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Adventure World Magazine June 2008 2

editor’s noteAdventure WorldmagazineEditor-in-ChiefClay AbneyManaging EditorDave PoletoContributing WritersRobyn Benincasa • John HartleyMark Manning • Ron EaglinRob Howard • Brandon BargoContributing PhotographersMark Miller • Jacques MaraisLori Hazlewood • Greg YetterChris Caul • Rob HowardWill RamosOur next generation of ‘Adventurers’This month, we had the opportunity to catch up with Jordan Romero. In an age ofvideo games, computers and childhood obesity, Jordan is breaking that stereotypeby setting out to do what only a handful of individuals (including adults) havedone worldwide — to climb the highest point on each continent. And, he is onlyeleven years old and is half-way there with number five in his sights.In our upcoming issues of AWM, we will be presenting ideas from some of theworld’s top athletes (and parents) as to how they include their children in theirtraining while setting a good example for a healthy lifestyle. This is veryimportant in our opinion as children tend to follow by example. We will alsoinclude some of the gear options for this emerging group of athletes rangingfrom hydration bladders to sunglasses and more.We hope that as you read this, you will urge your friends to help supportAdventure World Magazine and sustain its growth for the future.It is with your help that we can produce a high-quality source of informationfor weekend warriors, serious athletes, and those on the sidelines thinking ofjumping into our sport.As always, if you have questions, comments or suggestions, contact us bye-mailing us at info@adventureworldmagazine.com.Clay Abney • Editor-In-ChiefAdventure World Magazine is dedicatedto the preservation our natural resourcesby producing a GreenZine. “Of theapproximately 12 billion magazinesprinted annually in the U.S., over 95percent are printed on 100 percent virginpaper. That results in more than 35 milliontrees being cut down each year.” (statisticcourtesy of Socialfunds.com)Adventure World Magazine is publishedten times a year by No Boundaries Media,LLC, 18 North Reed Avenue, Mobile, AL36604. AWM is only available online atwww.adventureworldmagazine.com.The opinions and the advice expressedherein are exclusively those of the authorsand are not representative of the publishingcompany or its members.Copyright © 2008 by No Boundaries Media,LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction inwhole or part without written permissionis expressly prohibited.Adventure Sports are inherently riskyand can cause injury and death. Consultyour physician prior to beginning anyfitness program or activity and wherepossible, seek out a qualified instructor.No Boundaries Media, LLC will not beheld responsible for your decision to liveadventurously.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 4

ace newsThis year, The Bull of AfricaAdventure Race will be coming toSouth Africa, and more specifically,to the Eastern Cape. The Bull ofAfrica Adventure Race is part ofthe Adventure Racing World Series,and a qualifier for the WorldChampionships, which is to beheld in South Africa in 2011. Thereare various countries that are part ofthis series, including: Brazil, England,Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand,Australia, Portugal, France, Mexico,America and South Africa.This year’s race includes variousdisciplines—running, hiking,mountain biking, kayaking, abseilingand other rope work, navigationand others. Teams must do all disciplinestogether. The race is nonstopand teams can race throughoutthe night to attempt to complete theThe Return Of The Bulldistance between the mystery startandfinish points. Competitors willbe informed of the details of wherethey will be racing just before therace.The registration for the race willbe in East London and the athletesfrom the fifty-nine teams will betransported to the starting area onthe day of the race. Competitorswill arrive from the second of Augustand will stay in East Londonuntil the start of the race on theninth of August 2008.For further information go towww.bullofafrica.com.Photos by Jacques MaraisAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine7

Primal Quest MontanaAfter nearly a year of logisticalplanning and course designing, theorganizers of Primal Quest havereceived all the necessary greenlights to move forward with their2008 marquis event - Primal QuestMontana. Scheduled to run (literally)from June 23rd - July 2nd, PrimalQuest Montana will have morethan 60, four-person, coed teamswill converge on Bozeman and BigSky, Montana to compete in thisgranddaddy of all adventure races.Called the “World’s Most Challen–ging Human Endurance Event”and “The Super Bowl of AdventureRacing”, the race is legendaryfor its grueling courses set amongstsome of the most beautiful sceneryin the USA. From snowy summits,to verdant forests, to raging whitewaterrivers, Big Sky, Montana, andall the area’s surrounding mountainranges, are sure to serve up a breathtakingbackdrop to this adrenalinefilled,lactic-laden event.Over the course of the 10-dayrace, teams will run, kayak, climb,mountain bike, riverboard andnavigate their way non-stop acrossmore than 500 miles of Montana’stopographically endowed landscapes.Along the way, athletes willexperience sleeplessnights, blisteredfeet, bloodsugarcrashes andmore than 100,000feet of vertical gainas they compete formore than $175,000in cash and prizes.For more details onPrimal Quest Montana,go to ecoprima l q u e s t . c o m .You’ll find the latestPQ news, teamprofiles, a list of frequentlyasked questions,and more.Photos by Chris CaulAdventure World Magazine June 2008 8

Terra TraverseTerra Traverse recently announcedthat it is making Terra TraverseQuebec more accessible to adventureracing teams through a number ofenhancements designed to supportrace teams and their efforts toparticipate in the inaugural TerraTraverse race.Due to an overwhelming responsefrom sponsors associated with thenational television broadcast, TerraTraverse is pleased to announce anew entry fee for Terra TraverseQuebec. Effective immediately theentry fee is now $5,000 for allteams. The change reflects the organizerscommitment to reduce themonetary burden for all competitorsinterested in experiencing thenew era in adventure racing.To that end, Terra Traverse has alsosecured a deal with Air Canada toprovide a 50% discount on airfare toteams participating in Terra TraverseQuebec. Air Canada providesflights to and from Canada, US,Europe, Australia and Eastern Asia.Finally, in recognition of thedependence many adventureracing teams have on sponsorship,Terra Traverse is providinga Sponsorship Package forteams to utilize in their effortsto secure corporate support. Thepackage includes an easy-to-useprofessional PowerPoint that teamscan use when making presentationsto sponsors. The PowerPoint hasspecific details regarding TerraTraverse Quebec and how sponsorscan benefit by supporting a participatingteam.Terra Traverse will launch itsinaugural Expedition Journeyformat Adventure Race October4-10, 2008 in the spectacularprovince of Quebec Canada. Thefirst Terra Traverse event willinclude 75 four-person coed teamscovering approximately 600 kilometersacross stunning terrain. Formore information visit www.terratraverse.com.Top adventure racing teams includingTeam Nike have alreadysecured spots in Terra TraverseQuebec. Mike Kloser, captain ofTeam Nike says, “A major factorin our decision to compete in TerraTraverse Quebec was the teambehind the event such as John Barrett,Ian Adamson, Billy Mattisonand Jay Smith. Based on theirexperience and history with thesport of adventure racing, they willundoubtedly organize and producean incredible race. As for the location,we’ve competed in this regionbefore and are excited to experiencethe beauty and the challengeof the Quebec terrain once again!”For more information on the raceand to register your team, go towww.terratraverse.com, or send anemail to info@terratraverse.com.Photos courtesy of Terra TraverseAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 9

p r e s e n t e d b yGulf Coast AdventureRacing announces the2008 Racing to N’AwlinsAdventure Racing Series.There’s nothing moreunique than racing in thegreat venues that theGulf Coast has to offer.From scaling high-risebuildings, paddlingthrough pristine swamp,searching the deck of theU.S.S. Alabama battleship,and New OrleansFrench Quarter, you canbe sure you’ll have theadventure of a lifetime!Enter one race, or theentire series. Full detailsand entry form areavailable at www.GulfCoastAdventure.com.2008 Events4/5 - Mobile UrbanAdventure Race5/10 - Baton RougeOff-Road Adv. Race6/7 - PensacolaAdventure Race7/12 - Baton RougeUrban Adv. Race9/13 - Gulf CoastAdventure Race10/11 - Fontainebleau4-hour Adv. Race10/11 - Fontainebleau8-hour Adv. Race(USARA Qualifier!)11/15 - New OrleansUrban Adv. RaceAdventure World Magazine June 2008 10

