New Zealand is GodZONE!

If I was perfectly honest, I'd admit that I thought calling an Adventure Race - GodZONE - sounded too religious for someone like me!

After a 1000 metres of UP  - Lake Hawea below.

Well I'm here to tell you that even though I haven't competed in a GodZONE race yet - I am converted.  You could call me a true believer.  And how could this happen?

Pretty simple really - I just spent two weeks training in the South Island of New Zealand.  The Kiwis have always reckoned that NZ and in particular the Great South was God's Own country.  And you know what?  They are right!

Carey and I had the offer to stay with friends in Wanaka - so we decided that a short holiday in NZ would be a great reward for her suffering through and toughing out Chemo and Radiotherapy.

The word was - talk to the guys in DOC - the NZ version of our NPWS - "They'll get you sorted" was the common theme from our Kiwi friends.

So into the Wanaka office I strolled - the girl at the counter smiled and said - "How can I help you"?.  "I'd like a day walk/run that is uncomfortably long and difficult - about 20-30 km and steep - can you help me out"?  fully expecting her to think I was a naive idiot, wanna-be tourist and probably a significant rescue risk.  She said "  You need to speak with so and so - "he'll get you sorted".  And she was right - in next to no time I had two adventures planned.  Both of them challenging and difficult days out.  

They were very familiar with the GodZONE race - one of their employees was in the team that came second!  So they KNEW exactly what I was after!

Looking down onto the long ridge climb up to Pakatuhi Hut

And boy - did they deliver!  Prudence suggested I hire a PLB - going solo was daunting but the thought that I had a satellite backup was reassuring.  The DOC team - organised the PLB - activated it and sent me on my way - no questions asked.  The Kiwis "get adventure" - the basic premise is you can look after yourself and if you get into trouble - eventually someone will find you and if you're not good enough to survive - well that happens sometimes.  I love that attitude - pick your mission and commit to it AND get yourself out - self sufficiency is a Kiwi byword.

Down south the word often used to described the people who live and work here is staunch. It is very apt! 

Outing One:

Start - Lake Hawea climb 1000m straight up to Pakatuhi Hut - run the firetrail along the tops - find a fenceline and descend into Clearview Creek then "find" your way down to the road.  Carey would climb up the first ridge for exercise then descend the same route to pick me up at the end of the run - 5 hrs, 25km and 1600m of stout climbing later - it was beer o'clock.  I had just traversed some of the 2013 Godzone course.

Lord of the Rings country

Here's some words to describe the day - stellar, awesome, gobsmacking scenery, steep, getting steeper, ridiculously steep, exposed, majestic, mighty, beautiful, cornflower blue sky, no wind, absolutely quiet, mountains everywhere, solitary, no people, sheep, compelling, tough, rewarding, inspiring, difficult, hard on the knees, rugged cliffs abound and the defining comment?  

New Zealand IS Middle Earth!

And the best finish - a drink in the sun at a great Wanaka bar to cap off a big day out.  Oh and the DOC team were pleased to see me back so early - they didn't have to initiate a rescue.

Middle Earth - Lake Wanaka from the summit of Mt Roy

Outing Two:

Start - Lake Wanaka and the Sky line Traverse carpark. - climb 1300m straight UP to the summit of Mt Roy - "find" your way along a very exposed ridge/arete, negotiate some "slips" - a euphemism for a #$%@!ing scary piece of terrain - follow the track to Mt Alpha - then descend and descend the trail until you find yourself in sheep paddocks - cross them to the road-head and your pickup.

Bad weather on the way!

While the first trip was on a perfect blue sky day - this one was different.  Snow was forecast down 1100m - that added an edge to the outing - I was going to spend several hours about 1400m!  In fact, the most difficult part of the traverse was a 3 km section across a very exposed ridge top that connected the two peaks.  
The mission was on - get up an across as fast as I could  - I didn't fancy a whiteout, snow and negotiating "slips" in my running shoes - ASICS aren't known for their mountaineering qualities!

