Mountain Designs Wild Women in action – Rogue Raid Wivenhoe 2017

There has been quite a bit happening on the adventure scene for all members of the Mountain Designs Wild Women Adventure Racing Team.

Alina Mc Master has been busy being famous and promoting Ultra-Trail Australia https://www.ultratrailaustralia.com.au/

Alina said “It is a super busy time of year preparing for the organisation of this event - over 4,500 runners and 10,000 supporters so am trying to fit training in where possible” Alina has been up many early mornings doing some 30km runs with some ultra-runners preparing for the 2017 event. Here is a link to the TV interview –‘Australia’s Fittest Couple’.

https://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-daily-edition/video/watch/34977764/australias-fittest-couple/?cmp=st#page1

Alina Mc Master on TV

A few weeks ago Cass and Gina raced at the Hiddenvale MTB6hr event placing 1^st and 2^nd respectively in their categories, while Kim and Ali were working on their navigation skills at the very popular Bunyaville Rogaine, with Kim racing with Jan Leverton taking out the Women’s Open category and Ali teaming up with Shaun Lauder placing 3^rd overall.

Bunyaville 3hr Map

Rogue Raid

This weekend Kim, Cass, Gina and Ali raced as a team of four for the first time at the Rogue Raid here is how the event unfolded…..

Map handout was at 8am and as usual we seemed to run out of time, even though we had waterproof maps and did not have to do much contacting. This was the first time that we had all had the opportunity to race together as a team (on paper Mountain Designs Wild Women 1 & 2), so we were all very excited.

The event consisted of 5 stages – Paddle; Trek; MTB; Trek; Paddle – with the MTB leg split by the second trek leg. The most points were on the MTB and Trek legs so our strategy was to maximise our points on these legs, but still have some time to get some good points on the final paddle.

Leg 1 Paddle – We set off and managed to get all the planned CP’s (1,7,2) in about 1hr 30, then we decided to go for two more CP’s (4 & 5) to gain an extra 120points, but as we headed to CP4 there was a massive headwind, and waves and we quickly decided when our kayaks were pretty much totally under water, to turn back and maximise the time later.

Rogue Raid Map 1 - MD Wild Women Leg 1 Course Plan

Leg 2 Trek – there were 9CP’s available on this leg and we planned to go for 8 of them. CP 17 looked like it was not worth just 80 points being 6k out and back. However, after making great time to CP12, 13, 14 (via MTB CP20) and 15 we had a look and thought why not have a go, as we are after all in training for #GeaquestAR. Well we got it but it took us about 1hr definitely fatiguing the legs for the final 3CP’s in the leg 11, 10 and 9. We were very excited to roll into the TA just as the sun was going down having cleared the run leg. The 6hr event had just finished and they were enjoying HOT PIZZA, but not for us yet L

MD Wild Women in action - running most of the trek legs

Leg 3 MTB Part 1– It was dark by the time we set off so time for the AY UP lights to be put into action.This leg was quite challenging at first as my map-board compass and Cass’s compass showing completely different directions after CP 18 and as we were doing a bush bash out this was not good. We did go a bit off direction at first but found a fence line which was good travel, so it went to exactly where we wanted to all good! After climbing Pine Hill we had a fun ride down collecting Cp20, 21 riding some really nice trails beside the lake. It was then time to head to Coomynia and the rail trail. At CP 24 we chose to do the opposite of what most teams did and that was to go from CP 24-28, complete the tricky MTB navigation CP’s in the ESK State Forest, before doing the TREK, in the same area. Initially we only planned to get CP 28, 30, 31 and 33, but after clearing the first trek and making good time to CP28 we also opted for 29 and 32. Our plan almost came unstuck as we approached CP32, when a huge stick totally bent my derailleur hanger. I was ready to do the whole single speed thing, but thought I would try to bend it into place first….the hanger cracked but did not break, so I wrapped heaps of electrical tape around it and tested it out…..gears were changing and it seemed like only one gear did not work….happy days! We totally overshot the track to CP33 as it certainly did not look like it did on the map, bit after bit of backtracking and running into Ian and AP from Isodopes we eventually found it, and thus cleared that section.

Leg 4 Trek – This trek took us back through the ESK State Forest, as we had cleared the first trek, we though well why not have a good go at clearing this one, especially as we were now familiar with the area. The TA officials told us the tracks were quite unreliable…..really???? We chose an anticlockwise course heading from 35, 36, 39, 41, 38, 37.  It worked really well with the only glitch being my miss-interpretation of the CP description for 39 as HIGH POINT not HIGH POINT on overgrown track…..after a few 360’s and holding the map upside down …..we eventually got it…..thanks to Cass for being on the ball there! My favourites of the trek were following the spur to 38 and the challenging  lantana bush bash out of 37 back to the track…..because they were the most challenging….not that I love lantana that much….it’s just so good when you find your way out of it!We arrived back at the TA at 6.20am….1hr and 20 minutes over our estimated time.

