Team www.AR.co.za

Medial release: Female-dominated team home after Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge

2010-12-19T12:09:00.001+02:00

The fourth annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC) proved to be the toughest edition yet with longer legs, tight stage cut-offs and unseasonably hot conditions in the Liwa Desert. Over six days, Team www.AR.co.za covered around 400km in the disciplines of running, mountain biking, canyoneering, sea kayaking and desert trekking to place 39th in the field of 49 teams from 18 countries.

Lizelle Smit, Lisa de Speville, Lizelle van der Merwe and Steven Erasmus

“This year’s race was tough,” says Team www.AR.co.za’s captain Lisa de Speville. This was her third consecutive Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge leading a relatively young and inexperienced team.

“The first four days were crazy! From the moment the prologue – a fast-paced multidiscipline sprint around the city’s main beachfront - started we seemed to rush from one leg to the next; sprinting on bikes, running flat-out, commuting in buses to new locations, setting up camp, eating, sleeping and then up again – once at 2:30am – for the next stage’s start.” When Day 5’s sea-kayaking stage was cancelled due to high winds and unsafe conditions in the Gulf, many teams welcomed this unexpected day of leisure. The final sea kayak stage on Day 6 was shortened to 35km confined to the protected beach-front bay as conditions outside remained turbulent and unsafe.

South Africa’s adventure racing website, www.AR.co.za, receives a race entry – plus flights - from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to bring a team to the event. The only condition is that the team, bar one member, must have no international experience. Taking this a step further, de Speville selects the team members for their relative inexperience in the sport. The months of preparation and the race itself serve to bolster their skills and add to their adventure racing competence with a view to seeing each member contribute their experience to build stronger and more competitive teams locally.

In this team sport where mixed-gender teams are usually three-men-and-one-woman in format, female-dominated teams are unusual. “I decided on this composition because it is rare – and a first for me. Also, we need more female racers with experience to complement local teams,” says de Speville. Team www.AR.co.za’s members included Lizelle ‘Zelle’ Smit, Lizelle van der Merwe and Steven Erasmus.

“Zelle and Lizelle have only been racing for a year so they encountered many firsts at ADAC,” says de Speville. They found the canyoneering especially challenging with its sharp rocks and steep, roped descents, which required constant clipping on and off safety lines. “I always joke that canyoneering, which we call kloofing in South Africa, is fun for the first hour, interesting for the next and thereafter you can’t wait to get to the end because it is physically and mentally demanding; you’ve got to be alert with every step,” de Speville explains. “After this, any other ropes sections they encounter in races will seem child’s play.” It took the team more than four hours to complete the technical 1200m descent.

“Steven was the best ‘guy’ a female-dominated team could wish for,” says de Speville. “The dynamic of a girly team is quite different and he adapted with ease. In addition to being a good all-rounder in the race disciplines, he is easy going and even natured.”

A journalist at the race asked de Speville whether she thinks that female-dominated teams will become more common. “Nah, I don’t,” she says. “Adventure racing is a male-dominated sport and there are so many teams looking for good female racers. Also, within traditional teams, men carry most of the equipment load, which makes fast-paced racing easier for women who are physically smaller; it’s no picnic carrying backpacks as heavy as the men’s when you’re 20kg lighter and trying to race at the same pace.”

“But,” de Speville adds, “a ‘girly’ team can be a supportive environment that may encourage more female participation in the sport.” Too often women new to the sport are put off racing because they doubt their abilities and don’t want to always be the one slowing down their team. It is daunting to join a strong team where you go in knowing you’re just not as fast. A female-dominated team gives women the opportunity to gain experience, without pressure, and the confidence to move into stronger traditional teams. This format also encourages women to take on navigator and ‘workhorse’ roles, which are commonly fulfilled by men. “I believe that it is very important for women to realise their value to their teams; they are not just compulsory X-chromosome contributors or there to boost morale. Women are able to hold their own in this sport that favours endurance and mental strength,” she says.

De Speville also comments that there’s a big difference between an inexperienced team like hers and an experienced female-dominated team. “A few years back there was an incredibly strong and competitive Spanish women’s team; they were always up at the front at major international races. I’d like to see another such team surface again.”

“I am really pleased with our result,” says de Speville. “To place 39th in this ultra-strong field is a good achievement and I hope that with this notch in their belt Zelle, Lizelle and Steven will go on to greater accomplishments locally and internationally.”

Two other South African teams competed at ADAC. Team Cyanosis placed an impressive 18th; Team Inov-8 Mzansi finished 33rd.

For more information on the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, visit http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/.

For information on the sport of adventure racing in South Africa, as well as news from the race, visit http://www.ar.co.za/.

Some photos

2010-12-16T08:51:00.002+02:00

On the bus from the hotel to the start. Naughty photo bomber in the background ;)

Waiting for the prologue to start

Latter part of the canyoneering descent. Steven at the top, then Lizelle, then Zelle.

Zelle on ropes. She wasn't a happy puppy here but really did so well - her first encounter with a crazy ropes section.

Steven loving the canyoneering

Lizelle making her way steadily down - also a first time encounter for her

Zelle scrambling down some smooth rocks - they're pretty slippy. See the top in the background? We were up there a few hours earlier!

A small section - quite vertical - towards the bottom of the descent.
One of the ropes guides in the pic with Lizelle and Steven

My favourite desert photo ;) Saw this written inn the sand on the second day of desert trekking. It was seriously hot and we'd just climbed up loads of dunes.

Our beacxh camp on Day 5 - wind howling in Mirfa. It came up in the wee hours of morning and persisted all day. The beach looked like a squatter camp.

The start of the last day - a looped paddle in the protected 'bay' between Lulu Island and the Corniche beachfront.

Team http://www.ar.co.za/ at the prize giving ceremony

Team Mzansi at the prize giving function - Jane, Alex, Alan, Tim (pics of Cyanosis not on my camera)

Invincible Kiwis crowned again

2010-12-15T14:57:00.000+02:00

Abu Dhabi - THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), with Richard USSHER at the helm, romp to a 4th straight win at the end of the final kayaking stage held on the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Richard USSHER, Elina USSHER, Nathan FA'AVAE and Marcel HAGENER once again dominated the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge from start to finish, winning every stage in the race for the first time ever with an overall race time of 45h44’47” Whether it was negotiating the rope works on the Jebel Hafeet, biking and running through the Rub’ al Kahli desert or kayaking on the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf, THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) displayed a level of power and competitive ability far superior to that of any potential challengers.

“Winning four in a row and then winning every stage for the first time is really fantastic,” declared an elated Richard USSHER at the finishing line. This is really our strongest line-up and, with Marcel in the team again, we have the same team as last year but fitter and better prepared. The time of year is also ideal, allowing us focus completely on this one race.”

This morning, before the start of the final 33 km sea-kayaking stage held between Lulu Island and the Corniche Beach, the Kiwis already led second place THULE EUROPE (FRA) by 1h20’. The French nevertheless fought to the end to protect their second place, starting the stage with only a 10-minute buffer between themselves and Suisse team WENGER. Ultimately, these powerful paddlers led by Jacky BOISSET consolidated their second place (47h08’08”), with the second fastest time of the day.

"We did what we could to deal with Richard’s team but they were, once again, too strong. Every day on every section, we lost a few minutes to them and during the desert stage we came very close to dropping out; we were at the end of our tether. This first place still eludes us so we will be back for sure next year," said team captain Jacky BOISSET. Suisse team WENGER (SUI), not known for their kayaking skills, still managed 15th fastest time of the day, holding onto 3rd place in the process.

Final Top 5 ADAC 2010

1 Thule Adventure Team (NZL) 45h44’47”

2 Thule Adventure Team/Europe (FRA) 47h08’08”

3 Wenger (SUI) 47h39’01”

4 Adidas Terrex (GBR) 48h25’15”

5 Team Net Competence (SWE) 49h19’11”

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Social Day

2010-12-14T19:37:00.001+02:00

It's been a super social day. Nice to hang out with old friends and new.

We've just had dinner with Cyanosis and Mzansi - lots of ragging each other and laughs.

Everybody agrees that the organisation here has been friggin unbelievable. When the wind came up this morning in the wee hours they put Plan B into play. Trucks came to collect the kayaks and take them to Abu for tomorrows paddle. They organised dinner for us (we would have been self sufficient on the island tonight). They also needed to arrange permits for a change in the paddle tomorrow. Communication with the racers is regular and we are always kept in the loop. Real good

Yesterday too when so many teams like us were diverted from the last checkpoint to the camp site in Mirfa, they arranged buses to pick us up in the dunes(gave us GPS co-ords for a pick up 3km away over the dunes). On the bus we got huge boxes with dinner for the trip and more dinner when we got here! On day 2 after the canyons we were given a packet with water, apple and banana. Always enough water. Very well organised and considerate of the racers needs.

So yesterday we trek 3km over the dunes from CP6 to a waiting bus. There must have been about 5 or 6 teams together(there were more still out there who had not yet made the CP). We hit the road and a normal size big bus is there. We were probably the 4th team to get on. We find seats, spread out and take shoes off. Mzansi are the last team on. Tim tries to tell the driver that they are the last team on and that he can go. The driver signals using hand signs and broken english that he is almost off work - tapping his watch. He drives down the hill about 300m and there are 2 smaller event buses(about 24 seater) and one event guy who flags our bus down. The driver stops and we all get off and onto the correct buses.

Turns out we had caught a random bus, probably for some workers out there. How crazy is that! Dirty smelly AR'ers climbing onto this dudes bus and he let us. Wonder what would have happened if the event buses had not been there. Where would he have driven us to? Nearest shower perhaps? We got lots of laughs from this one.

The bus leaves here for Abu at 5am tomorrow. Race starts at 9am. Teams will be finishing between 3pm and 4pm. We will only get maps in the morning. The max distance including OP's will be around 40km.

Wind is still blowing. Friggin sand flying everywhere in the tent. Going to be buried in the morning. There is just no keeping it out.

Media release: High winds stall race...

2010-12-14T16:29:00.000+02:00

Al Mirfa – Strong winds blowing along the Arabian Gulf Coast have forced organizers to cancel today’s sea-kayaking section.

Today, the 47 teams still in contention on the 2010 ADAC benefited from an unexpected pause in the proceedings. During the night, as the teams slept at the bivouac on Al Mirfa beach, high winds whipped the sea into a heavy swell to the extent that the long section of sea kayaking between Mirfa and Abu Dhabi, due to start at 06:30 this morning, was canceled for safety reasons.

As a consequence, the teams will be spending an extra day in Al Mirfa, taking advantage of this unexpected break to deal with any minor injuries incurred over the last four days of competition and to replenish depleted energy levels. Some teams, especially those with strong paddlers and hopes of achieving their fastest times on this stage, were visibly frustrated but all agreed the unexpected weather conditions precluded any water-based activities.

The race will resume again at 09:00 tomorrow morning on one of two possible routes available to the organization, the choice of which will depend on prevailing weather conditions. The race then reaches its grand finale when the first teams are expected to cross the finishing line in Abu Dhabi at around 15:00.

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Cyanosis & AR.co.za in FA gear

2010-12-14T15:51:00.000+02:00

Race stopped

2010-12-14T11:18:00.000+02:00

As you probably know by now, the race is stopped. The wind is crazy and the sea is mad.

We are spending our day on the beach socialising and lounging around. Divine! That was missing for me so am enjoying meeting peeps.

We stay here tonight then on to Abu Dhabi early in the morning. It's a 9am start to do a paddle loop. The wind is no longer howling here now. Hope it will be super weather because we put so much time and preparation into our paddling.

For now a nap. Then more socialising.

Paddle tomorrow

2010-12-13T22:26:00.003+02:00

Lots of walking wounded from desert in camp. Everyone is very happy to be getting into boats for the final leg. I am hoping for fab weather.

Paddle leg starts at 6:30 going east along the coast from Mirfa and South of Abu Al Abyahd island. 110km back to Abu Dhabi city. All the CP's are on islands.

Now here is the crunch. We can sleep at any CP. Have to be off the water by 6pm. It will be a matter of seeing how far we can get tomorrow. Start again at 6:30am so we can have a nice long sleep. When we get to CP6 we will all be held until 13h45 so we can have a mass start and a final paddle to the beach. Nice and pretty with a bunch of boats.

We are ready for this paddle.

Media release: The Empty Quarter fills with action...

2010-12-13T18:09:00.000+02:00

Liwa Dune – Extreme heat takes toll as teams toil to reach the finish of the desert trek.

The long and arduous trek (116km) across the Rub al Kahli (aka The Empty Quarter) continued during the night, with teams confronting the moonless night and massive, strength-draining dunes. The early morning 94km MTB section, prior to the start of the trek, also meant the teams would spend more time tramping through the heat of the day, which could add to the already formidable difficulty of this stage. Only a handful of teams managed to complete the long course in totality, reaching all 4 of the optional CPs. Others were more cautious, deciding to follow the straighter, shorter route in an effort to avoid any overreach and possible physical collapse in the searing heat (+35°C).

Early race leaders THULE ADVENTURE (NZL) were the first to cross the line at 13h35, after 20h30’ spent actually trekking plus 8 hours of mandatory rest. “It was much more difficult this year,” Richard USSHER announced at the line, especially with the MTB section in the morning and we had to scramble up the steep, soft sand in the dark,” concluded the three time ADAC winner. About 1 hour later, THULE EUROPE (FRA) followed them into the finish, visibly marked by the effort required to complete this extremely demanding stage. Soon after them came the impressive Suisse of WENGER followed closely ADIDAS TERREX (GBR). Surprise team CHINA-1 missed the last optional CP (H6+) by minutes as did SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP), shocked by the temperatures encountered on this last day in the Liwa.

Once in, the teams collapsed under the tents situated next to the finishing line, clutching cold drinks and swapping exploits with fellow athletes; a brief and welcome moment of calm before the transfer to Mirfa, where the final 2 days sea kayaking stage await them.

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Mzansi at CP6

2010-12-13T14:30:00.000+02:00

Mzanzi are here with us. They are also cut-off.

Our new desert design gaiters worked fab. Mzansi are also very happy.

I have had about 12 liters to drink since this morning after sleeping at CP4. Stevens legs got some sun today. It's hard work in the dunes but also incredible out here.

I hope Cyanosis make the cut-off.

Desert Trek finished

2010-12-13T14:25:00.000+02:00

We are at the last CP on the hike. Can't continue because of a 6pm cut-off at finish, which is 15km away. It would take us longer than the 4hrs max allowed. It took us 4hrs from the last CP to here. We have to be back at the finish for 6pm to get the bus to the start of the paddle.

Saw Mzanzi before CP5. They had two optionals and still had to rest for 1h 15 balance of the compulsory 8hr rest. They won't make it here in time either. I chatted to Alex and he confirms that this year the first two days felt 4x harder than last year.

Yesterday was rough - going from a 95km bike ride from hell onto a desert trek. Legs starting felt like legs at the end. Lizzelle V didn't start with us. We will see her at camp later. Zelle and Steve are great. It's frikkin hot in the desert today. Worse than before Maybe it's me getting soft? Nice to get confirmation from Alex that I'm not completely out of my tree. Because of loonng days we haven't had much of a social vibe in camp either. Which I think made the race special before.

Lisa

Media release: Teams Get Tactical

2010-12-12T16:07:00.000+02:00

Qasr Al Sarab - The race got underway again this morning at 4 am, on the edge of the Rub al Khali desert, with 94 km of mountain bike and the beginning of a long desert trek...

After two days of quicksilver sections, the ADAC finally got into it’s expeditionary stride at 4 o’clock this morning with the much-anticipated mountain biking and desert trekking sections.

While the sky was still ablaze with a myriad of stars, the 49 teams still in the race took to their bikes for a 94 km ride along a rollercoaster track hampered by encroaching dunes and stretches of treacherous potholes. Leaders THULE ADVENTURE (NZ) and THULE EUROPE (FRA) soon parted company with the pack finishing the testing, sand strewn section in around 4 hours 30 minutes, about 20 minutes ahead WENGER (SUI) and NET COMPETENCE (SWE).

After a 30-minute rest, the teams continued onto the start of an arduous 116 km desert crossing on foot. With gaiters and head protection in place, the fastest teams embarked on this potentially game changing section at 9 o'clock.

17.5 km later (CP H3), as noonday temperatures soared, THULE ADVENTURE (NZL), CHINA TEAM-1 (CHI) and ADIDAS TERREX (GBR) decided to continue into the desert while the rest of the top 10 teams chose to take some of the eight hours of obligatory rest. Both strategies are designed to bring some advantage to their respective proponents during the night. It remains to be seen which one will pay off!

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Media release: A long day on the mountain

2010-12-11T22:19:00.000+02:00

Al Ain – Since this morning at 06:30, the teams have battled with the sheer slopes and rugged terrain of the Jebel Hafeet.

About 30 minutes before sunrise, the teams took the start from the bivouac in the Jebel Valley for a long, sweltering day of activities up, across and around the precarious slopes of the Jebel Hafeet peak. After an initial 5.5 km adventure run to pick up their bikes they rode 13,7 km along the tightly twisting road to the car park at the summit. As expected, the leaders maintained their brisk pace, established over the first 2 days of relatively short format sections where any lost time can be disastrous. THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), WENGER (SUI) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) were the only three teams to finish this gruelling ascension in under an hour.

The second day‘s racing was completed with a trek along a ridge to a rope works, made all the more difficult in the blistering heat. Two stunning rappels of around 50m each, one from an overhanging cliff, and a via cordata canyon climb, amplified the truly breathtaking qualities of this jagged peak. The scratched limbs and torn equipment of the athletes bore ample witness to the difficulty of the task. Following closely behind leaders THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) and THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA), Suisse team WENGER, TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE), SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP), ADIDAS TERREX (GB), GUATS (CAN) and VIBRAM LAFUMA 1 (FRA) are all in contention for top 5 spots. "It was really important to manage this day well given the enormous challenges to come tomorrow," opined Anthony RABEAU as he and the other athletes climbed aboard the buses for the transfer to Um as Zummul. Tomorrow morning at 04:00, the teams will begin their struggle with the sands on a 94 km MTB section.

Provisional Overall Ranking end Day 2:

1 THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL) 9h25:50

2 THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) 9h49:49

3 WENGER (SUI) 9h52:59

4 TEAM NET COMPETENCE (SWE) 10h04:28

5 SALOMON SANTIVERI (ESP) 10h28:12

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Day 2 update # 2

2010-12-11T21:19:00.001+02:00

Waited for 2 other teams and then transferred to current camp in desert. We have a 4am bike start...Aaargh.. Gonna be kuk and then straight on to desert trek. Conditions out here have been good but definitely toughest. Only got to camp after 8am and lots to do before we go to sleep. Up at 2.30...Nasty!

Lisa

19:13 11/12/2010

Day 2 update

2010-12-11T21:14:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we blazed on ride (34th) and good run in canyons. Finished day in 40th place. Day 2 started with rocky run, some canyon and then crazy bike ride (road) up to the top of the mountain. Then canyoneering (lots) and a big down. Took a few hours. Girls took strain but did really well. Missed cut off and had to walk few kays to waiting bus.

Lisa 19:08 11/12/2010

Media Release: The Abu Dhabi Express…

2010-12-10T19:43:00.001+02:00

Al Ain – The first day’s racing was a high-speed affair with stages in Abu Dhabi and the garden city of Al Ain.

