Adventure Racing World Championship 2006

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The Powerblast

Rob Howard / 21.08.2006

All world class athletes seem able to move up a gear, and to do so at just the right moment – and in this race Nike saved their Powerblast until the end. Since the finish of the sea paddle they’ve moved consistently more quickly than any of the other top teams, moving swiftly past Team Finland, who had lead for so long.

On the final evening of the race, as the teams approached the technical glacier section the Finns tried to stay with Nike Powerblast, but without success. The US/NZ team was running at a strong pace, feeling fresher than their rivals after taking more sleep, and fuelled by the desire for success that makes them winners time after time.

Overnight they extended their lead on a river paddle and the final inline skate stage, and arrived at the last technical ropes stage in the early hours, soon after dawn. Though it was hard to tell it was daylight as dense fog had descended. This stage began with an abseil into a dry canyon, dropping over the edge the racers found they were sliding past the mouth of a large cave which was coated with ice.

The trip down the canyon took them 40 minutes, and they arrived at the narrow mouth of a cave where they put on wetsuits and clambered up into it. Inside the fast flowing stream had sculpted unusual shapes which their headlamps picked out and they emerged on the upper part of a cliff face at a waterfall with ropes set up for a jumar. The larger part of the cave was at the top of the falls and it was a very wet ascent to get up to it.

Completing the upper cave they continued across the hills for the final trek, reaching a fell station on the E12 main road to pick up their bikes, still looking fresh and strong. Though they didn’t know it by now they had a lead of several hours on Team Finland, and the race was all but won. Only the ride along the road, back across the border and into Hemavan remained.
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