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The G-Rant Adventure Racing Blog
“Without adventure, civilization is in full decay.” - Alfred North Whitehead
Untamed Adventure Racing from the Inside Out | Saturday, February 04, 2012
Posted by Grant on 10. August 2009 16:53
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Dima said,
It's very hard here on East coast to get ready for such event. Maximum we can do is 10 hours drive north to Adirondack. Is it possible to use back-country ski instead of snowshoes?
Grant said,
You mean the training on snowshoes -- and you're in Maryland, right? Any sort of hill training (hiking) will prepare you pretty well for snowshoeing; the Blue Ridge or Western Maryland gets some good snow and you could plan outtings to make the most of those regional snows. I think getting comfortable with cold weather gear is something you can do a lot of in Maryland! As for big climbs, navigation, and snowshoe conditions you're right that the mid-Atlantic isn't a great fit. That's part of the appeal of this event, where else can you do a 1000 meter snowshoe climb up a glacier and find a chalet serving hot food and drinks at the top? This location, Pontresina, is a mecca for nordic skiing and while we've considered opening the event up to skis I don't know that you would have an easier time training skis instead of snowshoes. And in the lower valleys, with our event in April, you might end up carrying your skis for several hours. The potential for serious injury is much higher on skis, too. I'm not saying "no," but I need to give it more consideration.
Chris said,
What about snowmobiles?
Switzerland is blissfully devoid of snowmobiles, for the most part. I doubt you could find one even if you could use on, Chris! Back to your parachute and solar-powered rocket sled, right?
Untamed Adventure Racing: You may not be ready for us, but we're ready for you! Besides this blog, connect with us at the following web locations . . .
We organize award-winning extreme endurance events, and for 2010 our sites are set on the Swiss Alps and the rugged White Mountain region of northern New England. These are more adventures than races!
This weblog is authored by Grant Killian, Race Director and all-around guilty party behind Untamed Adventure Racing.
The full organization website is at www.UntamedAdventure.com.
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