XPD - Climb a Rope Day

Rumour has it that we will have a 100m prussik to complete during this years XPD.

Prussiking involves climbing up a rope using clamping devices to prevent you from sliding back down.  According to Race Director, Craig Bycroft - all teams are strongly advised to practise.  When Craig uses the words strongly advised - followed shortly after by - 

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Only people with a desire to endure extreme pain or who suffer from some form of brain damage would ignore it!

So with that in mind and the simple fact that we don't like to suffer.  Carey and I organised a Team training day to teach Tim, Joe and Kolya how to prussik.  The photos below tell the story.

A great day out with the Team - dialled in and ready to go.

Bring it on Craig!

Carey demonstrating technique to the Team

WHAT!!  "There's a problem with the rope???"

David looking concerned about Joe's rope concern.

Carey practising her XPD photo techniques

Kolya figuring out foot technique

Joe perfecting the Hump technique

Tim clearly having too much fun!

Kolya looking too calm and cool.

Apparently it works better when you stick your tongue out.

David demonstrating more empathy than normal.

Rock to River

As part of our XPD training, we had signed up for a multi sport race.  The Rock to River was to be run from the main street of Katoomba finishing on the Nepean River at Penrith.  For a number of reasons it was cancelled.

6.59 am and raring to go - the cold might have had something to do with the "let's get out of here looks"

This was good for us - as I had concerns that we would find the tight cutoffs a little too tight for our capabilities.  So we decided to do the course as planned - regardless.

Carey was co-opted to be our support crew.  

Three legs: 20km trekking across the Jamison valley, 50 km of MTBing down to Glenbrook and 24 km of paddling up the Nepean Gorge.

Sunday morning - 6.30 am in Katoomba - on the coldest day of the year was a pleasurable start!  The forecast was for snow - but it had dawned - cold, clear and a blue sky - things were looking up!

Cold and Blue - crossing the Jamison

A rather brisk walk took us into the Jamison Valley and warmer temperatures 600m lower than the start!

Jamison Creek

After 4 hrs we had climbed the infamous Kedumba Pass - back up into 1 - 2 degree celsius temperatures and a COLD driving wind that took the wind chill well below zero.

Nearing the top of Kedumba - a brisk 700m ascent

Time to ride - rugged up we headed down to lower climates.  By 3.30 pm we rolled into Glenbrook and a quick transition to paddling.

Done walking - time to ride

Up and Up

Last light saw us on the river - clear skies with an amazing moon made for super bright paddling up the Nepean Gorge.  COLD was now pressing - numb fingers and tiredness found us back at the car after 24km of brilliant night paddling.

100km in total - 14 hrs - 2200m of climbing.  A good day out.

A cold night on the river....

Breakfast Creek and Humble Pie

The Team prior to Humble Pie night

It started as a Gung Ho training trip - XPD style - it quickly unravelled into a hard night out.  It was to be a circuit - 6 Foot track to Dunphys - down Breakfast Creek to the Coxs River - then up Coxs until we hit the 6 Foot and back to the cars.

Hell Hole - a good name

Next, we were to ride up to Blackheath, Katoomba, Narrowneck and Taros Ladders back to the car.

Kolya scrubbing it out

What we actually did - was to spend a long time traversing the rocky terrain of Breakfast Ck - blackness, poor tracks, scrub, slippery rocks and multiple creek crossings meant very slow movement.  

Emma negotiating one of multiple crossings

The Coxs junction was reached at 2am and our plan was aborted - it was apparent, that at the rate we were travelling it would take another 6 - 10 hrs to walk up the Coxs.

Tim enjoying his stroll down Breakfast Creek

A steep ridge - affectionately known as Iron Mongrel was our new exit point - 600m of sharp climbing later, we were on top of Iron Pot Ridge - a piece of terrain well known to all North Face 100 runners!

Happy to be on top of Iron Pot Ridge - 3.30 am

So with our tails between our legs we made it back to the cars an hour before daylight.  We decided to have a quick kip in the car - by doing this we wouldn't need to put lights on our bikes.  And a little rest seemed a good idea - we had been moving constantly for almost 10 hrs.

After an hour of dozing a throbbing knee woke Tim up.  At this point it was obvious that further heroics were out - so we headed up to Blackheath for breakfast and 
a BIG slice of Humble Pie.

We had been thoroughly Breakfast Creeked!

Rubicon at its best - still laffing!

Solo on Solitary

Looking west to Mt Solitary and Narrowneck across the Jamison

Training in the Upper Blue Mountains has got to be one of the most spectacular places in NSW where you could spend a day suffering. A circuit of Mt Solitary and the Jamison Valley via Kedumba Pass is no exception. The day started cold - the rain of the week before had gone - the sky was blue and the air temperature a balmy 2 degrees. The westerly wind meant that the windchill was well below zero. A cracking start to a big day out. 

The walls of Kedumba Pass

A 700m descent off the couch got the knees a bit wobbly - then came the East Summit of Mt Solitary - a thigh burning ascent of 700m - straight up from the Jamison River. A crossing of Solitary is always stunning - cliffs and mountain views abound. 

On top of Mt Solitary

The North Walls of Solitary

The Ruined Castle track takes you below the majesty of the Landslide then onto tourist land below the Three Sisters. After this you are on your own to cross the Jamison. 

Below Ruined Castle

Crossing the Landslide

The Northern Walls of Mt Solitary - last light

About here, the light disappeared and the cold intensified. Steeply down to Leura creek - steeply up and over into Jamison River and then the lovely leg snapping 700m climb up Kedumba to finish. 10 hrs - a coupla 1000m metres of climbing and 40km of stunning terrain - a great day out training.

Rubicon Territory

GodZone 2014 - The Kaikoura

Chapter 3: Promotional Video from 100% PURE Racing on Vimeo.

Wet and Wetter - Training for the Desert

Pouring rain, heavy fog, flooded rivers, cold, dripping temperate rain forests and steep climbs - perfect training conditions for Western Tasmania and the 2011 XPD!  

But it's 2013 and in 8 weeks time we'll be in the desert of South Australia. The chances of this sort of rain and tempestuous weather will be low!

BUT you train when you can and you do what you can - whenever you can - that is the nature of preparing for an expedition length race!  The Adventure Racing World Series often uses the phrase "no second chances and no turning back" to describe their races.  

XPD is one of them!

So with that in the forefront of our minds - off we went into a VERY soggy Saturday in the upper Blue Mountains. Katoomba to the top of Mt Solitary and back via several ascents of the cliff line. Solid pace walking in difficult conditions - 29 km, 1500m of up and the last three hrs in swirling fog, pitch blackness and heavy rain.

A cracking day out.  The pictures tell the story......

Katoomba Falls on the rise

Down Furber Steps into the Jamison Valley

Ruined Castle Track to Mt Solitary

Perfect terrain for Rubiconners

Climbing Mt Solitary

Half way up Solitary looking back to Katoomba

No helmets here!

Golden Stairs up onto Narrowneck

More Golden Stairs - now a river - mist and rain swirling

Road back into Katoomba - lost in the fog and rain

Down Furber Steps - now in flood - air filled with water

Top of Giant Steps - 30 minutes to a pint of Guinness