7th annual Siku Extreme Arctic Challenge
The Expedition Stage
Jesper Kunuk Egede & Jesper Sand Mortensen / 24.07.2007
THE FOURTH AND FINAL STAGE: THE EXPEDITION RACEREAD THE LATEST UPDATES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
At 10 AM Tuesday morning, the racers took off on the final and very, very long stage. It’s about 120 kilometers. That would frighten most of us, but the runners are taking it really cool.
After crossing the line yesterday, Simon of Team Neriusaaq was almost nonchalant: ‘Oh, today was so easy. Just as I expected. Although, twice we had people falling into water-filled crevasses all the way up to the waist. That was cold!’
One of the Danish team members of ISI Salomon was having stomach cramps when he arrived but drinking lots of water helped him.
It was a glorious sight when the racers took off this morning. All the kayaks were quickly out on the beautiful icefjord. Ahead are 10 Checkpoint that will take them all the way around the island of Ammassalik and up and down and up and down.
When the race started, team ISI Salomon was 19 minutes behind Neriusaaq but from the times at Checkpoint D2 on today’s stage, the Danish team is now in the lead. However, there are only minutes between the three first teams so anything can happen. If the Danes repeat their navigational blunder from the first stage, the other two teams may very well move ahead of them.
We just had two calls from nervous spouses who wanted to check up on their husband and boyfriend. Happily, we could tell them that everyone in the race is fine. Although Andrus Meiner cut his finger yesterday, he is fine today.
We’ll keep you posted. We expect the first teams to arrive this night or in the morning.
UPDATE 6:00 AM
We might have been a bit optimistic, expecting the teams to arrive during the night. After all, the expedition stage is longer this year, as the stage on Day 3 was shortened in order for the teams to enjoy base camp.
The current status is this:
ISI Salomon left Checkpoint D7 at 4:30 AM. They still have 3 checkpoints to reach before they can paddle the last stretch from D10 to the finish line. ISI Salomon have a lead of about three hours to Neriusaaq, who reached D6 at 5:40 AM. Apparently, ISI Salomon swam a part of the route which has gained them such a big lead.
Maniitsoq 225 reached D5 at 2:39 AM.
Nansen B Team decided to leave the race before the expedition stage. Instead, the four guys trekked home to Tasiilaq from the base camp.
All the remaining teams are somewhere between D3 and D5.
UPDATE 9 AM
The corporate teambuilding team Pihl A/S (not in the contest) are between D9 and D10. They are the only team who have been to D9, but ISI Salomon are on their way to that checkpoint.
All teams have now been to D3. The A Team and Aurora have just arrived there and are about to inflate their canoes to padle to D4.
UPDATE AT 10 AM
ISI Salomon and Pihl A/S are between D9 and D10.
Intersport Iceland, Explorer, Neriusaaq, Maniitsoq 225 and Feed the Machine are between D6 and D8.
Aurora, AMI: Macpac & Icebreaker, EEA, Norther Lights and Finisterre are between D4 and D5.
Les Coleurs de l'Aventure are between D5 and D6.
EEA Corporate (a teambuilding team) started at D8 this morning.
The A Team has an injured person. He can still walk and is not seriously injured but it's painful enough for him to want to leave the race. The three remaining members have been offered to be sailed to D6 and then they can continue from there. They are currently contemplating this.
UPDATE AT 10 AM:
Les Couleurs have reached checkpoint D6.
Two members from Aurora have left the race. The two remaining members will continue with the three remaining members of the A Team. They will be sailed to Checkpoint D7 and, from there, they will trek to D10. Here they will paddle home in two canoes.
No updates on the other teams. Officials at D10 can see a team approaching in the distance but they cannot tell whether it's Pihl or ISI Salomon.
UPDATE AT 13:20 PM
The team building team Pihl A/S were first to cross the line at 12:07:00. They are not in the competition, however.