Kiwi humour on the summit of Mt Roy

Head down, legs stomping and bum up - 1 hr 40 mins later I had climbed 1300m onto the summit of Mt Roy.  The final 100m arete gave me my first dose of vertigo in over 30 years of rock climbing!  Clouds swirled around the summit.  Now the "tricky bit" was in front of me!  Get across the traverse before the whiteout closed in. Moving quickly - I arrived at the "slip", part of the mountain side had fallen into the valley - it was engine room to bridge time - focus and place your feet carefully - a slip would not have been recoverable. 

A big sigh of relief found me on the summit of Mt Alpha, still clear of cloud and the way off - now obvious - just follow the trail down to the sheep!

A 1000m lower, a lot warmer and 7km from the finish I met Carey walking up towards me.  It was a pleasure to see her out exercising and in the late afternoon sun we enjoyed the easy ramble down to the car! And the score? 25km - 6 hrs and 1800m of climbing.

Carey descending the Skyline Traverse with me!

Words fail me - it's hard to describe how stunning the Skyline Traverse was - it had it all - unbelievable scenery, cloud, mist, sun, cold, steeps, big exposure, fear, anxiety, commitment and reward.  A physical and mental outing.

I can now appreciate why Kiwis ARE the best adventure racers in the world!  They grow up in an environment that respects adventure, even relishes it and provides terrain that is stellar beyond belief for training and living!

Staunch is the word that very aptly describes them - especially those that live in the Southland.  I can't think of a better place to live and train!

                                Ohhh and New Zealand IS GodZONE!

Crossing the Grose

Crossing the Grose is one of my favourite training runs/trek!  It has everything you could want in a succinct package - it is ideal AR training.

Looking east from Lockleys Pilon Track into the Grose

Single track, fire trail, steep ascents and descents, lots of steps, river crossings, runnable terrain coupled with sections that can only be walked.  And most importantly it has outstanding scenery the entire way. A great reward for your sweat.  It can be hot, cold, raining and even snowing - so pick your poison! 
It comes nicely wrapped at 25 km - about half a day out.  

And it packs a lot of punch!

Dean on Lockleys Track

Having completed this outing on a number of occasions, it was time for a bit of new routing - this time we would start in Leura, run the Mt Hay road out to Lockleys Pilon Track, cross the tops and descend the Pilon into the Grose.  

David descending the Pilon into the Grose

Looking down the Grose to the mighty walls of Mt Hay

Turn left at the Blue Gum forest and head up to Junction Rock - make another left and begin the long climb out of the valley via Horse Track to Evans Look-out and to complete the crossing - a little trot along the cliff top track to Govetts Leap carpark and a beer at the Blackheath pub.

Grose River looking up at the west wall of Mt Banks

Dean and I tackled this route a couple of Sundays ago - a stunning Autumnal blue sky day, about 12C, no wind - perfect for a tough workout.  Six hours later and with the aide of a few Glow Worms, right on dark we made the car-park and a welcome pickup by Carey.  The pics below tell the story - another favourite route has been created!

Blue Gums in the upper Grose

Dean on the edge of the Grose

Looking back over the crossing - darkness looms

Three Glow worms later.......

Bungonia - 12 hr Rogaine

I've officially decided.  Rogaines are great AR training!  Where else can you - run or walk your guts out - crash through bush, climb steep hills, cross rivers - navigate in the light and dark - pick your route - test your skills, race to a clock, make strategic decisions on the fly, get a big feed at the end and have a bunch of fun? 

Well you could do an AR race but in the absence of one - then Rogaines are the answer!

A stomp around Bungonia with Robbo was no exception!  NSW Rogaine created an awesome course on the plateau above the Shoalhaven River.  About 60 CPs spread over about 50 sq kms.  A "relatively" flat open and fast course - absolutely delightful to run and trek through.  Navigation in daylight was a gift.  Night time was somewhat harder!