Leg 4 Trek with MTB CP's highlighted

Leg 3 MTB Part 2 – I had estimated it may take us 3hrs to get back to HQ for the final paddle, so all things going well we should get there with enough time to get on the water. The return journey was pretty fast as on roads through to ESK, via CP 25, 27 and 26. Then back via CP24 and the rail trail over the same route as the way out. We were all taking turns on the front here and setting a pretty good pace, with Ali on the front as we hit the grassy trails back near HQ. It took us just 2hrs 45 to get back so we were keen to get paddling.

Leg 5 Paddle – This leg had plenty of points on offer but we had just 1hr 30, so we opted for 45, 47 and 43 in that order, so we got the 100 points first up. Cass was first to work out that we may have to approach CP 45 from the west due to low water levels…..the plan was spot on….good one Cass. We arrived back into HQ with just 10 minutes to spare….so glad we did not get too adventurous on the final paddle.

A beautiful day on the lake for a paddle!

Pretty stoked to finish 6^th overall and 1^st Women’s team on 2410 points, clearing all of the Trek and MTB legs, so just two all-male teams and two mixed teams in front of us…..Thanks to Liam St Pierre for creating another great course and the Rogaine Association for supporting this style of racing, it is so great to have a course where teams can almost choose their own adventure within one big adventure, allowing us to cross paths with so many others out on the course. Awesome to have such a great group of girls to race with and an opportunity to put all the adventure gear in action …. thanks to Mountain Designs, Ay Up Lighting Systems, Tri Adventure, Venture Cycles and Kayak Noosa for supporting Mountain Designs Wild Women.

Strong Happy Team - Mountain Designs Wild Women

Welcome to the first edition of the Mountain Designs Wild Women blog.

Hopefully this page will share some our adventure racing and multisport experiences and inspire more women to have the confidence to challenge themselves to take that next step towards creating a healthier, happier lifestyle full of fun and adventure. The reason I think this, is because this is exactly what being a part of the adventure racing and multisport community has done for me.

Mountain Designs have been supporting Adventure Racing in Australia since the first ever Geoquest back in 2002, and to me this is still the most iconic event in Australia. As last year was my 10^th year at this event, I decided it was time for me to captain a team and have the opportunity to be the lead navigator at GEOQUEST.  Subsequently I have put together a team of tough strong women who will be keen to share the journey. After finishing Godzone last year, I discussed my idea with Alina Mc Master (who used race with her husband Tom Landon-Smith in AROC Mountain Designs….winning GEOQUEST in 2003, 2004, 2005 and the first XPD in 2005 and then then 2007) and invited her to join the team....she accepted with Tom and the kids also coming on-board as support crew, so what an opportunity for the team to get to race with Alina!

 Check out the latest online Mountain Designs specials here!

Also at GODZONE, and finishing the full course, were Cass Kimlin and Gina Dunsdon racing for Team Tri Adventure, so little did they know at the time that I had hatched a plan of putting this team together. Gina and Cass have been training with us and the Tri Adventure group regularly and now both have successfully completed so many adventure races as well as two XPD’s, but never the full Geoquest. Gina and I raced 4 of the Wild Women Races together with 3 victories and in 2016 she teamed up with Cass to win event that Tri Adventure hosted in Pomona with me as one of the Race Directors.

So I suppose when coming up with a name for the team that encompassed little of everyone we decided on Wild Women and though wouldn’t it be great to be Mountain Designs Wild Women, as they have sponsored me for the past 7 years and Alina Mc Master in the past. So a little seed was planted and now it has started to grow.

Red Bull Defiance

I lined Cass Kimlin up to compete under the name of Mountain Designs Wild Women at the Red Bull Defiance in Wanaka, this was our first event under the new team name and what an event it was to kick-start the year!  Although not a navigational race, it was extremely challenging and so spectacular, you just wanted to almost stay out there longer, even though at times it was snowing and absolutely freezing. Cass was backing up from XPD Shoalhaven so I was so impressed with her ability to tough this one out and still finish supper keen for more and more! We finished 5^th place in the Elite Womens category, against a very tough field of Kiwi women and certainly would love to go back and have another go if the opportunity arises.

For more information on the #RBDefiance visit  Red Bull Defiance
Entries for the 2018 RBD opened on the 16^th March, so get in early for a discounted entry.

Cass & Kim ready for some snow at the Red Bull Defiance

Adventure 1 Series

While we were in NZ we heard about the Adventure 1 Series – an all Australian Adventure Racing series including X-Marathon, Geoquest, Hells Bells and Wildside….it got me thinking why not encourage the team to do all the events in the series….even though as an all-women’s team we are not eligible for prizemoney! Each team can have up have up to 6 team mates in the series so this was exciting as now there was room for two more women to make up the team Funnily enough when just back from NZ we heard from Ali Wright contacting us as she wanted to get back into a bit of AR, as she was super keen, I quickly lined her up for Hells Bells, Wildside and also the Rogue Raid. Unfortunately, we could not all commit to the X-Marathon, but got to do some dot watching whist heading to our first Rogaine of the season.

