Team Foodstate Race Report
By: Stephen Mallory
JoseŽ Nunes, Mark Anderson, Debbie Smith, Stephen Mallory
Seconds: Grant Frewman, Heather and Richard Mallory
First and foremost, a big thank you to Brian and Nicky and the rest of their crew for a brilliantly organised race. Everything seemed to run very smoothly, not only from our perspective but our seconds were also very impressed with how Brian was always at the transitions and could keep them up to date with where we were and how we were doing. Thanks also to the race sponsors, especially Deposita and Townsend's Adventure Lifestyles. As always, Gravity Training was there to assist with the tricky ropes sections.
The interesting start for me was the brief speech by the Thaba Metsi guy who referred to race as the Red Ants Ramble. Man, if this is what the Red Ants call a ramble I am going to avoid their adventure races!
The prologue did not go to well for us. None of us could make it across the balancing beam so we ended up 13th at the staggered start. Then to add to my nervousness due to a night start (on our last race we started in the wrong direction cause I was holding the map upside down) everyone headed off in the opposite direction to which I had planned to start. So as not to make it too obvious I had no idea what I was doing, we also started off east rather than stick to the roads that were on the map, which was my original plan. Really! Navigation to the first CP was more by gut feel - 'The Force' - I call it, but we arrived there about 6th and ahead of USN. Feeling more confident we pushed hard to the dam arriving there just off the leading pace.
A slightly slow transition as our seconds hunted for canoeing shoes (no, really!) and water bottles amongst all our gear. An interesting and unexpected portage to the waters edge followed by an enjoyable and uneventful paddle. I am always astounded at how one loses your bearings paddling in the dark. We were looking out for the sharp bend in the dam as a landmark when the CP appeared suddenly out of the dark. We had rounded the bend without even realizing it and pleasantly surprised at how fast we completed the paddle.
The cycle leg looked straightforward on the map, but as Brian warned us the roads on the map were mostly fictitious and the roads we cycled were not on the map. Whats new? So again we navigated by instinct, and of course following the tracks of the teams ahead us until they mysteriously disappeared at a dead end. We had only one option which took us down a steep hill to the tar road - still out of bounds at this point. A lot of hike a bike and some awesome downhilling brought us out onto the tar road again within 50m of the Green Frog. We did not need to look hard for the Frog because Cyanosis were just exiting the transition after the kloofing leg.
The kloofing was everything Brian promised and more. A curved ball came my way when I found myself climbing a rope to clip a CP, forgetting that I am a rock climber not a rope climber and that it takes two hands to clip a CP. Survived that and noticed with some satisfaction that Team McCain were behind us.
Our transition after the kloofing was a little slow because we were wet and cold and wanted dry clothes, and coffee, and muffins, and, and
.McCain and the Stanford Schools B team came and left before us. We caught and passed the Stanford team on the mountain biking section but didn't see McCain again until much later, just as they were leaving the first mine and we were still looking for it. This MTB leg was a fun technical section with nasty surprises if you pushed too hard. Both Debbie and one of the Stanford team came off at the same spot.
After raiding our food box at the transition we set off on the hiking leg with lots of energy and enthusiasm. Passed Team DB just near the mountain club hut (I wonder how many teams even saw it) inspecting their compass with puzzled expressions. We confidently stormed passed like expert navigators, not letting on that I had been there before a couple of times.
CP7 was the next curved ball. I was pretty sure we were very close the spot but there was no sign of the marshall we were supposed to report to. We compared notes with DB who agreed with our plotting. They went off to explore a distant koppie while I explored in the opposite direction. Team Wasp then arrived with the same coordinates and explored down a road we had already been down. Suddenly everyone started converging on a little hollow about 200m away which turned out to be the entrance to a cave. The marshalls had been just out of sight to us but had apparently been watching us wander around in circles for about half an hour. Bastards!
After the cave we headed off with some trepidation since I had heard the horror stories from the Tembi race a few years ago when very few teams found the 'hidden' path. At least Brian had been kind enough to put a way point and CP to guide us to the path but there was a lot of mist around and I knew if we did not find this path our race would be over. A decisive moment arrived when the path split. DB went straight, we stuck to out plan and headed up and over the steep hill. We did not see team DB again until much later back in the transition. With the mist swirling around us and no sign of any paths or other racers having come this way we pushed on over a saddle and up another hill arriving spot on at CP8. Sometimes you get lucky.
The steep path was just that; steep. Then into the incredible Wonderwoud, renowned for its difficult navigation. We stuck to the path which was not always that obvious and I was glad we were not doing this in the dark because if you lost the path you might never find it again and could end up bushwacking through the jungle for many kilometers. We were still pushing hard, jogging on the downhills, but the going was rough and Mark kept on twisting his ankles. After about the fourth scream of agony from Mark, JoseŽ suggested we tape Mark up. So while Dr JoseŽ practiced his golf swing and Dr Debbie checked on her investment portfolio on her Nokia, Nurse Stephen taped Mark up good and proper with duct tape. When I was finished with his mouth there was some tape left so I taped his ankle as well. It was much quieter after that.
