Southern Traverse
A Long Cold Night
Victoria Warman/Southern Traverse / 12.11.2003
As dawn broke either Green Decoys or Icebreaker Bridgedale were in the lead having both completed all six of the strategic points but in opposite directions. By 8.30am it became clear that Icebreaker Bridgedale where in the lead when team captain Murray Thomas checked into Transition Area 7 with enough energy to run from the lake edge and back.
There are now only nine teams competing on the full course following the retirement of Kathmandu and Mainland, Star & Garter Nelson Mountain Bike Club overnight due to illness. Of the remaining teams, six are competing on the adventure course (shortened by three check points) and five on the experience course (missing out all six Lammerlaws check points).
Teams Focus Chartered Accountants and Team Outdoor World are currently leading the adventure course while CivicCorp is on the experience course having left Transition Area 9 this morning, full of energy, and are the first team to start the long journey home through Berwick Forest on the third mountain bike stage.
Conditions overnight were freezing with check point officials reporting their tents coated in ice. Aberdeen Asset Management took advantage of sleeping with a roof over their head at Mountain Hut and were in good spirits, even radioing ahead to request the check point crew to "direct them to their accommodation and could they please light a fire!"
Of the teams that left the race overnight Kathmandu were withdrawn from the race by medical crew with team member Andy McBeth suffering from a chest infection and asthma like symptoms. Mainland Star & Garter Nelson Mountain Bike Club set up camp two hours past Check Point 32 to get some sleep in the hope that sick team member Richard Greer would recover. However, this morning they had to retrace their steps to the check point and get picked up by a medical crew.
Backmarkers Team R & R Thunderbirds are currently mountain biking through Berwick Forest on their way to Lake Mahinerangi. Despite being so far back in the field, they are determined to finish the experience course.
Today will see the rest of the teams coming out of the Lammerlaws and embarking on a two hour paddle across Lake Mahinerangi before a three hour trek in Waipori Forest and then jumping on the mountain bikes back through Berwick Forest.
SleepMonsters
