XPD Australia
Last Team into Mid-Camp at XPD
News Release (Geocentric Outdoors) / 09.09.2013
New Zealand team Osprey Packs is the final team to arrive at the mid way camp in Hawker on day 6 of the expedition length adventure race in outback South Australia. They took 19 hours to ride the 54 km from the base of the Moonarie rock wall into Hawker in sweltering hot, dry conditions.
The exposed and heart pounding fixed ropes course on The Great Wall at Moonarie, situated on the rim of Wilpena Pound, was a highlight for teams. "The ropes work was GLORIOUS", said Roland Trease from team Outer Edge Racing.
Team Goldfish blogged from midcamp, we "scrambled up the ascent in the dark arriving at the base of the [Moonarie] wall just as the sun rose. The rock walls were deep orange, the air fresh and we were pumped".
"How can you have so much fun in one adventure race... and we are only at midcamp".
After a much needed shower and hot meal, teams will continue on a 155 km mountain bike ride along the Mawson Trail to Wilmington, a 51km trek in the Mt Remarkable National Park, and a final 70km bike ride onto the finishing line in Port Augusta.
[Teams are writing blogs at mid-camp and this is What Osprey Packs had to say; Mid camp is amazing! Been looking forward to it almost since we started, I think – and its just as good as everyone says. Arriving and being asked when we want our cooked breakfast, directed to the showers and pre-pitched tents available for hours and hours of sleeping… we weren’t sure where to start. Also surreal as Hawker the first place we’ve reached that is more or less back in civilisation.
We found our limits with sleep deprivation last night. We hoped to push through to mid camp all night having only had ~6hrs total until last night. Result was hallucinations and people falling asleep while walking, till we decided to have a short powernap in a ditch round 3am… but not being able to concentrate enough to set the alarm correctly – and slept for 1 ½ hours instead of 30 mins… probably for the best. Waking up cold and stiff lying in a ditch wasn’t a high point though.
Otherwise still happy and enjoying the experience – the Flinders Ranges are spectacular and loving the point-to-point format of the race cos it feels like an expedition and we can see how much ground we have covered when we get a view. We are all in good shape and feeling good – as much as can be hoped at this point, anyway.]
SleepMonsters
