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Archives from 2002 to
2004 |
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2004 Races
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2004
Raid the Rock Adventure Race |
| October
23, 2004 |
1 day race |
3 Person
Coed |
| Classes/ Division: 3
person Coed |
Placed: 46th |
| Location: Little Rock,
Arkansas |
| On
the morning of October 23rd the 4th Raid the Rock began with a tough
navigation course. Departing from past years races, this one started
with a Rogaine (orienteering) type of start. Each team was handed a
map, already plotted, with a series of 15 checkpoints. It was up to
each team to choose in what order to get the points. Our team took
off in the pack and quickly learned why Adventure Racers get lost in
groups. Once we were not able to figure out where we were, we made a
quick decision to return to the start and "reset"
ourselves. Once there we reversed our direction and nailed 4
checkpoints without any problems. We experienced a few team setbacks
during this navigation phase and with our 5 hour cutoff looming,
decided to cut our losses with only 8 checkpoints completed. We then
were given our race maps, which we would have to plot and complete
in order. Once plotted and out of our transition we were on our
bikes for about a 30 minute ride. At the end of our ride the canoes
were waiting. We switched our gear and put in for our canoeing
section. The Little Maumelle River was tight with lots of obstacles
to negotiate over. As we were navigating down the river there were
little shacks and houses along the banks...way too much like a scene
from Deliverance. After we got into larger areas we started
moving at a better pace. We enjoyed talking and joking around with
the other teams while we were in the canoes and before long found
ourselves at the next transition. We were given several choices on
how to proceed to the next section, which was across the river from
where we took out. Choice one was to have all three of us swim,
choice two was to carry two members over with our gear and only one
of us swim. We saw it best to only have one of us swim over and
completed it in a quick fashion...the water was COLD! We started off
on our hiking section which took us along the side of a ridge, with checkpoints
along the way to verify we stayed on the marked course. This had to
be the toughest part of the race, the ground was loose and wet
making some sections of this part quite difficult to negotiate. Once
out of the hiking section we transitioned back to our bikes and took
off for the final sections of the race. When we arrived at Allsop
Park we were re-directed to the ropes section in the Rivermarket
Section of Little Rock. We arrived at the ropes section, which was
off of a parking deck. One of our teammates climbed a cargo net to
the top, while the rest of us climbed the stairs. We arrived at the
top to find a few teams in line for the rappelling section. All of
our teammates did a great job on this section, some overcoming fears
they had previously. After our ropes section we were off to the
finish at Ray Winder Field. After swinging by a routing point we
were on the home stretch. We finished tired but felt accomplished. Although
this was the first race for one of our teammates and she did a
wonderful job and showed the determination of veteran racers. As for
the course and the race, Team Traveler put on a great race and one
challenging course. I would recommend this race to anyone, but will
put on this stipulation...you will need to be prepared for this
race. The mental and physical challenges were great and you felt
like a winner by just finishing the race. We would like to thank
everyone involved in putting on this race, and especially all of
those who jumped in at the last minute to make this happen when it wasn't
so certain. To not have used this course and all of the effort put
into it would have been a waste. We enjoyed this race more than ever
and hate that we must wait a year to do it again. |
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2004
Berryman Adventure Race - Solo Long Course |
| September
25, 2004 |
1 day race |
Solo - Long
Course |
| Classes/ Division: Long
and Short Courses |
Placed: 7th in Division |
| Location: Bass River
Resort, Missouri |
| Steeve
completed this tough course and will hopefully have a review soon. |
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2004
Berryman Adventure Race - Short Course |
| September
25, 2004 |
1 day race |
2 Person Coed
- Short Course |
| Classes/ Division: Long
and Short Courses |
Placed: 42nd in Division |
| Location: Bass River
Resort, Missouri |
| The
Berryman Adventure's reputation for a good race and great management
did not disappoint this year. This year, being our first Berryman,
we decided to do the short course. The course was set around a good
sized area and the navigation was pretty easy. The race directions
and clues made this course a good one for beginning racers. All of
the disciplines were pretty straight forward except for the biking
section. This section was pretty technical, and a new rider would be
sure to have a hard time on it. Since each years course is different,
what is important is how the race is set up and its organization.
