Oman Adventure 2007 Local Teams Challenge

The final of the Oman Adventure 2007, included the traditional night stage. the two local teams from Oman A'Rustaq and Bahla made a spirited attempt to win the stage, coming in 3rd and 4th on the stage.

Later in the day on the final leg along the beach to the finish, they both dropped a place, but had done enough to retain their positions on the day.Having raced for a total of just under 23 hours


Photo Regards du Sport / Darasing (vandystadt.com)

The winners of the event were Aigle Sybelles ESF,Who were only headed once on during the second stage when they made an navigation error, having won every day, with a total time of just under 23 hours

ENS Cashan Bretagne La Post finished second as they had on every day and they were some two hours behind followed home overall by Raid In/SGTE-Ineo/suez with a 3 hour gap

A further One hour behind was A'Rustaq. Bahla's performance on the final day allowed them to rise to 6th place overall.
Gerald Fusil has once again produced a superb race in the beautiful and somtimess harsh surrounding of Oman.





Gerards Fusil believes in organising races for racers for whom it is more important that they challenge themselves than race for large pots of gold. Yes winning is important but like the Olympics of old where all you won was a laurel leaf crown.

The moment money comes into the equation rules get bent as team are driven to win and what should be friendly competition develops into an out and out battle with many claims for cheating.

The Reunion D'Aventure, and Oman adventure will be joined next year by the Raid Caneo Nature in France, to uphold the true spirit of Adventure racing





David Ogden
International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Day 4 Oman Teams close up

Oman Adventure 2007 Day 4 heralded the long distance in the history of the race 73
Kilometers. Thankfully the course followed Wadis otherwise the racers would have been
in trouble.

Photo Alain Essock

Local Omani team A'Rustaq seemed to have got back on pace finishing in third place at the end of the two stages. the reward was to regain 4th place overall. they are not expected to be able to climb any higher unless an accident befalls the teams ahead of them.

The second Oman Team Bahla, also had a good day running alongside A'Rustaq for most of the day and this has brought them back into the pack.

The leaders Aigles Sybelles ESF extended their lead by another 25 mins in the first stage of the day and then paced themselves and raced alongside the Postal team for the second stage, knowing that they have two hours in hand.

The Adventure racers in this years Oman Adventure have faced extremes of temperature from 33C - zero and of altitude when climbing Jabal Shams.Remote and sun baked tracks and lush
Wadi's.

The final is not expected to result in any changes of position for the first three
teams, however only 7 min separates 4th and 5th place, so we shall have to wait and
see.

David Ogden

International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Day 3

Photo Regards du Sport / Darasing
(vandystadt.com)

Day 3 of the Oman Adventure 2007 was divided into two stages and was easy compared with
the second day as some of the course was on tarred roads, making a total distance of 54 kilometres.

There is a big speed difference between first and last, with of course two teams classified as Adventure.

Team 74 EAGLE SYBELLES ESF remain the undisputed leaders taking another 32 minutes from the chasing Post Office team.

Team 71 RAID IN/SGTE INEO/SUEZ continued their rise up the rankings into 3rd place.

Local Team A'Rustique had a good 4th position for the day keeping in touch with team 71 but still have a lot of work to do to get pull back into 4th place overall, with around an hour to make up.

Team 77 Total were also overtaken one of the Local Omani teams Bahla.

The Oman Adventure racers are camped over at Bani Kalman


David Ogden

International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Day 2 Leaders Get Lost

The pace of the race on day two of the Oman Adventure 2007 was too hot for two of the teams, who failed to reach the cutoff at CP, so they will continue along a shortened course.

The teams started the day with some canyoning and then picked up their mountain bikes to start a long leg in the direction of Amq, after which they faced a savage incline following a track up the mountainside, which required both team members to push their bike at times.

The leading team 74 Eagle Sybelles Est made a navigational error after the canyoning which allowed The Post office team to arrive first at Yasib but with the former leaders hot on their heels ( I remember a similar story last year when one of the leaders got lost on the first day). In the final stage of the day order was restored with the leaders adding another 13 minutes lead to the overall time. The team is very strong and if they have a good day tomorrow they will probably have the race in the bag.

The leading Omani team A'Rustaq as expected lost 4th place to Raid Inisgt-ineo/suez, who appeared to have an excellent day and are within striking distance of third place. so there could be some hot action tomorrow.

