Independent Networks Adrenalin Rush
At the End of the Road
Rob / 29.05.2003
Through most of Thursday teams at the back of the field struggled on across the mountains towards PC27, the Red Bull Stimulation Station at Kinloch Hourn, set up at the end of the longest dead-end road in Britain. It’s a small group of farm buildings, accessed by a 22 mile long single track road that drops through a series of steep zig-zags to a broad bay surrounded by mountains. The teams were more concerned with the Red Bull tent under which their gear boxes were stored, with all their tents, food and dry clothes. After completing the long trek over the Five Sisters of Kintail, the 10km walk from Glen Shiel to PC27 didn’t look too tough. A track was marked on the map and there were no big ascents, but they’d been warned the track was not there on the ground and with thick cloud covering the tops many of the teams lost their way here.
Teams came down the hillside to the checkpoint from several directions throughout the day, most looking really footsore, though Nufarm U4EA managed to run down into camp. They’d done well finding their way but others were not so lucky, including BCBC and Aventura High5 who came in last. Earlier Anabasis had arrived without Stephen Price who was in a bad way, exhausted and struggling even to walk on badly blistered and sore feet. They were sent back up to retrieve him and race doctor Eithna Synott judged he wasn’t fit to continue, though he was taken to the start of the kayaking at PC30 and hoped to be able to rejoin the team, now unranked, for the final stages of the race.
Dave Spencer was now back in the race, rejoining the remaining 3 team members of the combined Active8/Budget Pilgrims team. He was delighted to be taking part again and busy preparing to go while the other 3 slept in their tent. Thorlene Egerton still looked strong but did have a bad split in her foot which needed attention before they set off again on the bikes.
Having been on their feet for longer than any other racers the later teams all had sore feet. Eithna Synott commented, “I think this year they’ve got the worst trench foot I’ve seen at any Adrenalin Rush. Their feet are soaked and sore, and the only treatment is a couple of days drying out – then they’ll peel for weeks!� See All Event Posts
