Mountain Designs go totally wild in the GeoQuest! Celebrating 25 Years

Teams had been speculating about what this course might entail course for around 15 months after the cancellation (twice) of the 2025 event and the postponement of the June event, so finally we made it to Forster and the weather was looking ‘almost’ perfect to tackle the final GeoQuest and in its current location / format / time of year. GeoQuest has been the longest running event in Australia (since 2002) and has traditionally been held on the NSW Coast from South of Sydney to as far north as near Evans Head NSW. 

Here’s what the Race Director had to say before the event 

https://www.wldnco.com/news-articles/mountain-designs-geoquest-ready-to-race-on-the-barrington-coast

We could not resist a dip in the ocean at Forster before registration

 

GEOQUEST TEAM

Team Captain Kim Beckinsale, Nicola Jelenik, Ashild Krige and for the first time with the Mountain Designs Wild Women – Deanna Blegg. Kim and Deanna used to race head-to-head against each other back when the Anaconda Adventure Race Series was a national series with events in Qld, NSW, Victoria and WA, so both were looking forward to this opportunity to learn from each other. Yes, one of the benefits of adventure racing being a team sport, is that with racing comes experience and when you race with others you get to pick up many tips whether it be about nutrition, navigation, team strategy, maps and course planning ….and the list goes on! So thanks Deanna for stepping in at short notice.

Kim, Ashild, Deanna lifting up Nicola

Kim was backing up from X Marathon – ARWS Oceania event just a few weeks back where she teamed up with another Mountain Designs Wild Women recruit – Shelly Bambrook. Extreme heat and dry conditions at that event caused a total fire ban / closing part of the course for the day, so the event was turned into a stage race, with the paddle on Day 1 and the Trek / Bike Trek starting the next day at midnight…. The Mountain Designs Wild Women finished 5^th overall and 1^st all-female team. The shorter format and opportunity for better nutrition and rest time between stages, meant recovery would be better! Kim was excited about finally getting to paddle the Barrington River again. Kim first paddled this river in her first ‘off road’ multisport race ‘Gloucester Mountain Man’ back in 2000.

Kim & Shelly

Ashild was just back from an extended overseas trip and also looking forward to paddling on the Barrington River. This event was originally scheduled for before expedition Canada ARWS World Championships 2025, so was set to be the ‘first white water’ paddle in an event for Ashild, but due to the cancellation her first white water experience was in the middle of Expedition Canada – she loved it so much, she went back to Canada for Raid the Rockies earlier this year, and she definitely go her fix of white water.

Ashild in the mountains at Raid the Rockies

Nicola actually spent the week before the event on a 5-day hike in Northern NSW, (with some of the Wild Women not racing )…. Probably not the ideal pre-race freshening activity….. but this was planned prior to the change of date, so not to be missed either. Nicola was up for the challenge, so prior to the event, she had to get gear for two big adventures and rendezvous with Ashild on the highway.

 

Nicola (top right) with MDWW (Gina, Amie, Ali) on hike in NSW

SUPPORT CREW

We can’t thank Mitchell Krome and Greg Krome enough for taking on the role of Support crew for the event. Mitchell stepped in for his mum Michelle, when the earlier 2026 date was changed to September, so he backed up from a concert in Brisbane Thursday night, and Greg came down all the way from Hervey Bay. Greg and Mitchell have both supported teams before but not the MD Wild Women 😊 😊 I think they knew what they were in for???

Link to Live Tracking from Mountain Designs GeoQuest – here you can replay each team and their route travelled. https://wildnco.tracktherace.com/en/6281/players/353030/bib

The Mountain

 Designs Wild Women were Team 57

Mountain Designs Wild Women at the Start

RACE HIGHLIGHTS

Kim

So glad we were able to paddle the Barrington River in daylight and in relatively warm conditions, it made the paddle super fun! Ashild was a machine every time we had to get out of the kayak and go over rocks – I was literally just hobbling to keep up!

This was the most challenging navigation that we have had in a Wild & Co GeoQuest event to date. All of the paddle checkpoints were off the main part of the river, so you had to use the map and compass the entire way, which is not that easy when you are also looking at the water flow ahead trying to readd the rapids!

The first trek was short, but a warmup for the big trek with tracks barely there and totally overgrown, it was too hot to wear my O-pants, so legs got a bit trashed.

