Artic Team Challenge

Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Hi All,

I just arrived to the east coast of Greenland (pop 3,500)....it is FREAKIN AWESOME!!!

I am here to race the Artic team Challenge...It looks like a very nice website so if you are bored at work, please check out: www.atc.gl In the logo its described and a test of endurance and survival skills...they are making a believer out of me before the race even begins - the terrain is the extreme I have ever raced in or even looked at...for instance, each team has a safety boats as just a few minutes in the water will kill you. The bonus of racing here is the 24 hours of daylight...a bit confusing on the body but no technical biking at night Smile

I was asked to join the US Team Feed the Machine for the race, they - like me have a passion for racing in the more remote cormers of the world (they raced a small extreme race in Patagonia last year). Very and tough good people but we will not be a fast team this race is for the life expereince and i hope be fit and tough enough to finish the race but we will not be pushing the pace and redlining at all (i hope!) - I did enough of that last year to last me a little while Smile

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Please pull for us to finish as that would make us very proud...also no US team has finished this race and a few have tried.

Anyway, looking down at the ice flows and icebergs as we flew was very cool...we landed at a deserted airfield and then transfered to fast boats for an hour trip to the host villiage...speeding thru the ice flows and some massive icegergs was amazing ...we were able to scout out one of the peaks will will likely climb - much more technical then I had hoped for...I like my teammates and I think we will be careful and safe - at least that is what i am hoping for! We don't have alot of glacier and technical climbimg expereince.

Funny race story number 1:

Q: Chatting with the first team we meet (Danish team)who were here last year... "so how was the race last year?"

A: "It was good but we finish with only 3...we have teammate who fall in crevace...not good"...<they all shake their heads and look sad for a second>

Anyway...we were abit taken back by that and shared some ackward smiles and jokes then decided we need to chat about the "glacieerr" section a bit more...one of those little gut check moments pre-race that you always remember.

The first 3 days are long stages and I hope to be able to post something then hopefully we are still in the race and can attemp the 2 day final stage...there may also be some updates on www.checkpointzero.com.

Also...please check out one of our sponsors... www.feedthemachine.com - I think its well worth the visit.

All the best & cheers,
Neal

cathi · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:

wow neal, good luck! hopefully there will be some good pics!

jfarmer · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject:

Sounds pretty boring Neal. It ain't no Greenway Challenge. Hmmmm, perhaps next year, I can call it the Greenland Challenge.

Chipw · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject:

Wow. Now that looks awesome! Good Luck!

Chip

kfordham281 · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:08 pm Post subject:

Yawn....zzzzzz....yawn. At least go somewhere remote or something Smile

Looks pretty epic. I've seen pictures from previous years and they are always amazing. Enjoy!

Karin · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

Neal wrote: Please pull for us to finish as that would make us very proud...also no US team has finished this race and a few have tried.

You got it - best of luck. Sounds exciting as hell. Best wishes, and watch where you put those feet!!
Shocked

jfarmer · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:57 pm Post subject:

Carol's got a scar on her knee from falling into a hole on the Franz Josef glacier in NZ. Those are the kind of scars you brag about. Of course, you want to come home alive so you can brag about them Rolling Eyes

Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Hi Again,

Thanks for the nice thoughts guys...I am quite nervous about the race but very excited also - i don't think there is a better way to see the world then AR.

Chipw · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 8:18 am Post subject:

Yak · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:51 am Post subject:

Checkpoint Zero will be carrying daily reports from Bernice Pierson of team Feed the Machine:

http://www.checkpointzero.com/index.cfm?method=features.showFeatureHome&eventID=861
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Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Hi All,

Got a nice bit of single track in today plus some a practice paddle with the icebergs...very exciting...the boats are more stable then you would think (thankfully!) Wink

If interested check out some great pictures at http://pics.feedthemachine.com/

Looks like the race has coverage on CPzero...I beleive sleepmonsters may also have some coverage.

