The week before Geoquest:-
Kim and Superman (Luke Haines)
are in Rotorua for the Australasian Multisport Championships, an event we both
could not miss given the wonderful trails over there. Unfortunately for
Superman, his bike front wheel collapses on him and he ends up knocked out and
he is unable to race, and this puts him out for Geoquest too.
Kim was feeling
fantastic and was in a great position to finish in the top 5 women until she went the wrong way on
the run…….but ends up finishing 3rd in her category.
Back home in Australia Gary
(Monster) and Pikey (Princess) are in fine form and having better luck in
Melbourne for the ARA Creswick Victoria, where they take line honours and win
the all-male category. Wearing their Mountain Designs and Salomon race kit this
was an outstanding performance against some of their Geoquest rivals from team Peak
Adventure, Adventure Junkie and Macpac.
So the hunt is on for someone to
fill Superman’s shoes????? With both our Godzone team mates Robbie & Sloshy
being unavailable (Sloshy racing with ROGUE and Robbie still in Cairns
recovering from Ironman Cairns) we delighted to find that Leo Theo……was
prepared to step up to the plate and tackle his first ever overnight race! Our
luck turned at this point as we then managed to get the support crew of the
century Gary’s wife Kylie (and extended family) training buddy Ray (and family)
and Brett (Gary’s original team MD’s racing partner)……We were now ready this
year get Princess Pikey and Lucky Leo across the finish line at GEOQUEST………no
matter what!
Forster and the Great lakes was
home to Geoquest “Australia’s Premier Adventure Race” a fitting location for
the 2012 event which proved to be the 3rd longest event on record.
Team Mountain Designs had their
own little HQ at One Mile Beach an absolutely stunning location where you could
sit on the balcony and watch the dolphins playing all day……but not for the team
and support crew……who were testing out tubing options, paddle portage
strategies, and completing competency checks……..Gary and Ray even found some
time to team up with their young families in the Kids Adventure Race just prior
to the course being revealed.
Strategy – Adventure racing is
all about course planning, team work and good communication as well as being
pretty hard-core…… so, not long after receiving our maps were all back at the
house working out our course, route selections, food and gear options for each
leg of which there were eleven. Our whole team worked together like a
well-oiled machine and I truly enjoyed the home cooked delights that were on
offer, unlike the night before GODZONE where we had none. Looking at the course
we worked out that we would be very lucky to be finished before daylight
Sunday…………..so we retired to our bunk beds for a good night’s sleep before race
day…..poor Leo barely slept a wink………he kept asking Brett…… “Hey Brett, sure
you don’t want to race….come on Brett you know you want to……”
Geoquest – The Full Course – Trek/Tubing,
Paddle, Trek, MTB /Tubing, Paddle, Trek, MTB, Trek, Paddle, Trek - Total
Distance 245k.
Can you believe that along with
Team Mountain Designs there were 50 other team of four were about to embark on
a similar journey…..or well at least two thirds of it for those competing the
Geo Half Total Distance 165k (they missed the middle paddle/Trek/Mtb).
So it was a cold wet start in the
Tubing/Trek Leg, as we had to leap into the freezing cold water on the
siren……..lucky for us we had opted to take our paddles as well……so we had a
rather cruisy ride on the tubes…….which saved us from getting totally wet and
cold…….I was definitely glad I had long lightweight paddle pants on and my
trusty Salomon Speed-Cross shoes as it protected me from the millions of
oysters that lined the edges of the tiny Islands that we were crossing……Gary
punched CP1 and we were on our way to the TA, but passed by the Peak adventure
Raft on the longer water crossings as
their method (lying on tubes, paddling with pool swimming hand paddles) proved
to be a few minutes faster than ours……and definitely faster than the poor teams
that had to swim due to tube failure…… Mmmm oysters are like razorblades! 
In and out of the TA at Wallis
Lake in a flash……and soon we were paddling….again….but this time in more
comfortable and much drier conditions ……thanks to & Julian from Paddle to Fitness and Tri Adventure for the Fenn XT’s. Only one CP
to collect at Coomba Park and then across the beautiful lake heading towards
Boomerang Beach…..we sight Peak Adventure very far distance. We feel like we are
out there on this massive lake alone …….but before long Pikey and Leo were glad
to get onto dry land….as paddling is not their forte! So we leave the TA in 2ndplace…… we see no other teams ……only the very excited support crews anxiously
awaiting the arrival of the other 48 or so teams!
