Racers

A belated August newsletter or an early September one, OK so a bit off the ball here good intentions fell foul to the good weather. So to the news at Open Adventure, well the Open24 raised eyebrows within a grand setting, the inaugural endurance series was settled and the Open5 series restarts again in four weeks. If that's not enough we will wax lyrical about our DIY adventures in Scotland and events for next year.

Mountain Hardwear Open5 Series
Grassington 30th September 

Yep the Open5 series is back again after 4 month break, this time in Grassington home to the Yorkshire Dales National Park offices and a picture postcard market square. Lisa and I went for a run to check out some of the routes last week and were astounded at the views and the amazing surroundings. It will be tricky for competitors to maintain focus on the map on a glorious day. 

For more details you check out the website here.  If you can't make this event not to worry the last event of the year is in Coniston, in the Lake District on the 25th November - why not make a weekend of it and check the great MTBing, walking and paddling in the area.

Map Boards

So we thought we would get some made up and made available at the events - the design includes top tips on MTB navigation as well as all the bits to get you going. They are available either at an Open5 event for £8 each or £9 via the website which includes P&P. 

You can find details on how to purchase a map board on our website here

Open24 Adventure Race
Lake District - Eskdale

Well this years Open24 took place in the very grand setting of Outward Bound Eskdale. Competitors had 24 hours to make it around the western side of the Lake District and for those that dared take on the trouser fillers, swim across Wast Water, leaping from great heights in to the Esk Gorge. New to Adventure Racing we also introduced a surprise stage of MTB tandems in the Ennerdale valley - just to allay any fears to prospective racers, don't worry it won't figure in future racers it was a logistical nightmare getting 40 tandems to one of the most remote parts of England, but hey a few more people had a chance to enjoy something that Lisa and I dabble in most weekends. 



Heather Dawe and Steve Birkinshaw took the highest score of the weekend, beating fellow Inov8 racers Tim Higginbottom and Chris Near. 2nd place in the mixed pairs was Ali Northcott and Anthony Emmet of Team The North Face beating Debbie Smith and Adam Haynes of Team Accelerate who took the Endurance series title, a close battle with Jo Spivey and Andy Mitchell. 



Male pairs was a tight fight in second and third place with Ifor Powell and John Cunningham taking second in the Open24 but not by enough to beat James Williams and Andy Simpson in the Endurance series. The female pairs was a little more decisive as Alison Wright and Elenor Sutton were the only female pair to make all of the endurance series events including the Open24 - so hats off to the ladies..   Event results can be found on the website here

Check out the photos from James Kirby and Rob Howard on the Sleepmonsters website as well as race reports from Rob and racer Ian Hughes just here. Heather Dawe has documented her winning experience and that can be found on the Planetfear website here.

By 7pm on the Sunday of the Open24 almost all of the 100 controls for the event had been brought in by a small army of enthusiastic marshals, the event director was a mumbling idiot and the car park was almost empty of toxic thermals. A few days recovery and Open Adventure needed a break. So not being able to bring ourselves to do the beach thing in Bognor Regis, we grabbed our trusty stead of a MTB tandem, nobbled a route off the internet for a coast to coast MTB journey in Scotland over 5 days and headed for Montrose on the Scottish coast. We had an absolute blast, a cheap holiday in B&B's great days of riding - amazing views and sense of adventure.

 

The story yep Adventure Racing is great but just occasionally do that DIY adventure - recently we have heard tales of paddling from the Isle of Man to Barrow (not to be taken lightly!!!), running the Pennine way, as well as the classic MTBing the south downs way. Its never too late just grab a friend and get out there. 

We are in the process of working dates for 2008, with possible changes to how the Open5 series will work next year (more in the next newsletter). Dates for the Open12 and the Open24 have been set and we are looking at locations in the next couple of weeks, as ever expect the unexpected and you won't go far wrong. People have already asked us if they can put an entry in for next years events, entry forms will be available early in December so will have to just chill for a few more months. Dates for the Open5 events we hope to have by the next newsletter and as soon as we know we will put them on the Open Adventure website. 

We are also in the process of chatting to sponsors, if you know of a brand that would benefit from having a REAL adventurous edge to its marketing - best point them our way, everything from TV coverage to promoting products / services in some of the most extreme environments this country has to offer. 

As ever No worries 
James Thurlow