Two teams 76 Arranges tourist and 75 Lattitude 55 EGT Climtech will restart tomorrow from the campsite at Jabal Shams on the shortend course, for team 55 it is a miricle that they are still in the race after having assistance from the press who provided food, water and power gels to get them back on their feet. Tomorrow marks the halfway point of The Oman Adventure 2007
and then its downhill to the finish!

David Ogden
International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Day 1

The second day of of Oman adventure started with a run along a steep footpath into the mountains, with Aigles Sybelles ESP breaking away from a chasing group of three teams which included A'Rustaq of Oman. Once into the bike and run proper the leading team showed its class and extended their lead to about an hour.overe a demanding course. The Post Office team ended up second with Lattitude 55 AMC taking third place a great improvement over their 8th place in the Prologue. The Omani Team dropped back from the chase and managed to hold 4th place.

Overall the heat and steep climbs took their toll and the teams were happy to rest at the finish in preparation for another day.



Photo Alain Issock :


David Ogden
International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Prelude

This year marks the third running of Gerard Fusils Oman adventure, otherwise know as the longest Bike and Run adventure race. Th race has been somewhat over shadowed by the Abu Dhabi Challenge which has a big dollar prize fund where all teams earn money!

The course is placed North East of Muscat with a transfer into the mountains at the start and then teams will make their way across the mountains before returning to the sea and finishing in Sawadi.

Eleven teams took part in the prologue on Sunday a 3K run from the Citadal of A Na’aman towards the sea. the first team AIGLE SYBELLES ESF breaking 12 minutes and local team A'RUSTAQ arrived in 3rd place less than a minute behind. the last team to finish was Total some six minutes later and it seems that Dominique GARCIA may be forced to retire having aggravated a previous Achilles tendon injury. The team that came second today will have to hope that the makeshift repairs to their bike which was damaged during transport will be good for the start of the race proper. Full results can be found at http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/SPIP-v1-8-3//rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=204

David Ogden

International Adventurers

Oman Adventure 2007 Prelude

This year marks the third running of Gerard Fusils Oman adventure, otherwise know as the longest Bike and run advanture race. Th race has been somewhat over shadowed by the Dubai adventure Challenge which has a big dollar prize fund where all teams earn money!

The course is placed North East of Muscat with a transfer into the mountains at the start and then teams will make their way accross the mountains before returning to the sea and finshing in Sawadi.

Eleven teams took part in the prolog on Sunday a 3K run from the Citadal of A Na’aman towards the sea. the first team AIGLE SYBELLES ESF breaking 12 minutes and local team A'RUSTAQ arrived in 3rd place less than a minute behind. the last team to finish was Total some six minutes later and it seems that Dominique GARCIA may be forced to retire having agrevated a previous achilles tendon injury. The team that came second today will have to hope that the makeshift repairs to thier bike which was damaged during transport will be good for the start of the race proper. Full results can be found at http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/SPIP-v1-8-3//rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=204

David Ogden

International Adventurers

Adventure Racing News The Bull Of Africa is back

South Africa is one of the countries where I took my team International Adventurers to race and we were the first International team to compete in South Africa in Africa Quest.

Now follows the announcement that The Bull of Africa will once again be part of the AR world championship series next year/



The Bull of Africa, South Africa's most prestigious expedition adventure race, is back on track for 2008. This announcement was made this week by race organizers Hano and Sonja Otto of ACE (The Adventure Centre of Excellence) and dates have already been set to run the event from 9-16 August next year.


Seven Days, 570km of expedition racing across unforgiving territory, and a select field of more than 30 local and international adventure racing teams will once again battle it out in The Bull of Africa, one of the toughest sporting challenges on earth. This unsupported expedition-style event will pose a gruelling challenge, both mentally and physically, and only the cream of the AR world need apply. These athletes will face a variety of disciplines, including ocean paddling, river rafting, coasteering, trail running, mountain biking, swimming, navigation and extreme sections of rope work.


The rugged mountains, valleys and tempestuous coastline of the Eastern Cape and legendary Transkei Wild Coast will provide a suitably dramatic backdrop to The Bull of Africa. Soaring sea cliffs, mangrove swamps, indigenous forest and Big 5 game reserves will add to the awe-inspiring experience as racers traverse the heartland of the amaXhosa people. Teams will also have the opportunity to interact with the local communities, thereby experiencing the rich tapestry of local culture and tradition.


