Team BIGFISH’s Race report on the Maximum Adventure Race
Blue Mountains - Sunday 14th January ’07
Gazza & Jeff, Chris & Brent, Mick & Liss

First Event for 2007 ! Bring it on we (all the BIGFISH) said ! And bring it on MaxAdventure did !

We were really looking forward to the first event for the New Year and shedding some of the Christmas pudding. And so it was, with three BIGFISH teams entered that we made our way to Leonay along the banks of the Nepean river. We planned our arrival for 7:00am to make sure we had plenty of time to get ready, register, study the maps, intake some food and lots of fluid. It was going to be a hot day, and hydration was definitely going to prove a big factor out on this course.

Everything was going to plan - all three teams registered and team bibs collected, racing outfit donned, the first orienteering run stage worked out, our general strategy for the various race disciplines (run, kayak & MTB) decided, mandatory equipment checked, sunscreen applied, final toilet stop (in those lovely smelling Portaloo’s), last intake of fluids and down to Race HQ and the start line, for the final race briefing. Little were we to know of the mixed results that were to befall the BIGFISH during the course of this event.

9:00am and the Start siren sounded, 100 teams of two raced off heading in two different directions in order to complete the first stage of the race, a run collecting Checkpoints (CPs) 1 – 4 in any order then back to the Race HQ to collect CP5 . The first 50 teams back would start the next stage with a kayak leg and the rest would do a Rogaining (trekking) leg.
This was designed to allow all teams out on the course with less congestion and work in a figure 8 loop, with the split fields covering the same ground but in reverse order. It was here that all teams received their new map, which covered the next four legs (two trekking and two kayaking) including all the CPs required. Two of our teams made it onto the kayaks and our last team were directed to the trek leg. For this report I will stick with my team (Gazza & Jeff) and in one direction heading off in the kayaks.

Grab a boat and paddles, put on the PFD, race bib over the top and down the riverbank into the Nepean for a short 1.5 paddle up to the entry to Glenbrook Gorge, the only obstacles on the river were the speed boats and as long as we keep to the right side we were OK. Into the next CP and off the boat, then it was a scramble across the rocks and into the magnificent gorge itself. This first trek leg consisting of about 7kms through the Gorge and up to Euroka providing all the teams with plenty of obstacles including hills (some nice big ones), stairs (up and down), rocks (some very slippery ones), pools to swim across, boulder hopping and much more. The navigation in this section was generally pretty straightforward and we collected all the required CP’s without much trouble, but with the heat and energy being used we still needed to keep our wits about us. This was a fantastic location to be racing in and we appreciated the beauty (even with our tiring bodies) along the way. We thought how much better it would have been had we just been walking and sightseeing ! That can be the next visit.

From there, it was onto the second kayak leg and back down the Nepean to where we started the gorge trek. This leg was about 3.5kms and it was really good to be back on the water and cool down. The river ahead looked spectacular with a mixture of red kayaks and flashing blades, speed boats and skiers and also the old paddle steamer. Let’s just hope there were no crashes along the way! We enjoyed the cool water and a rest to the tired legs after the hilly run.

Back off the kayaks and onto the next and last trekking leg. The CP here was overcrowded with boats, which meant fully dipping into the water whether you liked in or not. Mandatory cooling down!? I assume that was in Gary’s race plan?? This run was about 1.5 kms back along the banks of the river collecting several more CP’s (one of which tricked a few teams) and then back to the Race HQ to collect the bikes for the final stage of the race. Based on our map the bike leg seemed like it would not present to many problems. But boy, were we to be proved wrong.

It was also at this stage, we found that one of our teams (Mick & Liss) had to pull out. Liss had slipped on the run leg and done some serious damage to her ankle ligaments as well as having taking plenty of bark off the leg. So, sadly it was one BIGFISH down and two BIGFISH left. Off to Nepean Hospital for some X-Rays.

We went through this CP at Race HQ and went to jump on the bikes, and oh no! Jeff’s bike had a flat! Without even riding it! Looks like the sun had taken it’s toll on us in another way as well. So with a quick tyre change we made our way off and up to the track. A nice little hill (hahaha, not really) which only the best of the riders could manage. The rest of us pushed and pushed some more. Finally up the top and across the rail way station we headed to the next CP located on the other side of the Highway where the nice volunteers then gave us our next map. This was a MTB rogaine leg with 12 CP’s required among the myriad of tracks that existed at the top of this section. But you had to get to the top first! It was another hill, but even bigger and steeper than the last one. So it was with more pushing and pushing and some carrying and some more pushing that the top was reached. “Yeah” was being yelled from various teams. “What sort of bike track was that!” could also be heard muttered .

At last it was time to ride. Onto the bikes, a big intake of water, maps on the mapboard and off to find those twelve little CP’s that will allow us to start going downhill and back to food, water, a swim in the river………hmmmmm…. Off to CP A, then B, the G………………………finally some hour or so later we were happy with the thoughts of having collected 10 there was only two left. Then, to our surprise we ran into Chris (aka Dudey Boy) alone on the mountain. “What happened to Brent?” we asked. Heat exhaustion had taken its toll at around the train station crossing and he had to head back. Bummer! So sadly once again, it was two BIGFISH down and only one BIGFISH left. Chris decided to ride with us while we collected the last of the CP’s and headed back down (yes, we were going DOWN) to the CP area with the volunteers where we were checked in for the last time and gave them our completed Control Card for this section. We were then given a mystery CP to collect on our way home. How kind of them!? Thanks Gary!

With the race nearly over we were at last heading home. Collecting the final couple of CP’s including the mystery CP then across the railway station and down the lovely hill (yes, the same former horrible hill that we pushed the bikes UP) and towards the finish line. How nice was the last section along the lovely smooth tar road with the cool breeze in your face and though the finish gate. YES!!! We made it! All that was left was to complete the formalities with confirming our arrival, handing in our main Control Card (which is confirmation we had visited all the CP’s) and handing back our race bibs. It was now over! 5 Hours & 3 Minutes.

What next? First it was check in on the rest of BIGFISH team to see how they all were. Brent had taken in lots of fluid and with a bit of rest and was looking his old self. Liss was still at the Hospital having her ankle checked, Mick having joined another girl’s team for parts of the race had blood on the legs but was OK. Then it was into the river for a cool down, plenty of liquid intake and a plate of chicken and salad (lunch which is included with the race entry). Into some clean dry gear and then what else but to sit down and relax for a while in the shade. That was so nice.

Another fun race completed and another adventure to put into the memory bank. We were disappointed for our team members who did not finish, but like all good BIGFISH they will BE BACK. The course certainly ended up being longer and harder than we had expected, but it was a good, hard challenge which we enjoyed completing.

Our thanks go to:
Maximum Adventure – To Gary, Henry and the team for a fun, but hard course to get us all going for the 2007 season!
The Volunteers – They were all fantastic and did a fantastic job.
The Other Teams – Great to see lots of familiar faces and many new ones.
Our Sponsors - No Roads Expeditions - Mona Vale & Belrose Cycle Shops - Kelly’s Basecamp, Dee Why

by Gazza (aka Bluefin) for Team BIGFISH