Team PB sports::
Sunday the 13th of Jan was the 2nd event
of the weekend, Maximum Adventure having already filled Saturday
to capacity with near 100 teams. Sunday saw near 70 teams converge
on Euroka clearing in the Lower Blue Mountains just west of
Sydney.
After a scorcher on Saturday organizers were hoping for a bit
of compassion on mother natures side, alas the relief came somewhat
late for the majority of the field.
At 10am the race was off, teams proceeded on a mad dash to
the map handout for the mystery component and then navigated
their way around the clearing to locate 5 checkpoints, the top
teams managed this in a matter of minutes and were soon either
headed out on their bikes, for the blue course, or picking up
paddles and PFDs at the TA and running down to the kayaks for
the purple course, the teams were split to make use of the craft
waiting on the water. I have walked around this area a bit but
didn’t realize how far down to the river it was until
I had to climb back out, we hit the water with the first couple
of teams, thankfully a couple had failed to get CP1 under the
bridge, so a detour was required on their return. It took the
whole leg to real the leaders in, but it took less than 5 mins
to hand it back as we slogged our way back to the start finish
and our bikes via the Bennetts Ridge track.
Back at the TA and it was onto the bikes and off onto the surrounding
fire trails picking up a couple of CPs and then on to the single
track that paralleled the Woodford to Glenbrook fire trail,
thankfully it was down hill after the 3 or 4km steady climb
to the start of it, (I forgot to mention by now it was heading
over 30 degrees and the canopy did little to cool competitors
down). A couple of checkpoints later and with some sweet single
track now behind us we arrived above the Glenbrook causeway
at the bike TA.
Anticpating the heat the organizers had plenty of water on
and, teams were now faced with a 1 – 2 hr run/walk via
Red Hands Cave (which I can now say I have seen) following Glenbrook
Ck. In the creeklines there was no respite from the heat, you
seemed to get a breeze only when you trotted along, so this
was encouraged. Moisture was getting sucked out of competitors
as fast as it was going in, thanks to the rescue guys at CP17
(I think) who gave me some water after my drink bladder had
a major malfunction about 30 mins in. Teams returned having
climbed out of the creek by doing a loop back down into it only
to be faced with a punishing last climb back to the TA.
No doubt I wasn’t the only one to consume copious amounts
of water at this point. We now had only a few kms to ride to
the finish, and a good whack was back up a hill, at this point
I thought dragging the road with me as a peleton of 6 riders
whizzed past, seemingly unaware that I would have accepted a
tow had they slowed down. Thankfully Pete my teammate had arrived
at the next CP and punched it and was waiting for me as I had
dropped a few metres off his wheel. We now had some work to
do and gravity was now on my side. We managed to overhaul 1
team and only by sheer determination and a downhill finish did
we stay ahead of them, clawing our way back to 4th spot.
I have to take my hat off to anyone finishing this one, it
was an absolute stinker of a day with temps going real close
to 40c, well done to the organizers for getting plenty of water
out there, just a shame there wasn’t a bit more in the
creek, I do remember scooping a couple of capfuls over my head
from some dodgy pools, it was cooling only.
Thankyou to the sponsors Kathmandu and National Parks for a
great venue, a big thankyou and congrats has to go to 2 guys
who raced both days, Andy Harmer who raced with his wife Sarah
on Saturday and then raced with a mate on Sunday and on more
than one occasion was seen dragging his mate on a leash through
the run, and Pete Tedesco who raced on Saturday with Paul Grundy
and then again with me on Sunday and dare I say if he had a
rope on him would probably have dragged my frame around half
the run also.
Steve Cooper
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