Expedition Africa
RAF Valley AR Team in Swaziland
Sqn. Ldr. Dave Williams / 20.08.2015
The 3rd June found 4 nervous souls sitting at Manchester Airport surrounded by 4 bike boxes, a box full of canoe paddles, life jackets, rations and 4 huge kit bags. We were off to Swaziland for the 500 Km African leg of the Adventure Racing World Series. The team was Sqn Ldr Jamie Buckle, Flt Lt Andy Cornthwaite, Flt Lt Tats Greenhalgh and FS Dave Lemon.
Arriving in Johannesburg Airport we met a race representative and 3 other teams and start the 4 hour road journey to Swaziland. 12 people, 12 bikes and at least 20 other kit bags and we have a transit van with a trailer. This is our first experience of how things are done in Africa. It was a loadmasters dream, the trailer was piled high with bike boxes then higher again with bags balancing on top. The inside of the van was then jammed with the remainder and us.
The journey gave us the chance to get to know the other teams listening to the tales of previous races from the Israeli Team, Eye Can, ultra runners and pro Ironman competitors, the Swiss PowerBar team, and the other UK team, Endurance Life all again massively experienced. The theme was generally; nobody achieves this as a full team of novices, best of luck, you don’t have a prayer.
Friday was spent preparing our bikes and kit and building a cardboard transport box for our bikes during the race. That afternoon we received the course notes which showed the total route breakdown with distances to cover and where we would see either of our two resupply boxes. The breakdown also showed estimates of fastest times for the legs. Our planning began with a time line for the event and we added 30% increase to the fastest time estimates.
Apart from one dark zone which limited when you could complete the white water canoeing and rafting we had free reign to plan when and where we would stop and rest. It became clear that a lot of the racing would be completed in the dark with sunset at 17.30 and sunrise not until 0.630. Our initial timeline had us finishing at 1800 on Weds night! It had proven really easy to complete the event on paper … so now to actually do it.
Saturday saw us continuing our prep with mountains of kit everywhere trying to ensure we had the right kit and food in the right resupply boxes. The boxes also took some spare clothing and bike parts. We had to carry mandatory safety kit, Gore-tex, sleeping bag, leggings, base layers etc but everything else was about carrying the minimum weight.
The first leg was a 33 km run/trek to the start of the Canyoneering including 1500m of climbing and 1400m descent so we also had to carry our life jackets and helmets. By the end of the day the kit boxes were taken - if the right kit wasn’t in them it was too late to change now and the maps for the first 4 legs issued. Each leg contains a number of check points (CPs) to visit and we had a Passport to mark up with the relevant letter found on the A4 sized CP marker.
The maps of Swaziland are all greater than 15 yrs old and many of the features marked are not there now and many features, tracks, roads etc. in existence are not shown. We are advised to think African, “if somebody has wanted to go there then there will be a path”. The race brief also gave other useful hints as to how to deal with the wildlife; “Don’t be first and don’t be last”, was the top tip from the Race Director Stephan!
The only things we are told to rely on in was the relief of the ground, and that is only shown at 20m per contour. The trek route planned, then into the canyoneering, then a further 9 km trek to the 22 km flat water paddle to get out on the first 69 Km bike leg. We intended to get to the end of that bike before taking 3 hrs rest in transition, easy on paper this AR!
A nervous sleepless night prepared us all perfectly for a quick breakfast and wheels at 06.30 to the start line at the base of "Sibebe Rock", an 800-meter-high monolith, the second largest exposed granite pluton in the world (after Ayers Rock in central Australia).
The gun goes at 07.30 and 125 Racers set off to the sounds of tribal drums, straight up the 70-75 degree face! Next lesson of the African way, they don’t really get the idea of contours they just go straight to where they want to go! We summit at CP 1 and we are jogging on the flat and walking every climb. 6 hrs in and we are 500 m out from the canyoneering we slow to walk in whilst getting lifejackets and helmets on, and the maps double dry bagged.