The race staff, from the beginning, was well informed and courteous
to all of us. The race course had plenty of challenges and seemed to
be well thought out. All three of the courses, Short, Long, and Solo
were different to allow the use of the same area by all racers. This
obviously took a lot of work and time. We enjoyed our race and will probably
be back next year. If you are looking to start racing, already are
racing, or are ready for a tough race...this one has everything you
need. |
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2004
Southern Tour of '04 |
| July 31, 2004 |
Sprint Race |
2 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division: Coed,
Male, Female |
Placed: DNF |
| Location: North Little
Rock, Arkansas |
| This
Sprint Adventure Race Series was overall a great and
fun event to race. The event was well organized and well thought
out. T he
race took 2 to 4 hours to complete and challenged every competitor.
Our team experienced a major malfunction with one of our bikes,
which forced us to drop out. We did enjoy what racing we did and
always like to be able to race in our own back yard. If you are
looking for a fun, well organized race this series is for you.
Beginners this is a great way to try out the sport and get a taste
of what adventure racing is. |
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2004
Ozark Greenways Adventure Race |
| May
22, 2004 |
1 day race |
4 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division: No
other classes/divisions |
Placed: 54th |
| Location: Twin Bridges,
Missouri |
| We
were amazed as we arrived at the 5th annual Ozark
Greenways Adventure Race, formerly know as the Mark Twain Forest
Adventure Race. The vast number of tents and vehicles let us know
that this was a popular race. We registered among 95 other teams of
four. Right off we saw this race was well organized and the staff
was great. The next morning we prepared for our race start as we
were given the maps for the course. We quickly learned this course
would be different from the races we have competed in before. Most
of the course is marked, with the exception of one navigation
section that encompassed three checkpoints. As the race started we
saw many impressive teams, some whom we have raced with before. The
race started with a mass start to the trail run of about eight
miles. Once completing the run, we were met with a barrage of
special tasks to complete before starting off on our biking section.
Once starting on the biking section we found that we had to carry
all of our equipment with us since we would not be returning to the
transition area until the finish. Once on the biking leg we were met
with a mile of steep hill to start this section. The first biking
section went through many dirt roads until we reached the navigation
section. We reached the navigation section somewhere near the back
of the pack. Once we received our checkpoints, already plotted, and
we took off to try to catch up. Our team worked well together taking
just under an hour and a half to complete the navigation. The
average time was just over two hours to complete the course, some
teams taking almost five hours. We then started the second part of
the biking section, this one being mostly a hike a bike and carry
your bike. The Hike a bike section was grueling and totally un-rideable.
This was a tough section and we completed it in stride and rode
final few miles to the canoeing section. Once in the canoes our legs
were allowed to rest and finishing the section, dragged our canoes
up a hill, and sprinted to the finish. Over all this is a great
race, although geared more for the beginning adventure racer, it
allows for more experienced racers to hone their skills and have a
good time. The organization and course were well put together and
you could see the thought that was put into the race. The low cost
of the race makes it well worth the money. We would recommend this
race to anyone. We enjoyed the race and will be back next year. |
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| April 17,18,
2004 |
2 day race |
4 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division:
Basic Course |
Placed: DNF |
| The
Ozark Challenge Basic Course this year was tough. Hats off to Zen
for putting on a great course. We found that a lot of thought was
put into this years course, and on that occasion when we stopped to
look around, found some breathtaking views. The race start was the
same for the basic racers as it was for the advanced ones. Once at
the start we learned that the basic course started on the water with
a 15 to 20 mile paddle. After plotting our coordinates we took off
to the water near the front of the pack. Our paddling skills aren’t
the best so we were steady in our pace and were overtaken by faster
teams. The river was fast and tricky, as usual. I know that we took
a swim or two during that part…that water was cold! About half way
down the paddle we stopped at a checkpoint where we tied off our
boats and climbed up to a rock face for the climb and rappel. The
climb and rappel was a welcome break from the paddling and wasn’t
all too difficult. The lack of climbing helmets at the area, led to
a bottle neck since only one team at a time could climb, even though
there were four spots to climb. Once through the climbing section,
we finished the paddling section and started the trekking phase. At
our transition we changed into dry clothes and ate a bite or two.
