SleepMonsters Adventure Racing

Adventure Race Slovenia

Day 2, Saturday, 25 June

AR Slovenia / 25.06.2011

The night bike ride was under bright skies but in rather unpleasant temperatures, especially if you're tired and wet. Team stopped in RuÅ¡e, where there was the old-fashioned rafting over the river Drava in the early morning. The sun glanced over the morning river surface and the mist began to rise... it was a beautiful start into a difficult day. 
A difficult day
Throughout the day we were witnessing an entirely different race as we did yesterday. If yesterday the teams were breathing at each others' necks all the time and couldn't somehow get that wanted advantage in front of the others, this was not true for today's race. The teams were on foot for most of the day, trekking around the hills of Kozjak, what changed the pace of the race significantly. The day was sunny and the nature just stunning. A real treat after yesterday's wet opening. 
The course was really long and most of the teams were slowing down after the yesterday's speedy start. However some teams were still able to run, but most of them were getting really tired. Lack of sleep, constant loss of energy, no time for a proper meal, and the map telling you to walk and walk can seriously challenge personal endurance and stamina. 
Still, when teams reached check points with a task to perform, they summoned their spirits and performed more or less with a smile on their face. The most attractive check points today were definitely the abseiling and the caving disciplines. 
The abseil today was over a large rocky and bushy wall, about 40 m high. The descent itself wasn't too scary, but if you count all the kilometres being done so far, it was not an easy one. A lively atmosphere was established when the teams waited for their turn, which proved us that despite the difficulties teams spirit remain untouched. 
No doubt the cherry on the cake of today's course was the second caving discipline at the cave Huda luknja (a horror hole). CP 41 was inside that cave, meaning that all the team members had to enter it and pick it up. Well, no problem, if the cave didn't look like a little mouse hole, when you went deeper and deeper. A lot of courage need, indeed. 
The teams headed for the box stop, where they could get re-gear themselves and above all rest for a while. The box stop in Muta was also the finish for the Rover category. Their race ended in the late evening and at the end 3 teams stopped before the end, the other crossed the finish line successfully. 
By no means was this the ending of today's struggle for the Explorer category. The teams had to walk some more and reach Rogla, which is one of the main ski and sport resorts in Slovenia. However, during the night teams' tactics became very important, so most of them decided to leave a few points out in order to get to finish on time. 
Tomorrow the teams in the Explorer category are in for an early rollerblading start, then on bikes, a GPS orienteering run and coming to the finish line. The teams are expected to reach the finish line sometime around 2 pm. 
If you are curious what it is like on the race take a look at the videos which you can find at <a href="http://live.adventurerace.si/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=19"> here</a>

See All Stories On This Race