The trek to Seal Rocks was a bit
of a disaster for MD’s! We nailed the first 2 CP’s and then headed out to the
beach and up the headland into what seemed like pretty nice trekking
country…….but soon we came across many unmarked tracks…….and lots of features
that looked like nothing we could see on the map…….we visited every high point
in that forest I think except the one with the CP…..so we went back and
retraced our steps……we had been passed by many teams……but soon found an
elephant track right to the CP……but rather than dwell on our disaster…we just
hightailed it out of there…..and to our surprise we made the TA in 4th
place…….but we knew there was a herd of elephants coming ……..so we were on the
bikes in a flash…….and Princess Pikey was off…..and racing!!!! Can’t believe
the two rope didn’t break, Pikey was absolutely motoring, and I was just
hanging on, Leo was happily sitting my wheel and Monster did a few turns
too……we caught team Rogue by surprise and got to the Raft section in no
time….....soon Pikey and Monster were swimming across the creek, whilst Leo and
I had a bit of a rest…….but we had to keep moving cause it was starting to get
dark and cold. Boys forget lifejackets for
us….so they have an extra run back to the TA, meanwhile ROGUE passes us,
but our raft is faster so we get to the other side at the same time, and Gary
is so nice he helps their team gets their bikes off their raft!
In the TA at we have a great hot
meal of “Lamb Shanks” which was a great thing to have when we were a bit cold
and about to paddle as it would fuel us for the next two hours. So onto Leg 5
and about 11hrs into the race……..the Nav on this section was bit tricky as it
was now dark …….we were looking for the second creek as we crossed the Bombah
Broadwater……..we luckily managed to find the right one and before long we were
paddling Nerong Creek up to the township of Nerong……..Team ROGUE were
privileged to have us as an escort service on that paddle as those AYUP lights
shine very brightly! In transition I
can’t believe the food I am getting……but this time it’s Cauliflower Soup……I
drink the whole lot……and so does the rest of the team……actually we were lucky
to have Ray and Brett at this TA as they accidently went to the next Bike TA
instead…..but we would never have known…….they were so efficient ……everything
was still there laid out in a little spot for each of us…..like it was at every
TA. The night trek through Myall lakes
national Park, looked pretty straight forward, a few route options and a few
very steep climbs ahead of us……after the first climb and descent back to the track
for a bit of a run we found ourselves spending most of the trek along the ridge
from CP13-14 with ROGUE…….yes we are now beginning to think we are the only two
teams in the race. It is tough nav up there trying to stay on a ridge and find
a saddle in the dark……but we get there and find our way to the bike Drop TA.
I notice that my bag is missing
stuff (the support crew took out
anything that they thought I would not
need….sunglasses, arm warmers, windproof gloves, waterproof pants) so…….maybe I
like to just be on the safe side…..as Gary says….I didn’t need it and we made
it through the rather cool night on the MTB. We all had a bit of an attack of
the sleepmonsters on this leg between 3 & 7am, the trails were heavy and it
felt like we were climbing for 20k…… the sun starts to rise, we see Team ROGUE
on the out and back section, and then to
our surprise we finished the leg with an awesome fast downhill single-track…..which
even got a bit too steep for Leo……so after convincing himself that he could easily
end up with a broken collarbone….he had to dismount and run the really, really
steep sections!
We arrive at the TA Brett and Ray
had a raging fire going for us just in case we needed warming up before heading
onto the TREK Rogaine. More totally amazing home cooked food – “Butter Chicken”
this time…and coffee……Leo and Pikey are still is still talking about Ray’s
coffee! Now Leo is just starting to get
the hang of all this overnight stuff……he made it through the night and he is
absolutely on fire……he is so excited that he is still going……Pikey can’t wait
to get back on the bike again……but we have a big trek ahead…..Gary has his head
on the maps…….few of the marked trails exist…..so, bush bashing, here we
go……into and out of creeks ….in search of those hidden CP’s…..we nailed our
first 2 quite well…..moving nicely along! But then lost quite a bit of time due
to a “schoolboy nav error”, that’s exactly what Gary called it! So we then took
the safe route to the CP which possibly added almost an extra hour to our
time…....and if not we would not have seen this rather large Black Snake
sitting right in the middle of the grassy track …..We saw it on our return….it
was obviously not scared of us at all.