Robbo reckoned we could get through about 60 km in the 12 hrs but being old and testy I suggested that 40 km might be a more reasonable outing.  Part of the challenge of Rogaining is working out a route that will get you through as many CPs in the time allowed and return to the Hash House without incurring an overtime penalty - 10 points per minute late.  This can add up to a significant penalty if you screw up your timing!  Each CP is worth between 30 - 100 points.  Not surprisingly the higher the number the harder it is to get to that CP!

With 10 mins to race start we had a route plan and our goal was to stick to it - we would evaluate our effectiveness afterwards.  Clearly this was a good training hit-out for ARers - there were a number of GEO and XPD teams present - it was great to catch up with old mates and race the course together!

Tip number one for gumbies - always identify where you are on the map before race start.  After running off in the wrong direction and 15 minutes of "this doesn't look right" - we found ourselves on the map - and the race could now start!

Easy Nav and running

After this, we made no more mistakes for the next 12 hrs.  It was a pleasure navigating with Robbo - we worked in tandem with two sets of maps.  We nailed each CP and as dark closed we raced to get one more CP on a knoll before darkness fell and our speed was halved.  We sat down an had "dinner" this was the first time we had stopped in 6 hrs.

Now the real challenge began - the next 12 CPs would be difficult - one in particular - we debated whether or not to go for it - a 90 pointer at the end of a VERY convoluted ridge system.  Do we cut our losses - blow off the plan and go for an easier CP or do we toughen up and use it as hard Nav training for GEO?

Hard Nav training won out  - our plan was to micro navigate our way along a 1.5 km ridge with a mass of side ridges to confuse us!  Accurate topographical and compass work nailed the CP.  Now all we had to do was reverse it!  The next 10 CPs were all done on compass marches.  Because it was dark we walked the next 18 km on bearings.  So good was our accuracy that many times we literally walked onto the CP - after trekking for over 1 km on a fixed bearing!

We were the last team to cross the line at 12.01 am and with 1550 points - 6/18 in the mens and 11/44 in all classes.  We had covered 44km - the last 18km in the dark.

Terrific navigation and footwork training.  I love Rogaines!

Becoming a road riding weenie AKA the 3 Peaks obsession!

It started as a good idea.  It always does - doesn't it?  Get a road bike to cross train and build a base level of endurance fitness for expedition racing.  

The words from Tristan at Bikeminded still ring in my ears. After purchasing my road bike, all he said was - be careful - it's addictive!  "Yeah yeah" I said.  Fully certain I wouldn't turn into a road weenie.

It started simple enough - try and ride up the local hill without the benefit of my MTB granny gear.  Yep - you sure run out of gears quickly on a roadie.  Time to stand up and up and up for the next 6 months as it turned out!

Well, after the preliminary safe rides - with no big hills - I took on the Tour de Blueys - a 160 km loop of the Blue Mountains - after 8 hrs of suffering I wobbled home thoroughly crushed. But hooked.

Next was a little jaunt know as Fitz's Challenge - in my normal style - I opted for the big one - 210km of mountains around Canberra known as the Fitz Epic.  

Start of the Fitz's Epic - David with original Five Ten member Ed

The brochure described it as a hill grinding odyssey - and it was -  12 hrs and 4000m of climbing later I had made a qualifying time for the Alpine Classic.

This time not a little jaunt at all - BUT a big mother of a day out across the Victorian Alps - twice!  With 250km and 4500m of climbing - I really would need to train!  And so began the mission, ride up as many big hills as I could find - which loosely translated to multiple repeats of the steepest hills in the Blue Mountains.

Ahhh - The Devil in Fitz Epic....

After exhausting all the hill options I needed to find longer climbs  - 6km was the longest in the Blueys and wouldn't cut the "mustard" for the ACE 250 in January.  

So off to the Snowys for a training camp in the first week of January - and did I say it would be hot?  It was #$%@* HOT.  Based on the Swampy Plains River at Geehi - day one was a ride over the Geehi to Khancoban and back - with  two 20 km climbs and temps of  37 deg C  - it was a tough intro to riding in the big mountains - no hills here boyo.

