On March 4-10 2014 Bear Hunt participated in the GodZone adventure race in New Zealand.
For team navigator Mike, this is the third expedition length adventure race, for Charlotte and Minh-Tam the second. Max was not able to make it, so Mark van der Ploeg joined us instead, for his first adventure race.
The swap of Mark for Max meant that we lost some paddling and navigation experience. (We also lost a timely report writer). We did gain however lots of capacity on the bike, and more importantly preserved the trend they all boys' names are to begin with “M”.
We had thought about entering GodZone very soon after XPD 2013, and Charlotte had added us to the waiting list. When we got the spot, we got on to training. Mark and Minh-Tam did not have any white water experience at all, Charlotte had been rafting before. As shown in previous posts, we started kayaking in white water boats, and got some lessons at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium in January. Minh-Tam had the most problems getting comfortable, but at the end of it did manage to complete a run at PWS without going for a swim.
The team also had one or two training sessions with single bladed paddles in one of the classic Sevylor AR inflatables, and in a raft. We also took the ANU Mountaineering Club double sea kayaks to Broulee to practise paddling in the surf. Charlotte and Mike seemed to go well, and Mark and Minh-Tam also got the hang of it, but in retrospect probably needed a bit more practice. The ANUMC boats have rudder pedals in the back, whereas the GodZone AR1 boats have them in the front.
We flew to Christchurch on March 4 and joined several other teams in the shuttle to Kaikoura. It was cold and rainy, apparently the worst storm in decades - Streets in Christchurch flooded. We were worried about the paddling.
The house Charlotte had booked us was great. We had plenty of room to sort food and build bikes inside while it was raining, and a deck for when it finally stopped two days before the start.
Mike was sick, so he quarantined himself.
Free WiFi at the fish and chip shop in town. Kaikoura has doesn't have taxis or buses, but has a nifty shuttle system: call up the shuttle, they pick you up and take you anywhere in town for a fee. Like a taxi, but friendlier and no hailing. We went shopping for race food, and went nuts on dried fruit and nuts.
Scared of the cold following our wet welcome, we bought some fleece T-shirts and neoprene gloves.
We received the logistics planner on Wednesday and got to packing the crates. Interesting was that there was a "camp" crate, but no mid camp. Two crates for paddling transition points, and two other crates.
Receiving the maps
We got the maps just three hours before race start. Hastily we marked them up, and contacted them. There was not much time to really plan routes for anything after Leg 4, we would have to do it as we got the maps out of the crates.
Race start
Leg 1 and 2
We were split into two pairs one pair would do leg 1 fist, the other pair leg 2, and then we'd swap.
Michael and Charlotte went out on the paddle, and had some trouble leaving the beach. After that they progressed at a good pace, and didn’t break their boat or otherwise have any issues. They didn’t come last, either. They returned to the beach and went out for their coasteering.
The temptation to run at the same pace as the other teams was too strong for Mark and Minh-Tam as they went out on the coasteering, and they ignored Mike’s warning not to run. Halfway through they encountered some seals who didn't look too happy having all these people run by them, but as far as we know nobody was bitten.
Mark and Minh-Tam too had trouble getting off the beach, capsizing before the water was even waist deep. Mark lost his hat. Eventually they paddled away from the pebbly beach without spray decks on, and proceeded in a zig-zag along the prescribed course because somebody’s legs had fallen asleep.
Leg 3
This was a 53 km mountain bike ride. Most of it on track until we'd reach some decision points to bush back to join other tracks. We were going well for a while, but when it got steep MT paid for going out too hard at the beginning. He probably also didn't eat enough early on, and bonked just before sunset. We pushed the bikes up the steepest hill, had break with food (the deb and cup-a-soup mixture was way too salty!) and electrolyte drink, and perked up a little. Then the bush bash in the dark, in the densest forest, and it was steep. It was slow going. We found a stream to refill our bottles and ran into the Stromlonauts (That’s Cray). At a hilltop with a fence running across it our path diverged from Stromlonauts'. We pushed ahead in the bearing, through more dense forest, using our bikes as awkward walking sticks while the Stromlonauts turned right and followed the fence, hoping to join in to the track further on. Our bearing lead is to a marsh, we overshot the track, circled back, found it and went on riding in to the TA.Leg 4
This was the epic hike. Sadly, barely any photos due to the GoPro recording an hour and a half of MT’s pocket. We were in a good mood, making good time mostly. It was a long leg.
From TA rock hopping up the river in the dark. We make good time and have no issues with navigation, until we get lazy and decide to check the map less often. Promptly (in retrospect) fail to notice a fork, walk up the wrong creek for an hour until we get to a waterfall. Very Hard to climb, but there are lights at the top. But it’s not in the right direction, and does not match the description of the mandatory route. Are we where we think we are? Just as we turn back we see in the distance, up where we decided that it can't be right, the lights for another team coming back down. Then a shout, and a torch tumbling down 10m or so. Some shouts, they sound like ok, but we're far away and there are two teams there.
Turns out later the torch was attached to a person, and they had to pull out following the fall. He walked out, though.
It got light on your way back and we found the spot where we had evidently taken the wrong fork. There's a marker for the mandatory route! Maybe. Or just a pole.
We follow the route, occasionally seeing things that might be markers, it fits the description and the map.
Scree slopes. Up, down and traversing. Not easy. THis went on for some time, in admittedly beautiful terrain.
Eventually we got to the crossing in a raft, looking forward to a ten minute rest. But clearly we were tired, as we faffed about for 20 minutes after the crossing looking after our feet. No blisters on anyone.
