The ARWS Legend Expedition
Adventure Race this year was located in the small town of Huonville, just southeast
of Hobart Tasmania. The event is doing a lap of Australia and The MountainDesigns Wild Women were not only lining up for the third year in a row but
defending their title following an historic win at this event in 2024.
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women L-R Del Lloyd, Amie Munson, Alina Mc Master, Kim Beckinsale |
Hot Competition
Kim Beckinsale, Alina Mc Master,
Del Lloyd, lining up for Legend AR number 3 were joined by Amie Munson an
experienced Wild Women who was going to also be racing head-to-head against her
son – Nathan Munson in Team Broken Compass. Broken Compass were going for the win and trying
to gain a spot into the ARWS World Championships in Canada. The MountainDesigns Wild Women wearing the number 1 race jerseys, also knew that the MMI
Racing would be looking to reverse the results from last year – they were
wearing number 2, but both of us ineligible to win ‘the prize’ as we are not a
4 person premier mixed team. Interestingly this year there were more 2 person
teams entered (also not eligible for the prize) who added some extra
competition at the pointy end of the race. The Keen Torquers, a super
experienced male pair from Victoria and The Wonkey Donkeys a local female pair
who raced in 2024 Legends were back for a fast and furious race around iconic
Tasmanian towns and landmarks.
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women - Legend AR - Team Number One |
Course Reveal
Chris Dixon from Wild&Co posted
a few teasers prior to sharing the logistics and course notes. The second that
this sort if information is released the chats begin and teams get excited. 4
paddles –longest 50k – 2 white water; 5 bikes – longest 112k – total elevation
over 8000m elevation; 2 treks longest 60k – elevation over 2500m; This course
was going to be epic and prepared for 4 seasons in a day including a potential
for a stoppage on the course during a paddle leg.
Registration, competencies,
briefing and map lockdown was squeezed into a 6-hour timeframe. The Mountain
Designs Wild Women spent hours upon arriving in Huonville the day before, strategically
packing boxes A, B, C, D and bike boxes, but upon weighing them realised that
they had way too much ‘stuff’ so they had to ditch some of their favourite
items, and spent way too much time re-weighing boxes, something that the 2
person teams did not have to endure. Teams
enjoyed a dip in the Huon River demonstrating they were able to capsize, swim
with their paddle, float downstream and get back into the kayak. Then it was
all eyes on the maps for a few hours, but only for Legs 1-5, the rest of the
maps were not to be distributed until teams reached TA4 at the end of Leg 5
paddle. Maps also had to be handed back to officials and not issued until the
morning just before the start.
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| Del & Amie - Perfect Timing |
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| MD Wild Women return to shore after capsize competency! |
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| MD Wild Women are focused and listening to every word from RD Chris Dixon |
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| The course sounds epic...can you tell? |
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| Maps are out and the planning begins! |
Off and racing
Leg 1 Kayak – Huon River; Leg 2
MTB Old Road to the Hartz; Leg 3 Trek –
Hartz; Leg 4 MTB Arve Forest; Leg 5 Huon River White Water Kayak & Tahune
Airwalk.
The Mountain Designs Wild Women
and most teams opted to complete the 5 kayak CPs in order of A B C D E – opting
for a muddy portage / kayak drag after D, after all this is what set them apart
from other teams the year before. The ride up to the Hartz Mountain was steep
and teams soon found that not all tracks marked on the maps were easy to see or
in fact rideable. The control card / punch card that Del was carrying was not
in a good state early and which meant the team had to stop and write down all
the descriptions on their maps before they wore off the card. It was not easy to just let teams fly by, but
it was the team’s responsibility to look after their card. Team Goldfish
laminated their card…. now that was a clever idea!
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| Preparing the kayaks for Leg 1 |
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| Off and Racing Legend AR 2025 - MDWW are on the middke left! |
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| Who could not resist the temptation for a Kayak Portage? |
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| Del checks her notes as she gets her bike ready for action. |
The Mountain Designs Wild Women
were heading out on the Hartz Mountain Trek just after finding their first CP
saw Keen Torquers and Broken Compass on their way back, it was comforting to
think that it was possible to complete the leg before dark. The trek was
stunning and interestingly the 3 girls’ teams – The Mountain Designs Wild
Women, Wonkey Donkeys and Rootstock Racing were all out on the leg at very
similar times. The Wonkey Donkeys were first back at the TA after passing the
Wild Women near CPJ which was hidden in a bush and hard to find. Somehow the
Mountain Designs Wild Women made it to TA3 before both other teams but spent a
little too much time enjoying the Tahune Airwalk and transitioning to the white-water
paddle. Kim was navigating on this leg and soon the MDWW were in the lead again
despite Kim and Alina having a few unplanned swims. Despite being freezing cold
the team kept paddling and made it to TA4 at Judbury and managed a very tricky
kayak slide up a steep ramp to the TA.