The Bull of Africa is set to start on Women's Day (August 9th, 2008), thus focussing attention on the many women excelling in adventure racing. A separate women's race category will see female-only teams from New Zealand, Brazil, USA and South Africa competing for honours, and a number of teams have already expressed interest. The organisers also recently attended the XPD race in Australia to market the event, and the massive interest shown by the teams they approached can only bode well for the future of the race.


As a key event in the prestigious Adventure Racing World Series, the history of The Bull of Africa dates back to 2004. ACE (Adventure Centre of Excellence) hosted the first event three years ago, and it was the Canadian Team Holofiber under captain Lawrence Foster who triumphed then. In 2005, the desolate Richtersveldt region again hosted 11 overseas teams challenging the South African contingent, and once again the foreigners walked away with the spoils. This time it was Team Merrell Wigwam Adventure (USA/NZ), who crossed the finish line in just over four days.


Only a shortened version of the race was presented in 2006, and sponsorship challenges forced 'The Bull' to take a "rest" this year. The organisers have however worked hard behind the scenes, and a significant sponsorship deal was brokered with a dynamic group of young businessmen. "BUNKER CAPITAL has come on board as event partners, and we are happy to report that this secures the financial future of our exciting event", said Hano Otto. "They are as excited as us, and together we believe that we can once again make The Bull of Africa one of the premier adventure racing events on the international calendar".


Further good news for competitors is that the sponsors have put up an impressive R300 000 (US$ 40 000) in prize money. The Bull of Africa will also act as one of the qualifiers for the Adventure Racing World Championships to be held in Brazil in October 2008. This will be the culmination of the Adventure Racing World Series, an international circuit of premier AR events representing 10 countries hosting professional events over a 12 month period. The official web site for the AR World Series will be http://www.sleepmonsters.com/ while Casio Pro-trek will be the official watch sponsor. In SA, the web sites http://www.ar.co.za/ and http://www.ndorfin.co.za/ will be official partners of The Bull of Africa.

David Ogden
International Adventurers

International Adventurers - Oman Adventutre 2007 9-14 th Dec

Last chance for Entries

Registration for the third Oman Adventure, the world’s biggest bike-and-run
event, has been open since the end of June.
If you have not yet contacted us, please do so urgently to secure your spot
among the 40 participating teams.
There are a limited number of seats available on flights to this
increasingly popular destination, so it is important not to put off registering.
In order to start securing seats right away, Sinbad-Voyages, the company
responsible for non race-related logistics, has decided to offer a 5% discount
to all competitors who book before 20 September. GFC, organiser of the event
and its communications, is joining them in this initiative.
Of course, this discount applies to all the teams already registered.
The third Oman Adventure will take place in a different region to that of
the first two editions. Competitors will discover a new side to this vast and
amazing country, through an event that brings together specialist runners,
trekkers, triathletes and mountain bikers.
Pricing details for the Sinbad Voyages package can be found in the circular
included with this bulletin.
For details on the event, visit: _www.authentiqueaventure.com_
(http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/)
Event dates
9 to 14 December 2007
Trip dates
7 to 16 December 2007
Number of legs
Six, including one at night
Distance to cover
Approx. 300 km
Distance covered daily
30 to 60 km
Difference in altitude
Approx. 5,000 m. To be confirmed
Cost of registration
700 euros per team
Number of teams
40
Package price
2,000 euros _infos@sindbad-voyages.com_ (../anglais/Sindbad)
Information
GFC: +33 (0)297575357 / _omanadventure@aol.com_ (mailto:omanadventure@aol)
Equipment
1 mountain bike for two
Web site
http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/SPIP-v1-8-3/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=177




Gérard Fusil Consultants
Botergollec
56 400 Brech - France
tel +33 (0) 2 97 57 53 57
fax +33 (0) 2 97 57 50 35
mail : _gfusilcy@aol.com_ (mailto:gfusilcy@aol.com) , _omanadventure@aol.com_
(mailto:omanadventure@aol.com)
http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/SPIP-v1-8-3/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=177

Oman Adventure is the toughest Bike And Run competition worldwide, an 8 days
adventure-race
organized every year by GFC in Sultanate of Oman and internationally aired
by major networks

David Ogden
International Adventurers

Third addition of Oman Adventure Bike and Run 9-14th December

The third Oman Adventure will take place like every year in December, from 9 to 14, and will once again be held in an entirely different region. The Sultanate of Oman is a vast and varied country that could be the setting for innumerable races in open nature between its mountain summits that rise to 3,000 metres, its 1,700 kilometres of magnificent coastline, its deserts of all kinds and its wadis dotted with oases.