Ed and David half way over the Geehi

Day two was "suck it in princess day" - Swampy to Thredbo and back - via Tom Groggin, the Murray Rv and Leatherbarrell Creek to Dead Horse Gap!  Rated as an Hors Category climb - it lived up to it's name.  Words like - gruelling, leg snapping and relentlessly steep come to mind.  The average gradient was about 10 % with many long sections of 14 % and higher. The temperature was close on 38 deg and a short 90km ride turned into a very tough day out.  We got a dose of monster hills on this outing.

Climbing Leatherbarrell

Day three was to be a ride up to Charlottes Pass - mercifully I broke a spoke in the first 
1 km and called it a day.  Day four saw us back in Canberra for a quick 140km of climbing little hills in the Brindabellas.


So now I was primed for the ACE 250!  Australia Day weekend in Bright Victoria was the rendezvous for almost 2000 riders. With a range of rides on offer by Audax Australia from a 70 km to the Alpine Classic Extreme - ACE 250 for short; riders of all capabilities were catered for!

Start of the Mt Buffalo x 3 extravaganza

Unfortunately, out of control fires closed Mt Hotham and the race had to be changed. So, after three months of grinding hills - I was somewhat disappointed not to be tackling the Grand Alpine Circuit!  The race organisers came up with an equivalent form of suffering - 240km and 4500m of climbing could be had - if we made three ascents of Mt Buffalo!  Each loop was 80 km and 1500m up!  YIPPEEEEEE was the general consensus from the peleton!  Well, not really - so with a large measure of stoicism - 400 riders lined up at 4 am in the main street of Bright to begin what was to be a VERY hard day out in the saddle.

Mt Buffalo x 3

Riding in a bunch of 400 riders using lights was quite an experience - the flats quickly turned into the 20 km climb of Mt Buffalo.  Lap one was done mostly in the dark - I later described myself as feeling relatively strong and okay after 80 km.  Lap two became a struggle and at the 160 km mark - rolling out of Bright in 38 deg temp for the final ascent of Mt Buffalo, the ride became a real mission.  Lap three was all about survival - and was generally lost in a haze of suffering, nausea, heat and forever going up.

From Mt Buffalo looking down the climb

Perhaps the greatest plus about three ascents of Buffalo were the descents - pure joy - high speed cornering on lovely s bends for 20 km!

I rolled over the finish line 14 hrs and 20 mins after starting - 240 km, 4500m of climbing and 3 kgs lighter.  It was an awesome day out.

But - I had the Grand Alpine Circuit bug!  I needed to finish what I started out to do  - ride across the Vic Alps twice.  So I promptly signed up for the 3 Peaks Classic another version of the ACE 250  - it starts in Falls Creek - goes to Mt Beauty, Tawonga Gap, Mt Hotham, Omeo, Mitta Mitta Rv and back up to Falls Creek for the finish.  Another 240 km of suffering.

So after the Buffalo experience I decided I needed to train harder on the big mountains.  With 4 weeks between ACE and 3 Peaks - I had to cram.  So off to Jenolan Caves and Oberon the hard way - a long day out!  I followed up three days later with my second go at the Tour de Blueys.  This time I thought I was tougher - so I would ride it the hard way - up Bellbird Hill at Kurrajong!  Fortunately I was a lot stronger than the first time and finished the 160km in good form. Well, good form for me is anything other than crushed!

And to finish off my prep - one last biggy!  Thredbo to Khancoban and back in a day - 170 km and 4500km of the steepest steeps. The last 2 km of Leatherbarrell crushed me - I threw up at the car.

I was now ready for the 3 Peaks.