where are they now?JH: 1983 Alpine Iron Man (2ndplace)AWM: What was your favoritething about racing?JH: Travel and the challenge offinding out how much you can doboth physically and mentally.John HowardAWM: What was your proudestachievement during your racingcareer?JH: That’s a tough one. I wouldprobably have to say winning theRaid Gauloises in Ecuador. Thiswas a race that went on and on 9days to be exact. We were virtuallyrunning side by side with aFrench team, Spie, and it was onlyin the last kayak that we managedto get in front. When we finished,we crawled across the finish lineto indicate how tough we thoughtthe race was. This was the race thatwent up Cotopaxi, a 20,000 footmountain.AWM: What are you doing nowthat you are retired from competitiveracing?JH: I stopped in 2000 and sincethen I have worked in Japan, India,China, Malaysia, Taiwan, HongKong, and of course the UnitedStates. I have been designing adventurerace courses. With most ofthe major races finishing I am nowback to being a window cleaner.Next week, I am working on designingadventures for a children’sTV series. I also work a lot on mysmall farm and look after my twoboys (Isaac and Tio) and spendtime with my wife, Akiko.AWM: If you were still racing, whatevent would be a must do in 2008?JH: I was racing partly for themoney so I would go to some of thebig money races. At the momentthere is not one race that stands out.It would be good to get somethinglike Eco Challenge back.AWM: Give us a summary of yourrace history?JH: Three time winner Eco-Challenge.Three time winner Raid Gauloises.Winner Southern Traverse. Twotime winner ESPN X-Games (X-Venture Race). Just to mention a few.AWM: When did you competein your first AR? Where? How didyou do?AWM: Why did you retire fromcompetitive AR?JH: I had explored my limitsenough and it was time to moveon. I still cannot believe I did it forso long. I haven’t raced since stopping,but I still have the odd twelvehour day in the mountains.AWM: Excluding yourself...nameyour all-time dream team for expeditionAR (1 girl/3 guys).JH: Ian Adamson. Mike Tobin,Keith Murray, Emma Roca.AWM: What is the biggest “lifelesson” (if any) you learned from AR?JH: Respect people’s differences.People think differently and they allhave their reasons for doing thingstheir way, although to yourself itmay seem odd.AWM: What was the most disappointingresult & how did you dealwith it personally or as a team?JH: My last Eco–Challenge.I was unable to finish the racebecause of painful feet. Our teamwas in 4th place and we could havefinished but I just couldn’t see thepoint. There was only half a day togo and I was sure that I could finishbut the enthusiasm was not there.The team was very understanding.Adventure World Magazine is a June GreenZine 2008 11

ace director profileDon Mannwww.ecoprimalquest.comAWM: How long have you beenputting on adventure races?DM: Since 1998 - Primal Quest,The BEAST of the East, the MegaDose, The Endorphin FIX, theOdyssey One Day Adventure Race,Expedition BVI, Saphire SprintSeries, Jeep Kentucky AdventureRace, Odyssey Off Road Iron Triathlon,Odyssey Double Iron Triathlonand Odyssey Triple Iron Triathlon,SEAL Adventure Challenge, SEALTraining Academy, Sea Cadets Training(all SEAL training was in supportof the Navy Recruiting Command)and back in 1980 I produced the firstDuathlon in Rhode Island, the Race-Trax Duathlon.AWM: What made you want tostart hosting your own events?DM: In 1995, I competed in the RaidGauloises – Patagonia, Argentina.I was team captain and also responsiblefor coordinating team trainingfor our team – TEAM Odyssey.After air fare, a $16,500 applicationfee, additional insurance, lodging,gear purchase and traveling in USfor training sessions the event costover $50,000. The event also took3 weeks out of our schedule. It occurredto me that I could produce asimilar event on US soil, for a lotless money, just as challenging andcould do it in 5 days. That is whythe BEAST of the EAST emerged.AWM: What is your favorite eventthat you host and why?DM: I now only produce one event– Primal Quest, although I still instructat the SEAL events. I willalso be producing a series of sprintraces (3 in 2008 with more comingin 2009).AWM: What in your opinionmakes your events unique?DM: I think our events are uniquein that we do not look at our work(AR race production/management)as a business. We look atour events as an adventure and achance to change people’s lives. Ifeel that if we are able to producea challenging competition, in absoluteremote, scenic and ruggedenvironments, establish rules onlyfor safety and fairness, to treatevery competitor with respect anddignity, to applaud each athlete andeach team with the same amount ofenthusiasm, and regardless of whatplace they finish is very important.AWM: Do you still participate inadventure races? What was the lastadventure race you participated in?What was your first adventure racethat you participated in? How welldid you do?DM: No, since I have been producingso many, designing courses,doing time trials, etc. This hastaken up my extra time. Raid Himalayaswas the last event in whichI competed. My first AR was RaidPatagonia and we were the first USteam to finish.AWM: If you could participatein one of your adventure races,which one would you choose andwhy? What about another race inNorth America? The world? Why?DM: PQ MontanaI would also like to compete inTim Holstrums’ Coastal Challengeand to climb many (if not all) ofthe 14,000 footers in CO, GrandTetons, Ama Dablam in the Himalayas,Aconcagua in Argentina, andmy wife and I climbed Kilimanajaroin January 2008.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 12

Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 13

6 Styles For All The Ways You LiveAt left (Women’s):Cargo Capri Pants by Mountain Khakis,Tank by Horny Toad, Shirt by ExOfficioAt right (Men’s):Cottonwood Cord Shorts by Mountain Khakis,T-shirt by Horny Toad, and Ramsey WovenShirt by Eastern Mountain SportsAdventure World Magazine June 2008 14

At left (Men’s):Buzz Off Convertible Pant and Camper Shirt byExOfficioAt right (Women’s):Morning Glory Skirt by Patagonia, Zambezi teeand Panama Shirt by GramicciAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 15

At left (Women’s):Kombu Dress by PatagoniaAt right (Men’s):Pants by Mountain Khakis, Tech Web Belt byPatagonia, and Puckerware Shirt by PatagoniaAdventure World Magazine June 2008 16

Quest for the ‘Seven’Photos by Paul RomeroAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 17

As a middle school student in theearly eighties, I remember sitting inthe library as I daydreamed aboutmy adventures while reading JohnGoddard’s Kayaks Down The Nile.In his book, Goddard discussesthat as a teenager, he made a listof 127 things he wanted to accomplishduring his life. I can’t helpbut think that we have all done thiswhether in our minds or actuallyputting pen to paper.Jordan Romero is just that sort oflist maker. At only eight years ofage, Jordan came up with a questto climb the world’s seven summits(the highest point on each continent).There seems to be a littlecontroversy over whether Australiais the continent or whether Oceaniashould be considered the continent.So as to avoid any controversy,Jordan plans to climb all eight.They are from highest to lowest:• Mt. Everest, Nepal, Asia(29,035 feet)• Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina,South America (22,834 feet)• Mt. McKinley (Denali),Alaska, North America(20,320 feet)• Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania,Africa (19,340 feet)• Mt. Elbrus, Russia,Europe (18,510 feet)• Mt. Vinson Massif,Antartica (16,067 feet)• Carstensz Pyramid (Jaya Peak),Irian Jaya, Oceania (16,023 feet)• Mt. Kosciusko, New SouthWales, Australia (7,310 feet)We had an opportunity to ask Jordansome questions and this is whathe had to say:AWM: You say that you want tomotivate other kids to live healthierlives, why did you choose climbing/hikingas a tool to do that?JR: I have lived in the mountainsall my life, and I became obsessedwith the largest mountains in theworld by watching documentariesand reading books.AWM: You have some pretty gruelingclimbs under your belt and atsuch a young age, what or who motivatesyou?JR: My dad motivates me. He wasthe one who inspired me to climb...but also, at my school, there was amural of the 7 Summits, I saw Kilimanjarothere....and it clicked withme. The teachers there helped tosupport my quest, and I thank themdearly. If it were not for that painter,I may not be doing this quest. Also,my whole family, they inspire andsupport me.AWM: What sparked your passionfor climbing summits? What wasyour first memory of climbing/hiking?JR: When I was young, I remembercamping and hiking. I alwaysloved adventure, my earliest memorywas climbing Mt San Gorgonio,it was Christmas Eve, it washard and we did 2000 vertical feetof ice and snow, and we had to usemy new ice tools. Karen was leadingus and we had a great time. Ilearned a lot about mountain climbingon this trip.AWM: Which of your many accomplishmentsare you most proudof?JR: I am most proud of my climbup Kilimanjaro. It was my firstbig peak, and the first step to the 7Summits.I have many, and my second mostproud moment is reaching the summitof Aconcogua in Argentina inDecember of 2007. It was very,very difficult in every way possible.My father and Karen and Iworked so hard to even be allowedto enter the national park. We hadto get a judge to give me specialpermission because nobody under14 is allowed in that national park.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 18