One more CP to go before the long run
back to the TA where we were greeted by our whole entire support crew (yes
about 10 of them) chanting Pinky Pinky come on Pinky!…..( well the kids were)
next Gary yells out….. “Come one Princess they are calling your name”! Gourmet TA this time includes some yummy
toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and all our gear ready to go……
The final MTB leg we prepare
ourselves for 50k like the last one…….but this time we have a split….me and
Pikey get CPY and Gary and Leo go for CP Z…..Pikey and I get the cruisy
route….so pikey gets a few minutes to rest his tired legs……We met up at CP 19
and set off again…….this MTB leg is awesome, fast flowing fire trails and some
really great more technical 4WD trails….we are so happy as 30k is gone in no
time……and the end bit looks not too bad…….we do get one small Hike a bike……but
nothing too savage….so in less than 3 ½ hrs are ready to Kayak the Wallamba
River. Now just in case you think I have had to starve myself throughout the
past 35 hrs of racing we are greeted by our support crew who gather us into a
nice cosy hall and pull a massive serve of Fish & Chips straight out of the
oven…… my new nickname is little Miss Piggy! Mmmm....... I wonder why?
Well just two legs to go…..a CP
in a graveyard and a run along the beach…….5hrs to midnight……how hard can it
be???? Well……we had a bit of trouble finding the graveyard……a local gives us
poor advice and send us further up the river……it turns….not good says Gary and
back we go about 1k……Pikey and Leo are not loving this bit……think they really
would rather be asleep……me too! But we paddle back take a punt on where to exit
and finally locate the graveyard……we race around madly…..but do you think we
can find the grave we are looking for???? I thought I had memorised the
picture….but……obviously not…….so freezing cold we wet…….we try to get our
course notes out of the dry bag……then Gary yells….I found it….we can’t see
him……he is up a little track that lead straight to the grave……freaky stuff!
Gary says “I hear Liam……let’s get out of here”…….but as we got back to our
boats….we could see the lights of ROGUE approaching…..so were tried to make a
quick getaway…….no time to sleep now……and there was a thunderstorm
approaching….so we wanted to just get off the water fast! We thought we near
the finish, we could see flashing lights……it was our support crew……we hoped but
as we got closer we thought no it’s just a channel marker…..we thought the
sleep monsters were coming back…….but as we got closer and closer it was Brett
and Ray on the bank. It is now raining rather heavily, the exit is steep and
rocky…..but we are out of those ski’s in a flash. No food at this TA just a
coke and a few takeaway snacks!
The Final TREK – nothing can stop
us now…….can it! Well there was this very tricky creek crossing…….it may have
been OK in the day….but trust me at night it was slippery and scary. Leo and
Gary crossed the old bridge remnants like trapeze artists…..me well……I baulked
at it many times……and ended up straddling the thing and using my arms and legs
to get me to the other side…..it was dark and murky a long way below……I did not
want to fall in……now Princess Pikey opted to use my technique too…..better to
be safe than sorry I say….hey Pikey! Now
we were looking for a trail to the beach……. A little vague at times but it lead
us to the CP……now just two to go…….following a trek up the beach and a short
jog out to the rock walls that protect Forster & Tuncurry at the river
mouth. Leo couldn’t believe we had to run “all that way around to the other
side over the bridge”……I said you can swim if you like……..but no one took that
option……(not meant to anyway) but it was a very long way around but did provide
us some time to reflect on what we had just achieved.
We crossed the finish line at
Forster Main Beach at 12.15am Monday 11th June 3rd Place behind
winners Macpac (who we did not sight once on the course) and Peak Adventure (who we only really saw on
leg 1) …….40hr and 15 minutes worth of
Geocentric Adventure….and a fantastic result for Team Mountain Designs.
Thanks to our Sponsors Mountain
Designs, Salomon, Hammer Nutrition, Tri Adventure
Thanks to our awesome Support Crew
Ray & Sherryn, Brett,
Kylie, Diggy, Dersley and all the kids….. We could not do what we do without
you……thanks for being a part of the team!
Support – Events like Geoquest
were you have a support crew are such fantastic events as not only do the
racers and volunteers get to be a part of the event, family and friends can get
out and about, go to spectacular locations and find out why we adventure racers
get such a buzz out of doing what we do! I also reflected on the quality of the
food that we could consume to keep our bodies going. I think it really makes a
difference to have such good healthy fresh food as it helps us to perform well and
recover so much better that in unsupported events.
