2016 ITERA, PART FIVE
Though the hardest part was over, we still some tricky nav in front of us, working our way down a wide slope toward a road leading to the TA, about 800 meters below us. We tried to aim for a lake, which would have been a good waypoint, but we never saw it. We did eventually encounter a reentrant with a swollen stream in it, which continued to get bigger as we descended. Following that led us down what we knew was the correct route, so we kept it on our left and continued descending for what felt like a very long time.
Finally, we saw some race arrows, which led us over a barbed-wire fence to the road. A drowsy 3k walk later and, at around 4 a.m., we arrived at the TA, which was chock-full of racers and volunteers. There was a dark zone here and the teams had piled up. We were told there was a long line ahead of us to use the 10 canoes or so available for this section, a 16k paddle through lakes and rivers to the finish in Killarney. With 5 teams going at a time before driving them back it took a long time to get the teams through.
We didn’t get very clear directions as to what to do with our time, other than to wait for instructions, so we found a dry room, by chance occupied by Abby and Brent from Rootstock. We chatted with them as we sifted through our kit bags looking in vain for something dry to put on. Cliff made some ramen and then some other Good To-Go meals with the hot water provided by the race staff. Abby and Brent went off to sleep for a bit and teams eventually started leaving at around 6 a.m. on the first convoy. We had to wait for those boats to reach the finish and then be transported back, so Claire and Kate tried to get some sleep. Starker and Cliff stayed up (Cliff once again leaned on Brian Keogh’s assistance, as he lent Cliff some dry clothes), and at 7:30 we were told if we were ready to go, we could go. Starker startled the ladies awake and we all rushed to pack up, but then were told to stand down, as a full-course team had just gotten down from the mountains and they (understandably) received priority. We set up the tent nearby race control and this time, Kate, Cliff and Starker slept while Claire stayed up to wait for instructions.
Finally, at around 10:30 a.m., we were given the go-ahead. Miraculously, just as we set out, the sun came out and it suddenly got very hot, which we didn’t mind at all. We settled into the paddle, moving at a very leisurely pace across Upper Lake, eventually falling behind two boats which had a combined five people in them (not sure how that happened). The views were beautiful and we were in no rush to leave them behind, especially since we had nothing to race for except a Guinness. Well, the thought of Guinness kept us paddling, but barely, and enough so that Kate kept her eyes on the map and guided us perfectly into the hidden channel leading to Muckross Lake, while the team ahead of us missed it.
The channel had a current and a few riffles here and there we had to watch out for, but other than that, our gaze was firmly on the mountains around us. A race photographer caught us all looking up and the shot turned out great (also, the sun being out didn’t hurt). After a little more than an hour of paddling, we came to the short Class III/IV whitewater section. We pulled up to shore, got instructions and then Cliff and Kate went for it, wasting no time clipping a stone bridge, doing a 180 and running the rapids backwards. Starker and Claire followed with more grace.
We hit Muckross Lake and whaddya know? The wind picked up. Not enough to give us any flashbacks, but enough to make us break a sweat making it the last 5K across the lake and to the take-out, where we were congratulated by a mess of volunteers and told to walk one more kilometer to the finish. We yanked out the American and Irish flags, cleaned ourselves up and made our way down a paved bike path to the finish, set up in the host hotel’s parking lot.
Not sure if we should run, we linked arms and kind of hobbled across the line (SleepMonsters captured the moment). Abby, Brent and Jim from Rootstock were there, and we had a great few moments with them and the rest of the gang gathered at the line. Eventually, we moved into the bar for our Guinness, a little shocked that our ITERA experience was over.
Finally, we saw some race arrows, which led us over a barbed-wire fence to the road. A drowsy 3k walk later and, at around 4 a.m., we arrived at the TA, which was chock-full of racers and volunteers. There was a dark zone here and the teams had piled up. We were told there was a long line ahead of us to use the 10 canoes or so available for this section, a 16k paddle through lakes and rivers to the finish in Killarney. With 5 teams going at a time before driving them back it took a long time to get the teams through.
We didn’t get very clear directions as to what to do with our time, other than to wait for instructions, so we found a dry room, by chance occupied by Abby and Brent from Rootstock. We chatted with them as we sifted through our kit bags looking in vain for something dry to put on. Cliff made some ramen and then some other Good To-Go meals with the hot water provided by the race staff. Abby and Brent went off to sleep for a bit and teams eventually started leaving at around 6 a.m. on the first convoy. We had to wait for those boats to reach the finish and then be transported back, so Claire and Kate tried to get some sleep. Starker and Cliff stayed up (Cliff once again leaned on Brian Keogh’s assistance, as he lent Cliff some dry clothes), and at 7:30 we were told if we were ready to go, we could go. Starker startled the ladies awake and we all rushed to pack up, but then were told to stand down, as a full-course team had just gotten down from the mountains and they (understandably) received priority. We set up the tent nearby race control and this time, Kate, Cliff and Starker slept while Claire stayed up to wait for instructions.
Finally, at around 10:30 a.m., we were given the go-ahead. Miraculously, just as we set out, the sun came out and it suddenly got very hot, which we didn’t mind at all. We settled into the paddle, moving at a very leisurely pace across Upper Lake, eventually falling behind two boats which had a combined five people in them (not sure how that happened). The views were beautiful and we were in no rush to leave them behind, especially since we had nothing to race for except a Guinness. Well, the thought of Guinness kept us paddling, but barely, and enough so that Kate kept her eyes on the map and guided us perfectly into the hidden channel leading to Muckross Lake, while the team ahead of us missed it.
The channel had a current and a few riffles here and there we had to watch out for, but other than that, our gaze was firmly on the mountains around us. A race photographer caught us all looking up and the shot turned out great (also, the sun being out didn’t hurt). After a little more than an hour of paddling, we came to the short Class III/IV whitewater section. We pulled up to shore, got instructions and then Cliff and Kate went for it, wasting no time clipping a stone bridge, doing a 180 and running the rapids backwards. Starker and Claire followed with more grace.
We hit Muckross Lake and whaddya know? The wind picked up. Not enough to give us any flashbacks, but enough to make us break a sweat making it the last 5K across the lake and to the take-out, where we were congratulated by a mess of volunteers and told to walk one more kilometer to the finish. We yanked out the American and Irish flags, cleaned ourselves up and made our way down a paved bike path to the finish, set up in the host hotel’s parking lot.
Not sure if we should run, we linked arms and kind of hobbled across the line (SleepMonsters captured the moment). Abby, Brent and Jim from Rootstock were there, and we had a great few moments with them and the rest of the gang gathered at the line. Eventually, we moved into the bar for our Guinness, a little shocked that our ITERA experience was over.
CONTINUED...
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