At 08:00 sharp, in the early morning heat and bright sunshine, the 50 teams enrolled in the 2010 ADAC raced to their inflatable canoes for the start of the opening prologue. This initial triathlon stage, a circuit linking the Corniche Beach with the Emirates Palace Hotel and Lulu Island, required the teams to alternate between canoeing, adventure running and swimming. At the end of the 2 hours it took the fastest teams to complete the 21.7 km course, it was clear that current title holders, THULE ADVENTURE TEAM (NZL), who finished 6 minutes ahead of closest rivals THULE ADVENTURE EUROPE (FRA) and TEAM EXPLORE (SWE), will not be easy to beat.

At midday, as the mercury began to hit the 30°C mark, the 200 competitors clambered aboard buses for the transfer to Al Ain. At 14h30, they continued the day’s racing with a rapid 30 km bike ride along tarmac and gravel roads to the foot of Jebel Hafeet. Although some gaps opened up as the teams swarmed towards the distant, jagged peak, most of the teams remained tightly grouped, with the first 30 finishing within 10 minutes of each other. The final stage is a 6.3 km adventure run across rugged terrain where the first bivouac of the race will conclude a furious and frenetic day’s competition.

Provisional Ranking after Section B (MTB - 28,7km)

1 Thule Adventure Team (NZL) 02:59:14

2 Thule Adventure Team/Europe (FRA) 03:06:14

3 Team Explore (SWE) 03:08:08

4 FJS Powered by Saab (SWE) 03:11:05

5 Vibram Lafuma 1 (FRA) 03:12:15

Update Day 1

2010-12-10T09:54:00.001+02:00

Prologue done in 3h 15mins. We were about 44^th – not quite right at the back. Fast and furious.

Boarding bus shortly for transfer to Al Ain for 20km bike to Jebel Hafeet mountain, then an adventure run. Steven and Zelle will do the30m abseil.

\Lisa 09:46

The day before race day

2010-12-09T19:23:00.002+02:00

This morning kicked off with race briefing, which gave an overview of the course and event logistics. It's an interesting one. Journo Chris has a good piece up on the ADAC website (http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/) about the course direction change and how it influences the race, in particular the desert trekking section where we go 'into' the dunes, approaching from the slippery, loose sand side and not the firmer back as before (the article is all something like a twist in the tale).

Our scheduled time for kit check was 11h30 and we progressed really swiftly until the bottle-neck at the medical kit check. Must have waited for an hour there. Anyway, went well and we used the afternoon to pack our crates and drop bags for the prologue/bike transition in Al Ain tomorrow afternoon.

With that done, we headed for the welcoming function for 17h30. Nice opportunity to stand around and chat. I got called up on stage to answer a question or two about our 'girls' team - it is certainly a point of interest. We've seen the Russian 'girls' team - they're bigger than us...

Dinner was delicious, as always, and then it was back to our rooms. We're all packed and ready for the morning. It will be an early one. We're up at about 04h30 and then to load crates and get breakfast between 05h00 and 06h00. Then we're off in buses to the Abu Dhabi waterfront (Corniche) for the prologue. Start is at 08h00 (06h00 SA time).

Not quite sure how I'm feeling. Not nervous, but definitely excited now for the race to start. Tomorrow's prologue will be fast and furious but it will also be quite fun, especially with the addition of the inflatable canoes (we only get the sea kayaks for the big stage on day 5 and 6). They say the canoes are like paddling a jumping castle. The prologue starts with everyone running down the beach to the canoes for a triangle around two buoys... it's going to be bumper bashing the whole way! It will open up for the 3-4km paddle to Lulu Island a bit later on (we then run on the island and paddle back to the beach to finish the prologue).

Some pics below. I probably won't be able to post pics during the race. Data component on the local SIM card isn't working... dunno why. But, I'll be sending text reports as far as possible.

Nite-nite.

The inflatable canoe. We get two - two people in each. Our strategy is to go like hell.

Returning from kit check - kit everywhere. All now packed into bags and crates.

On stage with Richard Ussher - three time winner of ADAC (probably the only opportunity I'll get to share he stage with him!) Hahahaha

Three South African teams! Cyanosis, http://www.ar.co.za/ and Mzansi with local dudes from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Our Award entry is from ADTA.

Wednesday outings

2010-12-08T20:34:00.000+02:00

Our mission for the day was to visit the new museum/gallery setup on Saadiyat Island. We snoozed big time this morning, crawling down to another delicious breakfast.

Not many teams in the breakfast room but lots of bags gathering in the foyer when we headed out of the hotel to catch a taxi. After yesterday’s episode with the ‘I’ve-been-in Abu-Dhabi-for-four-months-and-don’t-have-a-clue-where-anyting-is’ driver, we set about asking the concierge to brief the driver on taking us to Saadiyat Island. He did and the driver nodded in agreement. We asked him to drive on the ‘outer’ highway through Yas Island and on to Saadiyat, indicating the road on the map.

After a few minutes I got the feeling that we were heading into the city, which we were. It is also the way to go to Saadiyat, but we didn’t want to go that way. We stuck with it, planning to cruise through Yas Island on the way back.

We get on to Saadiyat and the driver just keeps going. We’re just about off the island and I ask him where he is going and that we want to go to the cultural museum. He didn’t know of it and was just happy to keep driving. U-turn and we spotted sign boards directing the way. Signage here is not great – but there’s probably a good reason for it, as you’ll see.

We get to a security gate and the guy tells us that nothing is open yet… That probably explains why the signboards are poor (borderline non-existent) and the driver has no clue. The meter was already on about 50 dirhams (R100). Really odd that the concierge at the hotel didn’t say, “Ah, Saadiyat Island… it’s really nice to drive through but nothing is open yet”.

So, we headed back into Abu Dhabi city as Zelle and I wanted to find a ladies salon (all signed ‘saloon’ here) to get henna tattoos on our hands. I’d found a place last year so I kinda knew the area to look around. We went from café to a residential flat to a ‘saloon’ to another to another to another and finally a woman directed us to Noora’s Saloon, on the first floor of a nearby building. Zelle and I went in while Steven and Lizelle had coffee at a really nice place on the ground floor.

Henna tattoos rock. It’s a lovely feeling as they’re being painted/drawn on and it’s a fun souvenir that fades within two weeks or so. We selected patterns that we liked and the lady artfully created the tattoos that start on our right forearms and run down to our fingertips. Just before we left, a lady came in. She’d had henna done yesterday and her hands were beautifully decorated – palms too. Hers was really dark – I hope ours come out like that too.

With this checked off our ‘to do’ list, we grabbed another taxi to take us across Saadiyat Island (again) and on to Yas Island where the Yas Marina Circuit (race track) and Ferrari World is located. I drove through last year and there wasn’t much as everything was still in progress. The transformation in a year is remarkable! Our really cool driver, who is from Nepal and has been here for four years, was a gem. He pointed out some sights, drove slowly on the bridge over the track so we could have a good look, swung past the hotel area (the one hotel has lights on the outside that change colour – on at night only and seems like it is really stunning to see) and took us in to Ferrari World where he waited for us to check out the section where we could go without tickets.

As you go from the one building into the main Ferrari World building there’s a walkway over the road and the ‘music’ playing is the sound of F1 engines on track. There are lots of speakers around because you hear the changes in the sound direction from one side to the other and all around. There’s a Ferrari store with all kinds of Ferrari mementos (very pricey, as you can imagine), but cool nonetheless. They’ve also got a modern Ferrari F1 car on display as well as an old one on a sort of wall. I took some pics (see below) for my uncle – he’s a big F1 fan… only he’s a McLaren supporter (I used to be religious about F1 – especially Schumie). Our driver took us past other features still under construction on the way out. There’s a really super looking roller coaster track which he says is the fastest roller coaster. It is open, but not on Fridays. You’d have to go into Ferrari World to access it.

And then he brought us back to the hotel.

We saw Cyanosis in the foyer; haven’t seen Alex’s team yet – I don’t know whether they’ve arrived. Cyanosis landed in Dubai and were collected by Brian’s cousin who brought them here.

We then hit the pool, which is h.e.a.t.e.d. Can you believe it! It’s divine. The only fault we can find with this place (aside from mostly clueless taxi drivers) is that the pool is too much in the shadow of the hotel – not a spot of sun there. Lounging in the shade hasn’t got the same appeal.

We bought rolls and cheese and tomato yesterday so we had a little picnic. We also brought a bunch of funny cold drinks to try – Tango Apple, Power Horse, Irn Bru and Pocari Sweat – the latter being the one we saw in the advert on the plane before each movie. What a silly name – just had to get some! Power Horse tastes like a more subtle Red Bull; Tango Apple is a sorta apple something; Irn Bru is a little similar to Iron Brew and Pocari Sweat was my favourite. It’s on the same page as Game, but not the orange/naartjie flavour. Like Game/Rehidrate without a strong, distinctive flavour. Smooth and thirst quenching. We may try to get more tomorrow to take on the race.

We met an Aussie team out here – Giddyup. They are very sweet. We all moved across the lawns to the sunny section. Sun isn’t as frying as at home – nice to dry off and warm up.

We’re now chilling before dins. Will probably have dins with Cyanosis and hopefully also Mzansi, if they’re here, which they should be. Lots of teams are wandering around now with loads of bags being shuttled here and there by hotel porters and ever-friendly staff. The Souff African guy who was here last year running the hotel gym is still here. He is originally from Bloem. It’s nice for Willem to chat to the Lizelles in Afrikaans; we’ll probably have drinks with him tonight.

Tomorrow we have the race briefing (I’m not sure what time) and then we’ll work through the registration and kit-check stations. And then more time at the pool. Tough race *grin*

Linda, haven’t seen any birds yet.

I got a local SIM card yesterday and my data thing is activated on it but it isn’t working… I’ll give it to Alex later because he’s better than these cell phone things than I am. By the race we should have it figured out so that I can post after each stage.

Bye.

[Update: Saw Cyanosis at dins and they’re all good. Haven’t seen Mzansi at all. Nic saw them this afternoon – all seem fine. Team briefing is at 08h30 and kit checks start from 10h00]

Uncle, a pic for you

Getting my henna tattoo

Zelle's henna tattoo - still fresh and wet

Drinks to try

Yummy - drinking 'sweat'

Lounging lizards ;)

Touristy Tuesday

2010-12-07T21:12:00.001+02:00

We had a super-dooper sleep last night (comfy beds) and cruised down to breakfast around 08h30. It was, as expected, a super spread with many tasty treats.

We’ve got a list of fun touristy things to do and first on our list was a visit to the mosque, the 4th largest in the world. It really is a sight to behold and there were lots of other tourist checking it out too. It has been a beautiful day with sun shining and blue skies, which off-set the glistening white marble. We got kitted out in burkas, with Steven in a white kandura. It was excellent fun being dressed up. Lizelle S (from now on known as Zelle) and Lizelle V had their first encounter with Asian toilets…

We wanted to visit the Emirates National Car Museum next so we found a taxi at the mosque; but not one of the taxi drivers knew of the place. So we shot back to our hotel, which is not far from the mosque. Only one guy knew where it was and he gave directions to our next taxi driver.

It turned out that he was clueless – a Pakistani dude who has only been driving here for four months. We went off the map and took wrong roundabouts – finally making it to the Museum, which is dedicated to museum the Sheik’s car collection.

We got dropped off on the road and walked in – to discover that the place was closed for maintenance and upgrades, and it had been closed for a few months (no note to this effect on their website). So we figured we’d take a photo or two of the world’s largest caravan (eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms, garages etc. – Guinness Record). Afterall, it cost us almost R250 to get there! And while outside we spotted a guy going into the museum. So, we followed him and asked whether we could go in for a quick look. He agreed, but for a price. We offered 10 dirhams (R20). He declined and said 50 dirhams… mmm… We went in.

Super car collection. Mr Sheik is big time into his Mercs (of all kinds) and big trucks and bakkies. It was really interesting and there were some weird and unusual vehicles to see. Mr-nervous-tour-guide said that there were 220 cars in there and that when it opens again there will be new lighting and more cars. All vehicles, including a really old steam-engine ‘car’ are in working order.

So, now to get back to Abu Dhabi, which was about 60km away. We walked out to the main highway and took bets on when we’d get a taxi. Zelle said an hour; Lizelle said 20 mins. I was on 30 mins and Steven guessed 10 mins. Well, not much more than two minutes later we got a lift from a kind civilian to the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. He signaled to a taxi and dropped us off on the side of the road to swop over to the taxi. Really, really sweet.

Then we hit Marina Mall to get some snacks and a local SIM card; I’m hoping that the data transfer will work for sending out stuff during the race.

We’re now back at the hotel and ready for dins. There were not many teams around this morning – we saw one foreign team this morning. I think more have arrived today and the bulk arrive tomorrow.

A note on speed in this place… We were fetched from the airport in a new Audi A6. So, we had three crates, big tog back, four backpacks, four of us and driver in there. We driving along and realize that we’re going a bit fast. Ja – like 160km/hr. Zelle and I couldn’t see much but Lizelle and Steven saw us passing other cars, which were made to look pedestrian. And the needle didn’t stay there. We topped out at 193km/hr! I asked the dude to chill and slow a bit. Crazy!

Today, the taxi driver also floored it. Signs are up all over for limits from 80km/hr to 120km/hr but it seems to mean nuthin’. The friendly guy who gave us a lift from the museum into Abu Dhabi was cruising at like 160km/hr.

At dinner we were joined by Marcel Hagner, of the winning team fame. And then Richard and Elina Ussher arrived and came to say hi. Nice to chat and very exciting to see other teams arriving now. Tomorrow is going to rock!

Steven is handling us well. He’s going to be all chicked out by the end of the race. Let’s just say that he is learning lots.

For Lizelle, this is her first time overseas and she is loving it. She’s got the travel bug and wants to go everywhere!

Zelle has just finished her honours in town planning so she is lapping up the incredible planning and infrastructure that is going on here. She’s also loving the buildings and architecture.

Tomorrow we’re going to drive through Yas Island where the Grand Prix circuit and World of Ferrari is and then on to the newly opened Saadiyat island for a cultural experience.

Seen off at the airport by Wiehan, Heidi and Stephan

Compression socks on the plane

New audi A6 with three trunks, big tog bag, four backpacks and four people polus driver

An ad on the plane for this drink - isotonic, replaced lost fluid etc.
We bought a can today and will try it tomorrow. Nasty!

Dress-up at the mosque

Silly buggers at the mosque

This place is really pretty

Zelle and Steven

A beeeg Dodge. Has a kitchen, some rooms etc inside.

On an old fire engine

Dat's where we come from!

Midnight 6 Dec 2010 - Safe Arrival

2010-12-07T10:41:00.001+02:00

We have arrived safely after a really good flight on Etihad. All airport dealings were smooth and luggage all made it here.

We were met at the airport by Mark Joyce who ‘old timers’ will remember from local racing. He has been out here for a few years and is a regular supporter of SA teams coming to race here.

The guy from the hotel who came to collect us came in a car. Sure, it was a big car but still a car. We managed to get everything inside – all four of us on the spacious back seat, the A crate on our laps. Crazy!

We are all settled in the hotel – some familiar and friendly staff from last year. Time for a sleep – we have a fun touristy day planned for Tuesday.

Lisa

Checked in and ready to board

2010-12-06T11:41:00.001+02:00

We are at the airport and are checked in, with no problems. Steven's corrected visa came through last night - that was a relief. We only board at 13h00 so we're having a drink with Wiehan; and Heidi and Stephan are on their way.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Packed!

2010-12-05T17:50:00.000+02:00

We had a super team lunch today and then we packed our race crates, checking lists and organising gear.

We're heading to the airport for 10h30 tomorrow - one more sleep to go ;)

My thanks to Nick (presenter) and Helen (producer) for having me on SAFM yesterday evening to talk about the race and the three SA teams going across to Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

Flights? Check. Visas? Check.

2010-11-29T22:15:00.000+02:00

Our visas and final flight confirmations came through this evening. Wooohooo!

Around this time of year there are lots of muslim holidays and also the Emirates celebrates the anniversary of the formation of the Emirates - so it takes a while for things to happen. Elise, from race organisations, handles all of this admin and she certainly has plenty of headaches dealing with this stuff.

Last year, we didn't have our visas when we got to the airport. Elise said that our names were logged with customs. The visa is very much a formality - it doesn't go in your passport. It's printed on a piece of A4 paper. Anyway, she said it would be fine.

So, we get to the airport nice and early (I have an airport paranoia - especially when leaving for races; I like to be very early to check in crates and such, just in case of problems). But, the local pasport checker - before the check-in counter - wouldn't let us through without the visas. I phoned Elise and asked her to send the visas. She then started making calls and some two odd hours later, I was printing them out in an office at the airport! Yes, I was very tense!

It is a relief to have them in my hands tonight ;) Thank you Elise.

Course changes force tactical rethink

2010-11-26T13:15:00.002+02:00

Course amends and reversed race direction are bound to impact tactics, as teams face new obstacles and challenges.

Since it first began in 2007, the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge has always started in Abu Dhabi city, travelled west down the coast then east across the desert to Jebel Hafeet and the finishing line in Al Ain. This year, for the first time ever, the race will be run in the opposite direction, bringing subtle changes to the overall course profile and specific challenges that teams can only meet by rethinking and adapting their tactics.

The 2010 race begins with a short but highly competitive prologue event around the sweeping Corniche Beach at the heart of downtown Abu Dhabi. Although the 22km circuit still includes an exciting swimming leg, two canoeing sectors replace the customary seafront biking sprint. An early morning test of speed and stamina will give the top teams plenty of opportunity to weigh up the competition.

The teams then transfer immediately to the Oasis city of Al Ain for a fast bike stage from Al Jahili Fort to the foot of Jebel Hafeet – Abu Dhabi’s highest peak. This 29km, semi-sprint biking leg switches seamlessly to a relatively short 6km run to a 30m rappel, bringing day one to a close.

The following day begins with an adventure run back to where the teams left their bikes the previous evening for the start of a testing 14km ride up the winding asphalt road to the summit of Jebel Hafeet. Next comes a canyon descent followed by a ropes section and a climb back to the summit with a cable bridge thrown in for good measure. It is the longest stage ever at Jebel Hafeet and the first time the teams will climb and descend the mountain over a single day.

At the end of the day teams will transfer to Umm as Zummul for next day’s 52km MTB ride along the desert road that leads to the Qasr al Sarab resort, where they will start the two-day, 121km desert trek across the Rub’ al Khali. In past years, the teams have raced from west to east, with the prevailing wind at their backs, climbing the firmer, gentler slope and descending the steeper, softer side of the immense dunes that constitute the world’s largest uninterrupted stretch of desert.

Racing in the opposite direction, they will be forced to climb the softer slope and descend the relatively rigid, wind-packed side; an energy-sapping task compounding an already demanding stage. Added to the obvious challenge of crossing the desert on foot in this ‘tougher’ direction is the absence of a grouped start, enabling teams to be more innovative and aggressive in their tactical and route choices.

The 2010 grand finale will be a two-day sea-kayaking leg covering the 129km of coastline from Mirfa to Abu Dhabi city. With the wind behind them, the teams should be able to take full advantage of the sails built into their state-of-the-art kayaks, ensuring fierce competition for top rankings all the way to the Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach finish line.

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Three SA teams to race in Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge

2010-11-25T00:47:00.000+02:00

A footprint highway at the start of the
desert trekking stage in 2009.

The fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC) starts in two weeks and, for the first time, three South African teams will compete. They’ll race against a field of 50 teams - from over 20 countries - in the disciplines of mountain biking, sea kayaking, desert trekking and canyoneering. Teams www.AR.co.za, Cyanosis and Mzansi will cover 400 kilometres during this six-day, semi-staged adventure race.

Team www.AR.co.za makes their third consecutive appearance at ADAC. “South Africa’s adventure racing website, www.AR.co.za receives an award from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to take a novice team over to the race,” says website editor and team captain, Lisa de Speville. This will be her third ADAC race. Award teams can only have one member with international racing experience. “This year I’ve gone with a ‘girly’ team format of three women and one guy,” she adds. This female-weighted team format goes against the three-men and one-woman norm. De Speville will be racing with Lizelle van der Merwe, Lizelle Smit and Steven Erasmus.

“People usually associate Abu Dhabi with the other well-known emirate, Dubai. They’re neighbouring states, under the United Arab Emirates umbrella; much like Gauteng is a neighbour to North West Province,” explains de Speville. “They’re very different”.

Where Dubai is known for its shopping malls and man-made palm-shaped islands, Abu Dhabi has a strong outdoor and sporting focus. Abu Dhabi hosts many premier sporting events like the Abu Dhabi Formula One, the Abu Dhabi Marathon, Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, Red Bull Air Race as well as golf, tennis and cricket. “It’s an amazing outdoor environment; I love the desert and sea kayaking between the islands and mangroves off the city’s coast,” adds de Speville. Temperatures in December are mild and pleasant: a little cooler than a warm December day in Pretoria.

Team Mzansi is lead by Alex Pope, who was a novice member of Team www.AR.co.za at ADAC in 2009. At 22, Pope will be one of the youngest competitors; and certainly the youngest team captain. A member of the South African orienteering team, Pope’s sporting experience belies his age. He is accompanied by Tim Deane and Alan Neate, both experienced adventure racers, and Jane Swarbreck.

The third South African team to race in Abu Dhabi is Team Cyanosis, South Africa’s top team. The team is led by Nicholas Mulde. Clinton Mackintosh, Brian Gardner and Landie Visser complete the team. Mulder and Mackintosh have competed in a number of international events – most recently the Adventure Racing World Championships, which were held in Spain in September. Gardner, who has been racing for many years, and Visser are new to this team.

“I’d love to see Cyanosis notch a Top 10 at ADAC,” says de Speville. “But, it’s a high-intensity race – much higher than the non-stop multiday expedition races where Cyanosis excels. And, ADAC attracts an incredibly competitive field. So, it’s really hard to say where I see them placing.” Navigation at ADAC is straight-forward and GPS-assisted, which renders Cyanosis’ strong strategic and map-and-compass navigational skills obsolete.

ADAC is a race quite unlike traditional adventure races. It’s a staged event, where only the 120-kilometre desert-trekking stage goes through the night. Optional and compulsory checkpoints are included in the desert trekking and 128 kilometre sea kayaking stages. “Time penalties for missing optional are very heavy,” explains de Speville. “If you want to place, visiting all the checkpoints is non-negotiable”. Mid- and back teams chose to skip optional checkpoints to complete stages within the required time periods.

The event provides breakfast and dinner catering at most overnight camps, except for the two where the teams are self-sufficient. Bikes and race crates are transported by race organisation to transitions and camps. And, unlike every other event, ADAC provides competitors with bikes. “This makes travelling so much easier – and cheaper!” says de Speville. “You don’t get better value or organisation than at ADAC. Although the race is very competitive upfront, for midfield and back of the pack teams, it’s the best introduction to international racing.”

The event’s online tracking systems are excellent. Each team carries a transponder that transmits their location during the stages. The teams can be followed real-time through the event website at www.abudhabi-adventure.com. De Speville predicts that Cyanosis will be seen in the squabble for placings just behind the front pack, while her team – www.AR.co.za – and Mzansi will be around mid-field.

The three teams leave for Abu Dhabi from Monday, 6 December 2010. The race starts on Friday, 10 December 2010 and runs until Wednesday, 15 December 2010.

For more information on the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge and to follow the real-time tracking, visit http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/.

For information on the sport of adventure racing in South Africa, as well as news from the race, visit http://www.ar.co.za/.

Team www.AR.co.za’s blog is http://www.teamwwwarcoza.blogspot.com/; and Team Cyanosis’ website is http://www.teamcyanosis.co.za/.

Three team get together

2010-11-21T21:54:00.000+02:00

Next weekend all three SA teams going across to Abu Dhabi are getting together. Yes, there will be us (Lisa, Steven and Lizelle V - Lizelle S is away for the weekend), Cyanosis (Nic, Clinton, Brian and Landie - one of them will be away, I think) and Mzansi (Alex, Alan, Jane - Tim is away).

We're having a braai at Clinton's place after the Kinetic Adventure Sprint. It's going to be super to see everyone together pre-race - we're going to have a super time out there.

And just how wonderful is it to have THREE South African teams going over. Brilliant!

Don't snack, just pack

2010-11-21T21:50:00.000+02:00

Munchie bags labelled for each day - some have more stuff depending on the stage and there is a bit of variety here and there, especially with bars.

Yesterday I started to pack my race food for each day. I was chatting to my AR friend in Durban, Fred, and he gave me this great bit of advice, "Don't snack, just pack". Hahaha.

I do like to keep my race food as a treat so some of the things are not goodies that I normall munch on, like cornnuts, Laughing Cow and salted and roasted nuts. I tend not to snack while packing race munchies but, as Fred says, "There's always that last bit of something left over from the re-pack".

I did manage to complete my pack having eaten only a Tuc cracker, a few cornnuts (to check for freshness, of course) and to try a cracker from the new flavour of Bacon Kips - not bacon. They're nice, salty race snacks that I don't touch outside of races.

This morning I went to my local butcher, who always vacuum packs that special Souff African treat for me... It starts with a 'b' and ends with a 'g'. I've taken it to most races around the world... shhh... don't say a word... ;)

Lizelle x 2 and Steven have been briefed on how to prep their race food, which they'll do over the next two weeks.

Yes, can you believe it! Tomorrow, two weeks, we'll be heading off to the airport. Now I'm really starting to get excited ;)

Lisa

ADAC promo video

2010-11-15T14:25:00.000+02:00

Ask anyone and they will tell you the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is six days of gruelling and ferocious competition where you discover levels of skill, determination and stamina that you never knew you possessed. Yet for those of you lucky enough to be racing this December, there’s so much more.

Any serious adventure race should be a heady mix of contrasts – the tough with the relaxed, the ups with the downs, and the enlightening highs achieved by the ultimate test of mind, body and soul.

It is this sharing of your exploits with fellow athletes around a blazing fire that will burn bright in your memories of Abu Dhabi.

Whilst you may be thinking it is not so demanding now… make no mistake, there are times in the heat of competition when you will be left pondering your own sanity and other moments where your sense of achievement will take you through the pain. Is it possible that the world’s toughest race could also be the world’s most enjoyable?

Check out the video and see for yourself (video is on ADAC website under the 'News' tab - quite a nice one. I think it is www.AR.co.za swimming, where you can see the four people in the water).

Online tracking at ADAC

2010-11-15T14:05:00.000+02:00

Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge has introduced a new interactive online facility to help you track the race, teams, route and media opportunities surrounding the world’s most gruelling adventure race.

The new digital presentation– which can be accessed via the event’s website – is invaluable for teams looking to whet the appetites of sponsors and partners.

You can either watch it online using your browser or download the file package to your own computer. To view it locally, you will also need download and install to the free application, AdobeAir.

And keeping with the multimedia theme, make sure you check out our website, which is an important resource for you to get in the know about the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, share videos and photos, and relive some of the greatest highlights of the past three years.

http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Team shuffle: 'other' Lizelle comes on board

2010-11-11T21:26:00.001+02:00

We've had a team shuffle. After Triple Challenge, when Adri's other knee - not the one that had given trouble a few months ago - played up, we were concerned. She went to a physio on Monday and to her biokineticist on Wednesday.

Bottomline is that there is an underlying problem and the likelyhood of a knee injury flaring up early on at ADAC is too much of a risk. Adri is understandably disappointed that she won't be racing with us but, on the bright side, she'll be able to recover and strengthen without the pressure of this multiday, high-intensity race looming on the near horizon.

Adri has so blossomed over the past few months, improving in fitness and gaining valuable paddling skills and confidence. This will stand her in very good stead going into the many exciting races on our local calendar next year. She's a pleasure to race with and I have little doubt that she'll have more competitive racing next year.

Lizelle v/d Merwe has been on the sidelines since the team was selected at the beginning of September. She has kept up her paddling and other training, ready to step in, if needed. She'll join us in Abu Dhabi.

Lisa, Lizelle v/d M, Steven

We got together for a paddle session tonight and it went well - an absolutely beautiful evening on the dam too. Steven swung past to say hi. Lizelle S is currently writing exams; we'll see her on Sunday when we all get together for a session.

We'll all be scattered over after this weekend; Steven is away next weekend and Lizelle S is away the following weekend. And then it will be the weekend before we leave!

And yes, I realise the name thing... Lisa, Lizelle, Lizelle... Ja, some peeps gonna be getting confused! We've raced together twice now in this combination at the Kinetic Adventure sprint races. Hahaha.

Triple Challenge all-day racing

2010-11-08T23:07:00.002+02:00

The four of us (Lisa, Lizelle S., Adri and Steven) headed down to KZN this weekend for Max Cluer's Triple Challenge event. I've known of it for years but this would be my first entry. Max kindly sponsored two pairs entries in support of our team's preparations for Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge - we leave in four weeks!

Lizelle, Steven, Lisa and Adri

Lisa
Adri and I teamed up for Triple Challenge and this was the first time that were racing together. We made a good match.

Lisa and Adri

Brad and Andrew were our trusty support crew. Brad lives in Maritzburg and is a long-time friend; Andrew is Steven's twin brother. After the start, Brad dropped our bikes at the first transition; Andrew shot ahead to drop off the second K2 (Steven and I dropped the first on Saturday afternoon).

We started running at 05h30 from Maritzburg and the course seemed to never stray too far from the Comrades route (same with the bike - until we dropped into the valley leading to Inanda Dam). Adri and I took the run nice and easy, paying heed to advice from friends. The run is a nice one along jeep track and single trail. I really enjoy the vegetation in KZN - very fresh, lush and green, which is such a contrast to the highveld, even in summer!

A pretty tree-lined avenue

With about 3km to go, Adri's knee started playing up and needed regular stretching. She has been doing rehab for many weeks. She's running really well so this is quite an issue. She'll be at the bio on Wednesday - he'll check it out. Tough situation with four weeks to go.

Adri running down a trail towards one of the five waterpoints

After a few stretches at intervals, we ran strong into the transition where Brad was waiting with my friend Fred. Adri and I got our bike stuff together and we were off - to be stopped at the nearby railway crossing. I quite enjoyed seeing the train and its load of containers.

The bike route also seems to stay near the Comrades route and we rode a number of sections on the tar road. The single track sections, especially in the second half of the ride, were my favourite. And there was even a hike-a-bike section! It felt just like an adventure race. The route has a number of climbs, but nothing too long or terrible. A good balance overall.

We got to the paddle transition about 1h05 behind Steven and Lizelle (they took 30 mins out of us on the run; and another 30mins on the bike). I was quite looking forward to the paddle but we had been warned that the later we get there the more the wind will be blowing and the more trying the conditions.

George kindly lent us his 'love boat', a K2 Accord decorated with hearts. George and his wife, Penny, did Dusi together this year. Adri and I hopped in, with me driving, and off we went, heading for the dam wall.

We'd been told to head for the wall for the take out for the first portage and then the gazebo, which we could see, would be the put-in. Turns out the gazebo was take-out and put-in; a little 10m portage. So, we did a bit extra distance and time - no worry.

At the gazebo I got out of the boat and my upper thighs cramped - for the first time ever! Arrggghhh... not nice. The steering pedals had been a bit too far away (with boat on land when I got in, rudder was up so pedals were forward - once inside the pedals went back, away from me) so I had to stretch my legs to reach them. This must have been what did it. I had to stand for a while. A kind guy offered me some ice - he'd seen this happen to a number of people that day!

We walked around the banner and got back into the boat, after I'd adjusted the seat one notch forward. Perfect!

We set off to the far take-out, which we didn't know how to find. The checkpoint people pointed us in the right direction and off we went. I remembered what it should look like from a Google Earth image but when your eyes are almost water-level, it isn't very easy to recognise land features.

The safety boats weren't around us at all but then finally a boat came near and we asked where to go - he pointed ahead. Nearing the take-out we saw another boat and the guy told us to paddle between the buoys "over there". We couldn't see a thing! The buoys were navy blue on dark, turbulent water.

On this, I must say that Adri and I rocked. From the start of the paddle we had rough waves, which crashed on to our deck a number of times. We also paddled with waves side on and we didn't even wobble once - it was awesome! I love paddling into the wind and into the waves, so I got a lot of that too.

Approaching land we spotted another double and two singles on the beach, which was useful to show us where to get out. This was the second portage (a real one) - up and over a spur to the put-in on the other side. It went well and remains my only physical after-effect of the race (sore/bruised shoulder bones from carrying the boat).

We put-in at the same time as another girl pair. They tipped a bit at the put-in, just as we were moving off. The children swimming got a good laugh from that.
Protected from the wind the first part around the spur was pretty flat - and then we hit the action. I loved it!

And then we were at the end, welcomed by Brad, Andrew, Fred, Steven, Lizelle and George. Max, on microphone, welcomed us in. Adri and I were at the back (not very back, but back) of the field. We completed the route in 09h30.

Then back to Maritzburg to shower and then drive the 600-odd km back to Jo'burg. A long, long day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this event and I've definitely do it again. The route is pleasant, the markings were good and it makes for a super day out. Only improvement would be some buoys (not navy blue! orange, white, red, yellow would be better) on the paddle and bright feather banners at the second portage take-out. I guess, as an adventure racer, that I'm not very good at following pointing fingers - I like knowing where I'm going.

Very big thanks for Max Cluer, who sponsored our entries to his race in support of our preparations for Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Thanks to George for the use of his 'love boat' and two splashies. Fred, super to see you in person - thank you for cheering for us. And bit thanks to Brad and Andrew for taking such good care of us and our bikes and stuff on this long day out. And Adri, I thoroughly enjoyed our day together - it was a pleasure to do this race with you.

Lizelle S.
In my preperation for the event this weekend, all I kept saying to myself was that "this is exactly like a triathlon". I was completely WRONG!!! This was ten times more exciting, more breath-taking and more challenging that any triathlon I have ever done.

My awesome team mate, Steven, and I decided to go HARD from the start. Unfortunately, my 20km run was did not go exactly as I planned - let's just say I made a
few extra runs to the bushes, which did not help at all. After our 20km run I felt so sick. Steven gave me alot of encouraging words and on the biking leg I felt as if I was back in the game.

I have no idea where we rode but I definitely know it was the most hilliest climbs ever, which I soooo loved. The down hills were by far my weakest point kept on thinking, "I cannot get injured now, Abu Dhabi is around the corner", so that made me perhaps too cautious. However, we still had an amazing ride, at that stage we were first in our category (mixed pairs), without knowing it.

The paddling leg was a lot more challenging than we expected, especially, the over-the-hill portage leg. All my shoulders can say is OUCHY!

As we eventually reached the end, a mixed team came sprinting past us. We were at such a chilled stage that we thought "Ah, well let them get whatever place", which it turned out was first place! BIG MISTAKE from our part, but at least we still had great fun.

I can honestly say that it was a smart option to do my first Triple Challenge with a team mate, as without one I might have, dare I say, WITHRAWN from the race, especially since I felt like hell at the start. Having someone with you makes you so much more driven to succeed. When I am all grown-up one day, I would love to give the individual race a go - one of my new goals.

Steven in front with Lizelle coming up.
Photo from Triple Challenge Facebook gallery

Tent testing

2010-11-08T14:11:00.001+02:00

This weekend, at Triple Challenge, we opened up tents to select the one that will be carried during the desert trekking stage. this is the only time that we physically have to carry our tents; on the paddle stage they go in the kayaks and for the rest they're transported to transitions by race organisation in our crates.

Although the tent is a bit of a squeeze, I reassured the team, "It's only for about four hours!". It's so worth carrying less for a bit of a cosy night. Sleeping top-to-tail we fit pretty well. Race rules specify that we have to sleep inside a sealed tent (incorporated ground sheet) in the desert - to keep the scorpions out!

Triple Challenge this weekend

2010-11-03T22:18:00.000+02:00

We're headed to KZN this weekend for Max Cluer's Triple Challenge. It's a multisport event with a 23km trail run, 50-off kilometres of mountain biking and 18km paddle on Inanda Dam. The event allows for various team formats; we're entering two pairs and we'll do all disciplines in our pairs (there are relay options too).

Lisa will be racing with Adri and Steven will race with Lizelle.

Super rogaine

2010-11-03T22:15:00.001+02:00

This past weekend Steven and Lisa ran as a pair in the annual 8hr rogaine, a time-limited, point-score orienteering discipline. Adri also competed, running with her adventure racing teammate, Con. Lizelle S missed the event as she was wrapping up her final project for her studies.

Lisa's report on the rogaine is on her blog at adventurelisa.blogspot.com

Weekend fun

2010-10-17T23:22:00.000+02:00

We had a whopper weekend with the Energizer Night Relay on Friday night, a 24km trail run at Suikerbosrand on Saturday morning and a 16km paddle training session on Sunday afternoon at Germiston Lake.

The links above direct you to posts on Lisa's 'Adventure Lisa' blog.

All dressed up for the Energizer Night Relay

A most amazing morning at Suikerbosrand - fresh green grass and lots of eland

Irresistible…

2010-10-17T21:53:00.000+02:00

Media Release: Award winners and newcomers bolster record-breaking field for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

One of the main objectives of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is to encourage the
worldwide development of the sport among competent but relatively inexperienced athletes.

Today, with newcomers from around the globe flocking to test themselves in this
internationally acclaimed event, is widely considered as an obligatory stop on the adventure racing calendar. This ability to continuously refresh the field by attracting new and eager talent to the race is due in part to the ongoing ADTA awards programme inaugurated in 2008.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority introduced the scheme to aid new, highly competitive teams wishing to pursue a racing career on the international scene. As in the past, partnerships with existing events or organisations within the AR community were established and, through a process of competition or selection, 4 teams will be awarded the race entry fee and return tickets to Abu Dhabi for each team member.

Two of the teams will be chosen via the direct competitive route and must finish as the highest ranking team in a single race or series that has yet to race outside their home territory.

Sweden has already named a squad Statkraft Adventure Team, with expert adventure-racing tactician Arvid Björkroth at the helm of a group of experienced AR athletes. In July he led his team to 4th place in the 950 km Explore Sweden Monster race and was thrilled when his team was presented with the ADTA award. In the USA, the award will be given to the first eligible team past the post in the season closer of the Checkpoint Tracker National Championships, to be run at the end of October. A strong turnout is expected and competition will be understandably fierce throughout the field as all the teams on the series compete in the grand finale where the “winner takes all”.

For her 3rd year running as an ADTA award selector, Lisa de Speville is introducing another hand-picked team of South African newcomers to the international adventure-racing scene. This year Lisa has chosen a squad of three young women and one male who are not only new to international AR but have little experience over the distance and terrain they will encounter on the ADAC.