Starting the navigation we opted to cross the river and cut through
to the checkpoint. We crossed with several teams and lost them as we
navigated closer to the CP. Our teams navigation was on point
through the navigation phase…that is until we miss-plotted CP9.
The actual checkpoint was located in a valley. Once the mistake was
caught, we realized that some numbers got inverted and placed it up
on a plateau. After this three hour detour to circle around to the
checkpoint, we met back up with several teams. We found all the
checkpoints through CP11 when it started to get dark. We proceeded
to CP12 as the dark set in. Following a ridge, then our bearing only
(it gets dark quick in those valleys) we found ourselves in a spot
where we could not determine the topography. The valleys sides were
steep and our only course was to follow a creek to a road. Our
decision to skip CP12 and hike out on a road led us to meet up with
three other teams that were also stuck in the valley opposite of
ours. The sixteen of us decided to hike it out and all of us
co-navigated our way to CP13 and then to the first days finish. I
have total faith in my team, but I will admit after being stuck in
the bottom of that valley in pitch black, it was nice to see other
teams. The second day didn’t fair as well for us since we were
pretty beat up from the first days racing. It is never easy to say
the course beat us, but it was inevitable. Not knowing what lay
ahead, it was hard to put my team through another day of that abuse.
We opted to stop there, knowing that we did not fail, but succeeded
as a team through one hard course. |
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2004
Robbers Cave Adventure Race |
| February 21,
2004 |
Sprint Type Race |
2 to 4 - All Male,
All Female, and Coed |
| Classes/ Division: 2 Person Coed |
Placed: 1st in Division (7th
overall) |
| Location: Wilburton,
Oklahoma |
| Eco-Oklahoma
is known for putting on some challenging races. This one was no
exception. Along with a 24 hour and 12 hour race, we participated in
the sprint type race. The Robbers Cave State Park was a great area
for an adventure race of this type. We enjoyed the great weather of
60 degrees and sunny skies, not usual for this time of year. The
sprint type race was not typical of most sprint races, as you had to
navigate through it, it was more like a shortened 12 hour race. Many
checkpoints were hidden from obvious places and you had to do well
with your navigation to find them. The biking section was on a equestrian
trail that was extremely difficult for mountain biking. We, as most
did, spent most of the time carrying our bikes instead of riding
them. A team event available for all of the participants was the rappel
off of Robbers Cave. No penalty was awarded to those who chose not
to do the rappel. In the essence of time we skipped the rappel and
moved on to the paddling section. This section was great and the
conditions helped us allot. Once moving on to the navigation section
we trekked through areas searching for checkpoints and ended up
finishing without finding all of them. Overall the race was great
and we recommend this race for beginners and experts alike. Since
Eco-Oklahoma had various races to attend at the same time, it is a
great time to mix with all calibers of Adventure Racers. |
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2003 Races
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2003
Raid the Rock, Urban Adventure Race |
| October 25th, 2003 |
1 Day Race |
3 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division: 3
Person, Coed |
Placed: (Unofficial) 44th |
| Location: Little Rock,
Arkansas |
|
The
Raid the Rock, 2003 race was quite a different race than the ones of
previous years. We were told that the navigation and course was
going to be considerably harder this year. At 5am on Saturday,
October 25th, we were given the first 10 checkpoints (the remainder
11 though finish, given the night before) and Ozark Extreme was off
and racing. Numbered "lucky 13" our team did quite well in
the night navigation portion of the race as we trekked through dense
woods and brush to find our checkpoints. Once in the paddling
section, our team performed better than we have ever done in this
discipline, gaining our ranking in the race. As the race went on we
were given special tasks to complete as a team, one of these were
building a raft for our team, and bikes, to cross a section of
river. Once we completed our raft and were on the water, we were
pulled back due to weather. the weather delay made it impossible to
make the race cutoffs and we were forced to take the short course
(skipping 4 checkpoints). Once the weather cleared we were off on
our homemade raft paddling to the other shore so that we could start
our biking section. One of our mistakes (Which eventually
cost us our official ranking) happened during the raft section, we
managed to soak our passport, which deteriorated throughout the
race. Once on the biking section the weather turned sour, and a
storm with heavy rain pounded us. Our team never even talked of
quitting, the only comment about the weather being," This is a
REAL Adventure Race now!". Never halting due to any obstacles
we kept perusing the goal of simply finishing. During the biking
section we met with many other teams that had our same goal. We all
helped each other where we could and pushed to the finish. Once completing
the biking section we were able to rappel off of the Robinson Auditorium
in downtown Little Rock. During the rappel most of the remaining
teams converged on the rappel. By this time the weather had turned
really nasty. The wind was at 15 to 25 mph and the temperature had
plummeted. One person in line ahead of us succumbed to the early stages of hypothermia. After the rappel we proceeded to
the Riverfront Ampatheater for the finish. Our
review of this race is a good one. Although we were not
able to finish in a ranked position we feel like the race course was
extremely challenging one. The only complaint was the lack of race staff at the finish.
