Start trekking (across the Sierra de Gredos)
Pyro / 05.10.2010
The big trek, which many teams thought to be the crux point of the race, has had its contradictions and issues. The teams trekking at night had struggled to navigate their way along the high ridge; the teams trekking in daylight had no such issues. The teams had been expecting a testing ropeworks section, 100m of jumar ascent and a large rappel; they found a handrailed walk up a narrow scree gully and a guided abseil/zipline descent. They had expected to be on the ropes for up to 2hrs; a mid-pack team completed the ropework in under 40mins. Sadly, there had been problems with the pre-setup ropes, so a short-notice alternative had been rigged. While some were disappointed at the lack of challenge in the new setup, some were glad to avoid the jumar ascent !<br />
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Those teams we met trekking out from the Sierra de Gredos during the day all had similar comments: The night had been cold but not bitterly so, a clear sky and no wind meant less chill as they moved; The ridge itself was beautiful, easy to navigate and with fantastic views of the surrounding area; despite early concerns, there were plenty of streams from which to collect water, so many teams were carrying less but filling more often. The river in the valley down which the teams travelled was certainly flowing well.
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