Climb up to the ridge, follow it. eventually we got up to the scree slopes. It was hard to follow the mandatory route. It was getting dark again. We've been going for almost 24 hours on this leg, amd and again can't find the mandatory route. Its also wet, and windy here, and we’re up above 1500m. Lots of spiky things grow here, plants with big bright orange flowers that have spikes everywhere, and poke through our rain pants.
The slopes change from being made of fist size rocks to headsize rock, and MT keeps seeing things. The rocks gt bigger, eventually larger than people, and they don't exactly feel super secure where we're walking. The helmets that we have to wear on this leg would have helped earlier, now not so much. But we know we're on the right track, and eventually find the pink arrows demarcating the only safe route up the pass. Mike and Charlotte can stop navigating now and rest their minds. They're both tired, Mike's ITB hurts. Minh-Tam goes and spots the arrows. As we hit the snow, there is brief consideration of whether we should stop and camp, but it can't be that much further to the checkpoint up on Mt. Tapi, let's press on.
We traverse a snowy slope, following footsteps that have been cut there for us. It's 2am, and it’s very slippery. Falling on this slope, in rain pants, nonetheless, would mean a fatal toboggan ride down the mountain.
After that, the adrenaline wears off, Mike is a zombie. But there's a light up on the saddle! Mark and MT press ahead to see what it is. It's the checkpoint! Hoorah! After getting it, we descend about 100 m and find the first flattish spot without snow. There's a tent there already - a volunteer who checks us in. We put up camp, and are fast asleep shortly after.
We wake a couple of hours later up as the sun comes up, and pack up . We're slow, and some other teams ate crossing the saddle nd pass is. Our shoes are frozen.
Down the mountain, following the track, then following the river. We're going well. We see some goats up some near vertical cliff walls.
Xxxxxx
there is something missing here.
Xxxxxx
Leg 5
MTB. We got some hot food at this TA! Luxury. We ride out in a good mood. It's going to be an easy leg following roads only. The checkpoint that's off track has been cancelled due to the landowners. We decide to camp just before we get up too high. Get overtaken by few more teams as we sleep. Wake up, and make good time climbing up to Wards Pass and on to Isolated Flat. Catch a few teams, including team 13 who we will see a few more times.
Onwards on good gravel roads.
Ride down the hill into Hanmer Springs is steep and the organisers were right to warn us not to fall asleep on the bikes here. Qute a drop down the side. Hanmer Springs is a welcome sight, we buy some warm food, some drinks, use real toilets, and press on on the road. Mark finally has the opportunity to buy a new hat.
Easy riding on the highway, to the TA, and it's daytime, too. Cars on the road honk and wave us good luck.
Leg 6, this is the big one.
We start off well, feeling mostly good but Mike is feeling the ITB, still.
As it gets dark, navigation is harder. Scree slopes to ascend, ridges to follow I the fog. We get to a spot where we can't figure out how to proceed. It's either a climb over these rocky blades that block the ridge, or go a long way back to bypass them. Mike climbs ahead to see if they are passable while Minh-Tam complains about being tired and falling asleep. In the end we decide to sleep two hours until sunrise.
It all looks so much better then. We climb over the blades, and descend on the other side. We have some trouble getting down into Jollie Creek thanks to MT's nav error, and find cliffs all around that are just slightly too small to show up on the 20m contour map. Eventually we get down and follow the cold creek. There was meant to be a track here, but it looks like it hasn't been used in 10 years. We only find it further on, and realise we really need to hurry. Wr want to make it to the start of the canoe before dark, so that we can get some paddling in before the dark zone. MT is worried about the paddling, but pushes on. Mike’s legs are not happy, neither are Marks. But we get to the cable bridge and hurry across. Fastest transition ever, after 15 minutes we're ready to head out, well get half an hour of paddling. Unfortunately water safety closes the river and we have to stay the night after all.Leg 7
In the morning we and several other teams all start at the same time. We're not too fast, Minh-Tam and Mark clearly should have practised single bladed paddling a bit (or at all). It takes them a while to sort out their communication, but the rapids aren't too bad. Mike and Charlotte go for a swim, and Minh-Tam falls out of the boat as well. The three big rapids are good fun, and there are safety people in kayaks at the ready. This would be a beautiful river to go down in a kayak!
We're in a hurry to make the bridge by 1pm, otherwise we’ll get short coursed. Unfortunately there are several sections of shallow pebble races where we have to get out and lift the boat. Mark and Mike both have legs that are increasingly stiff, making portage hard. We paddled as hard as we could, overtaking some teams, but at 1pm decide to pull over and have a break. We barely ate since getting on the water at 7am and our arms hurt. We didn't make it.
After a leisurely break with food and water we go on, and reach the bridge. It turns out that none of the teams that started that morning made it.
Some have started riding to the finish already, so we decide to make the best of it and try catch them.
This is where Mark really came into swing. He plowed ahead at 38 km/h and we tucked in behind. We caught up to other teams and they tucked in behind us. At his best, Mark pulled 15 riders behind him at speed, but we dropped them when we got to the hills: Charlotte grabbed the tow rope, and Mike and Minh-Tam had to work to keep up. We made a small nav error, turn back, but make really good time back to the finish. What a final leg. We felt good and it’s sad that we weren't able to do the full course, but we tried our best at the time.
Analysis
Since the finish, Charlotte has been analysing our performance and thus now also carries the title of Team Analyst: We faffed about too much. [The rest of the analysis is a secret. It’s the only defense we have from other teams!]
