So what do you want from a winter ad race?

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Steve Duffy 2
14/11/2001 at 15:33
As Jon has so kindly been advising everyone thru the site, there's a new winter adventure race coming up in Scotland, name of Red Bull Northern Exposure.

What kind of disciplines would Magic readers like to see featured? Does the idea of a winter race hold more or less appeal to the non-racers out there?

And has Jon asked any of you to join his team yet?
Jon Doran
14/11/2001 at 15:51
Sssssshhh... snowballing I reckon. I suspect the main problem will be fickleness of Scottish conditions, but a really serious winter ridge traverse should sort out the specialist adventure racers...

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

neil rich
14/11/2001 at 16:27
snowshoeing
Carolyn Otley
14/11/2001 at 16:42
Whisky drinking? Well, it'd be a good substitute event for when the avalanche risk goes sky high......
Clive Clasby (Old Git)
14/11/2001 at 22:05
snowhole digging!
Clive Clasby (Old Git)
14/11/2001 at 22:07
seriously I would like a good long langlauf followed by some ice climbing and a ridge run followed by a mountain bike descent of a snowfield

Ill watch you all from the pub
Jon Doran
15/11/2001 at 09:49
I'd like to see about 50 metres of grade 5 - ie near vertical - Scottish ice, however I guess for reasons of safety, it'd have to be set up with a top rope and it would be extremely difficult to do...

Gawd, you can just imagine it - run along the CMD arrete to the summit of the Ben, then ab back down the North Face before climbing up the Orion Face or maybe Point 5. How to make enemies and alienate people...

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Jon Doran
15/11/2001 at 09:50
A bona fide winter river crossing is a must too.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Steve Duffy 2
15/11/2001 at 09:56
Ha! As I have to run the course first, I can categorically state that there will not be any river crossings - not after the Rush. Unless it's frozen, of course, and I can skid across.

Grade V ice? Fraid not...don't think Glenmore Lodge would be very keen on that, and as we're working very closely with them on safety I think it's safe to say that there will be no Stevie Haston-esque moves needed to complete the course.
Carolyn Otley
15/11/2001 at 11:18
Snowhole digging, river crossing, off piste bivvy bagging... sounds good..... and didn't Glenmore Lodge invent some more weird and wonderful events to occupy the the International Winter Meet gang when FMD hit?

Actually, the best spectator sport I've seen is tree climbing in snowshoes. My husband is still unable to present any good arguement as to why he didn't just take them off before starting. Must have been the lack of oxygen at altitude.
Jon Doran
15/11/2001 at 11:52
Tree-climbing in snow shoes? Eeek, words fail me. Mountain biking on ice is quite entertaining too.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Carolyn Otley
15/11/2001 at 12:39
Actually, going up the tree didn't appear to pose many questions. Coming down, with the heel still free, was a different matter..... mind you, that day he's already discovered the hazards of head first bivvy bagging when you've got a full length ski pole attatched to each side of your rucsac......

MTBing on ice only compares if you've already filled your SPDs up with snow so they're worse than useless. But I'm sure we could arrange that?
James Smith 1
15/11/2001 at 16:14
Did anyone see that MBUK article many years ago where they did a reverse bungee jump (ie tie you up, hold you down, stretch the rope, then let you go) on a bike? And then there was one a few years ago where the two Martins rode bikes up trees? Well i'm thinking that bike rock climbing might be a sport to consider, you'd just need someone to be able to belay really fast, and it saves on equipment costs (you only need one helmet!). How good would that be?!

Adventure racing though? Well I'd like to see an under 18s category like they do in most normal mountain bike racing. Surely if there's a parents signature then there's no problem there? There's one for the red bull challenge isn't there?
Rob Sutherland
16/11/2001 at 13:08
Under 18's on a winter event...in Scotland

I just love the smell of litigation in the ...erm.... lunchtime period!

I think some mountain biking could work quite well - those metal studded tyres have always looked fun!

Cycle to the edge of Cairngorm, climb a gully to the top, ski about a bit on the platau and then come down on a sledge ready to bike back. Throw in a night in a snow hole and you have an event.

I will be in the pub though, probably....
Richard Webb
16/11/2001 at 17:17
Ice climbing in the Macho Challenge(TM)
You may have a problem if non competitive
climbers are already in situ.

A bigger non political objection is how do you guarentee that the route doesent fall down before everyone is up it. OK pick a big grade 1 is suppose. Now racing up Aladdins Couloir sounds painful.

Two activities that come to mind, but you will need stable snow, is a ski race on the skiinies and some night orienteering.

Plenty of adventure in a night O event alone.
Ernie Simmons
16/11/2001 at 20:42
No skiing, thast going to disadvantage anyone who dont live in scotland/cant afford to go to a ski centre regulary. I thikn an adventure race should generaly try to avoid anything too specilised like climbing a hard grade ice face (I dont understand the ratings I'm a southern softy) but it should be hard.Under 18's may not be a good idea. The snow hole sounds good but again how many of us get to paly in the snow regulary adn most races dont have a compulsary stop do they.

jon
Clive Clasby (Old Git)
16/11/2001 at 22:09
If you want a judge for the snowhole digging i'll do it for a bottle of glenfiddich
Rob Sutherland
19/11/2001 at 11:20
GLENFIDDICH....

some people have no taste! I would hold out for at least an Ardbeg 17y.o!!!!
Jon Doran
19/11/2001 at 15:45
I think there should be climbing, mainly because I know I can do it whereas canoeing across the Cairngorm plateau or whatever is the sort of thing 'serious' adventure racers (read 'lunatics') will embrace with enthusiasm. If no proper ice, then awkward mixed routes will do.

How about huskey sledding? I should imagine that night orienteering on the Cairngorm plateau would actually kill a few people. It's bad enough during the day.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Jon Doran
19/11/2001 at 15:48
Rob, the studded tyres - IRC Blizzards I think they were - are great, on tarmac, when someone else is using them and the traffic lights at the bottom of the steep hill leading onto the one-car wide bridge turn red at the wrong moment. How we laughed. Bruichladdich or however it's spelled, they're making it again and very nice it is too.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

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