7 Cerros Medellin Adventure Race

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Finally... the big go-kart descent!

Jacqueline Windh / 16.10.2006

This is the event that most of the teams had feared, even many of the local Colombian teams. After a long drive up Pan de Azucar hill, they made a running start to pick up a little wooden cart, with a rudimentary steering system and pieces of old tires trailing on the ground for brakes. The wheels are not on axels, but are metal hoops rotating around a little disk on a series of metal bearings.

The route, a winding paved road skirting the edge of the steep forested hillside, was closed for the duration of the stage - which was quite fast and short.

INDER (COL) shows their experience on the go-karts, zooming into CP1 a full 2 minutes ahead of the next team. Several Columbian teams followed them, and then SOLE (USA) was the first international team down - remarkable since they had been delayed a minute or two at the start line as they were short one cart there. FINLAND was close behind, and then a flurry of teams came through close together.

There was only one accident - team Petzl (VEN) steered to avoid another cart and ending up crashing on the roadside. Honoria was injured slightly, but felt good enough to hop back on and continue.

After most of the teams had passed, I suddenly saw 3 STEP IT jogging down the road. I jogged alongside Iiro as he explained 'Our cart broke down. It's a pity because, at the time, we were in first place.'

From here, teams move on to a long trek that takes them to a cable car and then down to the metro - a bit of city navigation!

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