I’ll be Adventure Racing and part of the organizing committee at Adventure Week 2009 in Idaho.
Our official website – AdventureWeek2009.com
Let me know if you want to join in the fun.
Category: kayaking
Adventure Week 2009 in Idaho
Dave Adlard, master organizer of big events, is boldly planning June 5-14th in North Idaho one of the biggest Adventure Racing events anywhere.
Our Adventure Racing Team — the Fast Farts — are part of his support team.
I’m editor of the official website:
North Idaho will play host to “adventure week 2009,” a series of “outdoor” races and events at Farragut State Park near Coeur d’Alene. (Of the famed Ironman competition.)
Click through if you know anyone who might be interested in coming down for the Adventure Week 2009.
I’m recommending to Dave that he include a surprise high speed kayak challenge, like this one …
FART photos, California
I was relegated (by illness) to photographer / support team for the Funtastics Adventure Racing Team in Half Moon Bay.
The FARTs completed their longest race to date — Ocean Blue — in 8hrs, 40min. The rest of us FARTs were “proud and inspired”.
Morgen, Dave, Andy, Jeni
Many more experienced teams did not finish the harsh ocean kayaking, mountain biking and trail running course.
The night after the race we drove to Napa Valley, hosted for a gourmet dinner by friends of Dave and Lisa.
Napa valley grapes
We finished in gorgeous Lake Taho, there to cycle with the Big Blue race organizer.
Last morning: run on the Rubicon Trail.
See all the photos from this road trip on flickr.
The next race for the FARTs is longer and tougher, Big Blue, Lake Tahoe, September 20, 2008.
Funtastics Adventure Racing Team – official website
Here’s a video and slideshow highlight reel of the race and road trip. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
photos from Haida Gwaii
Talk at the coffee shop the morning I was in Charlotte City was all about rumours that the ferry to the mainland would be closed for a month or two this Spring. Major work needs done on the pilings, some say.
Old-timers (like old-timers everywhere) wrongly and profanely claimed they didn’t need the ferry. Life was better before the ferry came to Haida Gwaii.
At the granola health food coffee shop across the street, regulars were giddy with the idea of doing some tire-tubing behind a pick-up truck on the highway. All this snow is a novelty in a part of the world where glaciers never reached during any ice age.
We had some doubts whether the plane would land. It did.
I’ll be back for kayaking one day.
Queen Charlotte Islands kayaking
The view from the window of my $25 / night room in Charlotte City looks much like this.
source – flickr
There is a lot of snow too, unusual round here. Kind of a Snow Falling on Cedars look and feel to the landscape.
This has been the best and most unique stop over the past 2 weeks flying around on my Air Canada Pass. (I’m not the only tourist to arrive this winter simply because Sandspit, Haida Gwaii, is one of the destinations included.)
Spoke with Tourist Information this afternoon. As expected, the agent recommended a summer kayak trip being dropped by plane or boat close to the south tip of the islands. And paddling back through the National Park over 5-6 days.
Bill Wallace and the Saskatoon crew have been talking about that for years. (… Perhaps when the rest of you retire, we can get this together.)
: )
UPDATE: Joan says we are GOING in the summer of 2009. No excuses.
Banff Mountain Film Festival WORLD TOUR
I love this event.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is on the road across North America and around the world. Whether you are an experienced mountaineer or an armchair adventurer, this event is for everyone. Don’t miss the excitement!
The Tour Schedule is linked from the home page – World Tour: Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre
The event sponsors are prominently mentioned — OK, it’s a commercial — in the second half of the video. But it’s still worth watching. This is the kind of TV commercial I like.
Click PLAY or watch the promo trailer on YouTube.
Calgary: January 15 – 20, 2008 and April 5 & 6, 2008
(via besthike.com)
really bad idea – shark fishing in a kayak
Only in Alaska …
The team … were taken by a Pacific Mountain Guides charter boat across Prince William Sound to the back of Hinchinbrook Island.
Fishermen risk death by using kayaks in quest to catch sharks | the Daily Mail
Adventure Racing 101 – what have I got myself into?
Bill, Warren and Elaine have done some team Adventure Races over the past few years.
I’ve managed to avoid joining them.
Dundurn Navigation Marathon 2007 set – flickr – Warren Long
But it seems I’ve made a commitment to start-up with a bunch of newbies (mostly gymnastics coaches) from Idaho. We’re already pencilling-in a “sprint” for 2008.
A sprint is often 4 disciplines: mountain biking, trekking, kayaking and climbing over a total of 12-30 miles over inhospitable terrain. Races may include mystery challenges, such as archery, orienteering, Cauldron Crawl, Tyrolean Traverse, swimming, knot tying, rock wall climbing and puzzles.
It’s a bit intimidating looking at the recommended training regime:
Many of your races will start out with a run that turns into a hike or scramble, so you’d better be ready on all counts. Hiking and running muscles are very different, so you need to train both — and practicing scrambling (on as many different types of terrain as you can find, including wet, slippery stuff) is the key to gaining that competitive advantage on the roadies.
Training:
• For a race of 12 hours or less, you should follow a half marathon training plan, but do most of your runs on trails, if possible.
• For a race of more than 12 hours, you should follow a full marathon training plan and use the same guidelines.
• Start doing hill repeats (i.e. four to six sets of 80 percent effort on a hill that takes three to four minutes to run) and interval training (two-three-four-five minutes “on” with an equal amount of rest in the “off” phase) twice per week in the final month of training leading up to the race.Tips:
• Race and train in trail running shoes versus regular road running shoes. (Better grip, more stability, fewer stone bruises and fewer blisters.)
• Practice running/hiking with a 10-15 pound pack several times before your race, both for the strength benefits and the knowledge of your equipment (i.e. how are you going to get to your water? Food? Where is the most efficient place to store required gear for easy access? Does the pack grate you like cheese on your neck, back, arms?) …
GOD! It goes on and on: Paddling, Navigation, Mountain Biking, Climbing: Active.com – Adventure racing 101: A quick-start guide
Bottom line:
8 Essential Elements of Human Synergy
T Total commitment
E Empathy and awareness of teammates
A Adversity management
M Mutual respect
W “We” versus “I” thinking
O Ownership of the project
R Relinquishment of ego
K Kinetic leadership
Looks like FUN, at least.
source – flickr
jet-powered kayak vs Land Rover Tomcat 4×4
I’ve blogged about the excellent BBC TV program Top Gear before.
This 6min video clip shows a cool race in Greenland.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via The Adventure Blog)
kayaking the Deer Islands off Bamfield
Some years ago we kayaked the Broken Group Islands, the #1 destination in Canada for paddlers. (Some would say #1 in the world — but I’d head to Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja California, first if I were you.)
This time I rented a single kayak in Bamfield and paddled directly to the Deer Island group, the closest to town.
Broken Islands are a protected National Park. Nearby Deer Islands are commercially developed, some even with holiday homes.
It was a great, relaxing trip. I saw bear, seals, sea lions and nearly stepped on a baby puffin.
More photos from this trip – flickr
Rick McCharles 