Explore Sweden 2005           Newsletter 3

Explore Sweden Expedition Adventure Race
 

Hi all adventure racers,

It is now less then 2 months to Explore Sweden!!!

This newsletter will give you some information you might need, and have been sent to all team captains.

EQUIPMENT

This equipment list is not final. The final equipment list will be posted on April 25th, after the organizations last course checkout:

All equipment must pass the inspection and be accepted at the registration.

All equipment you bring in to a section must be brought out.

It is not allowed to leave any equipment, trash or waste on the track, this leads to time penalty or disqualification.

The obligatory equipment must be shown at any time for the organisation. For every missed equipment detail you will get 30 min penalty. The penalty time will be added to the race time.

A team is allowed to have 4 boxes/bags, 4 bike hardcases and 1 ski bag.

Race suit

It is mandatory to always wear the bib vest on top.

Boxes/bags

4 boxes/bags per team. Max 182 liter per box/bag.

The organisation will transport the boxes/bags.

Only 1 ski bag per team is allowed, including: 4 pair of skis, 4 pair of ski poles and skins.

Mandatory full time team equipment

- 1 Altimeter

- 2 Compasses

- 1 Cell phone, water proofed.

- 1 Whistle

- 1 Waterproof map holder, for maps and road book.

- 20 Matches, water proofed.

- 1 Red waterproof pen.

Note: GPS is forbidden.

First aid kit mandatory full time, per team

- 1 First aid pressure bandage.

- 8 Second Skin. Compeed.

- 60 cm x 2,5cm Adhesive tape.

- 1 Strobe light - White (no headlamp or bike lights) Mandatory 3km visibility. Recommended: "Princetontec Aqua strobe".

Mandatory full time personal equipment (if the Roadbook does not say otherwise)

- 1 Backpack min 25 liter , Recommended 40 liter. With attachment for skis, snowshoes and poles.

- 1 Beanie/Buff

- 1 Gloves, long fingers.

- 1 Long sleeves fleece top, minimum 200g.

- 1 Waterproof jacket (Gore-Tex type)

- 1 Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex type)

- 1 Head torch

- 1 Survival blanket

Mandatory equipment (on special sections)

Mountaineering team equipment

- 1 Tent, for 4 persons lying down with floor. Not just inner tent. Sup air is ok.

- 1 Stove with fuel.

- 1 Container of minimum 1 liter.

- 1 Avalanche probe of min 240cm length and more than 10mm thick (UIAA or CE).

Mountaineering/Cross skiing personal equipment

- 1 pair of Back Country ski boots.

- 1 pair of Skis with steel edges.

- 1 pair of Ski poles.

- 1 pair of Crampons. Covering the whole sole.

- 1 approved UIAA climbing helmet (biking helmet not accepted). Recommended: Petzl Meteor, Kong Scarab.

- 1 Snow showel, without any modification to the original design (UIAA or CE).

- 1 Down jacket, minimum 400g. Syntetic fillpower is ok. Down vest is ok, as long the weight is min. 400g.

- 1 Sleeping bag, water protected, minimum 500g.

- 1 Avalanche transceiver, attached directly on the body. Sending frequency 457 kHz (standard).

Note: Only one pair of skis per person is allowed. Extra poles and skins are allowed.

Mountaineering/Snowshoeing personal equipment

- 1 pair of Snowshoes. Must be a series made snowshoe.

- 1 pair of Gore-tex shoes or boots.

- 1 pair of Gaiters.

- 1 pair of Crampons. Covering the whole sole.

- 1 approved UIAA climbing helmet (biking helmet not accepted). Recommended: Petzl Meteor, Kong Scarab.

- 1 Snowshowel with out any modification to the original design (UIAA or CE).

- 1 Down jacket, minimum 400g. Syntetic fillpower is ok. Down vest is ok, as long the weight is min. 400g.

- 1 Sleeping bag, water protected, minimum 500g.

- 1 Avalache transceiver, attached directly on the body. Sending frequency 457 kHz (standard).

Ropeworks personal equipment

- 1 approved UIAA climbing helmet (biking helmet not accepted). Recommended: Petzl Meteor, Kong Scarab, Petzl Elios.

- 1 approved UIAA climbing harness

- 2 Prussic loop, 150 cm (7 mm)

- 1 Descender/belay device, like ATC or figure 8.

- 3 Self locking carabiners. Unacceptable: screw carabiners.

- 1 Via-Ferrata set, including 2 self locking carabiner. Recommended Petzl Zyper-Y. (www.petzl.com)

Note: 5 self locking carabiners in total.

Mountainbike personal epuipment

- 1 Mountain bike.

- 1 Helmet, Climbing helmet is ok.

- 1 Red light (mounted on the back of the bike).

- 1 Spare tube.