Dawn start of the 3 Peaks

Except the fires still raged and the roads were still closed.  So NO grand circuit for this lad in 2013.  Instead, another make do sufferfest to take it's place. At 7 am on a cool Sunday morning, 1500 riders rolled out of Falls Creek for the 20km descent to Mt Beauty.  Without doubt, this high speed descent was the highlight of my road riding career and the best thing in the whole day of riding - by far!  Next came a short sharp climb of Tawonga - a bunch ride to the base of Mt Buffalo - fortunately for one ascent only and by the 120 km mark I was 1 hr inside my pace time to complete the 235km in 13 hrs.  Things were looking too rosy - I should have known something was up!

By 1 pm the temp began to nudge 38 degs and a long slow climb up Happy Valley became anything but happy!  My race unravelled and the hour I had up my sleeve turned into a 1 hr deficit in just 50 km.  What ensued was a miserably tough nauseous ride in the heat to hang on for as long as I could. There was a cutoff at Mt Beauty, which I didn't make - so at 200km down on a stinking hot day - my race was over.

A dead 3 Peaks leg.

For the first time in 30 years of competing I had to take the sag wagon to the finish. Climbing up the last 20 km to Falls Creek was easy in the bus - littering the road were hundreds of broken riders who didn't have the good luck to miss the cutoff - they had to drag their destroyed bodies up a 1300m climb to the finish.  A true summit finish to a ridiculously hard day out.

And so ends my road riding career for 2013 - it achieved it's purpose - a very strong endurance base for Geo and XPD - I hope it pays off.  Now to running, walking, mtbing and paddling.

And oh - I have a date with the Grand Alpine Circuit in 2014!

Step Training

With new team member Dean keen to go  - we tackled a 15 km loop in the upper mountains last Sunday - up and down the cliff line a few times, not a big distance BUT lots of steep steps - affectionately known as "the steeps".  

Dean on Furber Steps

And just to make the day great - Carey joined us for her first training day in 6 months.  

She has weathered chemo and radiotherapy for Breast Cancer and has started her XPD 2013 campaign.  She can't race with us this year but has decided to volunteer so she can still be part of the adventure!  

Carey hopes to be out in some remote checkpoint or on a roping section in the Flinders.

Awesome effort by Carey after suffering 4 months of toxins!

Paddy Pallin 6 Hour Rogaine

Our first event as a Team was the Paddy Pallin Rogaine run on March 3rd in the mountains east of Canberra.  It was to be Dean's introduction to navigation on the run; one of the key components to Adventure Racing.

It was also the first time David and Robbo worked together as co-navigators.

The course appeared to be fast, open scrubland up to 1000m and crested both sides of the Great Dividing Range.  With Robbo's experience we quickly picked a course we reckoned could be done in 6 hrs and set a plan to complete it.

The clocked counted down to 9.30 am and over 150 people charged off in a myriad of directions.  Our plan was to stay cool and not get sucked into the hype of rushing at the start.

We had targeted 21 checkpoints in a course of approximately 22km - in the cool drizzle - we set about methodically ticking them off.

Apart from one slight error early on - we navigated accurately to all our points and remained on track to complete our goal in the time.  Each checkpoint is worth between 40 and 100 points.  If you are late back - each minute penalises the team 10 points - so it pays to manage you distance and time!

Robbo is a very competent navigator, which is a great asset to our new team.

We ended up finishing about 30th out of 150, pleased with our efforts and most importantly we got on great together as Team!

New Name, New Team

At the end of 2012 Team Five Ten changed it's name to Team Rubicon. And we began a search for new members who were crazy enough to enjoy Expedition Racing.  The first to join was Mark Roberts a past graduate of XPD Cairns, great navigator and ultra endurance runner.  Robbo as he prefers to be called, brings a wealth of experience and firepower to the team.

Roll on 2013 and Team Members were slim on the ground - with the GeoQuest looming, the recruitment drive ramped up.  Dean Grasselli and Rajan Thananayagam have recently joined; both are very experienced whitewater paddlers, enthusiastic and raring to go.  

Rajan has completed three full Ironmans and Dean is a great all round athlete.  And better still - we are now a very strong paddling team!  

And if we need to swim - Raj is our man!

Geo and XPD here we come!