I was only 11, so I had to have manydoctor examinations and show allmy accomplishments from before.On the mountain we were hit withstorms one after the other and itwas the coldest weather I have everseen in my life on the last night andday on the approach to the summit.We were the only team of 5 teamsthat attempted the summit that day.I was very proud, and made my dadvery proud.AWM: What one piece of gear has“changed your life”?JR: My Camp Ice Ax. For somereason it inspires me, it’s most usefuland a very important thing tohave in my hands.Secondly, my answer is my iPod.I love music and it helps me withlong training, and long days in thetent.AWM: What advice do you havefor those kids that aspire to yourlevel of fitness or dedication to asport?JR: Always push the boundaries.Push all the way to your goals, andNEVER give up. Be smart at whatyou do.I get asked this a lot, and I alwayssay to just follow your dreams.Also, don’t let anyone tell you thatyou can’t do something. Just say,yes I can and I will.AWM: Who is your hero?JR: Ed Viesturs. He is a greatclimber, who makes good decisions,and he’s seen it all on all the8000 meter peaks. He knows whenhe has to turn around. I have methim twice, and he is a very niceguy.AWM: What athlete do you mostadmire?JR: My dad and Karen. They arethe ones who coach me, and theyare very strong people. Also, theymake good decisions. With outthem, I would not make it up.. I’mglad they are hereAWM: Dream trek/race...if youcould design it, what would it be?JR: I would like to create myown AMAZING Race, such that itwould be much more adventurous.Big Mountains, Crazy adventures.Have this whole idea but for kids.Maybe I will make a TV showabout this! That TV show is cool,but it’s kind of lazy and easy.AWM: One of your dreams involvesanimals...Where do youhope your animal sanctuary willbe...any specific plans yet?JR: I have had a very nice locationplanned for my giant animal sanctuary.It will be in Mexico, in thestate of Sonora, on the west coast ofthe mainland on the Sea of Cortez.I think it will be perfect because ofthe climate and the very good waterthat the Sea of Cortez offers. I havebeen to this place many times and Ican’t wait to get it started. My heartis entirely for the animals of theworld. I have seen many animals inmy travels, and learned a lot aboutanimals from watching Steve Irwinfor years. Visiting his AustralianZoo was one of the highlights ofmy life. I want it to be the greatestanimal sanctuary in the world.AWM: What roles do yourparents play in your training?Achieving your ultimate goals?JR: My dad is a very importantperson, teaches me and keeps mesafe. Karen is very much the same,encourages me on the mountains.She’s the best.AWM: You intend to hike a fewmore summits than planned toavoid controversy...why is that importantto you?JR: Well I decided right fromthe start that I wanted to have noconfusion about my achievement,and I planned right from the startAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine19

to climb both Kosciusko in Australiaand Carstensz Pyramid in NewGuineau, in addition to the 6 others.It would not be the 7 Summits if Ididn’t do them all (8).AWM: What does your averagedaily training schedule consist of?JR: When I get home from school,I grab a bite to eat and finish myhomework.• I then grab my Deuterbackpack with 30 pounds(30% of my body weight),puts my harness on, andattach a 30 pound cartire on a 15 foot cord. |We live on a 1/2 miledirt road. Depending onthe schedule...it’s anywherefrom 2-10 tripsup and down the road.Karen times me, andcheers me on to better my times.• Then typically, we’ll do a 40-60 minute hike into the woods.STEEP single track. Now thatthe snow has melted, I have reallytaking a liking to mountainbiking, kayaking and havejust started paddle boarding.I like to keep things interesting, buthave been really focusing on leg strength.Jordan has already conquered fourof the eight summits and has setworld records on three of the fouras the youngest person to summitthese peaks. He is leaving forAlaska in early June to attempt Denali(number five on the list).Jordan lives in Big Bear Lake, California.His parents, Paul Romero andKaren Lundgren, are big supportersof his goal. They train with him andaccompany him on his adventures.Paul and Karen are members ofTeam Sole’s Adventure Racing Team.For more information and tofollow his progress, go to www.jordanromero.com and look formore updates in future issues ofAdventure World Magazine.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 20

By Ron Eaglin5 Rules of Adventure RacingOver the course of over 10 years ofadventure racing across all typesof terrain with racers of all levels,I have come to develop these simplerules which I recommend to allracers.Race your race-Rule #1 has provento be true to me in nearly everyrace. In 2007 at the “Howl at theMoon Race” we started with a bigpack of physically strong teams. Ashort run was followed by a (cold)river swim and then to the first CP.As we left the CP there were about6 teams running hard in front of usand an obvious trail running northtowards the direction of the nextcheckpoint. With at least five teamsin front of us our two fastest teamrunners were eager to push hardand stay with the lead pack and westarted down the trail. It did not takevery long before my “racer sense”was tingling. We were going toofast, we weren’t watching the navigation(and the trail was the wrongtrail for where we wanted to go).The strongest members of the teamin the run discipline were controllingour pace and direction and wehad essentially dissolved as a teaminto four individuals. Then rule #1kicked in – we stopped followingthe lead teams, corrected our navigationand got the entire team togetheronto “our race”. We endedup coming in second, but we alsocame in a full hour before the numberthree team and hours before theremaining teams.If you don’t have it, you don’tneed it-Adventure racing is so incrediblymental that this rule becomesimportant. Every race has amandatory gear list, so pack thoseitems. After that there are usuallysome recommended items and everyracer makes the choices to eitherbring or not bring these “comfort”items. At the same time I havewatched teams simply melt downbecause one member forgot tobring some item that they thoughtwas necessary to a successful race.Thus rule #2. If you don’t have it,don’t sweat it and move on. Especiallydon’t let it affect you mentally.Know your team-I’ve had thepleasure of racing with lots of peopleat every level of the sport. Somefolks are happy to just finish a raceand others are not happy unlessthey are on the podium. And sometimes, strong racers (I am especiallyguilty) just want to enjoy the raceand completely forget about placeand competition. But, you mustknow what your team expects andhave an agreement as to what youare willing to do. Placing strong ina race typically involves some prettyserious misery – and every teammatemust be willing and mentallyprepared to endure that misery.Nurture your team-mates-Thehardest thing that I find in racing iswhen the team dissolved into fourindividual racers all going in thesame direction. I’ve been lucky torace with some incredibly strongfemale racers who also have thatgreat maternal instinct. They checkon the condition of each of theirteam mates, they ask if we are eating,drinking. They negotiate betweenmembers of the team. Maybethis is why coed teams are almostalways stronger than the four personmale teams. But teams shouldnot have to rely on this – everyteam member should be keepingtrack of all the team members. Thebest races I’ve ever raced had theteam singing, telling jokes (usuallycrude body humor), telling stories,and helping each other out in everyway all the time.Experience Counts-For you newracers out there – don’t have toohigh expectations. In many of theraces I do, I show up with my wifeand kids. They watch young athletictwenty something kids unloadingbikes and gear (She just likes watchingthem). Some of them have newmatching jerseys and look like theyjust stepped out of a gym – youngand buff. My team on the otherhand looks like we just stepped outof a sewer. My favorite pack is heldclosed by staples, my clothes bearthe mud and dirt stains of manyraces. These teams of baby-boomeraged folks go out and usually kickserious butt. And in the end, I willalways bet on that scruffy lookingteam of older athletes every time.We’ve made hundreds of mistakesthat all those younger teams willget to learn from once they are inour duct-taped shoes.Photo by Mark MillerAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 21

Racing on Ice, With a TwistRock and Ice Ultra-The Other Desert RaceStory and photos by Rob HowardAdventure World Magazine June 2008 22

Racing on Ice, With a TwistRock and Ice Ultra-The Other Desert RaceEvery now and again a race comesalong that is a bit different and has aunique appeal. It might offer a newvariant of a familiar challenge, bein a place you’d love to go to, or forthe elite racers the attraction couldbe an amazing prize. It’s very rareto get all three of these things inone package, but that’s what RaceDirector Scott Smith has achievedwith the BHP Billiton Rock and IceUltra.There are other winter ultra raceson the calendar, but none that takeplace entirely on frozen lakes, or in aplace that can boast as many severeweather records as Yellowknife,the capital of Northwest Territoriesin Canada. Ultra racers are by naturelooking for a challenge and thefollowing list is a siren call for anylooking for a bit of snow and ice action.“The coldest Winter, ColdestSpring, Coldest Year-Round, MostCold Days, Most Deep Snow CoverDays, Extreme Wind Chill, MostHigh Wind Chill Days and DriestWinter Air.” It’s this mix of dry andcold weather that gives the race itslegend as ‘The Other Desert Race’,a smart marketing move on Smith’sbehalf given the popularity of hotdesert ultras. It probably didn’t dothe new event any harm when temperaturesfell below minus 40 degreesCelsius in its inaugural racelast year. This was the real deal anda race T-shirt you would be proudto wear, but there is far more to theRock and Ice than just the cold.Yellowknife is renowned as oneof the best places in the world toview the ‘Northern Lights’, andto race on the ice, then camp outeach night under skies displayingnature’s most dazzling light showis an experience no other race canoffer. There is no other race withfour cut diamonds as prizes either!Mining is big business in NorthwestTerritories and the Ekati Diamondmine, which is owned by racesponsors BHP Billiton, providestwo one carat cut stones, and twohalf carat stones, with a total valueof over $30,000CAN. The smallerstones are given to the winners ofthe ski and foot race winners of the3-day ‘K-Rock Ultra’ race, whichcovers 135kms, while the two biggerstones are for the winners ofthe 6 day ‘Diamond Ultra’ whichcovers 225km.The inaugural race last year drewan international entry, but theprizes stayed in North America,with Canadian racers winning allbut the ‘Diamond Ultra’ footrace,which Dave Mackey of Team Golite(USA) won comfortably. In thefiercely cold temperatures, therewere few finishers, but it was provenbeyond doubt that the race hadexceptional safety, coverage andcamp logistics.Word spread around the racing,ultra and skiing communities andfor 2008 the entries increased,with more countries represented,and more elite athletes travellingto Yellowknife. Greg and DeniseMcHale, two of Canada’s mostsuccessful adventure racers, madethe short journey from Whitehorsein the Yukon to race the 6 and 3-Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 23