The formula of the race has not changed. The basic discipline is bike and run: one bike for two. All strategies are permitted, giving bike and run its full range of possibilities in Oman Adventure. Team spirit plays an essential role in the event. The little "tricks" to gain time are decisive. Moreover, two contestants with a mountain bike can go nearly everywhere. When it is not possible, on certain sections, the 4X4 takes over to carry the bikes and the contestants set out on foot, hiking down rivers (aquarando) or overland.

Oman Adventure is a very open competition. It attracts raiders, triathletes, trailers and marathon runners who prepare for the event by working on the direction-finding bases with GPS points provided in advance.

The competition, as it should be in all races in which the spirit of adventure plays an important role, is open to all. The best produce astonishing averages but the runners-up also experience a competition adapted to their level thanks to the two rankings: Extreme and Adventure. Everyone spends each night camping out in an unspoiled natural setting in an atmosphere that contestants say is unforgettable.

Loyal to their principles, the GFC organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure that this competition is financially affordable by the greatest number of contestants. The fee for registering a team with GFC is 700 euros and the tour operator Sinbad-Voyages has prepared a complete package including the flights, the transfers, the hotel nights, the 4X4 backup with driver, the breakfasts and the dinners.

GFC also ensures that the sponsors of teams get significant media coverage thanks to the large-scale production of images, with material sent out each day to all the televisions of the world, and thanks to its solid know-how in disseminating information on all the continents.

Registrations are now open. The places will be limited this year to forty teams for reasons of logistical infrastructures. Twelve teams have signed up, so there is no time to waste. A down payment of 200 euros enables the teams to book their place in the race.


Dates of the race 9 to 14 December 2007
Dates of the round trip 7 to 16 December 2007
Number of legs Six including one night leg
Distance to cover +/- 300 km
Distance per day 30 to 60 km
Difference in height +/- 5,000 metres. To be specified later
Registration fee 700 euros per team
Number of teams 40
Package price Set by Sinbad-Voyages infos@sindbad-voyages.com
Information
GFC: 02 97 57 53 57/

Here is route of last years race


Equipment
1 mountain bike for two
Website http://www.authentiqueaventure.com/

Nike Win ARWorld Championship in Scotland

David Ogden
International Adventurers


Team Nike re-crowned ARWorld champions for the 2nd year in succession at 0612 Today . yesterday they forced the pace over the Mountains of Glen Coe, leaving long time leaders Helly Hansen in their wake, so Large was the lead that they finished before the 2nd place team start the ascent of Ben Nevis.

French Team Wilsa Helly Hansen were unable to match the speed of Nike Who broke away from them crossing Rannoch Moor carrying Kayaks, and then extended their lead in the mountains surrounding Glen Coe


A Disappointed Balance Vector will cross the line behind them but they missed a crucial cut-off yesterday so are on a shortened route with a time penalty. Like many teams they had been caught out by the cold wet condition which caused many competitors to suffer from Hypothermia, requiring frequent stops in shelters to warm up a little.

Spanish Team Buff Colormax are fighting for a podium finish one and half hours behind Wilsa Helly Hansen and having a tussle with first stage winners Orion Health they rested prior to bike to the foot on Ben Nevis.

The race has had a high attrition rate like the Original classic races of Raid Gaulloises and Elf Authentique adventures, where it was survival of the fittest.

ARWorld Championships Nike Make their Move

David Ogden
International Adventurers

The 4th Day began to look like a two horse race with Nike and Wilsa Helly Hansen trading places during the day, Nike Caught up with Wilsa Helly Hansen during the final bike stage of the day but spent less time in transition, However the paddle power of Wilsa Helly Hansen soon put them back in the lead during the first stage of a mammoth paddle and portage leg first down Loch Erich and then via connecting rivers to Loch Rannoch, a portage to Loch Laiden and a choice of portage or river to Loch Ba after which the going gets tougher as they follow lochs and bogs across Rannoch to the A38 and the West Highland Way.

Balance Vector and Orion Health are chasing hard hoping their Kayak skills will bring them back in touch with the leaders.