The other team qualifying through the selection process is from Australian where the SleepMonsters website has drawn up a short list of five teams from the 16 registered for the award. The final decision will be taken during the first week of October when the jury announces the award winning team.

These four novice squads will be competing in a field of 50 teams drawn from at least 20 countries, a majority of which are competing in the race for the first time and have been lured to this universally acknowledged world-class event by its undeniable pedigree. In the words of Hadi Masron, captain of race rookies Sart Ecorace (Singapore): "Other teams on the international circuit were already saying the ADAC was fast becoming the toughest race in the world. Well who could resist that challenge?"

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi‐adventure.com/

Teams rush in as word goes out

2010-10-11T22:50:00.000+02:00

Media Release: Word of mouth is driving huge interest in the 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, we look at what some of the team’s have to say….

Mughamarah (UAE)
Since July Mughamarah has been following a comprehensive fitness and training programme, involving general fitness and endurance training, focusing on the specific disciplines featured in the race and honing equipment and technical skills. Team captain Jean-Marc Laventure reveals this expat team’s goals: “Deepen existing friendships and build new ones; experience the adventure and Abu Dhabi’s stunning natural landscapes; seeing how well we can perform in some of the world’s toughest conditions and against some of the world’s best prepared teams.” But they’ve also done their homework… “From our analysis of previous editions of the race, any section can become difficult if the conditions are unfavourable. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the worst: sandstorms; extreme heat or cold; no wind or extreme waves on the sea-kayaking section.”

Sart Ecorace (Singapore)
Familiar faces on the international circuit, Sart Ecorace couldn’t resist the chance to try out the Abu Dhabi event: ”Word was going round from other teams on the circuit about how the ADAC was fast becoming one of the toughest races in the world. Who could resist that?“ confessed Hadi Masron. “We are also particularly eager to gain as much race knowledge and experience as possible from the other professional teams in this race.” They are certainly taking the words of their fellow athletes very seriously, maximising their participation in other regional-international races and reviewing gear and recovery rates in the run up to the ADAC. “We are concentrating our training routine on kayaking, running and biking,” Hadi concluded.

4 Empty Quarters (UAE)
Another expat team flying the flag is drawing on previous experience and rigorous personal preparation in the hope of improving on their 2009 result. “For all of us, the challenge of competing in such a long duration event coupled with the opportunity to see Abu Dhabi in a different way is immensely motivating,” explains Robin McGowan. “We are comfortable working together but as many of us travel quite extensively, group training is tough, so we are concentrating on our own individual training plans. However, weekends are reserved for working on the practical aspects of team coordination and, in particular, on biking and kayaking. None of us have a strong kayaking background and so maintaining a good pace on the sea-kayaking leg is going to be the biggest challenge…” Robin reveals. But this time around ambitions and expectations are running high: “Last year we had a simple goal which was to just complete the course – this year we are still relaxed about our participation but want to push it a little more targeting the longer options and trying to see just how far we can push ourselves,” he added.

ADTA Award winners can't lose

2010-10-09T22:45:00.000+02:00

Media Release - When Adventure Challenge organisers, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), essentially hands your team a spot on the starting line and a chance to experience one of the world’s greatest outdoor events as part of its dedicated awards scheme, you can’t help but feel like a winner.

In the USA, competition for the much coveted Checkpoint Tracker slot is understandably intense as the Checkpointtracker National Champs approaches at the end of October. A number of teams are in contention for the ADTA Award slot with current table leaders, Wedali from Minneapolis, looking like firm favourites. Competition remains fierce and any of the five leading teams could catch them and steal top spot as the series reaches its climax.

For the first time the Australian arm of Sleepmonsters has been chosen to select a team from among its very highly competitive stable. A short list of five teams from the 16 registered for the award will be drawn up the first week of October with final selection being made by jury.

In her third year running as an ADTA Award ambassador, Lisa de Speville is throwing caution to the wind by introducing a team of South African rookies to the arcane arts of adventure racing. “This time my focus was on a 'girls' team, going with three females and one guy format,” said Lisa. “I'm the only one with trekking and running distance experience. …I really have got myself a novice team!”

A strong runner, experienced orienteer and expert paddler, Lisa’s one potential weakness, biking, is more than offset by the complementary skills of her chosen teammates. Adri van der Westhuyzen only ran her first 24-hour plus race in August but brings powerful mountain biking to the mix while Steven Erasmus has some adventure racing experience behind him. “Steven is a strong runner and biker and over the past three months has developed into a very decent paddler,” Lisa enthused. Completing the team is 22-year-old AR newbie Lizelle Smit, who managed a victory racing in a pair team at the recent Swazi Xtreme - a tough multiday non-stop adventure race in Swaziland. Her strengths are in running and cycling but with almost no paddling experience, she will find the sea-kayaking legs very challenging.

The other team with a bib to its name is Statkraft Adventure Team from Sweden, which boats adventure racing kingpin and expert tactician Arvid Björkroth at the helm of an eclectic group of experienced AR athletes. Arvid, a self-confessed multisports “failure”, was a little surprised in July when he led his team to 4th place in the 950 km Explore Sweden Monster race. He was even more surprised when they presented the team with a pair of socks… and the ADTA Award!

Pernilla Lagergren has been an endurance athlete for some years now and is recognised as one of Sweden’s top AR females. With a penchant for the saddle, she is accomplished on both bikes and horses, and has a keen eye for fatigue levels when the team begins to flag. She is the team’s governor, deciding when to rest and when to go. Team navigator Peter Hagglund is an effective all-rounder and ice hockey player whose engineering streak has landed him with the task of designing the team’s all-important gaiters for the desert trek. Another team member with an air of flair about him is Henrik Enberg. An excellent biker, he was a member of the junior national team and his physical strength and constant high spirits will come in handy for keeping the morale of the team at its peak when the going gets really tough.

What the team lacks in international racing experience, it more than makes up for in determination.

“We would like to beat some of the other Swedish teams but we have no experience in desert racing so we will just train harder,” assures Arvid.

Though the race conditions will be foreign to them the stage format has added appeal: “I like these stage races and it will be great to meet the other teams in night-camps,” he concluded.

The Lesser Spotted Lammergeyer Mountain Challenge

2010-09-30T12:04:00.000+02:00

Keane and Adri went through to this event over the long weekend. This is Keane's report of the race.

What a weekend for racing and breaking mental and physical boundaries!

Adri and I travelled down to Aliwal North this weekend to visit some family and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Witteberg mountain range. It’s a beautiful part of our country and any adventure racer’s dream training ground with breathtaking mountain peaks, rugged trekking terrain and the Orange river for hours of paddling.

A few weeks back we decided to scout for events in the area over the same weekend and came across the Lammergeyer Mountain Challenge. It seemed like the perfect event to do the Saturday morning with the start time being 7am at the local sports club in Lady Grey.

The event was hosted by local farmers, Anna-Marie en Pieter, which promised a true and vibrant feel of the area of which it came to deliver on both. This was a totally different race to what you will find in Gauteng. Most of the competitors being local and those who were not travelled from far and wide giving the 4Peaks a skip to attend this challenge. 73 competitors, from young to old(75),from strong to first time trail runners pitched up for the event.

The Lammergeyer route is a unique route and runs through the Skyrun and Wartrail routes for the first 12km. The race starts with an easy run through the town towards the foot of the Witteberg mountain range that has pain and sweat on the menu for the day . Before the race we decided we would go out and break through some mental and physical boundaries and we definitely selected the best race to do this. I joined up with two sub 8hours comrades runners and Adri set the pace in her own group pulling and motivating other runners all the way to the end.

Hitting the foot of the mountain, our 10km-700m climb started with warmed up legs and steady heart rates. We tackled the old Lesotho paths to the highest point in the challenge at approx the 11km mark from where we descended via the third highest mountain pass in South-Africa, the Joubert Pass. Pacing ourselves down the long and painful pass we finally got to see the town. Just as we thought we were as good as done, we got the signal to make an unexpected left turn away from town up the last climb and then turn back towards the end. Looking at the time we realized we could finish this challenge in an even better time than planned so the pace was lifted and pain pushed aside. Coming round the final turn, with legs burning and lungs pumping, it was the smell of pure “boere wors” and the look of friendly faces that kept us going.

The race was well organized and one of the better races I have ever participated in. Anna-Marie and Pieter ensured that we had a clearly marked route, water point every 3km, T-Shirt, Medal and a guaranteed spot prize for every entrant. They might as well have called the race the White Indian Tiger Mountain Challenge considering that we never saw a Lammergeyer, droppings, or any form of evidence of their existence.

We arrived as total strangers and left with dozens of new friends to visit on our next trip. One thing is for sure, you need to be twice as fit for one of these local farm races to compensate for the social chatting that carries on through the entire race. Much better than running next to a Joburg boy with his ipod plugged in!

Start! Ready to run

Keane in action

Adri in action

Altitude profile

Dinner for eight

2010-09-18T22:27:00.000+02:00

Last night we had a lovely team braai at Adri's place. Since we normally see each other at races and for paddle sessions, it was nice to get together in a social environment.

Team www.AR.co.za and supporters: Lizelle v/d M and Wiehan (her husband) at the back; Adri, Lizelle Smit, Keane (centre), Lisa and Steven in the middle row; Charl (Lizelle S's partner) right in front.

Race Schedule

2010-09-08T16:16:00.000+02:00

The race schedule for this year's event has been updated on the race website. It really is a flip-around from the previous two years.

Wednesday, December 8th

Arrival of the teams.
Night in Abu Dhabi (included in the entry fee).

Thursday, December 9th
Team Briefing: 8.30AM to 10.00AM
Technical verifications: 10.00AM to 2.00PM
Opening ceremony: 6.30PM
Location : Hotel in Abu Dhabi

Day 1, December 10th
Start of the race
Prologue (paddle, running, swiming): app. 20 kms
Mountain Bike section: app. 30 kms
Running section: app. 6,3 kms
Camp and dinner set up by the organisation.

Day 2, December 11th
Mountain Bike section: app. 20 kms
Mountaineering section: 9,8 kms orienteering + Rope Activities
Camp and dinner set up by the organisation.

Days 3 & 4, December 12th & 13th
Mountain Bike section: app. 52 kms
Desert orienteering section: 121 kms with all optional CPs (app. 70 kms with no optional CPs)
Teams will be self sufficient on Day 3 in the desert.
Camp and dinner set up by the organisation on Day 4.

Days 5 & 6, December 14th & 15th
Sea Kayak section: app. 128 kms with all optional CPs (app. 110 kms with no optional CPs).
Teams will be self sufficient on Day 5 on an island (day 5).

Day 6
Finish of the race in Abu Dhabi.
Prize giving ceremony in Abu Dhabi: 6.00PM
Night in Abu Dhabi (included in the entry fee)

Thursday, December 16th
Teams leave Abu Dhabi.

Challenge goes from strength to strength

2010-09-08T15:13:00.000+02:00

Media Release: The record number of teams registered for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge confirms the international status and unique appeal of the world’s premier event.

Since its inception in 2007, the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge has built on previous accomplishments, bringing ever-increasing numbers to its ranks further cementing its position as the world’s premier adventure race. 2010 has not only confirmed this trend but also surpassed all expectations, as teams hailing from around the globe have hurried to sign on for what has become - among the adventure racing community - the most significant race on the international circuit.

Of the 48 teams certain of a place on the starting line in Abu Dhabi City, 16 have already competed in the Challenge. Some of these top-flight contenders have undergone subtle changes in the hope of adding the world’s most coveted AR prize to their list of credentials while others are returning hoping their previous experiences could give them the competitive edge.

The most successful combination to date, New Zealand’s Richard and Elina Ussher, whose teams have won the event every year, are certain to make their new-look ‘Thule Adventure Team’ a four-time favourite but, as in the past, they will be up against some serious opposition.

Marc Balaskovic heads up the French presence with Vibram Lafuma, who are aiming for another crack at the top three, while Marc Pschebizin has joined forces with Swiss team Wenger. Expectations are understandably high for Coming Soon, an enigmatic amalgamation of nationalities featuring France’s Myriam Guillot, Jacky Boisset and Kiwis Jacob Roberts and Marcel Hagener - three of whom have never finished outside the event’s top five.

Spain’s Salomon Santiveri has lured the multitalented Monica Aguilera back into the squad while local heroes, Al Moughamiroun, with Eric Jeanne at the helm, will draw on their past experience in a bid for glory. Back again is Germany’s Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team, led by ace triathletes, Faris Al-Sultan and Werner Leitner, while a handful of Russian teams can look to Artem Rostovtsev and Chasing Daylight to lead the way.

The overall figures are impressive, 48 teams representing at least 20 different nations with two thirds of them coming to the Challenge for the first time. This is further proof of the event’s established international profile and enduring importance. Some countries with strong adventure racing roots, like USA, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Poland, all have three teams in this wide-ranging field while UK and France are upping the ante with four teams each.

Inspired by the excellent performance of the Dragons last year, China is sending two teams. By far the most impressive contingent is from the UAE, with no fewer than eight teams eager to measure themselves against all comers on what is essentially home territory. Turkey, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Norway and Italy complete the list.

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Swazi X vs ADAC

2010-09-06T19:29:00.002+02:00

I asked Christiaan Greyling (Team AR for ADAC 2008) to compare his memories of the pace and intensity of ADAC 2008 to his experiences at the recent 3-day Swazi Xtreme, which each of the new team members also raced. Chris' comments are below:

How would the Abu Dhabi Adventure challenge (ADAC) compare to the Swazi extreme? The best way to explain this will be to break it up in smaller chunks/stages and disciplines.

There is a time in every multi-day race when your physical ability reaches the limit and you are only pushed forward by your mental ability. This is when the well-known questions fly through your head like screensavers: “Why am I doing this?”, “Is this even possible?” and “This is insane!”.

Let's start off with my most unforgettable stage at ADAC – a 87km, 10.5 hour of sea kayaking the Arabian Gulf! Maybe the fact that I did not paddle more than 12km at a time before the race made this the hardest stage in my racing career. This stage was on day three of the 2008 ADAC following a 14km and a 30km paddle on the two days prior (prologue on Day 1 and first part of the paddle stage on Day 2).

After day two (50km Mtb & 30km paddle) it felt like my shoulders were lying beside me on the island sand where we camped the night. It took me an hour of sleep, a team picnic in the tent and lots of food before I felt like I will be able to complete three times that distance the following day.

The best part of an AR is when you wake-up the following morning to a sunrise on an island to see 80 kayaks lined up on the beach, ready to break the still water. To my surprise the pain was gone, but I soon realised that I would I have to battle with my own worst enemy – my mind.

How do you keep on paddling for ten and a half hours without seeing land to measure your progress? Left, right, left, right and so it went on… And I did the maths - we used more than 28 000 strokes to get us to the finish line! It seems like my team mates were fine with this fact. I was used to progress on foot or on a mtb, so “this was totally insane” kept appearing in my mind. What can be compared to this monster paddle stage?

Probably, my longest non-stop stage in AR was the last MTB stage in the Swazi Xtreme, which we started just before sunset and finished just before sunrise – a 12 hour 87km MTB, or, as all competitors would say later, it was a hike-a-bike rather than a MTB stage. It is difficult to compare apples with onions, but if you were a non-biker attempting this last stage of Swazi you may have a feeling of what to expect in Abu Dhabi. Funny enough, I enjoyed this stage because of my mtb experience and the previous night’s sleep. So the moral of the story is – be prepared!

Beside the intensity of the stages in Abu Dhabi, I think it depend on your previous experience in each discipline. The fact that you sleep each night makes it much easier to compete the next day for 12 hours or more. The MTB in 2008 was no major challenge, but I know the introduction of a full day of mountain biking and a big sand storm changed the picture in 2009. The hiking leg was long and an even longer one can be expected, but I am sure with Swazi Experience the new Team http://www.ar.co.za/ will be able to cross that bridge.

Being out in the desert with only your team in the middle of a moonlight night is definitely the most unforgettable experience. This race was a highlight in my AR career. It created great opportunities and gave me a solid benchmark in life towards what I aim to to accomplish with the power of our Creator.

Go out, seize the opportunities in life, make the best of it and when the going gets tough, the tough race even harder.

Team AR not alone in the desert

2010-08-30T09:58:00.002+02:00

This year, Team www.AR.co.za is one of three South African teams taking part in the 4th edition of the annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC). The other two are Team Cyanosis and Hard Day's Night.

Team Cyanosis' members include: Nicholas Mulder, Clinton Mackintosh and Ryno Griesel. Their female team member is still to be confirmed.

Hard Day's Night is Alex Pope (he raced in Team www.AR.co.za in Dec 2009 at ADAC), Jane Swarbreck, Tim Deane and Alan Neate.

There's going to be a great Souff Afrikan vibe in the Emirates!

Team www.AR.co.za selected for ADAC2010

2010-08-27T19:06:00.000+02:00

In June, six adventure racers – four women and two men - were selected from written applications for the Team www.AR.co.za squad. Over a period of two-and-a-half months, these Gauteng-based squad members have attended paddle coaching sessions, training on dams twice a week through the dead of winter to improve their technique and proficiency. They’ve practised their rope skills and they have participated in sprint and one-day adventure racing events including the recent non-stop, multi-day adventure race Swazi Xtreme. Now, with just over three months until the start of the 4th edition of the annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC) in December 2010, the members for Team www.AR.co.za have been selected.

The process of selection for the three places on Team www.AR.co.za began with the submission of written applications from which six squad members were recruited. After three months of training and racing the three racers to make up the mixed-gender, four-person team captained by experienced adventure racer, Lisa de Speville, were chosen. “In previous years, my ADAC teams were chosen from written applications. This year, because I received notice of our entry, which is sponsored by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, earlier, I was able to change the selection process,” de Speville says.

“Managing and choosing from a squad has been more difficult for me because I have gotten to know and train with these talented, competent and compatible racers; all super people with common racing objectives,” she adds. “We ‘lost’ Ilze Jansen van Rensburg in early July after an emergency eye operation put a halt on her training and racing for weeks.”

The choosing of only three from the five squad members - Adri van der Westhuyzen, Keane Ludig, Lizelle Smit, Lizelle van der Merwe and Steven Erasmus - has weighed heavily on de Speville’s mind. “I’ve played over and over with all kinds of combinations and they would all work well. But, I had to settle on just three. In making my final selection I’ve looked at age, experience, ambitions as well as opportunities that they currently have or could have as a result of being part of the squad and team.”

The selected team members are Adri van der Westhuyzen, Lizelle Smit and Steven Erasmus. Keane Ludick and Lizelle van der Merwe are the team’s reserves, ready to jump in should they be needed. “In previous years we’ve had stress fractures, injuries, illnesses and lost passports crop up weeks and days before departure. The role of a reserve is not an easy one, especially when you really want to go to Abu Dhabi. Keane and Lizelle’s ongoing commitment to training and the team is really special and reassuring,” explains de Speville. They will all continue to paddle together and work on skills and disciplines needed for the six-day semi-staged race in Abu Dhabi.

Although the most common team composition is three men and one woman, Team www.AR.co.za has flipped things around with their female-weighted team, which will be a first at the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Erasmus is the only man in the team. “The women that have been chosen are great people and they are all really strong. It is going to be different to the standard team format but I'm also sure that it's going to be fun too. Women bring a special balance to teams,” he says.

With three months until race day, the team is looking ahead as they focus specifically on paddling and running.