More of the maps revealed and
the dot watching got really exciting!
Leg 6 Trek – Russel Ridge to the
Styx; Leg 7 MTB – Gravel Grind to lake Pedder; Leg 8 – Lake Pedder Kayak/Trek: Leg
9 Styx Gravel Grinder 2 to Bushy Park; Leg 10- Kayak Derwent River to New
Norfolk; Leg 11 – MTB
Kim, Alina Del and Amie were cold
and tired, so changed in to dry warm clothes and enjoyed some warm food while marking
up the rest of the maps and sorting gear into boxes and into the kayak bag. Kim
and Alina took a lot of time trying to choose a route for the trek and decide
which CPs to drop. Teams were required to find 10 of the 14 and it was obvious
that one route option was longer but looked easier and the other options were
shorter but potentially steeper and more navigationally challenging. After a 20
minute rest and way too much time in the TA, the Mountain Designs Wild women
took off just before first light, so maybe 5am knowing that there were many teams
in front including Keen Torquers, Broken Compass, Wonkey Donkeys, Moor Southern
Lights, MMI and Rootstock Racing.
The plan for the MDWW was to go
for K, L M O and N, then work the rest out once familiar with the terrain and
maps. Crossing paths with The Honeymooners, and Rootstock Racing twice was a
motivator and after a successful bush bash out of S the MDWW opted for R
instead of P, saving over 5km in distance. Unfortunately, the ambitious bush
bash from R to find the tracks to the north was not a success and the team in
failing light opted for a reverse bearing back to R and take the long way
around. This wasted time and energy and did nothing for the morale of the team.
Eventually after reaching the powerline track the MDWW were relieved, but enroute
to CPV exhausted, and a sleep was on the cards. This was first real attempt to sleep,
and it was now night 2. After about 30minutes of trying to sleep in the freezing
conditions the MDWW got up again and Alina bashed through to the creek. V was not
easy to find, but a true relief, the MDWW then continued trekking through to W
and X before reaching TA5 in the early hours in the morning. Despite almost no
good sleep, the team transitioned and got out on the bikes before Rootstock
racing arrived.
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| The Lanscape for Leg 6 - Trek |
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women in the Wild .....they have not had much sleep! |
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women emerge from the trek after 24 hours! |
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| Del at TA5 preparing for the ride to Lake Pedder |
The ride to Lake Pedder was hot
and hilly, the team stopped for short sleep of 1hour which was not that
productive due to mozzies, bees and just the time of day. It was exciting for
the MDWW however to get to Lake Pedder in the daylight and get on the water
before dusk. At the TA teams were required to mark up the CPs and choose a
route. There were 6 compulsory CPs and a total of 8, with 3 hrs bonus time for 7
and 8 hours for 8. Two of the CPs B2 and F2 were island treks, and the others
were on the water’s edge. The MDWW opted to go anticlockwise (D2, B2, Y, Z, F2,
A2, E2, C2) because of a strong wind forecast and this worked well for the team
until it got dark.
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women ride in to TA6 - Lake Pedder |
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| Team Captain Kim checks in with TA Official Michele Krome |
Teams were rewarded with glassy conditions, moon setting at
sunset and a night sky filled with stars and breathtaking views of the Milky
Way. From Scott’s Peak at B2 to the MDWW
could see exactly where they had to go for the rest of the leg, and the team collected
Y just before sunset. By the time they reached Z it was pitch black, but the
AyUps were amazing for lighting up the land as the team hiked and hiked and
hiked up Mt Solitary. This out-and-back CP took over 3 and a half hours, so
most likely worth the 5 hour time bonus. The MDWW crossed paths with Rootstock
racing on this section and were still just in front. Back on the water and it
was now pitch black and it was almost impossible to see anything other than fog
and silhouettes, but the MDWW managed to stick to the East bank and then back
track up to CPA2. After this, things went pair shaped for the MDWW. After
hugging the bank and not finding CPE2, the team came across team 6, who were
coming from the other direction. Del and Amie, who did not have maps were
getting worried that were not in the right place and went over. Team 6 said
that they were looking for CPC2 and were around that area. Kim was not
convinced and Alina thought how could this be possible…... but it was the
bewitching hour…. meaning after midnight and strange things can happen. So,
instead of continuing south and searching the bank further the team turned back
and followed Team 6, big mistake! The only way to get out of this pickle was to
backtrack and find our last known location, so the MDWW paddled North until
they reached the mangroves, and after an interesting discussion, Kim suggested
that the team ‘find CPA2 again so that we know 100% where we are” so that’s
what they did. Now on the way south it was clear that the team had not paddled
far enough south, so eventually the MDWW found CPE2 ‘what a relief’ and
finished the rest of the paddle as the new day was dawning and what a cracker
of a day it was.