Navigation proved difficult across Rannoch Moor and Nike broke away from Wilsa Helly Hansen and grabbed some 3 hours sleep at transition 5 prior to starting their 25k trek along part of the west Highland way, they left before any other teams arrived this maybe the race winning break!. Balance Vector took some rest at a loch side refuge in Scotland’s most famous haunted bothy. Hopefully they slept through the freaky scratching and knocking noises on the windows that this very remote hut is renowned for. This allowed Orion Health to slip past them but should be under way before Buff Colormax catch up.

The pace and the weather gas been taking its toll and the teams were rerouted around the mountains via Fort Augustus as tracks became impassable, some teams returned to Foyers and retired. A total of 11 teams have so far withdrawn, and a further 3 teams are struggling on unranked. Those that continued via Fort Augustus to transition 5 found it very hard on their feet.

The Weather and Positions change

David Ogden
International Adventurers

The third day of the ARWorld championship saw two teams beginning to break away from the chasing pack Wilsa Helly Hanson, who took over the lead yesterday and the fast improving Nike. Chasing hard and trying to close the gap was Bjurfors Adventure Racing some
30 minutes behind the leaders.

1st day Leaders Orion Health managed to get past Balance Vector crossing Loch Ness and Team Sole lost time at Urqhart Castle having to replace a disk on one of their bikes; this
allowed Spanish Team BuffCoolmax and Salomon Crested Butte to Catch them.

Someway back down the field Aberdeen Asset Management was attempting to close
in on tenth position.

The weather took a turn for the worse with rain continuing all day and when Team
Sole arrived at the canyoning section they found the stage cancelled due to rising water.

Teams navigating over the mountains to the next bike stage Transition 5 will have their navigation tested if visibility decreases as it is a barren landscape. Aberdeen Asset Management and Merrill Wigwan both made diversion to Loch Killin whilst searching for the correct route.

Wilsa Helly Hansen elected to sleep at Transition 5, which allowed Nike to take a two and half lead in their strongest discipline, but the previous leaders had banked in 3 hours sleep and began chasing at midnight overtaking Nike at Kinloch Laggan as they headed down the south bank of Loch Laggan for a 20K trekking which included a rope ascent followed by three abseils on the east face of Binnein Shaus.

Balance Vector regained joint third place overtaking Bjurfors Adventure Racing and took time out to sleep with Orion Health at Transition 5 at Laggan WolfTrax.

AR World Championship ups and Downs in Knoydart

David Ogden
International Adventurers


On the 2nd day of the AR World Championship over half of the field was diverted on to a shortend course as they failed to make the cut-off in the first treking stage they continued to be ranked but picked up a 12 hour penalty. A lot of teams made wrong navigation decisions and wasted extra time and effort to get back on course, route choice is never easy especially in the dark.

During the early hours of the morning Sleepmonsters/Inov-8 retired from the race due to a team member taking ill, perhaps caused by the capsize on the first day.

The International teams who picked up two hour penalties in the prologue showed their class and by 0700 on the 2nd day Wilsa Helly Hansen were leading from Balance Vector and Orion Health with Nike disputing 4th place despite making errors. Team Sole were in 7th. Aberdeen Asset management had a bad night and had dropped to 16th place seeking their way out of a valley having missed the hilltop route.

Wilsa Helly Hansen arrived at Kinloch Hourn ahead of all the teams and were followed in by Balance Vector who opted to grab some sleep prior to the bike Stage. Orion health were in third. Nike's biking machine got into gear and managed to close the gap on the leaders.

There were two pauses on the biking stage one for a 20ft jump beside a waterfall and the other for a Tyrolean Traverse across a canyon, then it was onwards and downwards passing Invermorrison then along loch Ness to a 600m swim at Urquart Castle, with two members swimming and two in Kayaks.Then kayaking across the loch

Once across the Lock the teams headed south using trekking poles travelling along the loch side before a canyoning section at Foyers. The next challenge was to pass over the Monadilath mountains to the mountain bike transition

AR World Championship - Hard Day on the Water

David Ogden
International Adventurers

The 65K paddle to the mainland via the island of Eigg started later than intendedat 0820 by the time they passed the second of two checkpoints Orion Health had taken an early lead powering along at 5knots . Balance Bar Vector and Team Sole were fighting for second place travelling around 4.k knots, while Nike were in 7th Place travelling at 3 knots Team Halti were further back but catching up at 6knots.