Contact

Lisa de Speville, 082 936-2509

lisa@ar.co.za , www.ar.co.za

About www.AR.co.za

www.AR.co.za is South Africa’s adventure racing website. Event calendar, news, race reports, articles... www.AR.co.za is about everything adventure racing. The website was started in April 2001 by adventure racer Lisa de Speville. She continues to maintain and edit this website.

About Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge

This six-day semi-staged adventure race is held every December in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The event attracts top teams from around the World, with participants from almost 30 countries. Disciplines included are sea kayaking, desert trekking, canyoneering and mountain biking. South Africa is one of five countries to receive an entry (incl. flights) from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority as part of their generous Awards programme. http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Keane's views on Swazi

2010-08-16T22:37:00.000+02:00

Keane raced Swazi PRO with Team Numa Optics. They had many challenges to work through, coming out of the race with new friendships.

I had the great opportunity to race with Team Numa Optics. My team mates, Sam,Waldus and Karel were awesome partners. We entered the starting line without ever racing together or really knowing each other. But we got along very well from the day we met each other, two weeks prior to the Swazi.

I started off the race in high spirits and excitement knowing that I'm about to tackle one of the most rewarding AR races. Our first leg started off well and we got into transition within our planne time. The following bike leg carried on much longer than expected. We went for all the optionals not knowing what would lie ahead. We missed one OP and spent two hours looking for it. Finally got it and moved.

Seven hours into the race, Karel started to have some serious issues with his knees, which slowed us down to walking speed. He wanted to stand back and forfeit the race. We encouraged him to carry on,which he did but only for another hour when he really started to battle. The final decision was made by the team and Karel unfortunately opted out of the 2010 Swazi X Pro on day one.

We managed to carry on pretty strong from there. Going through the various legs staying focused on our goal and kept on pushing through all the challenges.

On the second paddle leg I suffered a serious injury. We were approaching a rapid when we over steered the canoe and capsized it. In this process my left hand got stuck to the canoe and pulled my shoulder out of joint. I ended up drifting downstream for about 50m when my teammates pulled me out. I went into shock and the guys covered me with a space blanket to try and keep me warm. After about five minutes the helicopter landed right next to us and airlifted me out to the transition area. My shoulder got "popped" back into place and I took a 60 min nap.

When I woke up I was determined to carry on and finish the race. We missed the last two legs on Day Two and started off on sunday for the final two legs. We decided that it would be fine for me to carry on but to rather skip the rope work section to prevent any further injury to my shoulder.

We were looking forward to the final leg and I was excited to carry on with the race. We managed to cover 40 km of the last leg when Waldus started to suffer from ITB. At this point Sam informed me that we should stop and give our seconds a call to come and pick us up.

This meant that we have reached the end of our race. It was a difficult decision to make and one I hopefully would never have to make again. It was a sad moment for the three of us, coming so close but yet so far.

All in one nutshell:

We had some serious set backs in the race,with Karel's injury to my shoulder to Waldus' ITB.
We formed a strong bond early in the race, which was important to us knowing that we hardly knew each other.
My personal highlight of the race was when I got numerous opportunities to navigate.
It turned out to be an extraordinary learning curve. One I will never forget. My list of lessons learned is endless.
It was a rough and tough race, exactly what I expected.
I had a great time with a bunch of great guys.
Thanks again guys for an unforgettable experience.

Keane Ludick

Swazi (E)xperiences (Lizelle v/d M.)

2010-08-13T13:22:00.000+02:00

Lizelle v/d Merwe took part in Swazi Xtreme in a novice team guided by experienced racer Stephan Muller. With 10 years of adventure racing behind him, there was no better person to lead Team Kinetic to victory. This is Lizelle's experience:

Xtreme is one word that summarises the whole event for me. Each leg was long, each leg was a battle, each leg was tough, each leg was wishing for transition, each leg was grace from above and each and every transition AMAZING. On the bike legs I wished for a hike, on the hiking legs I wished for a bike, on the paddling legs I just wanted to get out of the water and wished for transition. Against all this, I can definitely recall a smile, adrenaline and giggles on each and every leg.

I am still trying to make sense of all the legs, the flow of the race and when what happened. As a novice racer in the Swazi Xtreme race, I had no idea what to expect. Luckily for us, we had the most experienced AR racer in our team as navigator and knew from the start that we would be in good hands. I expected the worst as I could recall horror stories told by past Swazi Xtreme racers.

From the beginning we could feel and see that Xtreme is definitely the word that would summarise this event. Bike & hike distances were a mindset change for me as kilometres started to become irrelevant as every leg started to become a survival to get to the next transition. Every transition was a uplift for our team, as we had the best seconds in the whole wide world, thanks Heidi, Shauni and Oom Louis. Together with long distances, I had to fight the sleep monster on the third night. Falling asleep on my bike, was no pleasant experience, but definitely a wake-up call!

You only realise in what state you are when you look at your teammates, look in their faces and realise the funny things they are doing and saying. The words: “If you think you can’t go further, then you are only halfway” became such a reality for me during this race!

Highlights for me would definitely be the little pool of water we found on top of the mountain during a midday 'kloofing leg' in extremely hot weather. Stephan and I wet our clothes in the pool after almost dehydrating and felt so much better after this. Another thing was the school children gathered around us and looking at us as if we were aliens from another planet. Luckily the children were full of energy and pushed me up the hill with lots of giggles and enthusiasm. Then a swinging scary bridge was a good way to keep the adrenaline pumping on a 93km bike leg.

The rest of the race is a bit of a blur as I cannot recall what came after what. BUT who can forget the last leg, pushing bikes down a mountain and then on the other side up in an area where you wish you never find yourself again!!!

However, our team kept the 'fort' and slowly but surely we were putting the kilometres in the bag, and still waiting for the last, quick and easy 30km we were promised to the finish line. However a warm welcome and celebration was waiting at the finish line, as we were the first official team to arrive. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME it felt to be at the end!! Although I only realised the WIN a little bit later.

And now, how do you explain to people what you went through? How can you ever look at life the same? How do you expect people to understand this? It has been a life experience and character building, which you can only share with teammates and people who went through the same suffering!!!!!!

Thanks for everyone involved in making this event my most memorable event ever. Thanks for all the hard work and time that went into the organising of such a big event. Thousands of thanks to the best teammates ever, thanks for pushing, dragging, carrying and helping me! Thanks Stephan for spot-on navigation and not making me go more miles. Thanks to Danie, wow where do you get your strength from! Thanks to my husband, who made sure I was fine the whole time and who prayed for us the whole time. To our seconds, never could we have done this without you guys, you knew exactly what we needed when. Thanks for making transitions quick and AWESOME. Thanks for serving us the way you guys did!

Lizelle van der Merwe, Team Kinetic

Scouting for a venue and organising your own adventure race

2010-08-11T23:21:00.001+02:00

Adri's team, Lickety Split, are organising an adventure race later this year. They have put in a lot of time and preparation scouting and planning this event. Adri tells of her experiences and learnings and her forway into navigation.

I joined Team Lickety Split in April 2009, not really knowing anything about the sport other than you get to see our country at its beautiful best. My more 'mature' team members slowly introduced me to terminology such as "transition", "legs", "checkpoints", "optional points", "breakfast stop", "elevensies" and a whole lot more on the joys of life outside the city.

Navigation/map reading was always something left for our 2 very capable navigators in the team. But I am curious by nature, and like to know whats happening, so I signed up for one of Lisa's navigational courses on a July week night from 18h30 - 21h30.

For almost a year Team Lickety Split shared their 'call' to organise their own race. And it wasn't till January this year that one of the team members visited a calm and un-raced territory and claimed it as our race area for the event we call: Balele Tracks.

How do you scout for an area to organise a race??? I'd say it's more a question of how to connect-the-dots and curiosity about the area that urges you to organise a race. You find a good start/ finishing spot and then start networking with local farmers and the tourism board, who are generally very keen to help promote the area and assist in the organising of the event.

So, with most things in place and maps organised, we set out to 'do' our own race on the 17th & 18th July. This was a 'fool-proof test', with me as the novice navigator.

And wow, what a joy. I really enjoyed it. Picking routes, reading the topographical details and comparing it to what I see around me. Working out the average time spent on foot per kilometer (bikes are easier with spedo's. And pedo's... I havent tried yet). Explaining to my team what I plan on doing next and where we are heading. As much as I like to know where we are, I now had to keep the team in-the-loop too. Communication is so important in this sport to make sure everyone is on the same page and that they have the same goal in mind.

So yes, I broke the ice with regards to navigation and can only encourage others to take the bull by the horns and deal with it once & for all!

Your racing will be a whole lot different, your Sunday afternoon stroll in the local park will be different. You'll see the (mostly) logic behind the roads in and around our country and how these roads largely follow topographical lines, etc.

Here's to navigation and organising your own race!

Adri van der Westhuyzen

Swazi Xtreme (Lisa)

2010-08-11T23:09:00.001+02:00

Lisa's report on her race at Swazi Xtreme is on her blog at http://adventurelisa.blogspot.com/2010/08/final-swazi-xtreme.html

Swazi Xtreme (Lizelle S)

2010-08-11T23:08:00.001+02:00

This weekend was the 10th and final Swazi Xtreme. We all raced, in different teams. Lizelle Smit raced in a mixed pair with experienced racer, Nathan Thompson. They were the first placed pair. Lizelle has written of her experience at this race, her first multiday adventure race, below.

Must say, my body has never in my life ached this much, but can feel I am getting some of my strength back...hopefully. Must say I absolutely love telling all the stories about the race to all my friends and family. It sounds so hard core, guess due to the fact that it was a hard-core race. Here is a brief report on my experiences.

The Swazi Extreme was an event of ALL firsts for me. I did my first ever three-day non-stop event, my first proper river paddle, my first jumar and finally my first ever cliff jump. In a sense, I expected this race to be hard, being the Swazi and all, I had no idea however, it was going to be PURE TORTURE at some stages.

This event made me realise that no-one can ever be able to predict what will happen in an event. If the distance before the event states 250km, don't bargain too much on that figure. Luckily, with my more experienced racing partner Nathan Thompson, we were able to push through the painful moments, which mainly came about the last day, to
acheive a first place in the pair category. This race for me was about finishing at any cost, even if it meant I had only one hour of sleep throughout the event. I think in some stages the lack of sleep helped me to get over the fact that this was a HARD race....as I saw some cool elephants, big crocs and massive frogs jumping around, all of these minor illusions definitely gave me some funny moments to look back on.

At the end of the day my racing partner had to pull me through and he did it flawlessly, I realise that racing in pairs is a lot harder than it seems, especially if you are a girl, having to carry your own weight and all, yet I managed to do it. I have done some tough races in my life but this one was by far the most challenging. Having being able to finish it gave me the largest sense of acheive thus far in my life. Now trying to recover, I think back and all I know is that all the pain and suffering was WORTH IT!! Plus being pampered by loved ones afterwards makes it even more worth while ;)

I dare say that I look forward to planning my next adventure, as I am now, without a doubt, a complete adventure racing addict... hopefully I will remain one for the rest of my life, which in this sport may not get me to a 100, but who cares if you experiece the amazing things we have at Swazi Xtreme and to have met people that you otherwise would not have.

Lizelle Smit

Lizelle (the other one) on racing

2010-07-20T22:22:00.002+02:00

Lizelle v/d Merwe was also at Kinetic Full Moon and the Diamond Dash Duathlon.

These are her experiences...

Full Moon

Full Moon made me realise that AR is an addiction. During the race, sometimes I ask myself if it is a good addiction, BUT after the race you realise what SATISFACTION there is in completing a race where you went through hard tough times, freezing your bones off, getting lost and fighting the sleep monster. What is AR without these things? That's why we do AR and not just running or cycling events. IT IS AN ADVENTURE, NEVER KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT!

Full Moon was definitely an adventure for me and good preparation for longer races coming up. I am always amazed with the areas and terrain that we go through. The human body can do so much more than what prepared for. I know there is a saying: never look back in life, BUT I think that during a long adventure race you have to take time to stop and look at the terrain, hills, mountains, miles and areas you have overcome. For me, this makes the road ahead so much more rewarding and any mountain or hill ahead then looks so much easier!

Also a highlight of the event, is socialising, gathering and chatting to people that also went through the same experiences over the past 24 hours. I always learn so much from just listening to what worked and what did not work for other teams and then comparing it with our own experience.

Diamand Dash Duathlon
I woke up the morning with a bit of a flu, but decided to still race just for the exercise of it. We kicked off at 09:00 with a 8km trail run. At +- 5/6 km we realised that there were no arrows and bunting on our road anymore. So it kind of felt more like an adventure race for me, but the duathlon and trail run people were not so pleased. So we backtracked until back on the road.

I got to the transition and off I went on the 21km mountain biking. Slowly but surely I battled my way through the 21km, as it was very technical and lots of sand. You had to fight for every metre. I fell twice (thought I broke something in my knee!), but up I went to complete the last few kilometres of the biking leg. I didn't see any ladies the whole way, so I thought that I am definitely at the back and have to gear up a bit. So pushing a little harder, I eventually saw a girl and passed her just before the end of the biking leg.

Heidi said she would like to get in some exercise for the day, so the two of us went for the last 2km run. Not realising what my position was, we cruised with lots of chats. In the last 1km the girl that I passed on the cycling leg passed us and off she went to finish the last bit. I CAN KICK MYSELF, because what I didn't realise was that the girl that has passed me was now in 1st position. I ended up in 2nd place and that girl was 1st.

So I learned from my mistake: THE RACE IS NEVER OVER UNTIL YOU GET TO THE FINISH LINE!! Another thing I have learned is that you always always always have to give your best up until the end, no matter what you think your position is or even if you think you are last, just keep on going and do your BEST. The Duathlon was good exercise, but still do I love adventure racing so much more.

Lizelle's racing experiences

2010-07-19T21:29:00.000+02:00

We've all had quite a lot of racing recently with Kinetic Full Moon and Ystervark - both overnight races - and Diamond Dash all happening over the past four weeks.

Lizelle (Smit) has written the following about her recent experiences and lessons learned about adventure racing from these races.

During my recent adventure racing endeavours, I learned that one can never use the saying, 'this is going to be easy'. Doing predominantly on-road triathlons for the past four years, I am used to thinking of 80-120km races as being short and relatively fast. Hence, mainly a 4-5 hour race. What adventure racing has taught me is that distance cannot be measured in time. It can take up to 12-19 hours to complete 'short' distances.

I realised that advenutre racing is filled with elements of surprise, such as a freezing night-time paddling legs, steep kloofing sections and amazing abseils, which we experienced in both the Full Moon and Ystervark races. It is a sport in which you constantly wonder where you are heading and whether you are in the right place; especially if you are hanging off a cliff at 2am. Yes, this sport has no marked routes that you can practice before hand or get used to. Routes depend mainly on your navigators.

This sport is very much a team sport; without the help of your team, there is no way you will complete the race. There is no such thing as ME or I, only US and WE.

At both Full Moon and Ystervark we were faced with the task of taking on the winter cold head-on. Usually in triathlons one is scared of swimming in water that is 20C without a wetsuit. In adventure racing we were in water that was 8C and we had to carry on racing, with soaking wet clothes, in outside temperatures that were below -1C!

At Full Moon I thought,"this is the last winter event I will EVER do". Yet two weeks later I found myself at yet another cold and wet event (Ystervark). Luckily, I had my very supportive boyfriend Charl, who was more than willing to join me for each event, and one of my favourite racing partners, Nathan.

In triathlons you are always aiming to better your time but I found that with adventure racing it is a matter of ensuring that you manage to cross the finishline (no matter what your time is), with all your team members.

Perhaps it is the thrill of finishing and the feeling of accomplishment you get after you have had some of Mother Nature's bum-kick sessions, that gets you addicted to the sport and makes you look forward to the next challenge.

Ilze eye op successful; withdrawn from squad

2010-07-07T00:36:00.000+02:00

Ilze underwent an eye operation on Friday, which was scheduled last minute due to complications following an infection (from an insect that flew into her eye and made itself at home!). The operation was successful but her doc has advised her to keep a low profile on the racing and training side for a few weeks while she recovers and heals.

As a result, Ilze has decided to withdraw from the Team http://www.ar.co.za/ squad. I fully support her decision and doctor's advice; health and wellness should always be priorities placed above everything else. There are races all the time, year-round and, as a talented and enthusiastic athlete, I have little doubt that Ilze will encounter many other exciting opportunities in the future.

Ropes skills workshop morning

2010-07-04T17:33:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we were in for a treat! Ryno Griesel (Team Cyanosis; and from Gravity Training) organised a basic rope skills course for us. He recruited a number of Gravity Training instructors to assist; we were not short of personal attention - very special indeed!

Ryno started off by going over some basic kit - harnesses, carabiners, slings... thing commonly used in adventure racing. A really fun component of the course was the 10m and 20m emergency rope and what to do with it. This sounds kinda arbitrary but it is definitely something worth paying attention to in your race preparations. Also, it is one thing to lower someone down on a rope, but how then does the last person get down AND retrieve the rope afterwards.

Ryno demonstrates things to do with your emergency rope

Ryno also taught us useful and essential knots like figure 8-on the bite, Italian (Munter) hitch, bowline and an alpine butterfly. The latter can be used as a makeshift harness too!

My apline butterfly. Lizelle in the background making her knot.

On a low wall we simulated 'going over the edge of an abseil' using three different devices - Figure 8, bug (belay plate) and a Petzl Stop. We also learned the techniques to lock off these devices. Cristelle, Jaco and Susan supervised and guided us through each step.

Then it was on to the high structure (old drive-in screen), which had been rigged by Gravity's instructors, Jaco and Louis. We climbed up three times to abseil with two devices and a Munter hitch (on a pear-shaped carabiner), locking off mid-air before completing the descent.

As I haven't jumared for ages, I did a quick session with Ryno to refresh on adjusting the length of the foot loops and also the length from the upper jumar to my harness. It's something I don't always remember because I practise this so seldom. And then I climbed up a bit, attached my abseil devices, locked off, detached the jumars and then abseiled down. It was fabulous fun!

Ryno, thank you for organising this for our squad and for taking us through ropes elements most important and relevant to adventure racing. And to your Gravity Training instructors, Christelle, Jaco, Louis and Susan, we really appreciate your expertise and your morning spent with us.

Adri and Steven practise knots

"The rabbit goes into the hole, around the tree and then where?" - Steven ties a bowline

Charl (Lizelle's boyfriend), Lizelle, Adri and Steven

Ja, ja. Rules are made to be broken ;) Susan guides Adri.

(Note: Gravity Training are the only ones with permission to use this structure, which they also maintain to certification standards)

Ryno shows Steven how to rig a Petzl Stop

Ropes, ropes everywhere! Lizelle gets the giggles while locking off.

Adri in action!

This time, it's clockwise

2010-07-01T13:01:00.001+02:00

MEDIA RELEASE: Every year since its inception in 2007, we've introduced a slight twist to the event. For 2011 we've literally gone 360 degrees.

In 2007 the race began with a sprint start to the kayaks, parked on the sweeping Corniche Beach in downtown Abu Dhabi City, which was followed by a 118km paddle along the picturesque Al Dhabela coast to Mirfa.

For 2008 we introduced a triathlon-style prologue around the Corniche involving a bike sprint, a short kayaking loop to Lulu Island, a few hundred metres off the beach, with a run around the island thrown in for good measure.

