Mountain Hardwear Open5 Adventure Race Series #1
Open Adventure on ice
Anthony Cooper - Team Ultimate Outdoors / 15.12.2008
The biggest twist of all though had to be the weather. In the week leading up to the event we\'d had a couple of heavy snowfalls and the low temperatures had meant that the snow and ice remained even at low levels. It was certainly going to be a tough one.
As usual, Jake and myself set off on the run stage first aiming to do our typical 2hr run/3hr bike split. We took a slightly different start to most and headed up into Craggy Woods before heading NW and onto the tops. We\'d heard from a friend running the other way (Ant Emmett, The North Face) that the running on the higher ground was a nightmare and was probably best avoided.
Half an hour and a couple of checkpoints later we decided to ignore this well meaning advice and head off cross-country into the mist rather than take the long way round on the icy road. From the top of Brunt Knott in we followed a compass bearing through the pea-soup in search of a stream and another checkpoint. Going was tough underfoot, breaking through a 6 inch crust of snow floating on top of the heather. Pretty slow and tiring work, had we made the wrong choice?
The waterfall and it\'s control soon appeared out of the mist and after bagging a few more points we were soon on a good path again. We\'d decided to spend a bit more time on the run, conscious that there were some big scores waiting on the bike stage but thinking that the riding might prove too difficult to get much done.
Dropping off the tops to the lower checkpoints the conditions improved and we tucked our compasses away and ran on obvious footpaths, mostly free of ice and snow. A chilly knee-deep river crossing for an extra 10 points and it was back to transition.
A full change of clothes and a few minutes later we set off riding. We had about 2.5 hrs left on the clock and there were plenty of controls to go at, but how many we would be able to get in these conditions we weren\'t sure.
After a few wobbles and slides riding on the ice seemed a bit get a bit easier. We headed out through Scroggs Farm and up Kentmere Road. Our plan to get the checkpoint at Sawmill Cottage as an out-and-back would have been fine on any other day, but it was near impossible to pedal up the snow laden track and we resorted to our first big push of the day. After all the hard work on the uphill, once we\'d dibbed the control, it straight back down again. I opted for a one-foot unclipped approach, and scooted off managing to stay mostly upright and facing forwards, this was fun. Sort of.
SleepMonsters