day races respectively. AdventureRacers Travis and Mark Macy flewin from the US for the long footrace, and one of Canada’s top triathleteand endurance racers, RickHellard, arrived having preparedfor many months.Of last years winners, only YellowkniferEwan Affleck raced again, todefend his ‘K-Rock Ultra’ title, andto try and win another diamond.However, he was up against topmarathon racers like Michel Kapraland Derryk Spafford and admittedhe was intimidated by their times.Kapral is even in the GuinnessBook of Records for running amarathon while juggling (its calledjoggling) ... in a time of 2:50:09!This year’s race headquarters wason the ice of Great Slave Lake in‘Matrix Camp’. This tented camp(sponsored by helicopter and logisticscompany Matrix) had a rowof ‘Weatherhaven’ tents normallyused for exploration in the barrenlands to the north and was a pleasantsurprise for the racers who hadchosen to camp there in the leadup to the race. “I never expectedfloorboards, warm stoves, beds andmicrowave ovens,” said John Millsof the UK. Registration and briefingsin the nearby marquee was notquite so luxurious as it was around–10C in the tent (possibly the coldestever race registration) and thescary safety talk from Arctic Responseleft no one in any doubtabout the potential dangers ahead,and led to some last minute gearshopping in town.Joining the Ultra racers were theone-day participants for the ‘ColdFoot Classic’. The 9am mass startwas a bustle of skis, sleds andsnowshoes combined with a minuseighteen degree Celsius startingtemperature, no one wanted tohang around for long. Overnightsnowfall was more of a concernthan the temperature and it was stillsnowing as racers set off across thelake. At 45.5km, day one is thelongest distance for the ultra racersand pushing through fresh snowon foot or ski was slowing progress.All the foot racers were soonon snowshoes and as the soft snowconditions persisted they were touse them for most of race. The natureof the snow even took Smith bysurprise. “This kind of soft ‘sugarsnow, is not normal here”, he said.“In fact I don’t think I’ve ever experiencedit around Yellowknife.”Readjustments to kit and sleds weresoon taking place. Within the firstkilometer Ric Hellard was struggling.“I pulled out my snow shoesthen my sled tipped over and a fewthings fell out. A few minutes later,another piece fell out and I had togo back and get it. This happeneda few more times, before I was ableto finally slow down my hasty repackingso that everything stayedput ... and then my right snowshoefell off.” Travis Macy spent daystrying to adjust his sled harnessand suffered bad blisters in newsnow shoes, and Irish racer PhillipMcMullan was one of the firstto withdraw, quickly recognizingthat, “running with a sled is not forme!”He was the only ‘Diamond Ultra’racer to pull out on the first day,along with a couple of the threedayracers. The rest made it tocamp one on Prelude Lake, gettingused to the long flat stages acrosslakes, broken by slight inclineson the forested portages betweenthem. Camp one offered tepees forthe night, in which some stovesworked better than others. The 6-day racers unpacked their sleds tospread sleeping bags and mats onthe snow, as they would each night.The 3-day racers had travelled morelightly as their kit boxes are movedfrom camp to camp for them, andthe one-day racers were picked upby car to be taken back to town.By morning two ultra racers wereAdventure World Magazine June 2008 24

off to town as well, to be checkedfor frost bite at the local hospital.Frenchman Marco Perier was concernedabout a toe, but Ric Hellardhad more serious problems.His right foot had frozen and he’dtried to re-warm it, but overnight itswelled and became very painfuland discolored. The hospital saidit was grade 3 frostbite (4 beingthe worst) and it was so bad for awhile he was worried he might losesome of his toes. (He had to haveextensive treatment but is recoveringwell now.)For days two and three, the route(which is set by native Akaitchochiefs) loops back to Yellowknifeand there was only one more withdrawal,veteran South African racer,Lionel Dyck. After a very longsecond day, Smith walked him intocamp on a memorable night. “Thenorthern lights were some of thebest I’ve ever seen that night, theywere fizzing and swirling all overthe sky, in every color. It was amazingand Lionel couldn’t believehis eyes.” Having made camp, hecouldn’t go on the next day, butvowed to return to finish the race,and to see the Aurora again.The K-Rock ski race was a closecontest between 3 local racers butit was Corey McLachlan who cameout the winner in a total time of 14hours 42 minutes. His win wasn’ttoo surprising as he is the Yellowknifeski coach. Even so, he said,“I didn’t do much real preparation,just skied with a pack for that last3 or 4 weeks, and trained with theteam. The fresh snow and trailswere brutal on that first day, andtotally different to the skiing on thetrails here at Yellowknife, and I cantell you I might easily have givenin if a snowmobile had come by.I’m a skier not an adventure racerand wasn’t used to having snow uppast my ankles!”The foot race winner was Yellowknifedoctor Ewan Affleck in18 hours 37 minutes. He finishedahead of several accomplished internationalathletes, somewhat tohis surprise. “I raced again to see iflast time was a fluke,” he said, “bitit seems not!”For the Diamond Ultra racers, thenight in Matrix Camp was a warmmid-race break and a chance toenjoy an evening of native culturewith food and dancing provided byYellowknife’s Dene First Nationtribes. In the morning they set offagain, with the route now huggingthe shore of Great Slave Lake (the9th largest in the world). With thelake ice stretching out to the horizonin the dazzling sunshine theremaining 19 racers took a slightlymodified course to avoid overflowwater on the ice, taking two days toreach the final camp at Trout RockLodge.By this stage they had camped outmany hours together and there wasa strong camaraderie, and littledoubt who the winners would be.From day one Greg McHale hadset a pace on snowshoes no onecould match, not even the leadskier Dennis Colburn. Towing hiscustomized sled, McHale was inhis element, stronger and better organizedthan his competition. Hisonly problem was what to do withthe long, long hours in camp afterhe’d reached the day’s finish earlierthan anyone could have reasonablyexpected!This wasn’t a problem on the lastnight as Trout Rock Lodge wasopened to the racers, with foodprovided and the bar open. Racersstill had to camp out however,and it was a last chance to viewthe Aurora while away from thecity lights and reflect on the timespent on the ice. English skier JayGoss was so enraptured by the experiencehe wasn’t looking forwardto going home. “There were manyAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 25

Adventure WorldmagazineInterested in Advertising with AWM,email us atinfo@adventureworldmagazine.comand we will send you ourmedia kit.Please specify whether you are arace director/promotor or acompany seeking to reach aspecific market of readers.Racing on Ice...continued from page 25times I was quite alone and if I stood still it was utterlysilent. The solitude and the beauty of this placehave gotten to me. I’m thinking of looking for a jobin Yellowknife!”For two of the Danish racers, the race finish was notso enjoyable as they suffered from snow blindness,having foolishly left their glasses off during the day.The worst was Marvin Overgaard and despite the intensepain he was determined to finish, and eventually did soafter being towed for many hours by Scott Smith.As a result, the Race Director was not there to greetthe winners and other finishers, though all understoodthe choice he’d made to personally ensure the lastracer made it back. McHale duly won the foot race ina total time of 28 hours 17 minutes and said the Rockand Ice Ultra was one of he most impressive new raceshe’s been to. “I’ve been to races that have been ongoing for ten years which are not this organized andvery few have this level of community support. Thisevent is such a great advert for Yellowknife.”Ski race winner Colburn is from Edmonton and tooka total of 33 hours 34 minutes over the 6 days. Hecould have run against McHale as he has a 2.26 bestmarathon time, but chose instead to ski. “I thought itwould be easier,” he said, “but it wasn’t! Greg put ona fantastic display of athleticism and I think the running/snowshoeinggives your body more of a pounding,but it’s still quicker as there are too many variablesfor fast skiing. The lack of groomed trails, thedifferent snow conditions, and of course pulling thesled all make a big difference.”All the winners received their prizes at the race party,which took place in the nearby ‘Ice Castle’ (a buildingmade entirely of ice) and they were also flown300km north into the barren lands of the arctic on aspecially chartered plane to tour the Ekati diamondmine and see where their prizes came from. Both theflight and the presentation were a fitting end to anevent that has a real ‘sense of place’ and shares theexperiences, culture and values of Yellowknife andNorthwest Territories with those who come to race.(The next BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra will beheld from March 21st-26th 2009. See www.rockandiceultra.comfor all the details.)Adventure World Magazine June 2008 26

