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Condor’s Rule the Roost at Trailplus

Paul Magner - Trailplus / 24.09.2003

The 2003 Sweatshop TrailPlus Adventure Race Series may now be over for this year, but the glorious summer continued when 82 teams took part in the third and final event at Gibraltar Barracks, near Yateley in Surrey.

With many teams pulling out during the two weeks leading up to the event, the series did not quite get the magic hundred teams competing, but there was often good reason for the withdrawals. None more so than for the unfortunate ‘Who Ate All The Pies’ team, who lost a bike from their roof rack whilst travelling to the event. (It was damaged beyond repair.)

A delayed start caused by the non-attendance of the booked Paramedic team only served to add to the competitive spirit when the event did get started. A short sprint to collect a set of wooden skis and a 200m ski-shuffle into transition, was followed by a bone-dry two lap mountain bike course.

This was slightly longer than usual at close to 16 miles in length, and there were three teams together towards the end of this stage when they crossed ‘The Pontoon Bike Challenge’. ‘Ingarfield Condor A’, ‘Midhurst Milers Mark 1’ and ‘Team MTB’ were leading the action at this point.

Following the bike section was a shorter 2 mile run to the kayak start … a sweaty business wearing buoyancy aids in increasingly warm conditions. With the paddles placed on the far shore it was very much all hands ‘on deck’ until, with paddles secured, the pace quickened ... though not necessarily always in the right direction for some.

Out of the kayak and with stiffening legs teams moved onto the ‘Cargo Net Challenge’ and then a short but tortuous 3-legged sack challenge on the very soft sand. The comparative relief of wading / swimming across East Creek was soon replaced with the reality of the final, gradually uphill, 4 mile run. And so to the finishing straight. A ‘Run Pontoon Challenge’ saw competitors replace their mountain bikes with a car tyre and negotiate 5 wooden pontoon crossings without letting it touch the ground, and then it was over the ‘Slippery Wall’ to cross the line.

‘Ingarfield Condor’ won both the race and the overall series prize, though ‘Team MTB’ is continuing to improve and will surely be a bigger threat in 2004. ‘Level One’ was the first mixed team and, not to be outdone by their male colleagues, ‘Team Ingarfield Ladies’ were the first all-female team of three home.

Thanks to all the marshals and helpers who assisted on the day and to the Army at Gibraltar Barracks for providing such a superb adventure location so close to London. [Details for the 2004 Series will be announced in due course.]

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