Baise International Outdoor Quest
Going Underground in China
Fleur Pawsey & Rob Howard / 28.04.2009
The area has a tropical climate and is described as being “blessed with beautiful natural scenery with forested mountains which harbor numerous species of plants and animals. The border areas are some of the least developed lands left in China. These features along with unique ethnic minority culture and important historical sites make it a growing tourist destination�.
It sounds like a great location for a race, and this one is based in the small town of Le Ye which is at 1100m in the hills. The event is being staged by the same team which puts on the Wulong Mountain Quest (to be held in September this year) and by all accounts they stage good races, but there is little information available on them.
Fortunately, Fleur Pawsey from New Zealand, who is racing with Swedish team World of Multisport and has sent through the following update:
The first two days of racing at the Baise International Outdoor Quest in Baise County, China, have brought plenty of action for athletes.
Fifteen Chinese and five international teams are competing in the three day stage race, and it looks like Team Vibram 2000 have the race all but sewn up with a solid lead, followed by Team Sweden/Worldofmultisport.com.
Day one began with a biathlon through Le Ye town and into the hills beyond, followed by a mountainbike to the first abseiling section of the race. Next came the highlight of the day, 3km underground running through two large caves. Tight passages opened out into large caverns with stunning rock formations.
The race ended with a challenging and technical 7km run to the finish, with plenty of steep climbing and descending.
The kayaks came out for the first time on day two. Teams started by rank at 30 second intervals, and Team Sweden/worldofmultisport.com looked to be gaining on Vibram 2000 until bad luck struck and one of their inflatable boats sprang a leak. What followed was about an hour of lopsided paddling and frantic attempts to communicate with the safety boat, and finally a pump was delivered.
Once out of the kayaks it was onto bikes for a ride that turned out to be much longer than expected, providing mental challenge. The final stage was a cross country run, at the end of which one team member had to complete a 180m abseil.
With most of the drop free hanging, this was not for the faint hearted! The final day begins with a bike ride that includes a steep climbing section. Teams will then tackle a 14km run and finish the day with a rafting section. The race isn´t over until it´s over, so the pace looks to be fast and furious till the end.
SleepMonsters