The other UK team, Endurance Life jog past us, so we know we have had a good first leg, about 1 hr up on our plan. We arrive at the start of the canyoneering and there are 2 other teams struggling in to their kit so we press straight past and go for it. The first jump is big, approx 10m, so it is lucky we have not had time to think about it. Those 2 secs of falling were the most enjoyable bit of this section as we plunged into ice cold water. The next hour was spent jumping and sliding down sharp rocks with all the protection offered by Lycra shorts. The severe cold also caused lots of leg cramping. The team persevered and followed the often stated AR mantra of “just keep moving”.
We passed a few teams whose members needed a little extra team motivation to jump. At the end with teeth chattering uncontrollably we got into some warm gear and moved on to the next short trek. Described as “just follow the river around to the right.” The barely penetrable jungle we then went through for the next 2 hours clearly showed that not many people wanted to go the way we all did!
We did learn a new vital skill, now branded “Merrell Sign” the footprints of expensive hiking/running shoes does a lot for your confidence in navigation. Eventually we hit T2 and the 2 man sit on top Kayaks. Thank the lord we have just got here within daylight! Into the boats and we are off.
The nav is simple as we go down a river across the lake for the first CP, then to the bottom of the lake at the end of the dam. Team morale is high and we have an option to sleep now or press on to the bike and get some of the miles in. The press on option wins the majority and we get a burger at the transition to help us on our way.
Initially the navigation is easy enough as junctions appeared where they are marked and we saw about 5 km of tarmac (little did we realise the total tarmac we would ride on for the whole event would be 15 km). After climbing on this road for 2 km we were ecstatic to get to the 3 km of climbing ahead sign! At the top the first nav problem began. We were in the right place and we searched for the junction onto a dirt road which is supposed to be passable by vehicle. We could only find a small track which was taking us the correct direction, so we are off into the darkness on random tracks roughly taking us where we want to go.
In and out of forests, largely relying on our bike odometer and headings to work out where we think we are. 2 hrs of this and confidence is waning, less and less is like the map and the surrounding geography is not tallying up. A few pauses, bearings of peaks visible etc. raises as many questions as answers. We try and press for a line feature shown and think we are back on it but with 3 hrs to light we elect to get some sleep and see what daylight holds. Ask us before and we would say there is no way I’m just going to lie beside a track in the wilds of Africa just in a sleeping bag and go to sleep, but that is exactly what we did.
At first light we were within 500m of our estimate and back on the move. We have lost about 5 hours, but 3 of those were spent resting so there is no need to sleep at the next transition.
The bike route continues to climb mercilessly and it is slow going to get to the caving. After some much needed hot food comes a 30min climb to the start of the caving. 50 mins of squeezing, wriggling, sliding and pushing later and we feel like new born babies as we emerge from the caves and see daylight again. Back down the hill and get the maps for the next 155 km bike leg! Planned and we are away with darkness setting in.
We follow a track to a bridge and then discover a 2-3 km section of climbing through the undergrowth carrying our mountain bikes! After that start it is good to get on to the bikes and make progress. In most of our opinions it is not ideal we are entering into a Big Game Reserve in the dark on our way to the CP labelled “Hippo Dam”. We see/nearly collide with some antelope and zebra and the outline and eyes of an awfully big crocodile in the river beside us encourage us to keep moving.
Turning south we route via a lodge complex and meet the park security. We want to head 2 km SW to exit the park which is another CP. Security advise us if we go that way because the route is shut at night we may be considered poachers and shot at!
We elect to take the night exit on the SE side of the park and then box around to the CP outside the park. This does not prove easy due to the shape of the park and the boxing around takes us through massive pineapple fields and adds about 20 km to our route losing about 2 1/2 hrs. We were the only team to have to do this as the others just pressed direct through the park.
The bike trail headed back into the mountains and more merciless climbs up very rough loose terrain. Our navigation was all good onto a trail on a large wooded ridge line. The map showed one trail going all the way up the ridge line for 30 km and our CP was off the second left side trail at about 25km, then 10km down into the valley for the CP. What we found were multiple trails branching off left and right every few km we used our bike distance and altimeter watches but in the dark we got the wrong trail and confusion reigned.
