Raid Ukatak
Wet, Frozen and Frostbitten Feet
Leslie Quinton / 21.01.2003
Monday January - 20.00 After half a day spent orienteering through some of the most treacherous conditions many of them had ever faced, Team 13 High Coast 600 decided this afternoon to take a well-deserved break. “We’ve been doing the trailblazing for everyone else,� said team captain Mikael Nordstrom, watching Hellmann/Salomon Poland packing their gear at CP4. “It’s time to let someone else go first for a change.�
The strategy seems to have worked, allowing Team 13 to conserve some much-needed energy while allowing the seemingly inexhaustible Polish team to proceed to the next two unstaffed CP’s, located in remote sections of the Mont Jeremie and Mont Elie summits on their way to CP 8 at Lac Pilote. A unique feature of this year’s race is the organisers’ decision to reward the first team to leave CP 5 if they arrive at CP 8 more than five minutes ahead of any other team. A bonus time of 30 minutes will be deducted from the team’s score in recognition of the difficulty of being the first to break trail in the deep snow.
Team 1, although they seemed to relish taking the lead, were somewhat worse for wear upon arriving at CP 5. The extremely rough terrain around the Riviere des Martres river basin meant more than one of them has been traveling by the seat of their pants – and had them ripped out. Teams were originally expected to cross along the frozen river on ski or snowshoe. However, uneven freezing conditions made this an unsafe option, and most teams chose to traverse the steep hills on either side rather than chance getting wet.
Other teams risked the frozen marshes and streams in an attempt to make up time. Unfortunately, this tactic meant that a number of them suffered wet feet, which automatically eliminated the possibility of any rest stops since frostbite is all too imminent in such circumstances.
A number of racers took particular precautions with foot care for this race, blisters and abrasions are always a risk, but in this race so are hypothermia and frostbite. Competitors from last year told the story of a racer who had blisters that froze – it was like carrying ice cubes pressed against your toes. Team 13, Team High Coast 600, prepped their feet for weeks in advance, testing to see how they would fare in a wet and cold environment. The medic checking all the competitors’ feet before they headed into the tough stretch between checkpoints 5 and 8 admitted that captain Jim Mandelli of Team 10, Subaru Canada, had feet in very good shape. “Now him, he’s got really good feet,� she said approvingly.
It will be difficult to monitor the teams still out on the course, since they do not check in with race staff again until CP 8. The next 50 km includes multiple ascents, rocky terrain, and some complicated navigation. Every team runs the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, which three days before the race hospitalised one of the race crew working on the section the teams are crossing overnight tonight. So why do they do it? “Sheer craziness,� summed up captain Nordstrom of High Coast 600.See All Event Posts
