XPD Australia
Motoring to Midcamp
Media Release / 22.05.2010
Day three and most teams were onto Leg 5, cycling 130km of the Bicentennial Trail via Irvinebank and punctated by an orienteering trek at Stannery Hills. Reports from teams arriving at midcamp (CP11, Dimbulah) were that they loved the cycling leg a lot, despite the warm and fine weather. Some reported the orienteering was quite challenging and the French team Wenger-Nam-EasyImplants (3) were particularly stoked about having seen so many kangaroos on this section.
Teams arriving at midcamp are generally in very high spirits, even those particularly bruised and battered. It seems that the cycling leg has given racers both the physical and mental distance and to put their stinging Misty Mountains experiences well behind them. It’s questionable whether the Muppets (39) will readily forget waking up on that trek with a leech in one of their mouths though!
And Townsville Adventure Racing (18) blogged at Ravenshoe that their XPD was quickly turning from a race to an experience and soon to pure survival – so hopefully it will be a full revival again for them with the treats and a break at midcamp.
Midcamp at Dimbulah started to fill up slowly from the afternoon – the kitchen kicked into gear cooking hot meals for teams and the tents beckoned teams to retreat and rest, sited as they were in the cool luxury of big shady trees. The IGA here is also seeing an increase in trade and many teams have made a bee-line for the cafe. Both racers and volunteers are counting on these businesses extending their trading hours in response to XPD!
Blackheart.com.au (1) were the first team to leave midcamp with a lead of about 1.5 hours on Orion Adventure (40) – both teams leaving not a minute past the 6 hour mandatory break. The 20km wheelbarrow leg out to the Walsh River was quite a scene apparently – with a mountain of kayaks and paddle gear strategically packed and balanced.
Only Blackheart.com.au (1) is expected to put in early enough to get started with some daylight paddling hours. The navigation and portaging on the remote Walsh River leg will be very challenging for teams, even in daylight, so it will be fascinating to follow the progress of the leading pack of teams overnight.See All Event Posts