The Basic Roamer© ARAs the OfficialNavigation Tool of theUSARA, the design ofthe Basic Roamer©AR has been carefullyconsidered for US Adventure Racing and has over20 major features. Originally developed for rallyingin Europe this tool is now customized andavailable for the US Adventure Racer. Rallynavigators must make split second navigationdecisions at very high speed and any errors canbe very costly to crew, car and team. With thesechallenges in mind it is easy to see how theAdventure racing navigator can benefit from theBasic Roamer© AR. www.BasicRoamerAR.com.Adventure Racing Rotating Map HolderA lightweight, rotating design with a quick releasemounting bracket the rotating map holder isdesigned to fit almost any bike, it is built strongenough to withstand the rigors of any adventurerace or bicycle orienteering event. The solidconstruction will not flex or flap on rough roads andwill hold most flexible map covers or just the mapitself http://www.arnavsupplies.com/products.htmlPositioned for easy reading it will make bikenavigation much easier. Proven in many races andsuccessfully used in 2006 USARA NationalChampionships.The Adventure Racing Waterproof PedometerNow you don’t have to guess or time your travel to the nextCP, you can know exactly how far you’ve gone. Mostpedometers fail completely when they get near water. We’vedeveloped one that actually works when wet. It even survivedthe full course at Primal Quest.Check out the full line of navigation products fromAR Navigation Supplies including: Waterproof MapCases, Racing Compasses, Waterproof Pens,MYTopo Maps, Nav Practice Guides & More!www.ARNavSupplies.com Phone: 1-408-420-3883

Adventure RacingNavigation Tipsby Robyn Benincasaphotos by Will Ramos PhotographyIf you are a good navigator, you canwrite your own ticket in the sport ofAdventure Racing. Your race calendarwill be full before you knowit, with invites from some prettysolid teams. But navigation is a mixof art and science that needs to bepracticed continually, so your bestbet is to hook up with a local orienteeringteam (most of the sport’sbest navigators have a competitiveorienteering background) and seehow good you can get! Plus, learningto navigate is just darn fun.Here’s the quick down low on whatyou need to know to get from pointA to point B while navigating.Make sure you have all of yourDATAH before leaving for thatnext checkpoint!D = DISTANCELook at the scale at the bottom ofthe map and calculate how far youneed to go. Don’t forget all of thebends and twists in the river or trail.One tip is to take a piece of stringand lay it out along your chosenwindy route, and then lay the stringout along the scale at the bottom ofthe map to calculate the distance.A = AZIMUTHAzimuth is a basically a fancy wayto say “compass bearing”, but it isa commonly used term in navigation.Shooting a bearing outsideand during the day is a pretty easyskill (point where you’d like togo, turn the bezel until the needleis in the ‘house’ and rock and rollon that bearing, keeping the needlein the house as you go). But forthe most part, you will be shootingyour bearings from the map, whichrequires a few extra steps. That is,orienting your map to North, thenlaying the edge of the compass betweenthe point you’re heading toand the point you’re starting from,and finally twisting the bezel untilthe red needle is in the house. Ofcourse, there’s always the issue ofdeclination to account for (the differencebetween “true North” and“magnetic North” on that particularmap) as you get more and morespecific and “micro” with yournavigation. If this is all French toyou, I recommend you take a Navigation101 class from a local outfitterfirst, and then buy a book to reinforcewhat you learned. Practiceis the key! Only one or two peoplephotos by Will Ramos PhotographyAdventure World Magazine June 200828

on the team need to be an expertnavigators, but everyone must atleast know the basics so you can beof use when your navigator needs abreak or get your team to safety ina funky situation.T = TERRAIN FEATURESMaps are cool! Even though theyare two dimensional, they aredrawn in a way that allows youto see every elevation change andeach nook and cranny of the worldin surprising detail. With practice,you’ll soon notice the map jumpingoff the page and giving you a miniature3-D replica of the real estatearound you for miles and miles. Agood navigator will explain everythingthey’re looking for to the teamon their way to the next checkpoint,because you’ll need all the eyesand ears you can get (ie. “We’regoing to traverse around this peakat an average elevation of 3500feet. After the boulder field on theSoutheast side, we’ll have 4 streamcrossings over 2 miles. After the4th one, we’ll descendthrough a clearing inthe trees on the Eastside of the slope...” )A = ALTITUDEYour altitude is yourelevation gain/loss. It’snot only important toknow your starting andending elevations, butto have a handle on allof the changes along theway, as another checkthat you’re on track.Many places look verysimilar terrain-wise onthe map. The only wayto pinpoint where youare is by knowing youraltitude.a terrain feature that alerts youthat you may not be where you’rehoping you are! For example, ifwe miss the trail cutoff we’re lookingfor, we’ll hit a river runningNorth to South. If you hit thatriver, you’ve gone too far. Don’toverlook the handrail as an importanttool. They have saved our buttsa number of times, especially whenthe sleepmonsters are coming toget us.In general, the biggest mistake thatteams make out there is to simplylook at the distance and directionto the next checkpoint, but not theother three important componentsthat keep you on track. Take amoment to figure out your DATAHand you’ll arrive in style—not tomention pretty far ahead of yourcompetitors. See you out there!photos by Will Ramos PhotographyH = HANDRAILHandrail is a commonterm used to describeRobynTeam Merrell/ZanfelAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 29

Adventure World Magazine is GreenDid you know that one ton of recycled paper conserves:17 Trees380 Gallons of Oil7,000 Gallons of Water4,200 Kilowatts of Energy3 Cubic Yards of Landfill SpaceImagine how much we are conserving over the course of year byproducing this magazine electronically!Adventure World Magazine June 2008 30

trainingAdventure Racing NavigationPart 2: The UTM GridThis is the second in the monthlyseries of navigation articles fromAR Navigation Supplies. Thismonth we are going to focus on animportant subject in AR navigation,the UTM grid. Plotting a UTMcoordinate can be one of the mostdaunting tasks given to a new adventurerace navigator. Let’s shedsome light on the UTM system andhow it developed.by Mark ManningThe Universal Transverse MercatorSystem or UTM was developedby the military and is a way of describinga point or position anywherein the World using a sevendigit reference on a grid measuredin meters.If you look at any decent map inalmost any country you will find agrid overlay that is used to describea location using coordinates. Mostregional grids are based on the currentglobal reference model calledthe Geodetic Reference Systemof 1980 or GRS 80. Within individualcountries the grid can belocalized for regional best fit basedon the countries topography and localdifferences in the shape of theEarth in that region.The contiguous 48 states arespanned by 10 UTM zones describedby a letter and number fromZone 10 in the West to Zone 19 inthe East, and from R in the South toU in the North.In recent history the US has used 2grid systems to overlay the nationalseries of USGS (United StatesGeologic Survey) maps. The earliergrid is called NAD 27 andis based on the North AmericanDatum of 1927, which itself wasbased on the Clarke ellipsoid of1866. With the huge advances innavigation since 1866, the NAD 27UTM coordinates are generally notsuitable for use with GPS systemsdue to the inaccuracies of the gridover a large area. The unfortunatething about the NAD 27 grid is thatit is currently the one that’s printedby default on a USGS map.The more accurate and up to dategrid for North America is NAD 83,which was introduced in 1986 andis based on GRS 80. The NAD 83grid is compatible with current GPSsystems and is shown by dashedcrosses at the corners of a USGSmap. You should be able to spotthem on the bottom left corner ofthis months Navigation Challengemap.Having two grids can sometimescause problems in adventure racingnavigation when points have beenplotted using a GPS configured forNAD 83 but the maps that are givenout have a NAD 27 grid. Thesame coordinates for each grid canbe hundreds of meters apart. Thisproblem was quickly discoveredwhile plotting points at a NorthernCalifornia event a few years backwhen a bike checkpoint at a light-Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 31

house actually plotted on the mapabout 300 meters out in the SanFrancisco Bay. I have also been toevents where both grids have appearedon the map and you haveto ensure that you’re plotting theUTM’s on the correct grid. Wewere lucky on this occasion thateach grid was printed in a differentcolor. This was one time when itreally paid to listen at the pre racebriefing.It is possible to find software thatwill convert between the two grids,and most GPS systems can be configuredto either, but the importantpoint to remember is that you needto know if the UTM’s you’ve beengiven are correct for the grid printedon the map, especially if theycame from a race director using aGPS rather than plotting from therace map.UTM grids are based on 1000 metersquares that are part of a largerregional grid and zone. The gridnumbers are calculated on thenumber of meters East and Northof a reference point. Plotting aUTM point is a simple matter ofcounting the number of metersEast and North from that referencepoint to the point you are interestedin. Map makers are kind enoughto print the number of meters foreach grid along the top, bottom andsides of the map. Once you havefound the 1000 meter square associatedwith the coordinates you aregiven, it’s then a matter of countingthe number of meters East andNorth into that square to get the exactpoint you are looking for.In the example above the line E-E is 546,000 meters East and lineN-N is 4,186,000 meters North ofthe reference. As each square is1000 meters wide we can dividethe square into 10 smaller squaresto give our location to 100 meters.We could then divide those smaller100 meter squares by 10 to giveour location to 10 meters.If we divide up the square in thediagram above we find that CP 1is 520 meters East of line 0546000and 580 meters North of line4186000, so its full UTM coordinateis 0545520 East 4186580North. To give our position on aglobal map we should also includethe Zone reference, for example10S 0545520 4186580 would placeus in Northern California very closeto the Golden Gate Bridge.UTM tools make dividing the 1000meter square very simple by givingyou an overlay scale that easilyallows you to count the metersinto the 1000 meter square. UTMTools come in many shapes andsizes and are scaled to match themap you are using. Most UTMtools will only show increments of20 meters but some of the more accurateones like the Basic RoamerAR are marked in 10 meter incrementsfor more precise plotting.Because there are so many differentmap scales used in adventureracing it is important to use thecorrect UTM grid for the map beingused. USGS maps of NorthAmerica generally use a 1:24,000scale and require a 1:24,000 UTMtool. Using the wrong scale willguarantee a misplaced point on themap. This is easily done if you’reusing a UTM tool that has multiplescales as 1:25,000 and 1:24,000grids look very similar. A handytip is to place a mark with a pen orpiece of tape next to the scale youare going to use so as its easy tofind when you’re tired and underpressure.If necessary you can make yourown UTM tool by placing theNortheast corner of a piece of paperalong the kilometer scale on themap and marking the edge in 100meter increments.More information on UTM plottingcan be found on the features pageof the Basic Roamer AR at www.ARNavSupplies.comAdventure World Magazine June 2008 32