It appears there were 2 early casualties team Sleepmonster/Inov6 capsised and recovered and Team North Face had a collision prior to the startwhich put a hole in their boat had to paddle hard to catch up.

Around Midday Orion Health reached the main land and turned North into the wind to head up to Lock Morah Narrows, Team Balance Vector were in close attentance with Wilsa Helly
Hansen, burfords Adventure racing and Sole not far behind.

Team Buff/Lake district outdoors had a structural problemin one of thier kayaks a and were picked up by rescue boat and transported to the mainland and continue unranked after the five lead teams had passed.

Teams at the back of the race were forced south by winds and current and Team Cancer Research were help back on course to join the North Face as tail end Charlie. During the night
some teams took to the beach to head up to Morar it being a very long and tiring time for the back markers. Team inov-8/intellident capsized in Loch Morar and went to a local farmhouse for help as one team member had damaged fingers from the prologue.

The Micro Navigation section (CP3) during the portage into Loch Nevis saw Balance Vector snatch the lead Meanwhile Orion Health and Balance Vector and the leading teams had to serve their time penalties at the end of the micronavigation course, this allowed a new leader to emerge Wilsa Helly Hansen.

Once accross Loch Ness the teams began the long trek twisting and undulating to the tip of Loch Horn, which started by heading SE to tip of loch Nevis where
all but Wilsa Helly Hansen had navigational promlems. Aberdeen Asset Management actually heading down to the Loch side. Team Balance Vector moved fast after correcting their
error to chase down the leaders.teams are not expect to reach Transition 2 until tomorrow morning.

A Harsh day on Rhum

Yesterday, The teams competing in the AR World Championship were given a taste both of the terrain that they will be racing over and the way in which the race will be conducted. The 700m cold swim followed by 25 K orienteering and an anticlockwise route along the summits of the island. The leading group of 5 teams all finished in five and half hours First to finish was Orion Health followed by Lundhags, Buff Coolmax, Balance Vector and Nike.

The Marshals then stepped in at this stage and checked the compulsory equipment, and the leaders Orion Health and Balance Vector where penalised 2 hours for missing equipment. as other teams arrived protests were lodged and Nike was penalised for breaking the 100 metre rule(all team members must be within 100metres of one another) then to cap it all Lundhags, Buff Coolmax, SOLE, Salomon Crested Butte and McCain Adventure Addicts were all reported for taking a shortcut and lost 2 hours. So the question is how will this affect the race.

A number of injuries occurred from falls and at least two competitors have damaged fingers which will make the paddling extra difficult

The teams were introduced to the Scottish midge which seems to eat you alive, as they camped below the castle getting their last full nights sleep until the end of the competition

Today 100 kayaks will make their way past the Island of Eigg to the mainland before the teams take on the wilds of Knoydart. Somewhere along this route the results of the prologue will come into play as all teams apart from the prologue winner, will be held at an unspecified checkpoint to serve time penalties based on their times during the prologue

The Course Revealed for AR World Championship 2007

The AR world Championship is about to start, Yesterday the teams were given the course and a big surprise they will be transported to the island of Rhum and will undertake a prologue on the island and camp overnight before a kayak start the following morning to take via the island of Egg them back to the mainland where they kayak northwards past the white sands of Morar to a portage at Morar narrows as the currents into the sea loch can be fierce. This will be the first test for some who have either brought new sea kayaks or borrowed from the organisers, I have sailed in these waters and it can be unforgiving. There is another portage and they eventually reach the first transition at Inverie and commence a trek into the Knoydart. Transition 2 is the commencement of a 125k mountain bike leg where there is a cut off prior to a rope section and a jump down a huge waterfall, thank fully not from the top as its 130 ft high!

A swim in Loch Ness is on the agenda, teams were pleased to know that they have been insured against the possible intervention of the Loch Ness Monster. Another monster does face them however and that is Scotland’s highest mountain Ben Nevis, when last attempted the weather thwarted the race plans.

Before they get to the mountains they will be kayaking upstream and portaging their kayaks accross Rannoch more between lochs

The weather of course will play a major part and the latest high tech protection against the elements will be tested to destruction, Gore-Tex socks are no match for Scottish bogs.

