Southern Traverse
Top Five Teams in Sight of Each Other
Susan McKenzie / 17.11.2004
The wind picks up and the clouds roll down off the mountains as third place Sierra International cycles into TA6. The tiny patches of blue sky that brought brief rays of sunshine are slowly being covered over by more scudding clouds.Jim Cotter’s balances a plate of cooked beets, carrots and fish fingers on his lap as support crew rub and warm his soggy cold feet. His eyes light up when he realises the Café de Paris coffee cart is here, and he can have a strong espresso coffee with hot milk (café au lait, latte or flat white, depending on where you come from.)
“I think we’re in good shape,� he says between mouthfuls of food. “We’re going at our own pace, and we’re keeping warm, carrying lots of gear to stay warm and dry.�
Cotter grew up in this area. “Just in that valley back there,� he gestures. “I may know it well, but I’ve never been in that area where we’re going now.�
When asked why he says “Just go 13 metres into that bush and you’ll see why. It’s awful. I think our game plan right now is to have double navigation, so two of us are navigating, and then get up to the top and try to sight all the peaks before dark and then maybe sleep a bit. We’re really just going to have to rely on our compasses and altimeters, and keep checking every twenty metres or so.�
The team is very competitive, and very conscious of the fact that this next trek is a crucial component in the race. Still, they maintain a sense of humour.
“I’m trying to sell them on the idea that the teams in front are running away from us,� Mark Minehan says as the team takes it leaves of the TA. “But they’re not buying it.� See All Event Posts
