Questars Adventure Race - New Forest

Questars Off to a Cold Start for 2013

Daniel Carrivick (Questars) / 29.03.2013

The first event in 2013 Questars Adventure Race Series was one of the, if not the, coldest Questars ever held! Temperatures hovered just above zero but the biting easterly wind meant it felt much colder than this. Participants were therefore reminded at the race briefing to take plenty of food and warm clothing with them whilst they were out on the course.

Once participants had started and collected a checkpoint descriptions card, they left the event base on bikes and cycled through the small country town of Fordingbridge. After crossing the medieval bridge over the River Avon, participants could then decide whether to continue cycling and visit more mountain bike checkpoints or to head east to the Run transition point in Frogham and do some trail running. Meanwhile those in the first kayak timeslot made their way southwards directly to the kayak transition at the New Forest Water Park.  

The mountain biking was all on minor roads and off road cycle routes which provided a good all-weather gravel surface on which to cycle despite the ground everywhere else being very wet. This, together with the fact that the terrain wasn’t very hilly, meant large distances could be covered relatively quickly on two wheels. The mountain bike course was therefore a big one with checkpoints in each corner of the map. To clear the course participants had to cycle a minimum of 55km if they visited all the mountain bike checkpoints in the most efficient order, and more if they didn’t!

There was nothing unusual about the description for one of the mountain bike checkpoints which simply read ‘Underneath bridge at cycle route / stream crossing’. Though the high value of this checkpoint in relation to those around it should have perhaps rung alarm bells. But it was not until participants arrived at the bridge that it became clear; reaching this checkpoint was going to be a little different. Recent rain on already saturated ground meant the little brook had swollen, making it difficult to see the checkpoint hanging in between the rafters on the underside of the bridge - let alone reach it - without getting wet feet. Most people approached tentatively, crouching down on the bank to try and visually locate the checkpoint before entering the water. Some stood on rocks just below the surface of the water in an attempt to minimise how wet they got whilst others surrendered to the inevitable and strode straight in – though one person did stop to remove their shoes and socks first.