Paddy Pallin Adventure Race Report...

The day started with the HQ/registration area in Weston Park opening at 7:15am…Dave dropped our bikes off at the top of Mt Stromlo while Jodie & I checked in at HQ to collect our racing bibs (team #80), sportident stick (or "dipper"), control card, maps, race instructions and some other goodies…

The dipper was used each time we checked into a transition area [TA] and will provide leg time splits in the results while the control card was used to collect punch marks at each checkpoint [CP] (as per orienteering) to prove that we'd been where we were meant to go…

Three buses were used to transport the Group 1 Classic Course starters to near the foot of Mt Stromlo, just off the road to the Observatory…because there were so many entries in the Classic Course (114 teams), we'd been split up into two groups with the expected faster finishers starting in Group 2…in the end there were 64 teams in Group 1 and 50 in Group 2…there was also a Novice Course with 35 teams but they started at HQ and did a shorter course…

The first leg to TA1 (the bike drop) required us to make our way to the top of Mt Stromlo on foot, collecting two CPs on the way…unfortunately CP2 had been stolen so we were directed to TA1 as we neared the top…

From TA1 to TA2 we had to make our way via 4 CPs on bike (or on foot if you were like me and chickened out on some of the steep bits)…the way to CP3 was via the road and then it was onto the first lot of single track MTBiking…the way from CP3 to CP5 was taped so you were meant to follow that trail (some teams obviously either hadn't read the rules or decided they were only there to broken and took some shortcuts)…the early part was fairly congested and I stopped a few times to let faster teams pass…I probably spent only 50% of the time on the bike while Jodie & Dave made it seem easy…but I was much quicker on foot!

From CP5 to CP6 you had to decide which way to go so we picked a slightly longer but much quicker route that didn't have as much climb…along the way we picked up a team of three women ("Blurred Vision") who were doing their first adventure race and didn't have much idea about navigation…they pretty much stuck with us until after TA5…they had asked another team for help but were given the brush off…

CP6 to TA2 was via another taped route and this time I probably stayed on the bike about 90% of the time as it was a bit flatter…

Our bikes were left at TA2 as we collected a map (known as "Bluetts West" when orienteering) to do a rogaine, collecting 6 CPs in any order, on the other side of Uriarra Rd…we collected the first CP OK and then had a minor navigational error (I took us too low on a slope) before correcting the error with Jodie's assistance and collecting the remaining 5 CPs…the error only cost us about 5mins and is typical of the errors I generally make when orienteering by myself!…it was during this leg that the Group 2 starters made an appearance...

It was back to TA3 to collect the bikes and do some more single track MTBiking, collecting 6 CPs on the way…this was reasonably flat but still quite technical with lots of switchbacks and rocky bits, I probably spent about 85% of the time on the bike...I did get a bit more confident but was well aware of my limitations, preferring to avoid potential injury…it wasn't worth taking shortcuts here as it was easy to miss CPs which were on the trail, at least one team did exactly this and had to backtrack…as a point of reference CP17 was near the Criterium cycling track while CP18 was between the cross country track and Deek's Forest Park…we crossed Uriarra Rd again and then made our way by fire trail to TA4 which was on the edge of the Stromlo Forest Area close to the Molonglo River…

We suffered another navigation error as we took the wrong fire trail and headed more toward the RSPCA then we intended, this probably costs us 15-20 minutes before we got back on track and made it to TA4…

It was back on foot to complete an orienteering course of 3 CPs (i.e. collected in order)…this took us along then across the river in a triangular course…the river crossings were fun (and refreshing) as we went in up to mid thigh…thankfully we made it through this part incident free…

Back to TA5 and on the bikes to TA6 which was located at Orana Bay on Lake BG…this ride was a combination of fire trails, 4WD tracks, bike path and roads as we made good time collecting 4 more CPs…along this leg we passed a team that was lost as they'd completely missed getting to TA4 (we pointed them back in the right direction)..

At TA6 it was onto the kayaks to paddle out to Springbank Island to collect a Google Earth map for the next leg which would require a swim to Acton Peninsula...the paddle was hard work as the water was quite choppy due to the wind…there were also boats out on the sailing course but we managed to avoid colliding with them!

At Springbank Island we dropped off some gear, collected the map (put straight into a waterproof bag) and then made our way to the peninsula...Jodie put the control card under her hat while I had the maps tucked inside my PFD (mandatory buoyancy vest) …it was interesting swimming with a PFD on but at least you knew you could stop and be fine!

Then it was around the sculpture park/Old Canberra House area collecting 4 more CPs before swimming back to the island…

On the island we had to note where the last CP was (on Black Mountain Peninsula) and mark it on our map before paddling back via it to TA9…at this stage we elected not to collect the final CP as time was running out…on the return paddle, the "Blurred Vision" team were heading to the island having happily and successfully negotiated the other CPs without us…

From TA9 it was a short ride to the finish…I think we took about 8 minutes over the cut-off time (5.5 hours) plus we'll cop a time penalty for missing CP30 BUT it was a fantastic day weather-wise and we had a great time, working well as a team…it was pretty much non-stop from start to finish…certainly a good work out...I had a very sore left tricep as a result of the heavy braking I was doing on the single track MTBiking!

The team we helped were very appreciative and caught up with us at the finish...Dave gave them a contact email address to send through some photos they'd taken with us on the course…

Jodie had to duck off to baseball while we hung around chatting and watching the presentations...Tim was there with the pod espresso cart and had done a roaring trade almost from the time he set up at 7:00am...