Wild Women had a big adventure on the 2^nd bike leg. Ashild and I were on the maps and working together really well. There were some very serious hills, I felt a bit ordinary after the trek once we started on the climbs – a combination of coke and macadamia nuts did not sit well in my tummy. Some time after midnight ….. always the way ….. things got a bit funky! After CP14, two trails which were our route options were totally overgrown, so we had to keep going on the ‘long way around’. Then we noticed that there was another option ‘and the trail was there’ so we took it! It was great until it wasn’t….. we had to then decide go back or be wild adventurous and just bush bash down an overgrown track – we were over 3k from the CP! In hindsight the long way around would have been faster even if we backtracked, but we were excited to get through to CP 15 with a bit of teamwork with Team Wicking through the Marshes.

Off the bike 'finally' ready for the trek!

My favourite part of the course however was the big trek – our poor support crew had been waiting for us for hours to arrive at the TA, but because we were having too much fun with our bikes in the bush it took us ages to arrive! Sorry ☹ We were in great spirits and made sure we were well prepared and well fueled for some wild navigation. Yes, plenty of bush bashing as many of the trails were barely there or non-existent – making the ability to ‘travel along spurs’ very important – just as RD Chris Dixon had said in the briefing! We shared the navigation, Kim handing the maps to Nicola so she and Deanna could lead. It was great to relax and just focus on other jobs for a bit. We managed to go from 5^th to 2^nd on the trek after we chose to travel along an unmarked track, which just happened to travel on a spur almost the way to the final trek CP. Now it was game on…. The MD Wild Women were on track for a podium finish!

Yellow is our planned route - Blue is the unmarked track on the spur we followed to CP J 

I felt the most challenging part of the course for us was the final paddle, we started off hot ‘so not that many layers on’ and after about an hour it got dark and wet and windy – not a great combination when your paddle speed drops because you are trying to find a CP in the dark and you left your glasses back at the TA. We had to make a stop and add extra layers otherwise we would have been hypothermic – in fact Deanna and Ashild were on the verge! Best plan ever though as then we just continued on with careful navigation and excellent communication between Deanna and I who were both on the maps. Interestingly the Meerkats were paddling along in ‘stealth’ no glow sticks, no lights but they were moving fast and it seemed like every time we arrived at a CP for the remainder of the paddle; they would appear from nowhere! 

Adrenalin fueled sprint finish! At the final CP22 we had just passed Wild Flow Tiger – so now in 4^th, then we saw the Meerkats who were 3^rd. Thanks Ashild for taking my pack, so I could take of my jacket and keep up, thanks Deanna for taking the lead here and getting us back in front and thanks Nicola for that little smile and giggle along the way, when we decided to ramp up our speed and take on the Meerkats! It was a 2k sprint and somehow, we just ran ‘like our former selves’ outsprinted the boys and finished on the podium! Girls this was just awesome – so proud of our team how we used our strengths to our advantage and had a great fun race too!

Here’s what the girls had to say about the race!

Ashild

My favourite leg was the first paddle through the beautiful Barrington River. I also loved the hike to the top of the hill in that gorgeous pre-sunset light. But I think the biggest smile on my face came as we headed back down the mountain with the boys, pushing our bikes through the grass, with all our wet brake discs singing like a choir after that epic bike and hike-a-bike section!

I also loved doing a race where we were submerged out in the bush again, with hardly any travel through built-up areas. The teamwork was another highlight. We worked together so naturally, respectfully and thoughtfully. It just worked. And the variety of weather made it even more memorable: sunshine and heat, a full moon, mist, fog, drizzle, rain and sideways wind. Always positive

Something I’ve thought about for a while, and this race confirmed, is that helping someone else can bring out strength you didn’t know you had left. When you’re hurting and think you have little to give, you notice a teammate who’s having a tougher time and could use a hand. You take some of their gear or give them a tow, and somehow that extra effort doesn’t slow you down, but gives you a purpose, energy and determination to just keep going. I love how empowering and purposeful that feels.

 

MD Wild Women on the Barrington River

Deanna

I had the opportunity to race with Mountain Designs Wild Women - Adventure Racing Team Kim Beckinsale, Åshild Krige Nicola Jelinek and Super Support Greg Krome and Mitchell Krome

Thanks Chris Dixon and the Wild & Co team for putting on a challenging event with many surprises on course. Not everything was as it seemed.