We went down into the valley and looped back on ourselves. Situational awareness and moral were low and there was nothing else to do but crawl onto the verge and get some sleep till first light and be able to see the relief of the ground. It was at this stop that I realised the 20 degree heading error I could achieve by using my compass close to my aluminium bike. The next day it still proved very tricky to identify which of the unmarked paths would take us to the CP but we prevailed as much by luck as judgment and bumped into 2 other teams at this CP.
We still have about 90 km of this leg to go but have now definitely missed the cut-off for the first day of white water canoeing. We initially set off as 3 teams and we all end up heading down the wrong spur, we elect to climb out first whilst the others fight with the jungle and we pick up a good route to clearer tracks. Team 4 eventually get out and their riding pace is such that they link up again with us at about 30 km to go and ride the rest of the route to the CP in company. It is good to chat and nice know we are next to the world ranked number 3 female adventure racer and a guy who has been a professional Ironman athlete for the last 12 years and represents South Africa.
We get in at 23.00 Tues, 62 hrs since the start having had 2 stints of 2 hrs sleeping rough on the roadside. We get some food and the final 5 maps to take us to the end.
We cannot leave until 06.30 as we have to white water canoe, then raft in daylight. We are advised to just plan the next trek leg and get some sleep. Having plotted all the CPs to the end I planned the next trek route and cut and folded the maps. It would not be until the next transition I’d discover part of the next bike leg went back onto the bits of map now in the bin!
Bags packed and heads were down at 00.00 Tues on the first mattress we had seen since the start 63 hrs before. 06.30 and we are on the water with 2 other teams. Where the river is tight there are sets of challenging rapids especially in our 2 man ‘sit on top’ kayaks. Jamie and I decide not to share our sighting of a small crocodile running up the bank with the rest of the team. Much of the river is wide and shallow with sand banks.
We take to punting tight to the banks to see a good route through and avoid wading and pulling the boat behind. This proves efficient and we post one of the strongest times on this section. No rest for the wicked and straight into 2 man white water rafts. Again we hit slow shallow river interspersed by some mighty rapids. I decide I’m a little too warm as I get bounced out of the back of the boat on the first rapid for a little swim. Once welcomed back aboard some lessons have been learned and we shoot the remaining course with some element of control.
A quick transition concentrating on removing all the razor sharp sand and grit from our shoes and we are out onto another trek at about 09.45 Weds. Back into the mountains and the first CP, a homestead, there is nothing unique in the area so we visit a couple of buildings at the position, finally we see some very helpful ‘Merrell signs’ and find the CP. 3 Km and a 600m climb takes us to the top CP at the trig point and we are heading down into the next valley complex.
We are starting to get to grips with the mapping and make good navigational choices by ‘thinking local’. Into darkness and we again bump into team 4. The tale of the tortoise and hare springs to mind, these guys are definitely a faster team but we keep ending up in the same place. We are taking the same route so we see out the remaining CPs into T7 with them. The final hurdle is a 100m river crossing and it is dark, it is only 2 feet deep but no-one is particularly keen to be first or last in the line. This was a great opportunity for us to see how a far more experienced team operate and we learned some useful skills we would use later.
T7. We have to get in and out of transition otherwise it is just too tempting to stay. We must keep moving! I plan the last bike leg but when I check with the master maps I’m missing sections from transition to the first CP as I’ve torn it off the trek section map. Rude words were said! I plan the rest of the route and sketch a map to get us to the first CP the sketch covers about 15Km but fortunately all remaining on the same track, the problem is the first thing on map is the CP so the chances of going past are high.
The team want to stop in the CP but I’m keen to get out with Team 4 in the hope that we may be able to stay with them whilst I’m off map. We push out and stupidly blindly follow as they head the wrong way for 5Km. We correct and are off. We are sharing weight to keep pace with team 4 and I know I’m burning out my legs. Everyone is very tired but a 10 minute sleep in the ditch recovers us a bit and we stay aboard until 2km to the CP and back onto my map.
