP58 50mins before us.

Basque Adventure Race - Leg 7

CPs 58-73

Started out at about 0745 which meant that we had about an hour of darkness before it got light. We caught team #2 and were yo-yoing with them for the first couple of CPs. We then pulled away.

It rained after a couple of hours which meant that some sections got really muddy. The mud was the type that clung to the tyre and clung to itself. So we had to carry/push the bikes in several sections because the bikes became unrideable. My chain started kinking too due to the mud on it and I asked Tom to pee on it which he duly did!

Team #28 (pairs) must have slept/stopped less than us at TA6 because they got to CP58 50mins before us (post race analysis) but the splits show that we clawed them back slowly during this stage and we caught them at CP67. We were still ahead of them at CP69 but Tom mis-read the map at the next village and we lost 20mins. However we caught them up by CP70 as they had messed up somewhere else! They appeared to have 'outside assistance' after CP70 as they had mates in a campervan there. :-0

They got into TA7 not long after us I seem to recall. We knew we were in first place (pairs) at that point and fourth overall behind #10, #11 and #3.

Map 9


Map 10


Map 11


Map 12

Basque Adventure Race TA7 (Leg 7 to Leg 8)

Basque Adventure Race - Leg 8

CPs 74-103 but CPs 82-90 were removed. It was still a significant challenge though. It started with a run/bike section where one of use had to bike and the other run.

Our feet were pretty sore by this point too.

We caught French team #3 (Issy Adventure Occitane) at CP78 which lifted our spirits but probably lowered theirs! We were yo-yoing with them for a while and they were very good at finding the cave entrances for us!

We finished ahead of them by 25 minutes in the end.

We won the pairs category by over 4 hours from team#23 and came third overall. We took 60h 43m whilst the overall wining team took 53h 09s - very impressive!

Map 13


Map 14

Basque Adventure Race - TA1 (Leg 1 to 2)

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 2

The estimated time for this was 4hrs. Most of which was in the dark as we started ~0400

I actually remember very little from this leg but I do remember the following:
- I had lost my cycling climbing legs after the 2900m ascent/descent on foot in Leg 1
- I managed to lose the route book on a very steep descent where I fell onto the map board and must have knocked it out from under the 4 bungees/bands. However I didn't realise this until later on in the stage. Tom and I decided not to waste time and go back looking for it. See later text.


CPs 24-31.

Map 2


Map 3

Basque Adventure Race TA2 (Leg 2 to 3)

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 3 (via Ferrata)

This was my first ever Via Ferrata experience and it was pretty technical particularly the third of three. We did it in daylight and it was sometimes tricky to know where to put your feet - I can't imagine how difficult it would be in the dark. This was cancelled for the later teams after one team got stuck up there for four hours!

We did it in less than 2hours so had a short nap before we could nip back into the TA as there was a 2hr 15m minimum time for this.

I borrowed Jules Carter's Via Ferrata kit for this.

Basque Adventure Race TA3 (Leg 3 to 4)

From Via Ferrata to water activities

Basque Adventure Race - Leg 4a (walk to kayak put in)

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 4b (Kayak)

Map 4


Map 5

Basque Adventure Race - Leg 4c (walk from kayak to SUP)

Basque Adventure Race - Leg 4d (SUP)

We had to walk to a different put-in than that shown on the map which made the SUP stage 7km long instead of 5.5km.

I paddled on my feet for the first 2km but then changed to paddling on my knees as I was able to keep the thing in a straight line and be able to keep paddling continuously without correcting. This was far more efficient.

I really don't understand the appeal of SUP!

We did the 7km paddle (down and back on the river) in 1hr 50m.

Map 4

Basque Adventure Race TA4 (Leg 4 to Leg 5)

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 5

CPs 44-50.

The climb out of the TA was huge and went on forever! A full 600m ascent out of the blocks. Another pair past us near the bottom of the climb and pulled away.

There was a spring at the top near CP44 (same one as on Leg 1) where we topped up.

Tom had a split tyre between 44 & 45 and he plugged it.

We topped up again at the watering trough between 45 & 46.

We arrived at TA5 at the end of Leg 5 at 2217 which was just over 29hrs into the race. As per the pre-race plan, we decided to do the next leg then sleep afterwards.

46>47: We lost over an hour here as we descended on the wrong track by 1.5km , then struggled to find the correct one in the dark. When we got to the bottom, we struggled to find the allowable path to get to 47. We went back after progressing ~500m but then decided to repeat up the same route and we eventually stumbled upon CP49! So we went from CP49>CP47>CP48>back to CP49.

Map 6


Map 7

Basque Adventure Race - TA5 (Leg 5 to 6)

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 6

CPs 51-57

51 - edge of thorny bush in field
52 - massive climb to summit
53 - big 450m descent to small church (hermitage)
54 - 2.5-3km trek to another hermitage. I took over nav duties from Tom from this point as he was tired.
55 - 350m ascent to fingerpost near summit
56 - 0.5km horizontal; small descent to a bird watcher's log cabin
57 - clearing just off a summit. This was tricky to find as we found a dry creek on the descent to the valley which threw us off and there were multiple summits from which we attacked.

Map 8

Basque Adventure Race with Tom Davies - Leg 1

The estimated time for this was 12hrs but we did it in 10 which was a great confidence booster. We started at 1700 and it was dark by 2000 so most of it was done in the dark.

We both carried 1.5l from the start and luckily there was water available on the way round as it was very hot and humid. I struggled with what appeared to be a higher than normal heart rate which was probably down to the heat, humidity and moderate intensity that we were taking.

CPs 1-23

1>2: We took a direct line along the ridge instead of the path but it was very overgrown. We lost several places as a result and ~10-15mins I think.

4>5: found the water supply as shown on the map (thank goodness!)

Event: Basque Expedition Race
 

Awful day

Caught a National Express to Bristol Airport where I noticed that I'd forgotten to bring my passport.

I left my luggage at the airport and dashed into a taxi back to Cardiff to get my passport.

When I got back, the lady who promised to be at the check-in desk with my luggage wasn't there. By the time I found here (& luggage), check-in had shut and they wouldn't allow me on the flight.

So I booked a flight from Stansted which was ~5-6 hours away. So I jumped in another taxi to get there but there was a crash on the M4 which shut the motorway. I knew I'd miss the Stansted flight so I diverted the taxi driver to Gatwick where I got an evening flight on BA to Bilbao instead.

Cost me a fortune but at east I didn't let Tom down.

National Dance Centre