
Mountaineering
These two phases of the race will take place in remote mountains that boast enormous year-round ice fields and spectacular peaks. Your route will require skilled use of ascenders, descenders, and tyrolean traverses. It is probable that you will need to summit one or two peaks in order to complete the course. The glaciers are ever-changing and present their own dangers. Expect to spend considerable time above 7000 feet and to deal with unpredictable weather conditions.
Glacier Trekking
Teams must think like mountaineers and consider their route choices carefully. Once the commitment is made, there is no turning back.
White Water Rafting
This part of the race will take place on class II, III and IV water with waves reaching as high as 10 feet. This will be large volume rafting and the water which is generated by glacial runoff is incredibly blue and icy cold. The run takes you past towering gray granite walls and waterfalls spilling in from the glaciers thousands of feet above. Wetsuits are mandatory and appropriate skills are necessary.
On Horseback
Once again we will be including a Ride and Run section which will take place through forests and across beautiful alpine meadows filled with wildflowers and emerald grass. Three horses are shared between five people with no doubling up. This event requires harmony between humans and animals. The horses which we rode on the reconnaissance trip were strong and fast, but remember you must keep your runners within sight at all times. This year's course will require river crossings including a portion where the horses and runners need to swim an icy flowing river.
Canoeing
This takes place on both white water and on lakes that are similar to fjords. The color of the lakes defy belief in that they are as blue as a swimming pool due to the glacial mineral deposits. The canoeing will be class II and III with at least one difficult portage. Therefore, not overloading your canoe will prove useful.
Mountain Biking
This will take place in the deep forests and along lakes and rivers. It will include long sections of double and single track. It is serious mountain biking in a region famous for the proliferation of mountain bike events. Five bikes per team. Expect to be challenged.
The Race Course
The route is determined by the organizers placing mandatory checkpoints that teams must pass through along the course. This keeps the teams on a predetermined route and allows for safety tracking throughout the course. There are four transition areas where each team's assistance crew will meet up with them to remove trash, change equipment, and re-supply food.
The first leg of the race is revealed only the night before the race begins. Subsequent legs are revealed as each discipline is completed.
Gear Drop-Off
This year a new type of transition will be added to the race. At predetermined sections along the course competitors will transfer from one discipline to another without the aid of the assistance crews. The Gear Drop-Off (GD) Gear will be presorted and delivered to passport control zones for competitors to make a quick transition to the next discipline.
Low Impact
The Philosophy of the Eco-Challenge is that in order to travel in remote back country areas, one needs to be both skilled in the outdoors and aware that one cannot conquer the land, but merely hope to pass through peacefully. Strict low impact rules are enforced on the race course including no cooking, no washing in the streams, no campfires and a pack it in/pack it out philosophy. Human waste must be carried out and will be disposed of correctly by the assistance crew.
- Camp and travel only where permitted and on durable surfaces
- Educate your self, plan ahead and prepare
- Pack it in, pack it out
- No campfires
- No washing in or within 200 feet of streams
Safety
Each team is required to carry extensive medical gear, survival gear, and emergency equipment, which includes a UHF radio to be used only in cases of extreme peril. If used, a search and rescue team will immediately be dispatched. A medical team will be on alert at each assistance area 24 hours a day. The team consists of an emergency room physician and Emergency Medical Team skilled in wilderness medicine. EMT and CPR trained personnel will be working as checkpoint staff.
Photos: Kerry Philips