We liked the challenging course that
this years race offered. You can
expect to see us there next year.
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2003
Southwest Sprint Championships |
| September 6, 2003 |
Sprint Race |
2 person Men's,
Women's, and Co-Ed |
| Classes/ Division: 2 Person
Men's |
Placed: 8th In Division |
| Location: Burns Park, North Little
Rock, Arkansas |
|
The
2003 Southwest Sprint
Championships- Sprint Adventure Race Series was overall a great and
fun event to race. The event was well organized and well thought
out. Crash Williams, the race director, kept the activities
enjoyable and light. The race turned one of our regular training
areas into a new and unfamiliar race course. Although we knew the
terrain, Crash and his staff changed the course and added in special
events that kept you on your toes, or sometimes on your face. The
race took 2 to 4 hours to complete and challenged every competitor.
Our team faired well, placing 8th, we ran, biked, kayaked, and
special event-ed ourselves throughout this course. As for the
specifics of our teams racing, we encountered chain and tire
problems that put us almost at the back of the pack and fought our
way back into the top ten in the race. In summary, if you are
looking for a fun, well organized race this series is for you. Many
kudos out to Crash and his staff for making such events possible.
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2003
Lake Bistineau Adventure Race |
| April 12,13,
2003 |
1 day race |
3 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division: 3
Person Co-Ed |
Placed: 2nd In Division |
| Location: Lake Bistineau, Louisiana |
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The
2003 Steel Sports, Lake Bistineau Adventure Race was an experience for all of us that attended. The race was
pretty organized, but the lack of clear routing points, clear checkpoints, and a
unique "surprise" checkpoints, made this race very
frustrating to run. The race was also organized with a "surprise
start". This start consisted of someone honking a horn from a
car to get every one up and start the race. The other problems is the race incorporated some "surprise
checkpoints", which were check points placed along a marked
trail without a UTM coordinate. Only the four
person teams were awarded ranking awards and prizes.
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| April 12,13,
2003 |
2 day race |
4 Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division:
Basic Course |
Placed: 17th in Basic Division |
| Location: Cass, Arkansas |
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The
2003 Ozark Challenge is Two races in one. A Basic course is split
into two days for less experienced teams and an Advanced that raced
through the night. The distances for both races are obviously different
and vary in difficulty. Two of our teams competed in the basic course and did
well. The course was set to be difficult and I think the teams
faired well in spite of that. All in all, the Ozark Challenge was
well organized, expertly set up, and the atmosphere was great. The
race staff, at manned checkpoints, greeted everyone with a smile
and, with the exception of one area, moved everyone through the
checkpoints quickly. Our team A placed Tenth and team B Seventeenth.
The Ozark Challenge is a great race and we will definitely be there
next year. If you are a beginner I would suggest some practice
before attempting this race.
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| February 22,
2003 |
1 day race |
2 Person Men's and 3
Person Coed |
| Classes/ Division: Single |
| Location: Greenleaf State Park
near Braggs, Oklahoma |
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The
race was organized well and the course was somewhat challenging. The
weather played a major factor in this race. We fought cold and wet
the entire race, peddling down hills caked with mud, and fighting
the fiercest wind during the paddling section. This race was the
worst of the worst for us. Due to underestimating the cold and area,
we didn't compete to our potential. I would suggest thinking
heavily before attacking a winter race and making sure of the area
before you go. As for the race staff, they tried to make it fun for
everyone and kept the race organized. If you do decide to take on a
winter race, this may be for you.
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