Subaru Primal Quest Adventure Race Update

July 6, 2002 (5:00 pm; Mountain Standard Time)

Greetings:

Team Santa Fe successfully completed their registration and mandatory gear and skills check on Friday afternoon. At the check-in, each team receives their race packets and paperwork and undergoes an extensive gear check and skills verification process.

The teams must submit their required gear to a thorough examination and prove their abilities (and safety knowledge) for the ropes, mountaineering and whitewater portions of the race. At the check-in the team was required to set up their tent and get some of the mandatory gear tagged, particularly first aid and safety equipment. This is for safety purposes, and any team without the mandatory tagged equipment will be disqualified. (In other races some teams have tried to reduce weight by eliminating critical equipment – a very dangerous move.). Rather than having flares, the teams will have smoke bombs to signal if there is a problem. The teams also received their emergency radios and GPS receiver. At the Media Station the team got a new team photo that is posted on the SPQ website, and learned that the likely number of teams that will start on Sunday will be between 62 and 65.

During the skills check the teams demonstrated their proficiency in the 2-person kayaks and the white-water emergency precautions in the swimming pool. The team did a Tyrolean traverse (crossing a river or gorge upside down on a rope), but not only a few feet from the ground. They also did a rappel down a 50 foot retaining wall – of course, they had to be anchored to the bumper of a Subaru.

According to the SPQ website: "Sweeping fire danger in Colorado has impacted the event but not threatened its course or the health of the field. Race organizers have enacted a comprehensive fire safety plan with local authorities and residents that includes race-appointed fire marshals at each of the course's transition areas. Furthermore, adventure racing staples such as matches, lighters, stoves and flares have been removed from racers' required gear and are now considered banned items that can result in disqualification from the race."

Tonight, the team gets the maps and course instructions at a group meeting – and will plot the strategy of the beginning of the race.