Subaru Primal Quest Adventure Race Update

July 11, 2002 (8:00 pm; Mountain Standard Time)

Greetings:

I talked to Jessica Harrison about two hours ago and she confirmed many of the speculations that I made in the last e-mail. Team Santa Fe spent a long night and day traversing the mountaineering section, taking some rest and getting backed up at some of the tyrolean traverses. They arrived at CP17 last night at 8:30 pm after finishing the mountaineering section and left at 2:30 am this morning on the next mountain biking leg. They spent 4 hours on the mtn bikes, hitting CP18 along the way, and arrived at CP19 at 6:30 am. Apparently, a few more bruises were acquired along this leg. At this point they were in 28^th place. They are very tired, but in good spirits. Also, they have not suffered badly from respiratory problems like so many other teams.

They met the support crew last night at 8:30 pm and the crew stayed up with them until they left at 2:30 am, and then met them again at 6:30 am at CP19, the transition area to the kayaking section. The team rested until 8:20 am before they hit the Animas River. The support crew remained up that entire time. Jess said she had to ask someone what day it was. When I talked to them they were on their way to a hot-spring to get some of the dirt off and ease the muscles.

Team GoLite on the water course (photo credit: SPQ website www.ecoprimalquest.com)

At 8:30 am, Team Santa Fe started down a river that is very low. Apparently, they had to drag the kayaks quite a ways to get in water that was deep enough to run. The low water level also means that there are a lot of things in the way i.e. rocks. Earlier-finishing teams indicated that to negotiate the rapids you have to be very skilled. There is also a mandatory portage past a section of class 5 rapids. They hit the end of the rapids at CP20 (180 miles into the race) – this will probably take at least 10 hours. Next, they have another trekking section until CP21 where they will meet the support crew again for another transition into the last biking section. Jess speculates that it will be late tonight or past midnight before they arrive at CP21. Coming up is another long bike, an extremely challenging 400’ rappel and last long trek. I am estimating that Team Santa Fe’s most optimistic finish time will be early Saturday, but more likely to be later on Saturday or early Sunday – IF things continue work out.

Nine teams have now completed the course. Based on reports that are just coming in there are real challenges ahead for Team Santa Fe. The website reported the following: "Anxiety ran high at the Bridal Veil Falls rappel today, as ropes directors and bystanders watched a daring mid rappel rope transfer for Marc Secades of Team Subaru. Marc successfully entered the rappel, but midway down, the rope was damaged by rock-fall, producing a "core shot" that peeled the rope sheath away from the bundle of High Tensile strength nylon "core." It was an uncanny coincidence--the same thing had happened to Ian Adamson of GoLite when he rappelled with his team the day before. After a tense 40 minutes the transfer was made and Mark descended. Team Subaru collected themselves, changed socks and prepared to leave just as Schick Extreme III/Salomon finished their rappel. Both teams met at the bottom of the hill and traveled on to CP 27 together. In the spirit of sportsmanship, Subaru and Schick decided to arrive at the finish line as one group, producing an eighth place tie in the Subaru Primal Quest top ten."

Team Sobe in the 400' rappel (photo credit: SPQ website www.ecoprimalquest.com)

If you would like to view any earlier e-mails (with a few pictures), they have been posted on the following website: http://www.lawired.com/csr/home.htm .