AWM Navigation Challenge Round 2Try your navigation skills from the comfort of our own home with this online navigation contest.Answer all the CP questions in order by following the instructions below. E-Mail your answers toinfo@adventureworldmagazine.com.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 33

Adventure World Magazine Navigation Challenge: Round 2True North and Grid North are assumed to be identical on this 1:24K map.This month your team traveled to New York State for the second round of the Adventure World MagazineNavigation Challenge, brought to you by www.ARNavSupplies.com and the Basic Roamer AR.Checkpoint InstructionQuestionStartCP 1CP 2Find the Pump House in UTM Square0574 - 4572Kayak from the pump house on a bearing of154 degrees for 0.45 mile to the island in thelake.From the island paddle a bearing of248 degrees and leave the boats at the shore.What are the UTM coordinates of thePump House?What is the elevation of the top of theisland?How many meters from the island to theshore of the lake and the trail junction?CP 3CP 4From CP 2 travel via the flattest route to thehighest point in the southern most edge of thegrid square at 1156 feet.From CP 3 travel due South to the road.Pick up your Mountain Bikes and turn Eastto follow the road for 1.82 miles to the trailintersection.How many contour lines are crossed?What is the elevation of the trailintersection?CP 5 Plot UTM 0577020 - 4572130 What is at this location?CP 6Follow the trail that leads to Bradley Mountain. What is the difference in elevation betweenCP5 and Bradley Mountain peak?CP 7 a. From the Peak of Bradley Mountain plot abearing of 203 degrees true Northb. From the Peak of Lindley Mountain plot abearing of 97 degrees true NorthCP 8 From CP 7 continue in a South East directionon the trail to the road and follow the roadEast to the benchmark at elevation 1196.CP 9 From the benchmark at elevation 1196continue on the road to the traffic circleat elevation 1049.CP 10 Pick up your kayak from your crew andpaddle to UTM 0576550 4567940What is the elevation of the intersection ofthese two bearings?What is the UTM of the Water within 150meters of the benchmark?What is the name of the road that leavesthe traffic circle in a NE direction?What is the True North bearing fromCP 9 to CP 10?FinishEmail your answers to:info@adventureworldmagazine.comAdventure World Magazine June 2008 34

ON THE HORIZONComing up in future issues:• Dirt Divas (articles for womenathletes by women athletes)• Planning for your firstinternational event• Athlete Profiles (to be amonthly feature)• Where Are They Now?• Adventure Sports on a Budget• Training and ParenthoodFuture Gear Reviews:• Race Packs • Bike Lights• Trail Runners • Headlamps• Paddles • And More!If you have anything that you would like toread about or just have suggestions orcomments...email us atinfo@adventuresportsmagazine.comDual-action Zanfel.The only product clinically shownto remove urushiol, the toxin found in poison ivy,oak and sumac, from the skin anytime after breakoutwhile relieving itching within 30 seconds.Call 800-401-4002 or visit www.zanfel.comZanfel is a product of Zanfel Laboratories, Inc. ©2008 All rights reserved. U.S. pat.#6,423,746, #7,008,963. Additional U.S. and foreign patents pending. Zanfel and the Zanfel logo are trademarks of Zanfel Laboratories, Inc., Clive, IA.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 35

adventure destinationSayulita, MexicoA post-season retreat!Mexico has many more well recognizednames for tourist destinations.Puerto Vallarta, Cancun andCozumel just to name a few. Wewould like to introduce you to alittle known location that might justchange your life forever.With the Sierra’s creating a spinedown the center of the country, youcan find yourself camped in thecrater of a volcano at 14,000 feetone evening and by lunch the nextday, you can be surfing along thecoast. Roads not shown on mapssometimes lead to the quaintestvillages and Sayulita is one suchvillage.Whether you are looking to mountainbike, hike, surf or relax, Sayulitahas something for everyone. Sayulitais a small surfing village on thePacific coast about an hour north ofPuerto Vallarta.Okay, so you have arrived inSayulita and are exhausted fromthe many miles that you have justtraveled to begin your ‘vacation’.First order of business is to stretchaway the stress from your job,travel or just life in general at OmYoga. This local studio is housedunder an expansive palapa roof andthey offer a morning class amidstthe jungle birds and local roosters.Now, you are ready for some localcuisine. Sayulita, manages to straddlethe cultural divide between localMexican culture and the gringotourists who find their way there.Try the street tacos at El Pastor (10pesos each) on the main road intotown, or the handcrafted margaritasand fresh fish dishes served up atTropical House, where owner/chefMichel Font will probably deliverlocal advice and a joke, along withyour tropical fish (110 pesos) or anynumber of creative brunch dishes.Dessert options range from thedessert lady selling flans and cakesat the main plaza to a local favorite,paletas (popsicles) in about 50different flavors (10 pesos).As you wander around town, youwill probably cross paths with alocal mountain bike team consistingof a father and son. Lorenzo, andhis son Adrian finance their mountainbike addiction by running afamily restaurant (serving chilerellenos) and showing the localtrails to tourists. They can guideyou through jungle trails, past ashort hike up to the top of 1,000foot Monkey Mountain (named forit’s Jurassic look and not the presenceof primates) and finally endingat a surf break called La Lancha.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 36

Do not laugh as Adrian shows up tohead out on the trails on what youmight refer to a ‘townie’ becauseyou will be lucky if you don’t say“Where did he go?” With the skillsof a trail rider, the lungs of Lance,and an apparent eight cylinderunder the hood, he is very unassuming.The real draw to this town is thelaid-back surf lifestyle. With twowaves (a right and a left) on thetown beach and a week’s worth ofother breaks within a thirty minutedrive, you may choose to leave themountain biking for your hometerrain and hone your board skills.Boards are for rent all over townand there is an excellent guide inJavier Chavez, owner of WildMex.He can take you to all of the secretsurf breaks around the area. Wild-Mex specializes in surfing daytripsall around the Nyarit Riveria (thename Mexico is marketing for thecoast north of Puerto Vallarta). Javiercan arrange a surfing itineraryfor your stay before you arrive andcan also lead you to the best streettacos in town aswell.So, after a longhard season oftraining and racing(or just as anescape from thecorporate world),grab a pair ofboard shorts anda few t-shirts andhead to this tropicalretreat. Butremember to leavethe Bluetooth behind.When to go: Therainy season beginsin June andends in late October.As the weatherturns colder upnorth, you’ll findclear skies, migratingwhales just offshore, andno need for long pants.How to get there: Fly in and outof Puerto Vallarta, about one hoursouth of Sayulita. From there, youcan either rent a car or take the localbus that picks you up just acrossthe pedestrian bridge from the airport(20 pesos each way).Where to stay: Book early duringthe holiday season. An excellentbooking tool can be found on theAvalos site (www.move2sayulita.com) and on the local communitysite (www.sayulitalife.com).Accommodations range frombeachfront tent camping (50 pesosper night) to luxury houses for rent.In general, there are more housesfor rent than there are hotel roomsand there are options in everyAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 37

udget range. For a great value inbeachfront lodging, try a bungalowat the Sayulita Trailer Park. Thereis a ping-pong table, volleyball net,and you are mere steps from theleft breaking wave.Guides and resources: Surfingand kayaking (www.wildmex.com), snorkeling and ATV (www.michaparrita.com), golf cart andATV rentals (http://www.sayulitalife.com/business/pacificcoast.htm), Mountain biking (ask in townfor the chile rellenos/mountainbike restaurant on Miramar Road),family style trips with Disneypricing can be found thru (www.vallarta-adventures.com), Om yoga(www.yogasayulita.com), and for awomen’s surfing/yoga retreat,check out www.villaamor.comMoney/language: You can pay inpesos or dollars anywhere in town.The current exchange rate is about10 pesos/1 USD, making conversioneasy on the Pacifico sodden brain.Though you’ll hear much Spanishspoken here, you can get by onlyknowing English.Adventure World MagazineWelcome to our third issue.Don’t miss out on all the great things we have instore at AWM by subscribing today.There are 2 great ways to continue the adventure:Subscribe online atwww.adventureworldmagazine.comorJoin the USARA where your membership includesa subscription to Adventure World Magazinealong with the other benefits found atwww.usara.com.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 38