Exiting the forest we started to feel the heat and heading back up the valley on an overgrown jeep track our pace slowed. The track was gaining a lot of altitude and getting further and further from the river which was disconcerting so on reaching a not-so-obvious fork I suggested we take the lower and apparently more direct route. It appeared from the map that the two roads always ran very close together that we could step across the white line into the other lane whenever we felt like it. The track became increasing overgrown and on reaching river disappeared altogether. There was also no sign of the other road so we chose to shortest B-line route across the valley through a 'grassy' field. The grassy field turned out to be bur factory of demonic proportions. I walked in front to make sure I got my fair share of burs but since I was the only one in team without shaven legs I got far more than my share in any case. After about 10 minutes of wading through the bur plantation my legs and arms were completely coated with burs. Marks hairy arms suffered the same fate and Debbie was becoming suicidal. I had also long since lost my sense of humour with burs creeping up into my shorts and dong unmentionable things in my crotch. We cut our losses and headed back to river. The vegetation on the other bank was just as bad so we resorted to walking in the river. It was very slow going but at least it was cool. After only about 500m we hit a wall of impenetrable bamboo, the tips broken off and pointing downstream. We had no option but to head into the scrub on the left bank, and suddenly quite unexpectantly stumbled onto the missing road.
Ten minutes later we were in the transition all feeling a bit battered after the last harrowing half an hour. While Mark and I ripped the burs (and the hair) off our legs and arms to get rid of the burs, Nicky prepared us pschycologically for the next leg. She sketched a picture of the worst hike-a-bike imaginable. A never ending climb up an impassible track in the searing heat. If we did not die of heat stroke it would be because we slit our wrists to hasten the end. And it was all Brian's idea. After this introduction, the next leg was actually a pleasure. As evening arrived and we gained altitude it cooled off and an amazing view of the Wolkberg unfolded behind us. Nevertheless we consumed many sachets of Rehydrate before topping out at the top of the hill and we found Team DB in a poor state at the top, having left the previous transition a few minute before us.
A few tricky (and not always best) navigational choices saw us arrive at CP10, welcomed by our seconds - much more friendly than the black box at the previous transition - some hot pasta and clean clothes. While we ate our seconds serviced our bikes and managed, in their enthusiasm, to break off the valve on JoseŽ tubeless back tire. No sweat, we have a spare bike. Er
. That had somehow got trashed as well by bored seconds seeing who could bunny hop of f the highest cliff. So while Grant and JoseŽ pieced together one working bike, the rest of us chilled and waited with growing anticipation of being able to gracefully bail from the race at this point. Grant clearly did not get the hint and soon JoseŽ had a working bike so Mark, Debbie and I reluctantly grabbed our gear and headed off into the dark after JoseŽ.
I was a bet stressed about finding the cave in the dark, given the maze of roads and tracks in this vicinity, but we found it without any hassle. The Stanford A Team were about 10 minutes out of the cave when they passed us looking very strong. The cave was awesome and not feeling too pressurised for time any more we lingered and enjoyed the cave for 10 minutes. Leaving the cave we passed the Hot Pigs at about the same point Stanford passed us. These Pigs were certainly hot and gaining on us fast.
The cycle to the mine was uneventful but slow. We walked most of the hills and the downhill cycling was slow due to the rutted road and patches of thick sand. At the mine JoseŽ suggested we take a quick powernap. The Hot Pigs made quick work of the mine and headed off while we slept for an hour, waking when Team Yoshimi arrived. We took a while to get back onto our bikes after exploring the mine because Mark insisted on washing his feet. Now that I know that the mud was in fact bat shit, I suppose I forgive him.
A long slog on our bikes followed into the early hours of the morning, but as we approached the last hill back up the pass to Haenertsburg we could see the lights of Team Yoshimi ahead of us. JoseŽ went into a sort of trance and powered up the hill ahead of us. For the first time ever Debbie said something about starting to feel a little tired. Mark said nothing because he had fallen asleep again. I shared my second Red Bull with him which helped. At the top of the hill we found Team Yoshimi camped out. One of their members was suffering from dehydration but JoseŽ helped him out with some Rehydrate. Mark said we should have just kicked them when they were down. No more steroids for you, lad!! We pushed on, motivated again at gaining back at least one of our lost positions. A quick and lucky decision - maybe the Red Bull had something to do with it - saw us arriving at the last CP about 2 minutes ahead of Team Yoshimi. We raced on to the finish beating them in by about 10 minutes. We were surprised to find that the Hot Pigs and Team Wasp (who left the transition at CP10 before us while we were delayed with mechanical problems) finished not far ahead of us.
Overall, a tough but very enjoyable race. A bit tedious towards the end but the route options were very limited. There are only two roads into the Wolkberg Wilderness Area. One in and one out. So the race director needs to do what he can with what is available. Brian added exiting little titbits all along the way. I called them curved balls, he called them surprises. Thanks again Brain for an awesome race.