BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra
Preparations in Yellowknife
Rob Howard / 20.03.2009
All the racers have now arrived in Yellowknife and received a friendly Northern welcome in the capital of Northwest Territories. Most of the visiting international competitors are settled into Matrix Village, set up on the ice of Great Slave Lake and a row of rigid tunnel tents is providing a warm if congested haven for the racers. Each has its own heater, microwave and water dispenser, and there are enough cots for all, but with so much gear spread around its cosy and untidy. Race Director Scott Smith was looking in today and said, “Too many people have their sleds in the tents, and some are putting gear on the cots too! There is room for all, but they’ll have to be more organised!�Alongside the row of tents is a toilet block (a heated one this year!), and the race Marquee where tonight there will be a welcome and pasta party following the main race briefing. It’s not been used for registration this morning; that was set up inside one of the tents where it was much warmer! The same tent was used for this afternoon’s briefing talk by safety and logistics experts, Arctic Response, called ‘Surviving the Rock and Ice Ultra’. This was a mixture of practical advice and very scary stories designed to ensure the racers (and media) know how best to look after themselves during the race. They need only look to last year, when there were two cases of frostbite (one severe), and two of snow blindness, to appreciate the need to listen to and act on the professional advice they are given.
Fortunately, the weather looks as if it is going to be ideal, with forecast daytime temperatures around -15 to -20C, which is warmer than last year, and much, much warmer than the first race when temperatures dropped to -42C. Today the sun has shone all day, and between registration, briefings and kit checks some of the racers have been out on the lake testing their sleds or shopping for last minute supplies in town.
During this afternoons final gear check there may be some more shopping done as the Arctic Response staff will give all the competitors gear a thorough check and if anything is not up to their standards the racers will be dispatched to the shops to get more suitable replacements.
While all this is happening two of the race logistics teams are out setting up camps and this morning there was an early flight of supplies into the more remote Jennejohn camp, where the K-Rock and Diamond Ultra Racers will spend the second night of the race. The K-Rock racers are doing the 3 day route and they’ve been preparing their kit boxes today, which are transported to camp for them, so they have no need of sleds. Those on the 6 day Diamond Ultra have been preparing their sleds – they have much further to go and must take all their gear and food with them! Both sets of competitors will be joined by the one-day Cold Foot Classic racers for tomorrows start at 09.00.See All Event Posts