Adventure World Magazine is a June GreenZine 2008 39

gear closetUltimate Direction SpeeDemonMSRP $139Features:• Storage capacity: 2175 cu. in./35.6L• Weight: 2 lbs. 10 oz.• Adjustable TorsoLink® Suspension System• Large top-mounted easy access storage pocket• Low mounted tow line attachment loop• Removable shoulder-strap-mounted water bottle holstersEditor’s Note: Later this summer, we will be doing anexpedition pack test. See how this pack compares withothers of its size.Princeton Tec ApexMSRP $85Features:• 1 Maxbright 3 Watt LED, 4 Ultrabright LEDs• 4 AA Alkaline, Lithium, NiMH rechargeable• Burn Time-150 hours• Waterproof• 5 modes and a battery power meterEditor’s Note: We have used the Apex in Costa Rica andon numerous trainings and have been impressed with theamount of light and durability of the product. We utilizedthe lithium batteries for the weight saved since it doesrequire 4 AA batteries. Another option is the Apex Prowhich uses two CR123 batteries.Adventure World Magazine is a June GreenZine 2008 40

gear closetSidi Dominator 5MSRP $247Features:• Breathable, supple, durable Vented LoricaMicrofiber Upper with cooling mesh inserts• Soft instep closure system• Competition sole• Optional toe spikes• Ultra SL Buckle for easy on-the-bike fitadjustment• Comes in 68 total sizes (standard, mega andnarrow widths)-Sizes 38-52, half sizes 38.5-46.5Cloudveil Zorro LT JacketMSRP $125Features:• Cloudburst 2.0 fabric• Weight: 13 oz.• Fold away adjustable hood with internal collar• Center storm flapAdventure World Magazine is a June GreenZine 2008 41

gear closetOsprey JibMSRP $129Features:• Osprey Sprint Series (For ages 10-14)• 5 inches of torso adjustabilityNote: The Osprey Sprint Series is comprised of three pack sizes(each with five inches of torso adjustability). The Jib is featuredabove but there is also the Imp for ages 8-12 (MSRP $99) and theAce for ages 12-16 (MSRP $129).Adventure World Magazine June 2008 42

Mtn. BikingTrail RunningPaddlingPaddle Boardingwww.calmultisport.comsolo and relay3-4 hoursfully marked courseIt’s , it’s , it’s , it’s coming to California in 08.Adventure WorldmagazineAttention All Readers!With our fourth issue we are going to introduce two newfeatures:• Dirt DivasAll of these articles will be written by women athletesfor women athletes.• Ask the ProsEmail us your questions to the address below andour panel of professional athletes, trainers, and racedirectors will answer selected questions.editor@adventureworldmagazine.comAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 43

footprint diariesE-Fix 2008An Odyssey Worthy Of Its ReputationPreparing for the 2008 installmentof the Endorphin Fix, the expandedOdyssey classic famous for inflictingpain on racers, Team CheckpointZero/Inov-8 (Jennifer Rinderle,Michele Hobson, Peter Jolles andPaul Cox) knew there’d be plenty ofclimbing. After all, the race wouldbe in West Virginia – affectionatelypersonified in John Denver’s lyricsas the “Mountain Momma” – andthe course would wind throughthe New River Gorge. The gorgeis well known for big whitewaterand old coal-miner trails that leadvisitors through some of the mostruggedly beautiful scenery on theEast Coast. We would experienceit all, and our emotions would riseand fall as steeply as the terrain.When the race finished for us afterabout 63 hours, we would haveclimbed an estimated total of morethan 42,000 feet of elevation. Wewere the second team to cross thefinish line and race directors tellus we were the only team to seethe entire course. Other teams thatcrossed the finish line after us chosenot to punch optional checkpoints,however we ultimately were disqualifiedafter missing a mandatorycheckpoint. We spent roughly anhour searching for the point before wedecided the tape marker was eitherstolen or misplaced. Apparently,we rode past the flagging. Thoughhugely disappointed after thinkingwe may have gotten the win,we certainly will be proud of oureffort as we look back on an epicevent. And congratulations to TeamFeed the Machine who claimed thevictory.Along the E-fix’s 240-mile course,racers would experience all thetraditional adventure racing disciplines– a long canoe portage,a picturesque rappel, single- anddouble-track mountain biking andlong orienteering sections on foot.Plus, the race directors threw in awhitewater swim positioned perfectlyfor a mid-race pick-me-up.The race began with a 10-mile guidedtrip down the New River. Teamswere split into boats according toa lottery selection. Though the racehad begun, our team knew thereprobably wasn’t going to be muchwe could do to stake our claim ata top position during the raftingtrip. So we enjoyed the dramaticscenery – high cliffs and ruins ofold mining communities – and theClass III and IV waves offered bythe New River.After the rafting leg, we transitionedto a short canoe section asdarkness began to fall, then it wason to a three-mile portage and atransition to the first bike leg thatended in the small town of Winona,tucked away near the fringe of thegorge. Teams then trekked to therappel site where we would dropmore than 200 feet before climbingback to the top of the gorgeand negotiating our way along thegorge’s rim to a road that took usback down the gorge, across theNew River, and back up the otherside along an old miner’s path toAdventure World Magazine June 2008 44

our bikes. Morning rose alongthe way, and we found ourselvesjockeying with the Canadian teamFree Running for the race lead.The following bike segment alongthe Cunard to Kaymore Trail wasamong the race highlights for me.We sped along tight double-trackthat dipped quickly in and out ofgullies as it rambled along the contourof the gorge’s rim. We brokeaway from Free Running on ourway to the real treat awaiting racerswho were able to beat the race’sfirst cutoff – the whitewater swimon the New River. Ronny Angell,Odyssey president and owner, andRace Director Joy Marr must haveknown this would be the mostmemorable section for most teams.I can say with confidence it wasmy team’s favorite. Insulated fromthe cold water of the New by ourwetsuits, and hugging our wakeboards, we rode the Class II wavetrains that were spaced perfectlyalong the 3-mile section. I wore apermanent smile as I traded laughswith Jennifer. Meanwhile, Micheleled the way and Peter lay faceupon his wakeboard and kickedalong leisurely with his eyes closedbetween rapids. I nearly fell asleepmyself.We made it off the river in firstplace, marched up beautiful GladeCreek, and through most of the nextorienteering section before nightfallnumber two. The next time Ivisit Glade Creek I hope to havemy fishing pole stuffed in my packrather than trekking poles. It wasone of the most beautiful drop-andpoolcreeks I’ve ever seen. Withthe trekking section done, we staggeredinto the transition area to pickup our bikes. Awaiting us would bethe maps with checkpoints for therest of the race, which our supportcrew (my dad, Leon, and Peter’sdad, Martin) had plotted for us.After a 15-minute nap that we desperatelyneeded, we were rollingagain toward the small town ofHinton along the New River.The following bike section took uscompletely off guard. It definitelywas one of the most demandingbike sections I’d ever been challengedwith in an adventure race.Every checkpoint in the 70-mileleg was at the top of a monster hillalong gravel or paved roads – really.The day was getting hot, wewere low on water, and we’d eatenall our food hours earlier (well, Ihad eaten all of Michele’s food)when we found a Good Samaritanwith access to a fresh-water well.I doused myself as we all filledour water bladders and bottles.That truly saved us. Then about15 hours after beginning the epicleg, we rolled into the transitionarea to drop our bikes for the lasttime. I had loathed most of thatride as much as I had enjoyed theearlier rollercoaster along the Cunardto Kaymore Trail. I couldn’twait to get into the boat for thecanoe orienteering section in BluestoneLake. We put on the riverjust as a lightning storm blew in(the storm later would force otherteams to wait before putting on thewater) and Peter thankfully figuredout a great strategy that helped usknock out the section. The last legwas a very sleepy trek through thenight along Bluestone River (we’dlogged only 1:15 of sleep duringthe race), then a climb up to the finishat the lodge at Pipestem StatePark. I was mentally broadcastingthe desire for fried food the entiretrek. Thankfully, my dad picked upon my telepathic signals and met uswith warm sausage biscuits fromthe lodge restaurant at the finishline.I’ve never tasted anything better– well, except for the meal I’m sureto have at the end of our next epicadventure.Story By Paul CoxPhotos by Peter JollesThe Footprint Diaries will be amonthly feature where race reportswill be published. If you are interestedin possibly seeing your racereport in AWM, email us at editor@adventureworldmagazine.com.We will send you the guidelines forsubmission. Our goal is to keepthe reports short, informative andinteresting.Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 45

