Adventure Racing race (Reunion) 42:33:00 [4] 106.0 km (24:05 / km) +7620m 17:43 / km
shoes: Salomon Sense Pro 4 Blue
ARWC in Reunion (Raid in France)
Team Cyanosis with Marika Wagner, Lance Kime and Mac.
First leg was a monster 106km trek with 2 ropes sections and 3 massive climbs over 2000m asl. The highest was Piton de Neigres, highest point on the island, where we went over 3000m. Went through the 3 major caldera basins on the old volcano.
We started 21.5 mins after the leaders after yesterday's tyre-roll disaster (with 30s starts, that meant 43rd place in a field of 64). Picked up the maps immediately after the start in Helle Bourge and already made a few places. 200m of climb over a small ridge saw us gain another 6 places and then dropped into a kloof for the first ropes section after about an hour of exercise. We'd probably made about 10-12 places by this time, including catching Painted Wolf and ACE Estonia. Had to queue for about 10 mins at first abseil and then another 10 mins on a 2nd about 20 mins further down the kloof. In between ran like hell to pass a few slower teams. Probably got out of the canyon in about 15th or so, but we thought it was 25th at the time.
From there we climbed out of the first Cirque de Salazie crater and into the Cirque de Mafate. Set a good pace on the up, but a few teams still came past us. All path running with good signposting for this first leg of the race, so not much Nav. Finally got to CP1 after 6h30 of racing, the ridge between the two cirques. CP2 was at the bottom in a remote village, before we started climbing out again in very hot conditions in the late afternoon. There were two route choices and we seemed to have taken the slower one by 15-30 mins. I thought I'd managed to control my core body temperature fairly well during the day, but I got ill at about 4pm, throwing up. Team worked well to get me through it but I didn't seem to recover as well as I hoped through the night.
Crested the ridge and entered the Cirque de Cliaos just after midnight, heading down to the 2nd ropes section at CP3, a massive 100m abseil through a window and into a slot canyon. CP4 was in Cilaos town, and we took 30 mins off our sleep card to restock and eat properly here.
CP4-5 was a massive uphill (on the reverse of the Diagonal of Fools trail) to a Gite close to the Piton des Neiges, 3071m. Lots of teams here upon arrival at 10h15 on the 2nd day, we stopped quickly before heading out and back to the peak. Saw Painted Wolf and Jabberwock en route (Jabberwock must have passed us on the route choice between CP2 and 3). On return to the Gite CP6, we took another 30 mins off our sleep card.
CP6 to TA1 turned out to be a massive sting in the tail. Rocky downhill trail to start (Painted Wolf pulled out here) before crossing a plantation forest and a short dirt climb before descending into the Plaine de Lianes, a very overgrown forest that made the leg significantly longer than anticipated. The lead teams chasing the Leg 2 darkzone on Day 2 got caught out here.
Entered TA1 at about 00h54 on Day 3 and went down for 3h00 on the sleep card. Probably slept about 2 of these hours.