The Inaugural 6633 Extreme Ultra
6633 Ultra - Day Five
Martin Like / 22.03.2007
Day 5…..The field is only now just starting to spread out. Due to the very extreme conditions of the race in the early stages into the Arctic Circle and on and upwards through Wright Pass only a small band of very tough and very determined athletes remain.
On paper with all the athletes on the road towards Inuvik it should be an easy period in the race where they can regroup their thoughts and plan their strategy for the latter part of the event. However, as with much of this race not everything is at it seems. The long flat straights provide a never ending trail where progress appears to be negligible. Whilst the race is an obvious test of the physical strength and fitness of the athletes, this unceasing road provides an extreme test to the athletes mental resolve.
In the early hours of the morning Calvyn once again bivvied out which more than cancelled out the benefit of passing through the Tsiigehtchic checkpoint so quickly.
Steve left Tsiigehtchic at 3.30am with a borrowed sled as the sled he started with had all but disintegrated on the trail. Cookie continues to shadow Steve leaving an hour later.
Jon and Denise pedalled and pushed hard through last night and early this morning to finally reach Caribou Creek at 7.00am. Both were very cold and tired and oddly had both experienced identical hallucinations along the road including brick walls in front of them, railway bridges and the road closing in on them to such a degree that they doubted they could fit through.
Mimi continues to dominate the running race. Her reluctance to bivvy out means her strategy requires her to push herself to the limits in order to reach successive checkpoints for rest. This strategy, whilst obviously working at present means her pace slow significantly and painfully as each checkpoint approaches. After 18 hours on the road Mimi arrived at Caribou Creek to the comfort of a superb lakeside cabin for a period of rest and food. Her race plan was once again to depart as soon as possible but the race Medic insisted on a stop of at least 6 hours at the Cabin or risk being pulled from the race – this isn’t an environment to go beyond your limits. Heeding that advice/order Mimi returned to the route at 14.45 for the short stage to Inuvik and the end of the Dempster.See All Event Posts