There is something about an event that throws you completely out of your comfort zone and deep into a space that both challenges and elates you.

A time and place you simply wouldn’t choose to go on your own — or even with your friends. GeoQuest did that, time and time again.

For example- When would you ever mountain bike down a track that wasn’t really a track at all, covered in lantana and unfamiliar subtropical flora (coming from Victoria) — and in the middle of the night?

I can’t say that was my highlight!

X (track not there) Yellow (the long route) Blue (our bush bash as trail stopped)

For me, the highlight was having complete faith in our Mountain Designs Wild Women team — Kim, Ashild and Nicola — and heading off at dusk with a storm brewing, knowing we had tricky navigation ahead and large sections of open water to tackle.

This is something I simply wouldn’t do in my day-to-day life. It’s so easy to say no before you even begin. But that’s what this event does. It forces you into these situations. You have to do it. And the rewards are there.

Darkness. Horizontal rain. Wind. Limited vision. Cold, cold, stop and change, warm again.

Then we turn our head torches off.

Our eyes adjust to the glowing darkness, and somehow, a calm evolves from the chaos. We can see the water and the land masses. We settle into the navigation and hone in on our course.

Four strong women, paddling purposefully through the storm.

Picking up checkpoints. Moving with purpose. Working together.

On a dark, stormy night, this was exactly where I wanted to be.

Mountain Designs Wild Women set off on the final paddle!

Greg and Mitchell. What can I say. What a support crew! Everything we needed and nothing we didn’t. It was so nice to finish a leg and see your smiles and excited faces. Gear all set up. Yummy hot food, and to then pack away the chaos when we left and still keep all our gear in order, so amazing.

Thanks Jan DeVries-Leverton for your quiet peace and guidance throughout the event.  

The Mountain Designs socks were fab to wear throughout the course, and I am excited have one of the Mountain Designs Stratus Hooded Rain Jackets for future adventures as well.

 Nicola

Well, I felt like it was such a privilege to race with Deanna Blegg - such a strong inner strength, yet gentle and a great communicator. It was so much fun out there! I'm always in awe of Kim's navigation and Ashilds' sheer strength. 

This years Geo had many highlights starting with a beautiful white-water paddle down the Barrington River.  We jagged a cracker of a day with temps over 30 degrees (this might not have been so beautiful in minus temps…or even snow which can occur up there).  Our wonderful support crew had checked and selected good kayaks that didn’t leak…too much, and I felt like I was being expertly guided down the rapids with Deanna Blegg.

The second paddle was also a highlight - it started off blissfully calm down the river, then after dark the wind and rain picked up, making it difficult to see and very cold. We made the decision to stop and put our mandatory thermals and whatever else we had on to stay warm while we paddled into the night…with gorgeous lights, vast stretches of water, the shapes of trees, islands and boats in the moon light and good company and great navigation to nail the checkpoints…once Deanna and Kim took over the Nav.

Blue arrow - where we turned back; Pink circle where we stopped to put on warm clothes!

And the biggest highlight is realising yet again what our bodies are capable of and being able to race with an awesome team of amazingly strong women!!

Thanks, girls for a super fun race, it's truly amazing what we're capable of...with a bit of adrenaline wanting to beat those boys! 

The finish line!

WILD & CO POST EVENT 

Here is what Race Director Chris Dixon had to say afterwards - a fitting way to celebrate 25 years of Mountain Designs GeoQuests!

Wild & Co GeoQuest Wrap

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Mountain Designs – always helping us out with the gear we need to keep dry, warm and comfortable when we are out in the wild. Check out the range of gear online or visit your nearest Anaconda store.

Ay UP Lighting Systems – the most robust lights on the market – serviceable and waterproof

Venture Cycles Noosaville – supporters of Tri Adventure Noosa suppliers of Trek bikes and Bontrager

Champion Systems Australia – suppliers for our specialist Mountain Designs Wild Women Kit.

BZ Optics Australia – Kim wears the Photochromatic Polarised Bi-Focal Sunglasses in races

MDWW with Crew at Finish - Mitchell (Left) & Greg (right)