For more information about the adventure 1 series visit:- ADVENTURE 1

Weir are we 8hr Upside-down Rogaine

Rogaines are great preparation and practice for adventure racing and a fantastic sport in itself, so this one was upside-down, which means we start at night and finish in the morning……a little bit like nightclubbing in the bush! It certainly feels a bit like it when you see all the AY-UP head torches out there bouncing around like disco lights in the distance and when you pass people you know out on the course …..you may even do a little dance!.

Map Preparation for the Upside Down Rogaine

Anyway this event was interesting as we had two maps with two different scales with the 1:20 000 map being the main map and a 1:10 000 orienteering map. The orienteering map had many checkpoints marked on it worth lots of points so we planned a route that took in all of those controls as there was a definite points advantage. Cass and I worked well as a team out on the course. She must have had a bit of fun just watching me trip, fall or slide on my backside down a few steep slopes…..but I was just loving it! I definitely made a few speed errors and Cass was always there on the map ready to question my mistake…..the bonus of having two sets of maps!

Rogaine Map 1

As the event progressed, after a little bit of funky stuff happening around control 74, we headed to 75, 30 and back past HQ.  The plan worked well as we cleared pretty much every control on the north side of the map except 37 and decided 40 was only worth it if doing the loop! We did not think it was possible for us to clear the course, so we headed back near the HH to collect some extra controls on the other side of the map.

Rogaine Map 2 - Orienteering

After nailing control 104, we thought wow, that was not that hard…..but the Lantana bash that followed rivalled a few earlier ones out of 103 and into 100! Maybe 100 is code for LANTANA??? We finally found the marked fence then the track, but then the track disappeared, so we travelled along the creek ( somehow missing the track that took us to 52) to 42 ended up getting 52 and 49 as well, finishing with about 8 minutes to go. So we think we travelled over 30k and gained 1930points, which placed us 1^st place Women and 3^rd place overall.....we were pretty stoked with that result!

For more information about Rogaining visit:- Qld Rogaine Association

Cass & Kim - 1st Place Women's Team - 8 Hr Upside Down Rogaine

Paddy Pallin Adventure Race & Training

Lining up for the first Adventure Race of the season is always exciting as you just never know who is going to come out of the woodwork. As the navigation in the event is mostly on tracks it is always a very fast and furious race, as it is very easy to be seen and be followed by other teams, making the challenge more about getting in and out of CP’s fast. Cass and I decided to share the navigation, so I took the foot legs and Cass the bike. Why???? Well this race is also about putting skills to the test, and I do get the opportunity to do plenty of MTBO but Cass doesn’t, so thus challenging Cass that little bit more! Another reason is that rarely, when racing in a mixed team, am I ever asked if I want to navigate, or provided with that opportunity (unless there is a split). So, providing opportunities for team mates to navigate in race situations, does build a better team.

The event map and our course planning

The event was divided into 6 short legs – Trek, MTB, Trek, MTB, Paddle, MTB. The first trek was Rogaine style so we elected DCABFEG…..we made it to the first CP ahead of the field who opted for the road ….meaning our shorter off track route choice paid off. The most challenging CP was A, however we quickly realised the tracks were vague / missing so planed an alternate attack point which again proved successful. On the first bike we overshot our turn off a few times, but quickly noticed and backtracked. I was in a mad rush to catch the field and our competitors (Tri Adventure Vintage – Jan & Shan) and had a stack in a culvert, however somehow I managed to jump off the bike and land quite gracefully – meaning I was not hurt. We headed out on the next trek with and again chose a cross county route from CP 6-7 and think this really-made up some time, and we were travelling with Pete & Amy who were leading the mixed category. (The all-male teams were on a different course). Cass was not 100% but we managed to still get through with some smart choices and before long were back on the bikes. I was giving Cass a little push while she was looking at the map as this allowed her to concentrate and us to go faster……arriving at the Paddle TA ahead of Pete & Amy. The paddle was short, but quite fun….a bit of mud and the CP’s were a bit challenging as they were zip tied to overhanging trees, making you have to stand up in the boat to get them! The paddle was over in a flash and soon we were riding back home through the finish arch after collecting 2 CP’s on the way. Mountain Designs Wild Women finished 2nd overall, ahead of the first mixed team and not too far behind the ALL MALE outright winners, who were actually on a slightly different course.

For more information about Maximum Adventure events visit:- Max Adventure

Ocean Ski Practice - Changing positions in deep water off Boiling Pot

Gina, Cass and I backed up Sunday morning with an Ocean Paddle as did Amy and Jan. We are just getting in some ocean paddling while the conditions are favourable for practicing capsizing and deep water change overs. Why? #GeoquestAR usually commences with a long ocean paddle and conditions along the NSW coast near Sawtell and Coffs Harbour can be quite challenging…….so we are just making sure we are testing our skills in training so racing will be fun!

For more information about Australia's Premier Adventure Race visit:- Geoquest

Written by Kim Beckinsale