Kathmandu 24Hr Race Report

Alot of people ask me why would you want to do a race that lasts 24 hour hours. I am sure the answer is different for all people that do these events. One reason that is sure to be common to all is you have to be a little bit crazy and some what sadistic.

So as Steve and I are on the start line for another 24hr this time in the beautiful surrounds of the Hawkesbury river at Wisemans Ferry. We were relaxed prior to the start as we waited about 45mins for the start, as it was late due to some "logistical" issues. Steve may have been a little too relaxed.

My choice of steed was the hardtail, as the Virtue is out of action with numerous issues, so I would enjoy the climbing but would suffer towards the end of the race, I was sure of that.

After doing our map plotting and planning the night prior we knew there were a few very steep climbs on both the bike and by foot on the course. The one behind us was one that we did not have to go up.

As we rolled out of the start towards a short steep pinch on the bike Steve and I were in the front bunch. We rolled along with about 6 or 7 other teams as we picked up CP1 and then headed to CP2. Luckily for us we had the other teams as I had written gate on the map for CP2 when it was actually on a knoll, so had we been by ourselves we may have ridden past the CP looking for a gate, which was the description for CP1.

We were the first team from our bunch away from CP2 as I found the quickest way down from the knoll to the track which was to run flat out straight down the side of the hill. We now headed to CP3 with about 3 or 4 teams in front of us. It was at CP3 where teams had a decision to make, do the rogaining course spend extra time in some tough hilly terrain and gain time bonuses.

Steve and I decided we would head out get one or two and decide whether to get more depending on how quickly we were making progress. We left on foot and got A which was worth 40 minutes, we then headed along the track to above D where we dropped down into the creek and after about 25 minutes we had 1hr 50 mins of time bonuses, we then decided on the fly that we would fiollow the creek to C, as the creek was quiet open and quick to travel through. This soon changed and we were in some thick undergrowth. We changed course and went over the spur and dropped down onto C, we managed to get these points really quickly, although it was a tough hot climb out of C we had made good time. We picked up E on the way out and had 3hrs 50mins of time bonuses and it had taken us 1hr 35mins to complete the course. We decided not to get B and F and to get on with the rest of the race.

We headed back out on the bikes after filling up with water as we were both out after the roagine. We started a long dirt road section to collect CP4 and 5, before turning onto the Grono South Trail, this was the start of some sandy sections we had to ride through, this trail climbed to the top of the hill, where CP6 was, after a little miscalculation and riding about 400mts past the checkpoint we went back got it and started the very steep descent, which was rutted rocky and in some parts unrideable, well it was for me on my V brake hardtail.

At the bottom of the descent we crossed a creek and then started the hike a bike back up the other side the track went up 140 vertical in about 500 meters. The weather was hot, it must have been close to 30deg and the sun was starting to take its toll. I was starting to get a good headache going, I was drinking plenty but was sweating plenty also. The next section of riding across the ridge was lots of sandy sections and the going was tough in the sand. As we collected CP7 we knew that we had 3kms on dirt and 3kms on bitumen until we hit the TA and our first meeting point with our "Box A" which had more food and electrolyte drink.

As we rolled along the the fire road towards the bitumen Steve ran over a snake, luckily it was headed for the bush and not the other way as that could have got a bit ugly.

As we arrived at the TA we had to remove our pedals and load our boxes and bikes into the trailer so they will be waiting for us on the other side of the trek we were about to start. This section was supposed to a tubing section, but due to lack of rain became a Canyoning section, we set out with another team Delerium, who we had started the last bike section with, at 320 meters above sea level and headed down to the river which was at about 40 above sea level. We raced down to the river running all the way, and making good time, at the back of our minds was lets get out of the Canyon before dark.

The Canyoning experience was one of following tracks next to the river, which were quiet overgrown, swimming around rocky sections or rock hopping, further downstream after we collected CP11 we would "enjoy" the sand walk, which was walking down the middle of the river going from sandbank to sandbank. This was some tough going and each shoe had about half a kilo of sand in it to add to the challenge, we spent close to 4 hours in the river section and 8 hours total on the trekking section.

The good news was we finished the river section about 30 mins after the sun went down, we then rinsed the sand from our socks and shoes and put them back on wet and headed out on the last section on the trek, where we would climb from the 40 meters we were at to 380 in about 1km. You can see where the track turns the climb starts and it was a leg crusher, especially after being on the trek already for 5 hours.

As we were going up the steep climb we overtook another team. One of the guys had a heart rate monitor which was beeping telling him he was over his limit, I presume. It never ceases to amaze me how little things can really grate you when you are tired and fatigued. I had to put a burst in to get away from them as the sound was driving me crazy. As we got to the top of the steep climb the track became really overgrown and was hard to follow. As we headed towards CP14 we knew that it was above CP12 down in the river that had a group of people camping opposite it, so we kept looking for their lights as a guide to where it would be.

As we headed along I was convinced that we had gone to far and had missed the CP. However 10 minutes later we came across the CP and we now started the long climb to CP 15 and the TA to get back on the bikes. This was a tough part of the course and I was struggling with stomach cramps and my light had gone out, so I had to walk 2 steps behind Steve in the dark using his light as a guide. We arrived at the TA at about 9.30pm and ready to get back on the bikes again.

We seemed to take along time sorting ourselves out at this TA, we rugged up with clothes as the TA was next to lagoon which made it very cold. As we headed out of the TA Steve could not get his light to work on beam it would only work on strobe, which made night riding quiet a challenge for him. We knew this ride had a small climb at the start and then the rest was downhill, the downhill sections required concentration as they were rutted and it was fast riding, not the type of riding suited to strobe lights!

This section also had its fair section of sand dunes, whenever the track levellled out meant you ended up with a sand "trap"

We finally descended down through some switchbacks to the Colo river again and we followed this and picked up CP17 and 18 and headed to the next TA and onto the only Kayak leg of the race. We again took a bit too long at the TA and headed out about 5 minutes after another team, which we used to help us locate CP20, however the fog got really thick after CP20 and we lost sight of them, and the fog was so thick that we missed CP21 which blotted our copy book, we only knew we missed it when we came around a bend and were faced with a bridge which was at the TA and about 2.5kms past CP21, we would have been wasting our time going back to get it, so we took the 1hr penality.

We were now on the final leg, and had about a 16km ride to the finish, we started out being really cold and both shivering as we rolled along next to the river, as we came around a corner there was steep climb in front of us, Steve piped up with "just what the doctor ordered" that is how cold we were, we would prefer some climbing to get warm. I had to ride the final leg standing as the hardtail riding on rocky descents had taken its toll. We picked up CP23 and headed along Bicentenial road to get the last CP, no.24.

It is always a great feeling on the last leg as you know the job is almost done, we collected CP24 and rolled into the finish at 4.30am.

We had been on the go for 19.5 hours, and raced really well and made no nav errors so you cant be unhappy with that.

Check out the results here. We came 17th Overall and 8th in our Catergory after penalties and time bonuses are calculated.

Check out some photos here.