Finally...some race pictures

Race briefing - can you spell 'chilled'

Hmm, let's discuss strategy

coming in to Visgat

keep on moving

approaching the campsite

double espresso...race finish and bushed

Rust Proof, 2nd place

the final steps

the well earned beer

where can I send these guys next?

shade is so good

Elzet, one half of the flapjack bonanza

all pics courtesy of Michelle Rhodes, who managed to snap some happy scenes inbetween running after team Running Goose and flapjack flipping at T4

YOUR RACE

Any anecdotes? well add them in here!

The final kloof!

Looks like it was a bit roffer than we thought, most teams in now.

The leaders

With stage 2 almost done and dusted,we have an exciting finale to the race coming up.team double espresso of jamie waters and sean hutchinson have been just ahead of rust proof(albert and alec rust). Having both collected all compulsory and bonus points, they are bizarrely now on identical race time.

Its a sprint drag to the finish at fairfield. Witzenberg pass should decide it, but it's early on in the day.

Otherwise ugene nel and mark loftus of team energy could pip them both if things get out of control.

Prizes and sponsors

Whilst not really a commercial event, we do have a few people to thank for making our prizegiving just that.

Abseil Africa
Quantum Adventures

And that spiffy doublecab i've been leant for the week-end, that's courtesy of Securistore

Directions!

Get to the Gydo pass (from the south, I hope!)
as you arrive at the summit, you will see a tar road rising to the west, that is the road into this mystical valley.
Before you get to any buildings, take the turnoff to this road, it is unmarked, but if you overshoot it, turn around and from the north it is marked as WITZENBERG VALLEY. Reset your odometer.

Distances taken off google earth, I will trial them and update on the website if there are any glaring errors. If you see any OLD MUTUAL bunting/candytape, follow it!

5.5km - go straight past t-junction(avoid right turn)
1km – go right at t-juction(tar road)
3.9km – turn right at t-junction(tar road)...**remember this spot**
(for those arriving friday night, continue to the campsite, you can drop off canoes on sat morning)
1.7km -turn right onto gravel road
0.5km take right hand fork
1km – drive along dam wall
~200m grove of trees alongside dam is on your left, this is the canoe dropoff.
Coordinates - 33°12'28.33"S - 19°15'3.63"E

Return to ****spot****
2km Follow the tar road west initially before it turns northwards and after some built up sheds, turns to dirt.
2.2km follow dirt road, passing the now famous rugby field to your right until you reach a fork labelled private/howbill
1.9km take the left fork and continue till you get to some sheds
0.7km continue straight, passing a small reservoir to your left and workers cottages to your right. The road gets a little rutted here, so proceed slowly until you reach the campsite/race HQ
co-ordinates 33°10'17.19"S - 19°13'33.27"E (ok, now you can turn your GPS off!)

Final instructions

Race office is winding it all up and moving to the valley tomorrow.

A final mail will go out tonight to all registered teams.

The good news is we have a dedicated race doctor, Dr James Pape. He's just spent three years at Bara so shouldn't have a problem with your measly cuts and scrapes.

See you there, either on friday evening or early saturday.
Steve

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS here

Race Details - How to enter

ok, it's like so totally easy

click here

and fill in your team details under the next available row

The only tricky thing is are you doing the Full(3 stages) or Lite(no night stage), and do you have seconds to help you?

And then, We'll fill in the paid once we have confirmed the cash.

Full R300pp

Lite R250pp

BANK and CODE:
J Baumgarten
ABSA bank
Branch - 632005 (Waterfront)
Account - 9196526664

simple, neh? and you get to see who's racing too

RACE LOCATION

uhh, the long awaited whereisit?!

We're very lucky to present to you, the WITZENBERG VALLEY (huh?).
It's hiding between Ceres and Tulbagh, nestled between the witzenberg and skurweberge ranges.

Still lost, well it's here:WITZENBERG

Basically you go to the top of the GYDO PASS and turn left into an unmarked road which takes you to the valley itself. I'll post up the final detailed driving directions to the campsite/start later(it involves dropping off canoes on the way, so I want to get it right!).

CAMPSITE costs are included in race fee. For supporters as well(within reason). It has a single ablutions and no electricity; but views to die for, shade for africa and grass for jamaica.

The finish is at (drum roll)

Fairfield Cottages
click here. If camping is not your supporters' cup of rooibos, then Lizaan has the fynbos cottage (sleeps 12!) available.

Boring but oh so necessary RaceAdmin

right click, save target as.

Kit list is here

EntryForm is here

cut and paste the pdf into word

fill it in, save and send off to westprov@gmail.com

or email for the doc format.

We'll add and update entries here

We have have got teams coming from grabouw, knysna, plet and hopefully a Tweet from joburg. So come on capetown!

Location clue

Exact race Start and directions will be announce on monday. Let this one shuffle your brain over the week-end.