ISI Salomon arrived at 12:55:10 and since the other teams are still out on the route and won't make it back to challenge ISI Salomon's time, they are the winners of Siku Extreme Arctic Challenge 2007. Congratulations! Their accumulated time is 45 hours, 21 minutes and 55 seconds.
UPDATE 5:00 PM
We still only have the above-mentioned two teams crossing the finish line. We expect Neriusaaq to be the next team to cross it. They left D9 at 2:35 PM.
Here are some updates:
Maniitsoq left D9 at 3:58 PM.
Feed the Machine left D9 at 4:11 PM.
Intersport Iceland and Explorer left D6 at 9:12 this morning. Les Couleurs left the same checkpoint at 8.33 AM.
5 members of The A Team and Aurora are running together. They left D7 at 12:30 PM.
EEA Corporate left D9 at 1:11 PM.
These teams have left D5:
Northern Lights left at 7:42 AM
AMI MacPac & Icebreaker left 9:05 AM
Finisterre UK left at 10:41 AM
EEA left at 12:44 PM
UPDATE AT 6:45 PM
Neriusaaq came in at 6:33.07 PM, making a final accumulated time of 50 hours, 40 minutes and 15 seconds.
UPDATE AT 10:20 PM
We have four more teams over the finishing line:
Maniitsoq 225 came in at 7:31:24 PM in a total time of 52:27:29
Feed the Machine came in at 8:45:19 PM in a total time of 58:02:09
Les Couleurs de l'Aventure came in at 9:27:12 PM in a total of 57:37:52
Explorer came in at 9:58:46 PM in a total of 56:40:32
Other stats:
Intersport Iceland, A Team, Aurora have passed D9.
The rank at the moment is:
1. ISI.dk Salomon
2. Neriusaaq
3. Maniitsoq 225
4. Explorer
5. Les Couleurs de l'Aventure
6. Feed the Machine
Out of rank:
Pihl Corporate
EEA Corporate
Nansen B Team
UPDATE AT 0:30 AM
Intersport Iceland arrived at the finish line at 11:57:16 PM in a time of 59:05:10.
A Team and Aurora arrived at D10 at 0:07 AM and are getting ready to board the canoes.
Finisterre UK arrived at D8 at 9:12 PM.
UPDATE AT 2:00 AM
Four team members from the A Team and Aurora traveled across the fjord to finish the race. They came in at 1:24:32 AM.
Team AMI: MacPac & Icebreaker passed D9 at 11:31 PM so they are on their way to D10 and the final canoe stage. So are Northern Lights.
Finisterre UK are between D8 and D9.
EEA decided to stop at D8 and were sailed back into town.
UPDATE AT 2:45 AM
At 2:30 AM, Finisterre reached D9 and 8 minutes later they continued onto D10. Now the three remaining teams are between D9 and D10.
UPDATE AT 6:00 AM July 26
Two more teams have just come in:
AMI: MacPac & Icebreaker came in on the 26th at 5:09:02 AM in a total time of 67:11:25. They receive one hour bonus time for lost time helping the injured person on the Mittivakkat. That's 40 minutes for helping and 20 minutes for good sportsmanship.
Northern Lights came in at 5:35:32 AM in a total time of 69:42:36.
Finisterre UK have just been spotted by the lake at the foot of Polheim Mountain between D9 and D10. They will be here within 1 or 2 hours. They are the last team out there.
UPDATE AT 8:30 AM jULY 26
Yei! The moment we've all been waiting for - and especially those guys from Finisterre - has come. "The terrain here is horrific! We earned every kilometer," Finisterre said, smiling, when they crossed the finish line at 8:09:18 AM in a total time of 71 hours, 57 minutes and 58 seconds. They have gone to get some grub and some sleep.
The canon was fired as they crossed the line to signify that the Siku Extreme Arctic Challenge 2007 was over.
Except for the awards ceremony and tonight's wild party!
To see map of the route, go to www.atc.gl and look under today's news.See All Event Posts
