planetFear Open5+
Open Adventure 5+ Delivers a BIG “+� in North Wales
Dawn Westrum / 01.06.2011
After completing two previous Open5 Adventure Races, I already knew to expect a mix of running and biking during the 5 hours of racing. However, the kit requirements on the website listed climbing harness and helmet as well as spare clothing. Spare clothing? Uh-oh, I’ve already heard stories of race director James’ penchant for adding water events (he calls them “trouser fillers�) to races, so I am mentally prepared for ... something. Teammates Tim, Sarah, and Jon showed up just before the registration window opened with staggering news. What, KAYAKING? Then we got our maps, with more confusion. A BONUS SWIM? Abseil with sea-cave exit? THREE possible transition areas? This is only a 5 hour race! A frantic shuffling of gear ensues among the four of us.
"Have you got a bigger pack, my shoes won't fit?" "Do we need to carry everything on the swim, it will get soaked!" Tim and I study the map, conclude that our bike section would be the smallest portion of the day, and decide to bike with just running shoes to avoid changing shoes a minimum of 4 times. Unfortunately we only had tiny clip pedals, so we wouldn’t be speedy on the paved roads while riding our mountain bikes!
Of course, the event was for pairs, so with staggered start times, our two teams saw each other only in passing. Tim and I set off first, stuffing our control descriptions into our pockets without even glancing at them, and heading straight for the kayaking portion. In the face of gusty Welsh winds and heavy surf, the sit-on-top kayak section had been shortened from what would have been suicidal, to a meandering short course in the bay.
And so I found myself fully dressed, with water splashing over me at every stroke, and getting passed by teams who evidently had been practicing paddling much more often than we had. Grabbing the buoys to punch our dibblers was a bit wild as well, while manoeuvring around other teams with the same intent and trying mostly to avoid falling overboard at all costs.
It was luckily over in less than 30 minutes, and then we finally had time to look at our maps and point counts and start plotting the rest of our race. It figured that the bike points would be worth more on one side of the island, while the large run points were to be found on the south side. See All Event Posts
