The 2007 Adventure Race World Championship

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Choices and Contingencies

Rob Howard / 31.05.2007

It’s day 5 and the leading two teams are on the mountains above Glen Coe while later teams are all aiming to beat cut-offs and stay on the full course. Even the leaders still have two more major mountain stages to do (Aonach Eagach ridge and then Ben Nevis on the final stage), and are unlikely to finish today.

Behind them are Orion Health, Buff Coolmax and Bjurfors Adventure Racing who all comfortably made the cut-off at T7 (the end of Rannoch Moor) and will spend the day on the big hills and steep terrain around Glen Coe. This includes the airy and scary climb up Curved Ridge.

However, for the next batch of teams that cut-off at 1300 is crucial and Salomon Crested Butte, Balance Vector and Merrell Wigwam are all in with a chance of reaching it. They may well be dragging their boats over the moor in the next few hours knowing the time is ticking away.

So between 5 and 8 teams may still be on the long course at 1300 today. Teams have until then to check in to the transition. They don’t have to check out again so they can sleep once they get there and there is a large marquee for them to shelter in.

During yesterday evening Balance Vector were the subject of some concern when it emerged that Richard Ussher was close to hypothermic and the team found shelter and assistance at a lodge on the shores of Loch Ericht. (There is helipad there and when a chopper took off there was even an unfounded rumour he’d been air lifted out.) The team managed to continue and stopped again in another hut (Ben Alder Cottage) which is renowned for being haunted. With so much lost time they are now out of contention for the podium places, and racing to stay on the full course.

Further back down the field teams are having to make choices about what they want or can achieve on this race now. They must decide whether they have the capacity and willpower to continue on one of the short course options, and gradually the slower teams are dropping out.

The longer route around the Monadliath hills, imposed yesterday due to bad weather, was the final straw for some, the cut-off at 0200 this morning at T5 beat others, some have been injured, like Helen Jackson on Aberdeen Asset Management, and others have simply gone as far as they are able.See All Event Posts