This is another big ride, 61km, climbing 1800 m and losing 900 m it is on really rough terrain and we are make slow progress but a bottle of coke and some sweets from a local shop helps. We are still moving. We use another 10min sleep during this to get us through and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Into the transition at 13.30 and we take our last up load of food. We walk out of transition carrying a pizza 10 mins behind team 4 our nearest rivals and definitely the hare to chase. The winning team had been in to transition to wish us well on this last leg with some wise word about how tough it was to navigate in the woods.
Everything is about getting up and over the mountain in daylight. We go out on a bearing to the first CP but underestimate the distance and are short by one valley. Frustrating line searches find nothing and we go to high ground only to see the obvious path out to the first CP. We have wasted an hour of daylight (probably the most useful commodity to the navigator). From there we are on it. We work hard up the hills into the very thick forest. There is one path marked yet many more in reality.
Some clever nav and lots of use of our altimeter sees us taking the next 2 CPs perfectly and our confidence is high as we summit and head down into the valley with 10 mins of daylight left. We can see the track we need and get there at 21.00. As we have followed tracks and are not certain of where we have hit the road in the dark and there are no unique features. We ask some locals who point to us being about 4 km east of where I think we are. We try for a relatively unique feature but can’t find it and then ask 6 other independent locals where we are and where the bridge we want to find is. All tell us to go west by 4 kms to the school then down to the foot bridge there!
There is nothing else to do but go for it, we are off and find the school and find the foot bridge but it does not tally up with the map. Back to the road and back to where we arrived and there is nothing we can do but sleep until first light and we find ourselves. To add to the pleasure it rains!
First light and it proves we were pretty much perfect with our descent off the mountain and had added an extra 10km thanks to some poor information and our under confidence. We hit the CPs but heads are going down and feet are hurting.
We have endless 400m climbs and descents and now have the option of a 200m swim across the reservoir or the 6 km climb walk around. The majority vote to walk. The end is in near we have to get up onto the high plains across into the last valley then descend into the hotel. The nav is fine and up on top we find we are chased down by team 4. They had got lost, gone back to the transition, slept and run all morning to catch us. We were in no fit state to compete and they ran on.
The final descent we had been told there were paths down but we could not find them. We could see the end 2 km away, 400m below. For the next 2 hours we fought through very thick jungle, eventually we ‘down climbed’ a dried out river, to hit the electric perimeter fence. All thoughts of snakes and dangerous animals had been firmly put out of our minds. Hitting the fence we followed it but often the track had fallen into a gorge and a little more climbing was required. We were never going to lose sight of the fence!
20 mins later, a good idea. Can we get under it? We found a bit with more ground clearance and scrapped away the earth, then easing the wires up with a stick we were able to slide underneath into the resort complex. The final km was an emotional roller coaster. Stress, fatigue, relief all rolled into one. We crossed the line 127hrs after starting, having covered well in excess of 520Km and climbed and descended over 12,000m (Everest is 8,848m).
After a well deserved bottle of beer we had a quick chat with the tracker monitor who let us know our detour was about to take us into South Africa. He had stayed on shift to hold back the vehicle in place to stop us until we turned and resumed a sensible direction.
What a challenge and adventure. The distances and climbs were epic over rugged demanding terrain. The navigation was really challenging with very poor mapping and into darkness was, at times near impossible. The welcome and support of the locals was infectious and barring the duff gen on one night we would not have found our way without their support. Our participation in this event was only possible through the generous support of the RAF Sports Lottery, Cotswold Outdoors, Mountain Foods, High Five and Caird Capital.
The team came 15th overall and in the words of the professional racers “a team of first time Adventure Racers just don’t finish their first event!” The organisers awarded us a prize for showing the best team spirit throughout the event.
The only question that remains is where next and how much faster can we go?
SleepMonsters
