BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra
A Welcome on the Ice
Rob Howard / 20.03.2008
The final racers and volunteers are now making their way to Yellowknife, capital of Northwest Territories, for the start of the BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra. Yellowknife is the end of the road, a 90 minute internal flight from the nearest international airport at Edmonton, holds numerous Canadian cold weather and snowfall records, and is one of the most important diamond mining towns in the world. The town’s position on the edge of the Barren Lands, just below the Arctic Circle, its remote location, surrounding geography, weather and industry all contribute to the unique appeal of this race. The physical challenge is to complete one of the three available courses: the one-day 74km ‘Cold Foot Classic’, the 3 day 132km ‘K-Rock Ultra’, or the 6 day 225Km ‘Diamond Ultra’. All distances can be completed solo or in relay teams, and either on foot/snowshoe, or x-country skis.
Race HQ is set up at ‘Matrix Village’, built on the ice at Yellowknife Bay on Great Slave Lake. From here almost the entire course is on the ice of the thousands of lakes that cover the surrounding area. There are surprisingly few portages and only 4 stage camps as the Diamond Ultra route comprises a figure of eight allowing the long distance racers to spend their 3rd night back at Matrix Camp. All of this is within the Dene Nations territory and part of the race activity is an evening of First Nation cultural music and food to coincide with the finish of the K-Rock race on Day 3.
The lake ice will remain frozen for some time yet. There is little noticeable sign of the arrival of spring, although the temperatures have risen recently to lie closer to the historic average for this time of year. It’s -15C today, and that’s the high temperature of a sunny afternoon, but Race Director Scott Smith and his crew have been working in temperatures below -50C recently, and at last year’s race the low was a painful -42C. In that context expected night time temperatures in the -20’s seem quite manageable. Everything is relative.See All Event Posts
