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Questing in Wales

Pippa MacDougall - Questars / 28.04.2005

Adventure racers converged in record numbers upon Llangorse in the heart of the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park for the first event in the 2005 series of Questars. Travelling from all across the country they were rewarded with some new developments in the Questars format.

Firstly all teams’ maps are now pre-marked with the checkpoints for the trail run and mountain bike stages. This saved racers plotting grid references onto their maps and gave them a little more time to think through and plan their choice of route. As the value of the checkpoints and six ‘dummy’ controls were revealed only as teams crossed the start line, many teams only finalised their routes as they set out from the warm and dry village hall into the drizzly Welsh air.

A second and very well received innovation was the Questars fleet of new sit on top kayaks that have replaced the famous or rather infamous yellow inflatable canoes. Men’s teams headed straight to the lakeside transition point and quickly manoeuvred the new kayaks to collect up to five water borne checkpoints. (No one capsized during the day and everyone found them easier to handle.)

The other Masters Trio teams (ladies, mixed and veterans) also set off for their 6 hour race at the mass start at 10 o’clock and chose between starting their race with their trail run or mountain biking stages.

An hour later the many Novice teams in the Questars Trio event and all those taking part in the new Questars Duo event (who had opted not to venture onto the water) started on their 5 hour race.

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