Last year we spiced up the prologue with a 900-metre dip in the city's panoramic lagoon following a run around the stunning Emirates Palace gardens.

But this year the twist is a little more pronounced. Day One will still include the opening prologue in the cosmopolitan heart of Abu Dhabi City but from them on it's about face. The teams will first transfer to the oasis city of Al Aïn, for a confrontation with the rugged outcrops of the Jebel Hafeet range, after which they will traverse East to West across the unforgettable dunes of the Rub al Khali, the largest expanse of unbroken sand in the world - with a final sea kayaking section back to the finish in Abu Dhabi city. This clockwise rotation around the Emirate is sure to introduce some fascinating new race perspectives.

http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Media release: 2010 Challenge Reveals Subtle Changes

2010-06-28T18:48:00.000+02:00

June 28th – The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge retains its traditional end of season slot while changes to the course itinerary and registration fee bring added appeal.

In keeping with the practice established over the last three years, the 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge keeps its December winter slot thanks to the warm Arabian weather found in the emirate at that time of year. This year’s event – the fourth in the series - will take place across the emirate from 10th to the 15th December, slightly later than last year. The six-day endurance race, which places the emphasis on camaraderie and culture, will again start with a triathlon-style prologue in and around the modern, cosmopolitan core of downtown Abu Dhabi City.

However, in contrast to previous years, the teams will then transfer by bus to the Oasis City of Al Aïn, in the East of the emirate, for a confrontation with the rugged outcrops of the Jebel Hafeet mountain range. Next, travelling East to West, they will traverse the vast expanse of the Rub’ al Khali, one of the world’s largest deserts with its rolling 200 metre high dunes, ending the race with a final sea kayaking section back to the finishing line in Abu Dhabi city. This is the first time the race will start and finish in the United Arab Emirate’s capital.

Since its inception in 2007, the race has been hugely successful in revitalizing the sport of Adventure Racing by attracting powerful newcomers from around the globe to compete against seasoned, high-profile squads. In addition to this range of innovative incentives for rookies, this year an “early bird” registration fee has been introduced for the first time. Any team that registers and pays before the end of July will benefit from a €500 reduction on the normal rate of €2,500.

Live race coverage and information at http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Next, rope skills

2010-06-24T22:56:00.000+02:00

Now that paddling is well underway, we're having a go at rope skills on Saturday, 3 July.

Adventure racer (Team Cyanosis), climber and ropes instructor Ryno Griesel will be taking us through the basics of knots useful for adventure racing, ways to use the compulsory 10m/20m rope, gear commonly used as well as various abseil techniques. He has roped in three other instructors to assist so we'll have loads of personal attention.

Ryno, thank you ;)

I sent this photo tonight to the squad to get them excited about ropes.

This was from Swazi Xtreme in 2002. We climbed up through a kind of chimney system within the rock structure, from where the photo is taken. Then we did the zipline in tandem! And then abseiled down. Quite spectacular. As I recall I think this was Team Red Ants on the system. I was just behind them, racing in a paired team.

Freezin' Full Moon

2010-06-24T22:37:00.000+02:00

Most of us are doing Kinetic's Full Moon race on Sat/Sun and right about now most entrants are wondering how good an idea it is to do a race that includes paddling at night in winter - on the highveld. Even the mountain biking is going to turn us into ice blocks! One thing is for sure; we are going to be cold at some stage, regardless of preventative measures. The secret? Keep moving.

Brrr... it's cold, but the good news is that the next bone-chilling cold front is not expected until late-Sunday / Monday.

I'm racing with Steven and Motlatsi, the latter being one of my fellow AR Club members. The other squad members are racing in their own teams with friends.

Check back here on Monday for our feedback from the race.

Paddling progress

2010-06-21T09:43:00.000+02:00

It is really amazing how quickly the squad is progressing with their paddling. Yesterday afternoon we had another session with Russell. He is gradually tweaking posture, body positioning, leg action, arm height, reach and stroke. There are many things to think about and much to absorb - paddling takes a lot of concentration until those neural pathways are built. Piece by piece it is all coming together.

This weekend is Kinetic's Full Moon race - brrrrr... We'll be paddling at night. Yes, in this freezing cold.

While we keep up with the paddling and normal training, I'm also looking at developing the squad's other skills. We'll be doing a rope work session with Ryno on 3rd July and I'm doing navigation skills with the squad on 25 July. This should have them very well equipped for Swazi Xtreme and onward.

First meeting and paddle session

2010-06-13T21:34:00.002+02:00

Today we got together at Emmarentia Dam for the first time; and our first coaching session with Russell Willis. We were fortunate to be joined by Cheryl and Clinton, who drove two of the Accords. The session went very well, something that can clearly be assessed by the lack of swimmers, which is a very good thing. I like to keep paddling and swimming as two separate disciplines.

Russell's focus in today's session was the reach and catch element of the stroke. Going forward the squad will aim for a session a week with Russell for the next 2-3 weeks - to reinforce good habits from the start. Russell will gradually build in other elements of technique like keeping arms high, take-out, posture, power and such. He was really impressed with everyone today - we've got a great base to build on.

Cheryl, Clinton with Lizelle v/d M., Ilze, Lisa, Coach Russell, Lizelle S., Keane, Steven, Adri

Cheryl and Clinton - special thanks to both of you. Also thanks to William for dropping off and fetching the one boat and to Heidi and Stephan for lending their Accord - plus paddles - to us for the next few weeks (and I've still got Mark and Lobby's Accord- thank you friends).

Squad announcement in the media

2010-06-12T21:59:00.001+02:00

Go Multi magazine (online)
G-Sport! (online)

Team www.AR.co.za formation announced in Go Multi

2010-06-11T22:29:00.000+02:00

A snippet in the new edition of Go Multi magazine announcing that a new Team http://www.ar.co.za/ will be selected for ADAC 2010.

Team www.AR.co.za squad announced

2010-06-09T16:13:00.003+02:00

A squad of six adventure racers has been selected from 21 applications for places on Team www.AR.co.za. Only half of the squad members will make the final cut to join adventure racer Lisa de Speville in an unusual three-women-one-man team format at the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge in December 2010.

With six months from squad selection until the 4th edition of the six-day Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, Ms de Speville decided to establish a squad instead of choosing a team outright as she did in 2008 and 2009. “Six months is a long time and anything can happen; from passport issues to injury, a family crisis, work drama... The final team will be chosen after Swazi Xtreme, a 60hr non-stop adventure race in early August,” she explains.

As with previous years, Ms de Speville received applications from many suitable candidates. Her deciding criteria were youth, inexperience and location – selected squad members reside in Jo’burg and Pretoria. “Some applicants had too much experience, which is great for everything else except 'development' initiatives like this - they could probably teach me a trick or two,” Ms de Speville adds, laughing. “Others live in outlying areas where I am unable provide them with sufficient support and infrastructure to prepare them for the race; and a number have the benefit of already racing and training with people with experience who can teach them what I can – minus a trip to Abu Dhabi, that is.”

The Team www.AR.co.za squad members are: Adri van der Westhuyzen (28, Jo’burg), Keane Ludick (26, Pretoria), Ilze Jansen van Rensberg (22, Pretoria), Lizelle Smit (21, Jo’burg), Lizelle van der Merwe (27, Joburg), and Steven Erasmus (28, Jo’burg).

“I’ve got a great bunch here,” says Ms de Speville. “Choosing only two of the women and one of the guys will be a difficult task. But that’s something for August, not now. For the next two months my focus is on equipping each squad member with skills and experience in the disciplines of paddling, navigation and ropes. These skills will benefit their racing long-term.”

The squad meets for the first time on Sunday, for a paddle coaching session.

ends

Contact

Lisa de Speville, 082 936-2509
lisa@ar.co.za , www.ar.co.za
Team Blog: www.teamwwwarcoza.blogspot.com
Event website: http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/

Media appreciation

2010-05-12T10:17:00.000+02:00

Thanks go to the following online avenues for assisting in promotion applications for the 2010 Team http://www.ar.co.za/.

Encouraging applications

2010-05-05T08:52:00.001+02:00

Applications for ADAC2010 are coming in painfully slowly. I'm sure past attendees (Garth, Lauren, Christiaan, Alex, Christo and Francois) will affirm that this race is the most amazing racing and travel experience.

This time around I'm really hoping to recruit another two girls and one guy - it's a wonderful opportunity for female racers wanting to improve their skills and racing so that within a few years you'll be racing strong and competitively.

You don't have to be an experienced paddler - you'll learn. You don't have to be an experienced racer - this event is about gaining experience.

But, you do need to have a love for adventure racing and a desire to continue racing for years to come.

And remember, flights and entry fee are sponsored by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Boats and bikes are provided by the event AND most meals are catered. Amazing!

All info, entry forms etc below on teamwwwarcoza.blogspot.com/

Finally, although I have guidelines around what I'm looking for, even if you're an outlier, still enter because you may be great for the team combination, which is more than just four people thrown together. I try to balance age, experience, personalities etc. And while I've said my plan is to build a squad, if I don't get the applications then I'll select a team outright, with back-ups in place. All depends what happens.

Lisa

Entry criteria

2010-04-26T13:08:00.002+02:00

As outlined in the Entry Form:

• You must be at least 18 by 5 December 2010

• You must have a valid passport with at least two open pages

• Only those who have never taken part in any international adventure race before are eligible for selection.

• I am also leaning towards applicants in their 20’s because this entry is about giving racers experience and building SA’s ‘next generation’ of competitive adventure racers.

• A squad will be chosen by the end of May

• Squad members will be expected to attend paddle coaching sessions with Russell Willis soonest. You will be expected to start paddling, through winter, once or twice a week

• Although I am leaning towards Gauteng-based people, I’m not against selecting from other Provinces provided that I can assist you with a support structure for preparation and training. You will need to come up to Gauteng a few times before Swazi and, if selected, you’ll need to come up a few times before the race.

• Squad members all have to compete in the PRO non-stop race at Swazi Xtreme over the 6-9 August 2010. Lisa will co-ordinate teams.

• The final three will be selected after Swazi Xtreme based specifically on personality compatibility and complimentary strengths for the team. Unfortunately, even if I like you as an individual, my primary consideration is the team as a whole.

• I am aiming for a team of three women and one guy.

• It will cost you around R6,000 to attend the race – team clothing (tops only, you wear your own shorts/pants), odd equipment (available at wholesale prices from the team’s supporters; not much required and stuff can be borrowed), one additional night accommodation in Abu Dhabi (R1,500), travel insurance (around R780).

Team www.AR.co.za to have girl power

2010-04-26T12:46:00.001+02:00

South Africa’s adventure racing website, www.AR.co.za, has received confirmation of their third consecutive entry to the six-day Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC) in December 2010. Every year places on this team have been opened to applications from the adventure racing community. Although this year is no different in terms of the application process, the team’s composition will differ. Going against the usual one-girl-three-guy team format, Team www.AR.co.za’s captain, Lisa de Speville, is looking for two women and one man to accompany her to Abu Dhabi.

“I had superb teams in 2008 and 2009,” says de Speville. “Both teams had a mix of youth and experience and the international experience that these six racers gained at ADAC will stand them in good stead to build their own teams and lead them to international events in years to come.” Some of these racers plan to bring their own competitive teams to ADAC this year.

South Africa has a shortage of competitive female racers with distance experience. “That’s why I want a ‘girl power’ team this year,” she adds. “We need to develop more strong women with experience in multiple disciplines and longer distances to feed into local competitive teams – with a view to see them racing abroad within the next few years.” The team will have one male team member, complying with race requirements for a mixed-gender, four-person team. “He will be one lucky guy to race with three women,” de Speville laughs.

Entries for Team www.AR.co.za are open and racers are invited to complete and submit their application form by mid-May. De Speville will choose a small squad of racers to begin training immediately in the race disciplines of paddling, running and mountain biking. The squad will be required to participate in various events including Swazi Xtreme in early August, after which the final Team www.AR.co.za for ADAC 2010 will be chosen.

“I am very excited about this year’s team already. The squad setup is daunting and I don’t look forward to having to select the final three, excluding the rest,” says de Speville. “But, with eight months to go to Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge I’ve got time to ‘groom’ a bunch of eager young adventure racers. The final three will be chosen for the best combination of personalities, compatibilities and competence for the team.”

The application form and additional information can be found on www.AR.co.za and the team’s blog at http://www.teamwwwarcoza.blogspot.com/.

ENTRY FORM (word doc) - Entries close Friday, 14 May 2010

About Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge
The fourth edition of the annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge takes place from 10-15 December 2010. This six-day race is staged and supported where teams sleep each night after completing long and challenging stages and race organisation provides most – not all – breakfasts and dinners. ADAC provides teams with mountain bikes and double sea-kayaks, minimising the hassle and expense of travel and the teams’ equipment is transported, during the race, from one stage to the next by race organisation. Most of the stages are long and challenging, especially the 120-kilometre sea kayaking and 36hr desert trekking stages.

About Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority Award
Team www.AR.co.za’s participation in the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is made possible by an Award entry from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, which sponsors the team’s flights and entry fee. Four other countries also receive Awards, which are awarded “to help and encourage new, strong teams and competitors who wish to pursue their racing career internationally”.

Contact
Lisa de Speville
Tel: 082 936 2509
Email: lisa@ar.co.za
Web: www.ar.co.za, http://www.teamwwwarcoza.blogspot.com/

New Team www.AR.co.za for ADAC

2010-04-18T21:15:00.002+02:00

http://www.ar.co.za/ is fortunate to receive another Award for the 4th edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, to be held over 10-15 December 2010. The application process will be announced shortly.

ADAC 2010 Announces Dates and Rates

2010-04-18T20:47:00.000+02:00

The only thing more competitive than the stunning Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is our early bird sign-up offer!

A little later than in 2009, this year’s Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will take place from the 10th to the 15th of December. Already established as a “must do” AR season finale, you and your assembled squad of racing champions can look forward to gaining an abundance of cultural and event experience with this pre-holiday adventure through one of the Middle East’s most enchanting and demanding lands.

The race itself promises to be just as tough, just as competitive and just as exciting as in 2009! And with some interesting course amendments mooted for this year, we have given the coming edition an intriguing twist.

In order to help you make up your minds and encourage you not to miss out on this remarkable adventure, we are introducing an “early bird” special reduction of 500€ on the standard registration fee of 2,500€. So if you register and pay before the end of July, you and your team will have – for just 2,000€ - the privilege of competing in what is widely acknowledged as the most exciting and competitive adventure race in the world.

Now this is one race all of you can win!

ADAC09 on Eurosport in March 2010

2010-03-01T15:08:00.000+02:00

Do not miss the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge on Eurosport.

Tune in to EUROSPORT this month for an in-depth, hi-def double feature of the world’s top international adventure race!

Episode 1

3 March at 21:40 with a repeat 17 March at 23:45 and 19 March at 8h30.

Episode 2

10 March at 22:30 with a repeat 24 March at 23:30 and 25 March at 08:30.

(I am guessing this is on France's timezone)

Team www.AR.co.za in First Ascent Newsletter

2010-01-29T19:51:00.001+02:00

The original online version is here, on the First Ascent website.

Photos: Post-race, Sheikh Zayed Mosque

2009-12-12T13:50:00.000+02:00

With the whole day to play before our late night flight, we took advantage of the time to do some sight seeing. Our first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, a kilometre or two from our hotel. Read the Wiki entry (link above). It is a fascinating place.

This courtyard, paved with floral marble designs, covers 17,000m².

57 domes cover the walkways around the courtyard and the main building. I couldn't get low enough to fit in the 115m tall minaretes on the corners of the courtyard.

Women are given an abaya (black outer-garment covering) and shaylah (head scarf) to wear in the mosque. It was really fun to wear and very comfortable and cool. As the guys were wearing shorts, they were given the ankle-length white shirts, kandura, to wear. Seeing the Emirati (and other Arab cultures) around town and the malls - they really look very elegant. The full face coverings are not quite my thing; but the headscarves are quite elegant. As for the men; I do think the kandura and headscarves are pretty cool and when worn properly it looks very elegant. The one racer, who works in Abu Dhabi, told me that the men sometimes get changed three times a day to keep clean!

A room before the main prayer hall. Where the decorations outside and on the outer walls and pillars are intricate inlays, these flowers are in relief.

The World's largest chandelier in the main prayer hall. It is 10m in diameter and 15m in height. There are others - a bit smaller - in this room too. It is very striking and I like that the coloured balls add an element of fun.

Standing on the World's largest carpet in the main prayer hall. The hall accommodates 9,000. According to Wiki, 'this carpet measures 5,627 m2 (60,570 sq ft), and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. The weight of this carpet is 47 tons – 35 tons of wool, and 12 tons of cotton. There are 2,268,000 knots within the carpet.' The guys were not allowed to touch me so that's why we're standing like little soldiers in this photo.

Nice photo of the carpet (thanks to Wiki). The pillars are decorated with silvery floral inlays - looks like mother-of-pearl.

Outside the mosque

This is a very impressive structure. Although it was opened during Ramadan in 2007, there is still construction happening around the building and also a lot of activity in the gardens. This mosque accommodates 40,000 worshippers. Sheik Zayed is buried somewhere here too. The white - inside and out - is marble. This is the largest mosque in the Emirates and the 8th largest in the World.

Photos: Day 6

2009-12-12T13:07:00.000+02:00

Our final day began at 03h00! We caught the bus at 04h30 to the start and began running, flat-out, at 5am. This run, in the dark, was a crazy 'run as fast as you can following a GPS on rocky terrain' stage. Nasty. We did well though and progressed swiftly to complete the run in 2hrs. Next came the canyoneering, up the mountain, which was amazing!

Waiting at the start of the canyoneering. We left in the order we'd arrived and with a bit of a gap between teams to avoid bottlenecks, especially in the beginning.

One of the race's more colourful characters - Hugo, a French racer. He's a super guy and we hung out with him a lot.

Alex and Francois

Up, up, up. There was only a small bottleneck in the beginning. After this the teams moved more swiftly. I found these short stops useful for taking photos.

Francois crests a steep section

Not even half-way up! Without a breeze in the canyon it was hot and humid. We were drinking and sweating plenty.

Alex

A quick photo while waiting for teams ahead to progress

The rocks are amazing - this was a super section. And the amount of roping on the route - a lot of work by race organisation! And very well managed.

Up, up!

Almost at the top. Yes, that's the ground below where we started from. I'm not sure but it must have taken just over two hours to ascend to this point. Must have been an ascent of around 1000m!

Team photo at the top. Unfortunately the weather was overcast and hazy, so the view from the top was quite clouded.

After a bike ride from the top of Jebel Hafeet to Al Ain (37km) and a run from the Al Ain oasis to this fort, the race was over. An amazing six days of sport in this beautiful country.

27th place! Receiving our medals at the awards dinner

Photos: Day 5

2009-12-12T12:37:00.000+02:00

This mountain biking stage sticks in our memories for the wind and sand. The first part to the Qsar al Sarab Desert Resort was fast-paced on decent roads. Bumpy in the beginning, then smooth tar and then bumpy again. From the resort we ate sand from start to finish as we rode the 55-odd kilometres to the stage finish. Hot, windy and sandy - wicked combination.

With our Souff African supporters at Qsar al Sarab. Peter (in pink shirt) came to cheer us on last year too. New additions include Johan and 'Bossie'. Unfortunately Mark Joyce has left by the time I remembered to take a photo. They've been working out here and now that the resort is almost complete they'll head into Abu Dhabi city to start work on a new resort. Guys, thank you for your warm welcome.