2007 AR World Championship Starts in Rhum

Stop Press

The 2007 AR World Cahmpionship will start on the tiny island Of Rhum some 2 hours from the the Scottish mainland. There will be a prologue Prior to the actual start more details will follow tomorrow

David Ogden - International Adventurers

The Final Preparations

The Scottish liquid sunshine is not putting a damper on the scene for teams who are gathered near the bank of loch Linie on the last day of preparation prior to the announcement of the course . some teams are still struggling with lost equipment and having to search out local sources for replacements, one team from Australia not only lost equipment in transit but also lost their woman team member. In the 11th hour a replacement was found Sara Odell, who has good expedition racing experience having competed in the Raid Gaulloises and also raced with former world champions Team Nokia.

Some teams have spent enormous sums of money on their kayaks rather than use the locally supplied ones, so it will be interesting to see if their investments pay off. The equipment checks and tests have been thorough and for abseiling all teams have to have a secondary safety device some using a prussic loop while others are depending on mechanical devices which weigh a few ounces more.

Many teams are racing together for the first time which can add extra stress during the race if they have not trained together before hand. Once the teams gear checks were completed they handed in their equipment boxes ready for transport to the first location which will be announced later today.

Teams Gather in Scotland for AR World Championship Final

Teams are gathering in the Nevis Centre for a day of gear checks and tests for the unsupported expedtion race which will crown a new AR World Championship team... It maybe Nike but Ian Adamson is no longer racing with them so the faces will be different even if they do win again.

There is a lone team from South Africa McCain Adventure Addicts, who are all good paddlers so that they will be hoping there is pleanty of sea kayaking in the course that will be revealed befor the start. The team do have a good pedegree having finished 13th out of 90 teams in the Primal Quest in Utah USA Jul 2006.

Once the checks are completed the teams will be sorting their equipment into boxes that the organisers will transport between support points along the route of the race. there will of course be some last minute packing as no one knows what the first leg of the course will be.

The AR Race of The Year

Teams are already gathering in Scotland for the 2007 AR world championships.

Nike are the defending champions and are expected to have a fight on their hands as at least 20 of the 49 teams are expecting a top five placing. The Wilderness ARC is aptly names as the teams will visit some of the wildest places in Scotland from Glen Coe, Lock Ness and Ben Nevis to the wild more and peat bogs of the North, all in all they will travel some 500 Km with height gains of 25,000 metres, by means of mountain biking orienteering and sea kayaking. There will also be rope sections strung out along the course to test the nerves of the best racers in the world.

Daily reports will be posted in this block and a full race report publish at International Adventurers http://International adventurers.com

Latest news briefing Humphreys,Perhaps its too tough. Wewill see. The weather will make it or break it for many teams, and that is very unpredictable. There is so much uncertainty ... Where will it start? Where will it finish? How many teams will complete the full course? What's the prologue all about? Will the satellite tracking work? Its so exciting!

Reunion D' Aventures May 2007

Tuesday 15th May 2007

The third day of the Reunion D' aAventures was almost exclusively devoted to orienteering for all three categories of competitors.

Teams in the Extreme category found traversed Grand Bassin before continuing via Piton Bleu and Piton Tortue, towards the Dimitile and its abrupt edges like that of the Grande Jument. The ascent went via the Calumets.

The Adventure category also had the Dimitile on its programme. The routes of the two categories Extreme and Adventure, joined at the foot of the Piton des Neiges with teams from the Discovery category who arrived directly from the Plaine des Cafres.

Reunited on a common route, all the competitors had to climb up to the Piton des Neiges before descending towards Hell Bourg.

At 6 pm, three Extreme teams and eight Discovery teams had completed this ascent and were descending towards Hell Bourg. Almost all of them were forced to camp outdoors without having reached their destination as night fell. Two Discovery teams also spent the night on the flanks of the Piton des Neiges. None of the Adventure teams had reached the shelter of the Dufour cavern yesterday evening, the obligatory point of passage before climbing to the Islands peak. Two Extreme teams were in the same situation.

There were no notable changes in the ranks. Five teams are in the Extreme category, including the leaders which team 14 LES ARCS QUECHUA-1, in front of team 4 AIGLE SYBELLES ESF and team 15 LES ARCS QUECHUA-2.

Ten teams who were unable to reach the Bateau cave by the cutoof time, are now in the Adventure category, with team no. 6 CAP OPALE-1 leading.

Finally, ten teams are classified in Discovery, where team 2 XTREM BORDACHES, holds the first place.

Three teams are continuing the race unclassified, due to injuries on the first day. One is continuing on the Extreme course, the two others on the Discovery course.