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Stage One Sets the Scene for a Gruelling Race

Rob Howard / 08.11.2009

Once teams reached the first transition on the waterside at Cascais harbour to finish section one, they collected their inline skates for section two. Or if they preferred two team members could use a Trikke, a 3 wheeled scooter. Most chose the faster inlines, but not everyone was competent and confident on them so the Trikke was a safety option, if not a quicker one. They are hard on the legs and difficult to steer.

Team Helly Hansen Prunesco got around this by having them towed by their skaters and didn't lose much time to the teams around them. For teams with no skating experience this section along the coast road was one to be endured, but for those proficient it was a gift, with a safe cycle path to use and stunning scenery. The headwind made the section hard work but the views of the surrounding dunes, beaches and the huge surf crashing into the shore were a great introduction to the Portuguese wild west coast.

The teams were soon to get to know it more intimately. The next trekking stage took them out to Cabo Roca, Europe's westernmost point and it was an arduous trek. The terrain on the coastal belt is a series of ridges and deep ravines and the constant ups and downs were strenuous going, as well as making navigation tricky. There were also dozens of tracks, not all of them on the map and some of them dead ends. The weather was deteriorating too, with sudden heavy showers blowing in on an increasingly gusty wind.

With some teams missing section one out all together, the slower teams were now gradually being overhauled by the faster ones, and some were making strategic decisions to cut stages even this early in the race. Team Adventure Sports Magazine from the UK opted to miss out one checkpoint on the steep ground north of Cabo Roca, preferring to save their energy and finish earlier. Others chose much longer routes along the surfaced roads to avoid crossing the ravines.

Next, the course turned inland, climbing to the prominent landmark of the hilltop monastery at Peninha. The route was now in the Sintra National Park, crossing forested hillsides of richly scented pine, interspersed with boulder fields. In one of these there was a hub of activity, with the team splitting up for various challenges. One was a short downhill trikke ride, another a zip line, and the third was on a permanent ropes course set up among the boulders and with amazing views down over the coast.

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