Cheers,
Neal

Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Hi All,

#####I hope no one is pi$$ed i am using Trailblazers for my race updates...i am just having a very cool time at this race and wanting to share - Cathi or Kevin or whoever please let me know if its not cool.#####

Anyway, we just got done with the first day...we were 7th of 8 teams (still hoping for top ten!)...but as I said earlier we are here for the life experience..Oh, what a friggin day!

We paddled across the bay thru the ice flows and then began the climb....it was EXTREMELY technical (pour moi) at times with huge drops but very good handholds and the put up a ropeladeer and a few handropes as well - but the only gear we were told to bring was a bike helmet - liability issues are not such a big deal in Greenland I think...I am no mountaineer but it was far more technical and with less safety backups then any other race I have done -but they were smart (marked route near the summit)and the final tricky section was untimed as was the time on the summit - from there you could look seaward to the ice flows and massive icebergs in the ocaean and inland thru the mountains to see the polar icefield that just goes forever to the pole I think - it makes up most of Greenland...JUST A FRIGGIN AMAZING!!!

We drank a beer (of course) as teammate Jayson Brown carried for us in secret to celerate our climb (after we desended the tricky bit of course!) - CAN I PICK MY TEAMMATES OR WHAT!?!? and then paddled back accross the the bay thru a maze of icebergs...it as tricky finding a path and a bit scary as we could often reach out and touch icebergs the size of large houses. We returned to a hot shower and a few beers with the other teams...MAN I LOVE THIS RACE!

Tomorrow we have about 35k of Mtn biking and then an galcier section...it should be a longer and more physically demanding day (likely 12 or more hours for us) and we are excited to race again.

We are trying to update our photos everyday and also check out www.sleepmonsters.com and www.checkpointzero.com for race photos and coverage.

If interested the we have our pics from todays "activities" on http://pics.feedthemachine.com

All the best with the off road assault on Mt Mitchell - have fun guys.

All the best & cheers,
Neal

cathi · Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:29 am Post subject:

keep the reports coming! we love them!

Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Cool - just was not sure if it was it was kosher Wink

DAY 2: we did 25 miles of single track and very steep climbs...then we scaled 3 mountains and had to traverse a large glacier twice...we started at 9am (after a wonderful cooked breakfast) and got done a little before 10pm( they had a great hot dinner waiting for us)....we are knackered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The race is so technical for us...we had to split up for 2 of the mountains aand 1:100,000 maps map route finding all about experience ...which we have very little...I am learning HEAPS in this race...I am telling them its a race and a AR University combined into one spectacular event! The glacier crossing ...a first for us all was very cool...its very exciting to be working these things out in a race Smile

Off to bed soon...although I have secured a massage from the Artic ladies first!...no more emails until we have hopefully completed the race...its steps up another level as DAY 3 has us racing to basecamp...and then start the final 48hour section DAY4 and DAY%...i will be very tough...we hear rumors of it including a 30k glacier section ....oh my!

Please take time to check out www.atc.gl for race photos and updates.

All the best and cheers,
Neal

Neal Radford · AR Junkie Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1018

Hi All,

Well we finished the complete course last night at 11:30pm and had most of the racers and half the town waiting for us...like I have said early....great poeple!

It is very much a different kind of race... safety is your teammate, skills and good judgement...no sat phones or radios and conditions are very extreme...as an example we had several steep glacier treks lasting 4 or more hours and not even a suggested or mandatory route the whole race...there was never a non technical route choice (remember none of us had been on glaciers or have sgnificant mountain experience!).

I got my cravace fix in by punching thru up to my armpits with my legs dangling about a 100 ft to the bottom....quite exciting Wink

but thats why you rope up!

Anyway...if anybody is interesting in the race please let me know, I would love to fill you in....it is one of the few true adventure races left on the planet...it may call to you as it did to me Smile

www.atc.gl

All the best and cheers,
Neal