Looking like a sand castle, Qsar al Sarab really is a desert wonder. It costs around R4000 a night to stay here. I wouldn't mind a couple of nights here... Perfect relaxation with an amazing desert view.

Team photo at Qsar al Sarab

The pool

We were really keen to end the mtb stage right there and spend the afternoon in the pool. No such luck!

Sand biking - tough, tough, tough section. Hot and we were out of water, trying to get bottles from the passing event vehicles. On and off our bikes in the drifts. The finish was very welcome. (photo from event website).

The first thing we went for after crossing the line was our water. We easily gulped down a litre without taking a breath. Phew!

Sand-encrusted faces - Christo: even has sand caked on his eyelashes!

One of my favourite photos from the race - Francois So much sand and salt on his face!

Alex's post-biking face... See the sand plus sweat = mud on his forehead ;)

Me - so crusty! Not even baby wipes work for this stuff!

A bus of dirty, stinky, sandy and crusty racers on the way to Jebel Hafeet for the final camp and race stage. I felt sorry for the bus driver having to tolerate the reek!

The camp below Jebel Hafeet - on grass. We washed in the stream (yes, pumped water) and enjoyed a delicious dinner sitting in the bedouin tents. We were up at 3am to begin the final stage the next morning. Sleep, on the lush grassy surface, was good.

Photos: Day 4

2009-12-12T12:02:00.000+02:00

We woke a few hours before dawn, after completing our compulsory rest at CP5. We headed directly for CP6, skipping CP5+ and chosing instead to get CP6+ as our second and last optional checkpoint before the finish.

Pastel hues before sunrise

Pre-sunrise team photo. Yes, it does indeed look like Francois has grown horns overnight... ;)

Alex navigated a superb route rom CP6 to CP6+.

We crossed the pan and went up and over the dunes on the far side.

The desert is not completely barren. There are some plants and shrubs around; mostly around the edges of the pans. These pretty flowers were at the top of a dune. There are also animals, aside from camels - some antelope and possibly rabbit-type critters. The water table is only 2-3m below the pans, but the water is very brackish.

Alex takes a power rest

A camel camp a few kilometres before the finish.

Mission accomplished and desert trek completed in 31 hours

Alex grows another baby toe...

Desert camp, on a pan. Hard ground for sleeping. Shower trucks were most welcome.

Once clean and with tents setup, we spent the afternoon chilling, chatting, socialising and eating in one of the two bedouin tents. Yes, carpets and cushions provided too. Lovely.

One of our tents (we had two 2-person tents) acting as a washing line.

We got boxes of Al Ain water at the checkpoints and camps. 1.5l per bottle. We often got additional bottles too.

Photos: Day 3

2009-12-12T11:39:00.000+02:00

Desert trekking day - first of two. Out in the desert you can drop your camera and get an amazing photo. The wide expanse is breathtaking. I absolutely love the desert - if only it wasn't for the sand that gets into everything!

Packing up camp and ready to load our crates on to the truck.

Racers assembling under the start blimp

With our gaiters on and ready to traverse the dunes

Making good time across the flat pans. The surface in the pans is 'crunchy' underfoot.

First dune ridge

The guys visit the gents... Francois is out of shot to the left

Photos do not do justice to the vastness and openness of the desert

Front teams at CP4. They got CP3+, an optional, on the way. We came through direct from CP3. Here they are resting for a few hours during the heat of the day. We left shortly after arrival for CP4+, getting there before the leading teams caught us. It was a good decision to skip CP3+.

A French team left CP4 before us; we beat them to CP4+. They're pictured behind Christo leaving the checkpoint. We followed a few minutes later, taking a different route to the next compulsory.

Leaving CP4+ we saw two groups of camels. These ones were nearby, crossing the same pan - 31 camels walking in a line to their overnight camp. This area has many camel camps. Food is provided for them by the camel farmers. The camels return to their camps every night (quite like cattle!).

We slept at the next compulsory checkpoint, getting up after completing out compulsory rest period.

Photos: Day 2

2009-12-12T11:18:00.000+02:00

Back on terra firma on the Abu Dhabi beachfront after 7hrs in the boats

We washed off under the beach showers and then the guys hit a beach take-out place in search of food. They came back with four Atomic Meals. Note the 'thin crispy fires'.

On the bus and off to the Liwa Desert. The trip took about 4hrs. We arrived after dark, which is quite cool in that you don't get to see the desert until morning. Surprise!

Photos: Day 1

2009-12-12T11:07:00.000+02:00

We left the Park Rotana hotel early in the morning to be transferred to the Abu Dhabi beachfront for the start. Once there we had time to prep our bikes and also our sea kayaks; we would be starting the long paddle stage to an off-shore island after the high-paced prologue.

Francois and Christo waiting for the bus to leave the hotel

Boats on the beach; city as the backdrop

Getting our sea kayaks ready

Ready to ride! We had a really good prologue bike section. The race provides these Cannondale bikes. Some teams did bring their own bikes; most used the race's bikes. They are provided in various sizes.

After the prologue: eating sandwiches and chatting to photographer friend Wouter Kingma.

Arriving on the overnight island

Yay! Paddling part 1 completed. 30km to our bivouac island.

'Informal settlement' on the island

Christo and I bought this at a local supermarket, thinking it would make a nice addition to our island bring-your-own dinner. This stuff is ghastly! It's like 90% with bits of something mixed in and is totally revolting and unpalatable. Yuck! It's amazing things like this make it on to shelves - yet some people must like it???

Photos: Pre-race

2009-12-12T10:41:00.001+02:00

We spent Wednesday playing in town and the evening sewing our gaiters on to our shoes. Thursday was the first official event day, with registration, race briefing and kit checks at our hotel, the Park Rotana (divine!).

In our race bibs. A nice touch was having our flag printed on the bib; our team name is on the back at the bottom. Not all teams had this - probably dependant on when they entered. This colour seems weird at first, but it really looks great in photos. Not quite brown, not quite red. Rust, maybe.

Sewing gaiters on to our shoes.

Breakfast before briefing and kit checks. Our white race shirts really worked well.

Recipe for creating mess: Take one really nice hotel room. Add two racers and team crates. Pull stuff out of the crates. Invite the other two racers over. Spread out. Very messy. [most of the mess is to the left, out of shot]

Alex and Francois trying out one of the race's sea kayaks. They paddled together; Christo and I were in the other boat. These boats steer from the back so Francois and Christo got to drive.

Team presentation evening and dinner

Ready to race!

Photos: I love UAE

2009-12-12T10:24:00.000+02:00

On 2 December 1971, the United Arab Emirates (interesting Wiki entry) came into being, a country formed of seven states. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the most well known. Our arrival, on the 2nd, meant that we got the full patriotic experience. We especially delighted in the 'pimped rides' decked out in the National flag, images of UAE's 'father' sheik Zayed and various accessories. These cars were cruising around town, there to be seen. Love it!

It took the friendly owner 'only two days' to do this to his car. The stickers wash off and each was individually hand-cut from a sheet. He was still adding more when we met him.

Coloured feathers and a complete car wrap of images of Sheik Zayed.

The stickers wash off with soap and water.

Yes, tinsel. The whole car is covered in a tinsel flag. I spoke to the driver briefly and he was delighted for me to photograph his vehicle. It must have taken him days to do this and certainly hundreds of strips of the stuff. In the sun his car was sparkling. Absolutely beautiful!

Alex and I with our loot - flags and 'I love UAE' plastic things.

Post-ADAC: Sand 'n shoes

2009-12-12T10:03:00.000+02:00

My big concern was the desert trekking stage and keeping sand out of our shoes. Last year we lost loads of time because of this. My current gaiter design worked really well but I also realised the major influence of shoe upper fabric. Both Francois and Christo raced in the desert with their Hi-Tec Trail Eruptions; Alex had his Salomons and I was in my Asics, the same ones I wore for TransRockies Run. We all had the same gaiters attached in the same way (sewn on).

Christo and Francois, by far, had less sand in their shoes. Alex and I emptied our shoes at each checkpoint - not vast quantities of sand, but enough that you can feel it. The mesh on the Hi-Tec Trail Eruption is more fine, 'repelling' the fine bits that get through the gaiters.

Gaiters in action! A fast-paced descent down a dune.

Although I'd be wearing my Hi-Tecs quite a bit recently, I'd decided to stick with the Asics because I'd had such a great race in them in the US. I would have been far better off wearing my Hi-Tecs in the desert.

This was yet another good learning experience and I'll pay more attention to shoe fabric, as well as gaiter design, for this and other desert events. Live 'n learn... I have conceived a VERSION 3 of my design - I'll try to make it over the festive period.

Post-ADAC: The team

2009-12-12T09:58:00.000+02:00

Alex, Christo and Francois; you have been the most wonderful teammates.

Christo has been doing AR for a good few years and has many distance events under his belt. He is a wonderful racer - steady, consistent and strong and capable across all disciplines. He is level-headed with no erratic ups and downs - very solid - and always willing to putting yet another thing into his backpack. In temperment he is calming, organised and efficient. It is little wonder that he earned the nickname, Captain Awesome. Christo is very involved with the trail running and adventure racing scene in Bloem - and he is keen to get to ADAC next year with his own team.

For Alex and Francois this was something quite different and they came through it beautifully.

Alex's progression to longer distance racing, while managing his diabetes, was smooth and without problems. He can confidently tackle events of any distance and duration and I have little doubt that he'll cruise through them and come out tops. He took responsibility for navigating our team through every stage, choosing fast and efficient routes without fail. He has a special talent in this regard. On foot, bike and boat he is strong and consistent - a solid all-rounder who copes exceedingly well with every challenge.

Francois is a freight train on a bike and I experienced this first-hand being on a tow rope behind him; it is little wonder that he has done so well in local biking events. Used to success and walking up podiums, I think that Francois had to make a psychological shift pre-race - and during the race - inline with my assurances that there is no way we would come close to even a Top 20 placing; an event like ADAC is so different to the races he has done before. When you're used to winning this can be a challenge; but he settled in from the start and was as delighted as us with our result. Francois is exceedingly motivated and organised (it is to his credit that we have Hi-Tec and Rudy Project involved with our team) and I have every confidence that we'll see him - and his teams - consistently on the AR scene and doing well. From here it is only bigger and better ;)

These guys have so much to share - to teach and guide other racers - and they are an asset to every team they race in. I've been one very lucky girl to spend this time with them.

Post-ADAC: Home safe and team dinner

2009-12-12T09:46:00.001+02:00

We're all home safely and after months of having little more than 'Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge' on my mind I find this a contemplative time.

Last night we had a super Team www.AR.co.za dinner. There was this year's team and last year's team. Unfortunately Garth was unable to join us - he spent the afternoon at the airport trying to get up here (his flight had problems and he then waited for standby seats until it got too late). Lauren and Christiaan were able to meet Francois, Christo and Alex, which was neat and I look forward to them meeting Garth. We also had some friends and family with us - they have been so supportive from start to finish. If we receive the Award again, I can see this turning into a BIG annual dinner ;)

There are so many elements and people that go into getting this team off the ground and us to this race.

Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority - Wow! Without this invitation this would just not have been possible. Even though I have had the fortune now to have been at ADAC twice, I can say that they continue to impress with their level of organisation and attention to detail. I really appreciated the little tweaks in the race to make it different to last year. Christo knew about the race and what it involved but as he says post-race, "It exceeded everything I thought before the race - and more". Lotta, Elise, Matt - thank you for having us in Abu Dhabi.

Lobby - thank you for taking us, and all our stuff, to the airport; and especially for fetching us at 5am!

Mom, what an amazing dinner! She really treated us to a phenomenal spread of Middle East-themed foods last night. A lot of work and heart went into the preparation.

Mark & Debbie (FoodState) and Shayne (Hi-Tec); thank you for coming too. I was really pleased that you could meet the team you have so generously supported.
The Popes - thank you for hosting our dinner at your lovely home.

Nic - I do hope Cyanosis considers racing in Abu Dhabi next year (Tweet, I'd like to see McCain there too). While you're not likely to win this race, I do think that you can really get up into the money and that you'll have an experience at this amazing race like you've never had before.

Christiaan - so good to see you and Landi; your team, Gijima, is rocking and I am so looking forward to doing your race next year.

Family - Dad, Francois' folks & Izaan thank you for your wonderful encouragement.

Our sponsors and clothing and equipment suppliers have been awesome. Efficient, fast, helpful and supportive - we couldn't have asked for a better team behind us. Adventure Inc, Eiger Equipment (Petzl), First Ascent, FoodState SPN, Hi-Tec, RAM Mountaineering, Rudy Project... great products that had us looking good and racing strong. Thanks also to Hanno, Francois' friend and a great supporter of our team, for his kind gift.

Last day continued...

2009-12-10T16:48:00.002+02:00

Sorry - hit send button.

So Christo took my harness and carabiners and Alex took my small food packet. Whether physical or psychological it did help. We hit all the CPs spot on to complete the section in 2hrs. We checked in at the base of the canyoneering and had about 30mins to wait before we could start heading upwards.

The canyon was a section that I was looking really forward to doing and I am certain that we went up the part we went down last year. You have to clip in alot of the way, using a cow-tail to clip in one rope after the next.

Up, up, up! We were sweating like crazy and drinking plenty it is hard work going so steeply up and using both legs and upper body to haul yourself up the ropes. The small bottle necks were actually great and I used the few minutes to take photos. Weird weather too - overcast but still quite warm. We reached the top with about 15mins before the race restarted on bikes.

I loaded up with water and minutes later we were riding fast down the mountain along the winding switchbacks. The front was lead by a police car, which was fortunate because without it there would definitely have been accidents.

From the bottom of the mountain we rode as a east peleton into Al Ain.

I think the ride took an hour - flat out all the way. And we stuck with the main bunch. We stopped at the Al Ain oasis and had about 30mins - maybe more - to change pedals and get the bikes back to the way we received them. The final section was a 4km run through the oasis and into town to finish at the fort.

With time ticking we were on to buses for a ride back to Abu Dhabi. We couldn't wait to get to the hotel and into showers. The showers here are really good. It took three shampoos to get my hair de-sanded and de-salted! With the guys looking all cleaned up we headed to the prize giving ceremony and another superb meal. Awesome food on this race.

We have got some fabulous photos and lots more to say. We fly home tonight. I have been blogging on Alex's phone, so that explains the predictive text word errors. I will type on the plane and prep some photos and captions to put online when we get back Friday morning. We have had the most amazing time here - racing, outdoors, competitive and comraderie.

We have been so well looked after by this event - again - and we come home with great memories and new friends.

Till tomorrow. Lisa

Last day... Like horses bolting for home

2009-12-10T16:16:00.002+02:00

Our last day of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, yesterday, started for us at 3am!

The bus trip from the end of that awful windy and sandy biking section (certainly par for the course who you are in a desert!) took about 2hrs. We camped at Green Mabarat below the Jebel Hafeet mountain. We were meant to camp on the other side of the mountain but because of the still howling wind organisation changed the venue. And we are so glad they did because the other side, which we saw the next morning
was a sandy and rocky and nasty area.

At Green we took advantage of the stream, man-made, to wash off the day's dust - loads of it. This park area is also covered in grass so it made for good sleeping. Alarm clocks went off at 3am so that we would be ready to transfer to the start at 4.30. It was cold and windy outside so we stayed in the bus for as long as possible.

We started with a night 'orienteering' section and I use quotation marks because it was more of a grab a gps and run like hell section. We had some coordinates for the compulsory controls and Alex worked out the others for the two optionals. We were given 2h45 for the section and with a 2hr penalty per missed optional, it was not an
option to miss them. We were running in the dark - using headlamps - over the most rocky ground I have ever traversed, especially at high pace.

My backpack was loaded and from the gun I was taking strain. After the second compulsory Christo took my mountaineering kit - harness...

Finished

2009-12-09T21:32:00.001+02:00

We're finished! We had another longer-than-expected day. We finished with a short run into Al Ain. We were bused back to our luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi for the closing ceremony, dinner and the party.

We finished in 27th place. We're happy with that. We should get some Wi-Fi tomorrow to do some more updates. - Alex

Sand in our pants

2009-12-08T15:58:00.002+02:00

The title of this posting was suggested by Francois and Christo...

We slept pretty well last might. These high intensity days mean that you are ready to sleep by 8. We are up at 5, or before, so it is still a long day. Temperatures at night have been really good - on chance to shiver. We usually start on top of our small sleeping bags, keeping the tent flaps open to catch the breeze. Within a few hours we climb inside the bags, but definitely too hot to curl up completely inside it. The ground at all camps has been hard - and we don't have mats - so we do wake up to roll over. Generally hips get sore and for the rest we are all unconscious.

So this morning camp was rustling by 5. Breakfast has been cornflakes, boiled eggs, some pastry things and a local flat bread. To me, cornflakes are like cottonwool so I top up breakfast with some mix-in-a-ziploc cereal from home.

With race crates loaded on to the truck we were off on our bikes for a blisteringly fast 45km to the new Desert Resort. Christo and Francois took turns hauling me on the tow rope, which really improved our overall speed.

We got to the Resort to be warmly welcomed by Mark, Peter and a bunch of friendly South Africans. Thank you for your friendly greetings guys.

Even though we arrived within the first half of the field, we missed most of the edible spread put out by the hotel. We had an hour between arrival and departure for the next section so we took a walk around. I will put photos on tomorrow after the race. I wouldn't mind staying there for a few nights. The guys said it is about R4000 per night and that the buffet alone is R800. Still... Would be nice. We were thinking that today's stage would have been perfect if we stopped there after the first section and then proceeded with a pool party. Wishful thinking! The Resort looks like a sand castle, which it essentially is.

And then we were off again, but not before a car drove over Alex's bike with 15mins to the start! The front wheel, she was broken big time. We told race organisation and within 10mins we had another race bike. Pedals were changed in minutes and we were ready with 2mins to go.

During the stop the wind had picked up even more and the air was hazy with sand. Mark said that yesterday the road to the Resort had been sandfree. Today we encountered drifts with sand blown into our faces. The second, 55km stage, was the most unpleasant I have encountered in 10yrs of biking. The road is hard packed something and very rough and bumpy. The wind was howling and blowing sand straight into our mouths, nostrils and ears. Absolutely nasty. And also terrifying to hit soft sand sections while on a tow rope!

This section was unbelievably hard. Riding into the wind on rough roads and being punished by the swirling sand! We hauled and from the drying effect of the wind we were working through our water very fast. With at least an hour thirty to go we were pretty much all out and you know how hard it is to eat when you have no water. And it was hot on top of this.

At the checkpoint, with 18km to go, we got a near full 1.5-litre bottle from the course director. We flattened it. About 30mins later we got two full bottles from a race official, who we stopped as he was driving down the road. He was accosted by the teams close behind us too.

A local army guy gave me and another girl a can of Pepsi, "For the girls," he said. My guys were slightly ahead so they missed out. He had told Alex that we had 8km to go and that only the next two would be as bad. We had been through a good number of kilometers where we were on and off our bmikes to push through soft sand. Some we could ride through, which was really exhausting. And I am just not as good or as fast as the guys at getting through the sand.

Finally we crested yet another dune - the desert is not flat! We climbed a lot - and seeing the finish was a welcome sight. We went straight for our box of water and each downed a litre in one gulp. As Francois says, 'I have never been so thirsty in my life!'.