See you at Oaklane cottages for QUANTUM SPUR HI-TEC #1 on Sunday

ps. it's a supercryptic clue

PARTNERS required?

Got everything together except for a race partner?

Under no circumstances will we allow solos to race.

call this the lonely hearts column, post away.

I suggest adding in recent race results/race ambitions/extraordinary skills

The finish

The start and finish are seperate venues, just to throw the impression of point to point for the final stage.

That helps those with seconds, as they can pack up camp and go wait at the finish after the last transition. Then it's actually quite easy to get on the road to the way home. Those without seconds will have to jump back into cars and we'll shuttle you back to the HQ.

Secondly, it's got a dam. a massive one, so we can all splash around whilst we wait. Plenty of shade, so bring a chair. It even has cell reception, which is kinda sketchy at the start.

We'll have prizegiving there, exact time to be confirmed later, but bank on 1-2pm ish for now.

What say the crowd, you guys want some cold beers waiting on ice?

ok fine, here's a photo

Later alliGATOR

Ok, so the hike leg(s) involves some scenic botany research. You won't believe the diversity of plant life crammed into the first section. The Fynbos warriors will be wideopen smiling.

Of course that does come with a tradeoff. My shins took a bit of mild exfoliation. No wild open cuts and scrapes like lantana or brambles, but just a few little nicks here and there. Not the end of the world, but just a little bit annoying.

And there's a whole whack of seeds and little sticks that want to come along for the ride too. Have a look at the stuff that collected below the tongue on my socks, and the rest that jumped inside too.

GATORS, worth their weight for sure.

few options here:

*for just keeping the shoes clean:

lisa's fixit plan

keeping the shins spotless:

*just somme get an old pair of jeans and cut below the knee, get creative with elastic and you're A for AWAY

*go buy some at your local hiking/sports store.

Some scouting scenes

We spent two days charging around the race course last week. Was good fun and opened up some more possibilities.

Did a hike that will never work at night (so you're saved) and found an even better finish venue.

Legs were a bit tired for the Totalsports Challenge, but it was a fun day in the sun nonetheless. I tried talking Dan Hugo into entering but he has sleep planned for that weekend!

Pictures taken by Daniel from www.irideafrica.com

Campsite/race HQ

View from the deck - it's a pearler!your seconds will be in style.

Having loads of fun scouting, this broadcast is coming from a mountain peak

It's on here

Just at department of land surveying. Looking at this 18voertsek map of the western cape, location is here, somewhere

sneaky race piksha

photo from the secret location....i can spot rugby field, orchards, forest..and a big mountain

WPASS 100 - 2010 - web release 14 Dec

okee dokee crazee fit capey people, this is a newsflash par excellence - Put down that third mince pie!

just spent the week-end scouting a radilicious deluxe race course.

thanks to google earth, the mapping and survey department and aeroplanes with windows, I have found a spot worthy of ADVENTURE. so much so that I have to go back to the drawing board and decide what to LEAVE OUT!

BEST of all, the farmers and landowners in the area are soooper excited by the ideas. I even got offered horses!

100% money back GUARANTEES:
kick ass mtb riding (did i say singletrack? )
to die for views trail running
a little bit of flatwater paddling(with provisions to the boatless, you could run around or swim..so it's not a deal breaker- but rather beg, borrow or gumtree yourself a k1/k2/surfski. ..surfboards could even work, lilos probably not so much)
NAVIGATION and strategy skills to be rewarded, this is not extera

Payment Pending possible ASSURANCES:
Leafy campsite with dam for backup/pom pom girl fans
Kloofing section
SPECIAL spicy stage that will require a snorkel and goggles
DAN HUGO as race mc in a speedo(ok, i'm kidding, but anything to encourage the laydees to enter)

Maybe Baby Will have to check with the man upstairs Scenario:
Self sufficient racing - ie. no seconds required, will definitely be encouraged and helpful to your cause.

DETAILS:
I have selected a format to be as inclusive as possible; hardcore wikus van heerden types and keen been but clueless newbies will both find it a challenging and rewarding experience.
pairs, trips or fours.(no relay format)
Date:23/24 January 2010
Stage Won: 10am-6pm
Stage Too:7pm-5am
Stage Free:6am-10am
Prizegiving 12pm

Full course do all stages, lite course skip Stage Too(the night stuff)
Stages Won and Too will involve Compulsory checkpoints and Bonus Optionals with serious penalties for missing cut-offs

$$$:Full course R300pp - Lite Course R250pp. frikken bargain!

Race area, ~2:30hours drive from Cape Town CBD

GREAT news - any person who lives EAST of the Breede River Mouth pays half price entry, [including you rich okes from the place of gold, sort out your business trips ASAP]. Entry details will be released in due course, please send any queries to westprov@gmail. com - I am going to be 'out of the office' and on my bike from the 15-20Dec.

nothing on the website, so don't go looking!

Steven Burnett and the WPASS massif

Any help with donating prizes muchos appreciados