Ecomotion/Pro 2008 Adventure Racing World Championship
Up the Jumar
Rob Howard / 05.11.2008
Through Wednesday morning the leading teams continued to arrive in the village square in Vicosa, although there was a 3 hour gap after 3rd placed Team Sole arrived. Fourth to come in, and once again the leading Brazilian team were QuasarLontra, with Oskalunga the other home team still currently in the top 10.During the night there were stories of teams losing a lot of time in the bush and forest between the abseil and the jumar. The route was supposed to be marked but either teams missed the tape or it wasn’t very well marked. “There was some cursing ,� said Fredrik Ringstrom of Saab Biopower. In the dark it was very difficult to find the indistinct trails, and there was nothing to mark the foot of the jumar, so it wasn’t surprising team struggled.
Saab Biopower slept for a while at the top of the abseil, though everyone is wondering why on earth it was set as a sleeping point. It is a narrow, rocky and damp gully with almost no room to stretch out – probably one of the worst CP’s to sleep at. The sleeping point at the top of the jumar was better, although it was only some flat ground in the bushes, but by this stage of the race that is enough. Teams were laid out on the ground, some wrapped in the silver space blankets which are part of the mandatory kit, and one lucky racer had a hammock, probably belonging to some of the ropes team.
Saab Biopower’s choice to sleep then do the ropes stage in daylight was a wise one, though they said there were now many confusing trails where teams had made their own routes. “I think this was one of the best stages,� said team captain Malin Lundvik. “It was more varied than I expected and there were even some little banana plantations down there. We are finding the heat hard, and had to stop yesterday when one of the team could not carry on, but we love being in Brazil, the people are all so friendly.�
They came up the jumar ropes around 9am before moving straight on into the transition, walking up a cobbled street and into the town centre. By now there were all sorts of activities going on here, there was even a local playschool group singing in one corner, but with so many distractions the teacher was struggling to keep the attention of the children.See All Event Posts
