Expedition Africa
Overnight Stop and a Race Reset After the Dark Zone
German Cuevas/AdvFeel Communication (Edited by Rob Howard) / 09.06.2015
10 teams slept tonight at the hotel lawn at Tums Water World (TA4) ... The first to arrive were Merrell Adventure Addicts followed by Team Peak Performance, then a group of 4 teams with little time difference between them..
On the lawn next to the hotel pool, the organization erected some tents that could easily accommodate 6 people each. It was pleasant scene with soft lighting of the garden while the hotel dining room was filled with all kinds of utensils and equipment.
The teams tucked into the food offered by the restaurant and the hot drinks that the organization always has in transitions. Something hot is always appreciated since temperatures can drop to 5 degrees at night.
The flow was continuous along the corridor overnight, the ebb and flow of hot showers running all the time. The first teams began moving with the first light of day lifting all the kayaks with the red bags provided by the organization. They began to descend toward the river.
The dawn heat caused the evaporation of water creating a somewhat spooky and misty atmosphere for the cameras filming the 6 teams that began paddling together at 6:30.
The river was full and as teams passed under a bridge and called out, they were very close. Large stones hindered the passage of the kayaks but it was no problem for the teams.
Later the team left the kayaks to switch to rafting, chainging the sit-on-tops for classic double inflatable ‘rafts’. The rafting wasn’t difficult but some drops required care as they made a route down between huge rocks in fast flowing channels.
On arrival at T6 there was a portage through the river on beach sand and slippery stones and from here a trekking stage began with some teams taking a wandering route, no doubt due to fatigue.
After this trek teams picked up their bikes in T7 (which is the same location as T4).
SleepMonsters