We are now on a bus going through to our last camp. I do hope it is the same place as last year below Jebel Hafeet. It would be great to sleep on a grassy surface. The trip is about 3hrs and we are all so dirty and sandy and crusty. Looking forward to shower. As the guys say, we have sand in our pants and everywhere else too.

Tomorrow we start probably well before sunrise with an orienteering thing. I have packed my super dooper Petzl Ultra. I used it a bit at the rogaine in Estonia last year. The light is amazing and it should work well. Maps are not O maps - probably Google again - but should still be fun. More on tomorrow later.

As of today's stage Francois says the he didnt enjoy it - too much push bike in the sand.

Christo says that the first part was good, the resort was amazing and the second section was very unexpected - from the headwind to the sand and road conditions. He will definitely remember this day and it will make anything to come seem easy.

Alex agrees on all the wind and same stuff. He also needed to pack more food. He ate all through the stage and still ran out. He was burning through sugar way faster than he could get it in - in volumes. That said, he has not had any problems with his sugar - never too high or too low - at all, which is really great. If has decided to always keep
a stash of emergency bars in his pack for stages like his where he needed even more than expected.

Phew enough typing - I am doing these on a cell keypad. Hopefully get a little nap on bus.

Media release: Day 5 – Teams Battle Sand Storm

2009-12-08T15:32:00.000+02:00

On today’s biking stage, when many teams anticipated a strong challenge from their nearest rivals, the violent wind that arose during the night proved to be their most persistent adversary.

A vicious wind made going particularly tough this morning, when the teams left the desert camp at 07:00 on their bikes for an initial 33.7km confrontation with sand and potholes. Richard USSHER and frontrunners QASR AL SARAB (NZ), out to maintain their 30-minute lead, broke away early from the peloton while second place ADCO struggled to hold off the challenge from VIBRAM SPORT 2000, finishing 2 minutes behind the French who had fitted special, faster tires for the occasion. With only 7 minutes separating 5th placed ADSC/WILSA (FRA) and SALOMON CRESTED BUTTE (USA) in 6th place, and with LUNDHAGS ADVENTURE (SWE) looking to move up from 4th to a podium position, the pace was as furious as it was wearing.

After a pause of around 2-hours for the fastest, the teams lined up for another group start from the grounds of the majestic Qasr Al Sarab Resort, the aesthetic serenity of which was in complete contrast to what they would confront on the 53km leg to Umm Zamul track. Within minutes of leaving, the wind picked up again and the teams slowed to a crawl, disappearing into the clouds of dust. When QASR AL SARAB (NZ) had to stop to repair a puncture, the peloton pushed on but the Kiwis surged back to the head of the race soon after and held on until Marc PSCHEBIZIN and team DOMA (GER) took the lead and the section. The Germans had lowered the pressure in their tires giving them an advantage on the large swathes of deep sand covering the route. SALOMON CRESTED BUTTE (USA), with a supreme effort over the final 20km, finally managed to outdistance ADSC/WILSA (FRA) by 8 minutes, edging themselves into that much-coveted 5th spot. VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA), in their gamble to take 2nd place by using thinner tires than the other teams, paid the price as the sand slowed their progress and ADCO (NZ) consolidated their position behind the race leaders.

With still so much to race for, tomorrow the teams will undertake 20km of trek and rope works, 37km of fast MTB and a final 3,2km on foot to the finish line in Al Ain.

Live race coverage and information at www.abudhabi-adventure.com

More on trekking

2009-12-07T18:48:00.002+02:00

The trekking stage kicked off yesterday morning from a desert camp. We only arrived there after 7pm, in the dark. Bus ride from Abu Dhabi took just over 4hrs.

We actually slept pretty well and were ready to hike. We ran quite a bit in the morning and decided to do the first two compulsory CPs and then decide on a strategy before the first optional.

Our first decision was made with dark in mind. The moon would only be up just after 10pm - the desert is a dark place with huge dunes. We decided to slip the first optional and head directly for the next compulsory. On the Google image the route to the optional and on to the CP looked to be very sandy and hard going. We didnt have coordinates for the optionals so we figured that if we could get to the second optional before dark, them at least we would also have GPS to aid us into the CP if needed.

At the compulsory before the second optional we saw the top teams, who were sitting out part of their compulsory rest time to avoid the worst heat of the day. They looked smashed! It turns out that the section from the optional to the CP was really difficult, especially in the heat.

Off we went, behind a French team. We were the first two of the teams to leave this third compulsory having missed the first optional. Alex took up on a great route be the optional. We overtook the French and it felt like we were leading the race because we were on virgin desert sand. A lot of the time out here we are on other team's tracks or we can see them. Here we were setting the course. We drew some arrows and wrote a few 'Hi' messages in anticipation of them coming through shortly behind us. Almost like a thank you for their tracks.

At the CP we cleared our shoes of sand (gaiters did work but not totally impervious) and got ready to leave again. The French whizzed through and left promptly.

As we were heading out, in a similar exit to our entry - to benefit from better terrain in a nearby pan, we saw the German triathletes thundering down, along our good route. They had a big lead on the chasing teams, who we could see on the far side and end of the pan.

These pans are big enough that you can make out people shapes but see nothing other than black blobs. We wondered why they didnt take our nice - and faster - route. It seems that the front teams worked out coordinates for the optionals and that they were straight lining, not navigating as such. They missed our messages...

We hit the next CP well after dark and decided to finish our rest. We slept for just over 6hrs getting up at 3.30. The moon was up and light was good. I suggested that we skip the 3rd optional and aim for the 4th, which seemed better on paper. There was a slim chance that we would make the last two optionals but it would mean no margin for error, slowing of pace or injury.

Alex gave us a great route to the optional and from these we followed a highway - and lots of teams - into the finish. When you are so close to the end it takes ages to get there. And the run was cooking hot.

Although it is winter the midday temps, until about 4pm are warm. Like Pretoria on a hot summer noon. The Europeans, coming from winter, must have really felt it.

We were in by 2pm and spent the rest of the day chilling. The toilet trucks were parked a distance from the camp - luckily we had our bikes nearby so we just grabbed them and rode back and forth to the loos and showers.

We are all in good condition. I had a bad foot stage, which is unusual and frustrating. Not so much to hamper my trekking, just sore. Blister on each foot on little toe and neighbouring toe. Triangle toes. Nasty. Alex has 'another little toe' on his little toe. Big one. I took a photo. Francois battled during this stage from the start. He just didn't settle into it but he kept going. His feet are sore and a couple of blisters. Christo's feet are in excellent condition, just tired now.

The biking tomorrow is a no brainer but will be fast. Francois has been looking forward to it all week. He will more than likely get his chance to tow me. Yippee!

It is almost 9pm and we are in bed. Pooped. Night. L

Two days of desert trekking

2009-12-07T16:56:00.002+02:00

We had a really good, but tough, desert stage. Will try to charge cell now so can email more later. We got two optional checkpoints, which is what my objective was for the team, and we finished with tender feet but no real damage. Our trek sees us in 26th place. Malaysia were 4mins ahead and Chinese are another 4mins ahead of them. We are now in 25th place overall.

Mark Joyce and his friend Peter net up at the finish. They followed us on tracking. We will stop at the resort they have been building at halfway on the bike tomorrow. Guys, thank you for your warm welcome today.

We are standing in food queue. Need to feed. Like ravenous. Will try charge phone shortly. Later. L

Media release: Day 4 – Dunes Draw Teams Together

2009-12-07T15:30:00.000+02:00

Since early yesterday morning, the teams have been struggling against the relentless heat and endless dunes of the Rub Al Khali. The leading teams completed the 120km at around 9h30 this morning – they were followed by a long string of teams throughout the afternoon.

Having contended with soaring temperatures (34°C) and an almost inexistent breeze throughout the first day of the desert orienteering stage, the teams finally found some respite at nightfall when the mercury dropped to around 20°C. The small group of frontrunners comprising QASR AL SARAB (NZL), VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA), ADCO (NZL), ADSC-WILSA (FRA) and DOMA (GER) spent the first part of the obligatory 8-hour rest period at the 52km point.

After resting for about 2h30, the whole group decided to move to CP5 where they stopped to rest until moonrise at about 00:30. The group had decided to race together through the night, each team taking its turn as pathfinder for the pack as they wound across. “We spent the whole night together – it really helped us to keep going,” stated and Karine BAILLET, captain of ADSC/WILSA (FRA).

The disadvantage is that no one can hope to shale off the competition during the run in the dunes. “Running on soft surfaces is always the same – you leave a trace and anyone can follow you. At night you simply have to follow the lights...” explained Nathan FA’AVAE of QASR AL SARAB (NZ). Sometimes the physical effort required for the break away is just too much: “Dwarne was suffering from cramp and had to be pulled a lot of the way,” Jacky BOISSET, captain of VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA) confessed. “We had to readjust our objectives as a consequence – instead of trying to catch up with second place ADCO (NZ) we had to make sure they didn’t get away from us…”

At 9h32 this morning, with the sun already blazing down, a cluster of 8 teams finished what, at times, must have seemed an interminable stage. SALOMON CRESTED BUTTE (USA), finally showing their true mettle, put in the fastest time but no one team had managed to break the others. Overall, QASR AL SARAB (NZ) and ADCO (NZL) are still in first and second place respectively in the provisional ranking, just ahead of VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA).

Tomorrow morning the teams will undertake two MTB sections along a hard, sand covered track: the first, 33.7km leading to the Hotel QSAR AL SARAB followed by a longer 53km to Umm Zamul.

Live race coverage and information at www.abudhabi-adventure.com

In the media... Our team's youngsters interviewed

2009-12-06T21:08:00.000+02:00

Alex and Francois were both interviewed by the Khaleej Times as two of the four youngest competitors at the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

You can read their interviews on the Khaleej Time Online.

Media release: Day 3 – Teams Defy the Desert

2009-12-06T15:28:00.000+02:00

At 07:00 this morning the teams left the camp at Liwa Dune for the first day of a gruelling 120km trek through the Rub Al Khali – the legendary and unforgiving “Empty Quarter”.

By the time the teams reached the checkpoint at 28km into the stage, they were already strung out over several kilometres with the race leaders, Richard USSHER and team QASR AL SARAB (NZ), setting a taxing pace in the heat. Both Swedish teams among the frontrunners, LUNDHAGS ADVENTURE and SWECO KARLSTAD ADVENTURE, were showing signs of early fatigue, using towropes to stay in contention, while others were already pondering the optional route choices. Most of the teams chose to race the extra distance and avoid time penalties, 6 hours for each CP missed, but were well aware of the risks involved: “We will try to keep to the salt flats and go around the really steep parts if we can,” explained Richard USSHER.

When the sun had reached its zenith, a cluster of leading teams came into the CP at 52km displaying the ravages of the effort and the heat, after a blistering trek across the steep, towering dunes. The first three teams, QASR AL SARAB (NZ), DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS (GER) and VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA) arrived within 1 minute if each other at 13h39 and they were followed by several others over the next hour. All decided to take time to rest and many could be seen sleeping in their tents or making plans for the following sections.

LUNDHAGS ADVENTURE (SWE) was considering a 3-hour stopover while Richard USSHER of QASR AL SARAB (NZ) was looking at 30 minutes and a burst of speed to the next CP: ”It’s hotter than last year but the pace is quite reasonable. We want to get to CP5 by night fall so we will have to accelerate a little,” the Kiwi captain stated.
The teams have 8 hours of obligatory rest to take between the start and the end of the stage on Day 5 – many have opted to race through the night, when the sand is cooler and more compact, and the sun is absent from the sky.

Live race coverage and information at www.abudhabi-adventure.com

Rudy Project protection

2009-12-05T16:45:00.003+02:00

We have been very spoilt by one of our team sponsors, Rudy Project.

During the race we are using our sport shades. We each chose our styles. Christo, Francois and I have Rydon. Alex has the Noyz. We have been using our polarised lenses, which were great on the water and will be super in the desert.

We also have fashion shades, which are oh so cool.

What I am really liking about the Rydon is that they sit off your face so ventilation is excellent. They cope well with an abundance of sweat, body heat and the humidity out here. The lense clarity is also superb.

Alex and Francois ordered the photochromic lenses, which they enjoy for regular biking where the light changes.

Rudy Project. Thank you. We look hot and fast with your shades on our faces. And our eyes are getting fabulous protection in this glare-filled environment.

Trekking tomorrow

2009-12-05T15:48:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow will decide the race. The racing so far has been split by
hours and minutes but tomorrow every optional point we miss will add 4
hours to our time. The stage will be 35 hours long and we have to rest
at checkpoints for 8 of those hours. We have gps coordinates for the
compulsories but we will have to navigate to the optionals. So we're
not expecting the desert highways they had last year. Hopefully our
gaitors work well and we can save time in the sand.
Its going to be a tough stage.
Alex

Media release: Day 2 - Kiwis Cruise the Kayak

2009-12-05T15:27:00.000+02:00

Abu Dhabi, Dec 5th, 2009 - After a restorative night spent bivouacking on an island north of Abu Dhabi city, the teams set off early this morning for the long paddle back to Corniche Beach.

Last night, at around 20:00, the last teams to reach the island bivouac had to contend with the ebbing tide and surging currents as well as the accumulated fatigue of the day’s paddling. But, after a good night’s sleep, all were ready to embark again at 6h30, though some took the prudent decision to leave the optional CP, and the extra 25km paddling needed to reach it in the mangroves, to the more accomplished and powerful paddlers. Among those opting to take the shorter, 55km route and suffer the 6-hour penalty were ABU DHABI TRIATHLON (GER) and one of the ADTA award winners CHECKPOINT ZERO (USA).

Despite the circuitous channels, the leading teams of QASR AL SARAB (NZ), ADCO (NZ), VIBRAM LAFUMA (FRA) and ADSC/WILSA (FRA) ploughed through shallow waters at roughly 10k/h, while the chasing pack could only manage half that speed. QASR AL SARAB (NZ) was the first into Corniche Beach at 11h43, followed 4 minutes later by compatriots ADCO (NZ). “It was tougher than we expected but so were we – I’m surprised at how fast we finished,” exclaimed Richard USSHER. Fleur PAWSEY (ADCO) admitted that her team, remarkable paddlers all, was very anxious to put some distance between themselves and VIBRAM SPORT 200 LAFUMA (FRA): “Kayaking is our strongest skill and we know the French are very handy when it comes to running…”

Once all the teams are in, a special bus will transfer them to Liwa Dune on the edge of the “Empty Quarter”, where, tomorrow at 7 o’clock in the morning, they will begin the 120km desert trekking stage spread over almost 2 days.

Live race coverage and information at www.abudhabi-adventure.com

TOP 5 after section C (sea kayak 50km)
1 QASR AL SARAB (NZ) 10h45 :03
2 ADCO (NZ) 11h11 : 07
3 VIBRAM SPORT 2000 (FRA) 11h24 : 07
5 LUNDHAGS ADVENTURE (SWE) 11h24 :58
4 BUFF THERMOCOOL (ES) 6h07 :24

Paddle done!

2009-12-05T13:44:00.001+02:00

Oh my goodness. The paddle was tough as expected and we were all
pleased that it was not an extra 30km, which we did last year.

Unlike yesterday the sea was as flat as a pancake, which means hard
work on the water. In one place, between islands we had to get out and
pull the boat. Weird manipoud type mud stuff where we sank up to our
shins.

The only excitement came where three teams ahead got out to portage.
As far as I know we are not allowed to. This may have only been for a
specific section to the optional or in general. Not sure. Anyway, they
dragged their boats over and we paddled around.

I think it cost them all big time because we are sure that when we
came around the first team, way ahead of the third in the portage
bunch, was only just nearing the water. These boats weigh almost 50kg
without all our gear.

We were very pleased to see the finish after 7hrs on the water. I dont
know our placing. We were 28th in but this includes many teams who did
not in to the optional. These are teams who came in 2 to 5hrs after us
last night.

We may have done the paddle in the mid to upper teens. Very happy with this.

We are on the bus now to in to the desert camp. We start trek in the morning.

There is a team of triathletes here. The one guy was 2005 Ironman
champ, the girl was 2007 German Ironman champ. They have all recently
done Hawaii. So we saw the main guy yesterday after paddle when we
were on the island. We asked how his day had gone. If replied that it
was a tough day at the office. He also added, "At Ironman I do not
suffer. Today I do".

We all agree that today we paddled like champions and we are very
pleased with the day. I may be able to type more later. Till then.

Day One: prologue and paddle

2009-12-04T17:39:00.001+02:00

We have completed the first day of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

We started with the blisteringly fast prologue, which is like a
stand-alone sprint race. Bike first and we managed to quick with the
main bunch. After 12km we were in the Palace Grounds and on foot to
run around and down to the Theatre, which juts out. We went there on
Wednesday and saw pimped out cars. The day was anniversary of the
formation of the Emirates 38yrs ago. People had covered their cars in
wash off stickers and spray paint. I took cool photos which I will
post after the race. Very fun.

From the Theatre we swam back to the start to get our kayaks. We took
the swim easy. As Francois admits, he sinks like a stood so we took
turns towing him and it worked out brilliantly. [I just lost the
message I was typing - I was almost done. Retyping now].

From the beach we paddled to Lulu Island and made up some places and
them a short run and back to the finish. We placed 29th. We had an
hour to eat and prep for 30km paddle.

I do get sea sick so I took Valoid earlier. Alex developed it. We
passed loads of teams anyway. Leaving the one and only CP Christo and
I got so much water in our boat (splashies were not yet on) that we
had to turn back to the beach. We figure we checked in in the mid to
late teens and after losing 30mins in total we reached the finish,
overtaking 4 teams on the way, in 26th place.

Alex went through ups and downs on the paddle. Battling nausea. The
sea was rough the whole way and we had the sails completely down. We
paddled against the current and into the wind. His alone sugar had
been good the whole day.

Christo says the triathlon was awesome but that the afternoon was
long. If likes our overnight camp on this little island.

Francois is already asleep. Comments from him tomorrow.

I was very proud of the team today, especially as we are looking so
good on the water.

Tomorrow paddle is longer and there is an optional we have to get to
avoid a 6hr penalty. The shallow water sections are really hard
because of the drag. Looks like a lot of shallow water on the Google
Earth maps. There also seen to be deep channels cut by the crazy
Emiraties. We will aim for these.

Time now for sleep.

The night before. . .

2009-12-04T16:46:00.000+02:00

We have just had the welcoming event - short and sweet and a good
opportunity to mingle with other teams. Many racers from last year
are back; a testament to the quality of this event. Francois has
suggested this event be renamed 'How much can you eat race'. We
haven't even started the race and we have been bombarded with
excellent meals.

Today we went through the registration and kit check, which went
smoothly. We tried bikes on for size but will only get them tomorrow.
We will all ride in takkies tomorrow 'cos the section is a short 12km
on tar. A new addition is a 900m swim, which is talk of the town. Will
definitely be interesting. We paddle after the swim to Lulu island -
shorter than last year. The run on the island is also shorter and
devoid of orienteering. This island would rock for an O.

We have to wake up way before the crack of dawn as the buses leave at
5h30. Race only starts at 8am. The time is to prep our boats as we
have to stash all our kit for the afternoon 30km paddle to our
overnight island. We may not have cell signal there.

The paddling this year is shorter but looks to be more fun with more
checkpoints and an optional one too. If you miss the optional the
penalty is a whopping 6hrs!

For now we are all packed and ready. So we will get in a good sleep. Night.