it happened to me!Whatever you do, don’t run!Photos and story by Brandon BargoIt would be the trip of a lifetime andI don’t just mean figuratively, butliterally. I had dreamed of doing atrip that would be so over the topand difficult that it would be hard topull off. It would be a trip that wouldbe talked about for years to come.Books could be written about it, andpossibly even a movie deal. I thinkI will have Tom Cruise play me.After much thought and carefulplanning we came up with theSummit to Sea Expedition. Theteam consisted of exactly two people,me and my younger brother ofseven years, Greg. Our trip wouldbe to climb Denali in Alaska andthen bike 4000 miles to Baja Mexico,but not before we stopped off toscuba dive with great white sharksin California. As I said it would bethe trip of a lifetime. We had somany things happen to us and somany great experiences that thisstory is not even about our climb tothe 20,320 foot summit of Denali,or the great beaches we passed aswe accumulated mile after mile onour bike journey. It isn’t even aboutthe massive predator of the seaknown to many as Jaws, or to allyou Latin lovers, Carcaradon carcharias.Instead, this story is abouta side trip we took as a way to passthe time after climbing Denali,and waiting for some bike gear tobe shipped to me before we couldbegin our continental bike tour ofNorth America. But this side tripshould not be considered an asteriskor a footnote, as it could havebeen the end of the Bargo brothers’happy adventures.Having been tested on one of thetoughest mountains in the world,my brother and I felt that wecould pretty much do anything atthis point. We had weathered minusforty degree temperatures forthree weeks and had the beards toprove it.It had always been one of my favoritebooks even before all of thehype with the movie. Since we hadtime while waiting for my essentialbike gear, namely my shoes Ithought, why not go see “the bus”from Into the Wild. If you haven’tseen the movie or read the book,Chris McCandless was a collegegraduate who wanted to live off theland of Alaska and went into thewilderness to test himself and figureout the deep questions of life.Instead, he died in an abandonedbus in a very remote part of Alaskajust outside of Denali NationalPark, and I wanted to go see it.Since the bus was nearly two hundredmiles from us and we werelimited on time we used severalforms of transportation: walking,biking, and hitchhiking. Eventhough hitchhiking was the preferredmethod, it was not quiteso easy with our bikes next to us.Most people just thought we werelazy. When we did get picked up itwas never the big RV tourists butthe good ol’ local Alaskans. Onesuch local was possibly an escapedconvict who talked about several ofhis friends committing suicide as hewas putting back one beer after anotherand trying to stay on the road.Later, we had an equally tough butfriendlier local who had pity onus waiting in the rain who sharedstories of climbing Mt. Everest,and competing in the Iditarod, theworld’s toughest dog sled race.Alaskans are some of the toughestpeople on the planet, which is whythey didn’t like Chris McCandless.They thought he didn’t know whathe was doing and he was just somekooky kid with utopian ideals. Iagree with them, but I also think heAdventure World Magazine June 2008 46

was young and looking for adventure.I could relate to him when Iwas his age full of questions andthe desire to seek them out throughoutdoor adventure. I have beenfortunate to have close calls andlearn from my mistakes. He did nothave that luxury.We were dropped off at the startingpoint of a one way road knownnow to many as the stampede trail.We began pedaling, first on a pavedroad, then a gravel road, and then avery muddy road. We soon had toditch the bikes behind some treesand continue on foot. We found outquickly what hiking in the Alaskabackcountry was all about.There is a big move in the UnitedStates to protect our wetlands. Ifwe could somehow transport someof the wetlands of Alaska to thelower forty-eight states, we wouldnot have to worry about any protection.While trying to maneuverthrough the backcountry we had tocontinually hike through the uneven,sponge like bogs with theirankle twisting hidden pockets, andthe knee-high quick sand, mud andwater marshes. Throw in an occasionalswamp and all three typesof wetlands are covered. It makesa beautiful backdrop for backpacking.The problem is where there iswater in Alaska, the ridiculouslysized mosquitoes are sure to follow.In Alaska, they are known asthe state bird. The more we coveredourselves in repellent the more themosquitoes were attracted to us. Ifany skin were exposed they wouldfind it and that included any finger,toe, nose, ear or scalp.The trail never stopped throwingits difficult challenges at us. Weworked our way past the mud, andwetlands and then it was time forthe frigid creek crossings. The trailbecame a never-ending crisis ofcrossing of ice cold, snow meltedwater. After a very long and wetday we set up camp and spent thenight knowing that we were not theking of our domain, and not at thetop of the food chain. We were carefulnot to eat near our campsite.The following day was our first bigchallenge. We had to cross a fastflowing river known as the Savage.We discussed several techniques ofcrossing, and decided to use largesticks as a balance point. As soonas we entered the river it was difficultto breathe. We became numbimmediately. The boulders on theriver bottom and our heavy packsmade it a very difficult crossing.The water was soon at our waist,and it took every bit of our concentration.We made it across butwere not looking forward to doingit again. We continued on the trail,and hours later came upon the evenmore imposing Teklanika River.This was the same river whichtrapped Chris McCandless fromreturning back to civilization. I hadheard about a suspended cable withan aluminum basket to cross the river,and we went looking for it. Butafter a few hours of searching wegave up. We then looked for a goodcrossing of the river. We quicklyrealized from all of the recent rainthat this river was not passable. Itwas much faster than the last, andmuch wider. We were very disappointedafter such a long trip, that ariver would thwart our efforts. Butwe knew it was the right decision.After all, this was only a side trip.We still had three months of bikingahead of us.We had a long return trip so we didnot hesitate in making a quick paceback. We crossed the Savage in notime, and were passing the timewith good conversation on whatcould have been. I wonder whatthe bus would have looked like, orif some of the items that Chris hadleft behind were still there, wouldI have gained any insight into myown travels if I could have onlyseen the bus? Greg and I were havinga great conversation and enjoyingeach others company when wesaw something coming from theother direction at a very fast pace.At first, it didn’t register with mymind as to what it was. We wereclimbing up the hill as this largebrown object was coming downthe hill, and since the trail goingup the hill was curved and hiddenby trees it was hard to figure outwhat this thing was in such a hurry.It didn’t make sense to me. Whywould a large brown dog be outAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 47

in the Alaskan wilderness? Whereis his owner? Then reality hit mein a terrifying instant. This was nodog. It was a grizzly bear! And itwas charging us at full speed andwe were directly in its path. I wasfamiliar with black bears, but didnot know much about grizzlies exceptthat they like to bluff charge.They do this for several reasons butmostly it is to show that they arethe boss and you are a weenie trespassingon their land. At least thatis how I felt.I was carrying bear spray as I wastold I should, but when a 400 poundangry grizzly is running 40 milesper hour straight for you I reactedand did what any dog lover woulddo. I talked to him like a big puppy.In my best puppy dog voice I said,“it’s ok bear, it’s ok, calm down,hoochie, coochie coo.” I don’tquite remember exactly, but somethingto that effect. And strangelyenough it worked. He stopped deadin his tracks about 50 feet from us,and just stared at us, with a slightgrowl, but maybe amusement as towhy these guys were talking puppytalk to this manly beast. Just asquickly as he had sprinted towardus he turned and sprinted up thehill disappearing in seconds.Our hearts were pounding trying tofigure out what just happened. Weslowly began walking up the hill,with bear spray in hand followingthe tracks up the hill. The tracksdisappeared into some trees and wewere a little worried that he wouldpop out at any moment. He did not,and we eventually made it back tosafety. Soon, the trip was no longerabout the bus, but about our neardeath grizzly attack.We had three months to talk aboutit, and that we did. We told anyonewho would listen about our story,and got many stories in return. Thelocals said we were lucky. Theyhad heard of stories of grizzlies notstopping when bluffing, but continuingon by plowing over theirvictim then attacking. As we bikedthrough Canada many park rangerssaid they had never heard of agrizzly charging, or at least nevermet anyone who had been charged.We were even able to exchangeroom and board for bear stories.We were asked by one such couplein Monterrey, California and werepampered with ocean views from ahot tub, and steak dinners with theunderstanding that they could bringall the neighbors and their kids tohear our amazing bear story. Weagreed to the terms.We continued on to Mexico tellingthe story of the oso (bear in Spanish).And even to this day wheneverwe talk about our trip of a lifetimeno one wants to hear of our greatfeats of accomplishment. Theywant to hear how the bear whisperingBargo brothers escaped deathand lived to tell about it on the bestside trip ever taken.Do you want a free pair ofChaco Flips? If so, we wantto hear from you!Do you have an amazing storyabout something that happened toyou while participating in your favoriteadventure sport? If so, pleasesubmit it to us at editor@adventureworldmagazine.com.If your “It Happened To Me” storyis selected to appear in AWM, wewill send you a free pair of ChacoFlips.Adventure World Magazine June 2008 48