Interestingly, RR finished the
kayak at about the same time at the MDWW but opted for a sleep in TA, while the
MDWW transitioned and had a sleep at CP15. The MDWW were then passed on the
road by RR and it was clear that there was a battle going on between these two
4 person women’s teams. Kim had a strategy to forge ahead while on Cooks track,
as it was evident that the MDWW were catching, but a minor mechanical - Alina’s
bent derailleur – meant we all reached CP 17 together. While teams crossed
paths again near CP 18, the MDWW chose to sleep at the top of a hill in a
Quarry near TA5 and RR slept at Maydena. The MDWW woke up before midnight and
enjoyed the final minutes of ‘wild Wednesday’ watching wombats, paddymelons and
even a Tasmanian Devil while riding to find the final CPs on the leg and got
into TA& at Bushy Park around 4am. The MDWW were excited to see Ashild
Kridge at the TA – labelled the QLD TA because Linda Davis super search &
rescue crew was based there as well.
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| A view of what the Mountain Designs Wild Women were riding in the darkness! |
It was time for the MDWW to get on the Derwent
River and enjoy the final rapids of the race. The beginning of this paddle was in
darkness, but most was in the daylight which made travel faster, but it did not
stop Kim and Alina from taking another few unplanned swims. Can you believe
there was a swan swimming beside them showing them the way down the rapids….
this was real! The exit from the kayaks onto the pontoon was not glamorous and
nor was it fast, but hey it went viral thanks to Thor Eggerton for filming!
This was a luxury TA at the New Norfolk rowing club, with toilets and showers,
but the MDWW were on a mission to get out of there before RR, they did not. So,
it was going to be a race to the finish on the last leg, Kim hurried everyone
up and off they went on bikes. For some reason Amie thought she would stop at a
service station to buy no-dose; Kim was not impressed especially as it was now
so important to make a fast start to this leg. Alina was really fired up and
took on the navigation for the final bike and the team rode hard to CP26, it
was all up hill and there was quite a bit of pushing required. CP 24 had been
removed from the course, so teams had to ride out and back to CP25 Collins
Bonnett. Kim was keeping track of time and the MDWW dropped their bikes at 3.02pm
to hike to the peak, then the MDWW arrived at the peak at 3.25pm and managed to
get back to the bikes and start riding again before crossing paths with RR. This
meant that the MDWW were now over and hour in front and given no mechanicals or
crashes, that they would finish ahead of RR. The rest of the course was mostly downhill
and super-fast, and the team enjoyed the descent off the Mt Wellington Range
into Huonville to arrive at the finish at the golden hour, just before sunset
at around 6.30pm Thursday 8 March.
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| The bridge before the rapid! Teams were advised to paddle river left! |
Legend AR Results 2025
The Mountain Designs Wild Women
did not repeat their historic overall win from 2024 but were excited to finish
ahead of Rootstock Racing and be the 2nd 4-person team to finish the race
finding 100% of the checkpoints and 6th overall. The Mountain Designs Wild Women were super
proud of Amie’s son Nathan and the Team Broken Compass for winning the event
and a trip to the ARWC in Canada and super impressed with The Women’s Pair
Wonkey Donkeys for finishing 3rd overall and 2nd pair. A full list of results and all the live
tracking can be found on the Wild & Co Website. https://www.legendexpd.com.au/live
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women Finish Legend AR 2025 - Thursday 6.30pm |
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| Mountain Designs Wild Women, Wonkey Donkeys, Rootstock Racing, Heidi Muller (ARWS CEO) |
Thanks
The Mountain Designs Wild Women
would like to thank Mountain Designs, AyUp Lighting Systems and Tri Adventure
for your ongoing support and for ensuring that we have some of the best gear
and equipment out there on course to help us not only finish but have fun and
enjoy the race. Kim would like to thank the team at Venture Cycles for making
sure her bike was in tip top shape for racing in Tasmania. The MDWW would also like
to thank Wild & Co all of their event officials and volunteers as without
these key people events such as this just do not happen. We hope that you
enjoyed watching our dots and that we may have inspired you in the process. We
are planning a trip to Canada to race at Expedition Canada The ARWC 2025 and will be back for
Legend AR 2026 in South Australia – so why not join us!
Wild & Co Video Highlights from Legend AR 2025 Tasmania
Race Report by Kim Beckinsale