- 1 pair Bike shoes.

- 1-2 Bike tights.

- 1 Bike hardcase.

Mountainbike team epuipment

- 4 Bike toolkits. (To put together and apart your bike).

- 2 Pumps per team.

The organisation will transport the bikes and hardcaces between the sections. The team must take apart and put together the bikes by themselves.

Besides the helmet, only the mountainbike gear listed above shall be inside the bike hardcase during transport. Food is not allowed in the bike hardcases.

Kayaking personal equipment

- 1 Life jacket. Type 3. Inflatable life jackets are not acceptable.

- 1 Whistle attached to the life jacket.

- 1 Wetsuit. Long john, minimum 3mm.

- 1 Kayak paddle.

Mandatory team equipment supplied by the organisation

- 2 Double kayaks.

- Road book and map kit. The maps are on the scale of: 1:100.000 with vertical interval of 20 meters.

- 4 Bib-vest to be worn at all times, even on top of the life-jackets.

- 4 Number plates on the bike bar.

- Number stickers to attach to boxes/bags, bike hardcases, skibag and climbing helmet.

Please note: It's mandatory to wear the helmet during these sections:

Ropeworks, Mountaineering and Mountainbike.

Recommended equipment for cross skiing sections:

Recommended bindings

Backcountry bindings made for rougher terrain like:

- SNS X-adv Raid binding (www.salomonsports.com)

- NNN Touring (www.rottefella.com)

Recommended skis

Short skis, 160-180cm, with steel edges like:

- Rt:10 rainier apg (www.atomicsnow.com)

- X-Adv Skis (www.salomonsports.com)

Recommended ski boots

Boots with a sole with good grip, high and stable like:

- X-Adventure 8 (www.salomonsports.com)

- X-Pro (www.lundhags.se)

- All Terrain (www.alpinasports.com)

- BC 1550 (www.alpinasports.com)

For ascends, "sealskins" (www.colltex.com, www.bdel.com) are recommended.

Note: You are recommended to bring the snowshoes during the cross skiing section, but not mandatory. You are not allowed to take skis with you on showshoe sections.

MEDICAL CHECK

Before the last mountaineering section, there will be a mandatory 4 hour medical check; an opportunity for the team to look after blisters, meet the medical staff, eat and sleep.

DISCIPLINES

Snowshoeing/mountaineering

Kick bike (will be supplied by the organization).

Double kayaks (will be supplied by the organization). Trapper K2 Marine, www.trapperkanot.se

Cross skiing/mountaineering

Orienteering

MTB

Ropeworks

UPDATE INFORMATION REGARDING MOUNTAINEERING SECTIONS

* Update information regarding Mountaineering/skiing/snowshoes and snowboard.

The race will have 3 mountaineering sections. The first one is 45km and will take the teams over three spectacular mountain range and the racers are just allowed to wear snowshoes.

The other 2 mountaineering sections are at the end. The second one is 25km on groomed trails that will take you through a magnificent mountain range. You probably need skins on the skis in the beginning. After that you will use your strength to use poles to go classic style or skate.

The third mountain section is the race highlight, a mountain with a great view, on the descend it will be a mix between skis, bushwacking, technical snowshoeing and step mountaineering with crampons. The teams will follow step ridges to a superb downhill run, little step at the beginning. After that, there is a combination of bushwacking and skiing, ropeworks and some up and downhill skiing.

The course is built to suit this kind of equipment:

*The yellow X-adventure Winter set: High and stable ski shoe, 150cm skis with steel edges and a SNS X-adv raid binding.

Also recommend:

*Backcountry bindings made for rougher terrain like:

- SNS X-adv Raid binding (www.salomonsports.com)
- NNN Touring (www.rottefella.com)

*Shorter skis 160-180cm, with steel edges like:

- Rt:10 rainier apg (www.atomicsnow.com)
- X-Adv Skis (www.salomonsports.com)

*Ski boots with a sole with good grip, high and stable like:

- X-Adventure 8 (www.salomonsports.com)
- X-Pro (www.lundhags.se)
- All Terrain (www.alpinasports.com)
- BC 1550 (www.alpinasports.com)

For better grip a strongly recommended “sealskins” (www.colltex.com, www.bdel.com) for the ascends.

For snowshoes I recommend: MSR Lightning or one of the lighter versions of Atlas Snowshoes.

The team is just allowed to have one pair of skis per person.

News: We will allow snowshoes and snowboard or splitboard during the skiing sections. If you take snowboard you don’t need skis.

Course designer Mikael Nordström says:

-"After the last months of hard work to guarantee the race with the high standard that we have, I am so excited to put together this race course. Especially when most of the teams are international, you feel the pressure to design a race that you want to do yourself, spectacular but with the highest safety standards. I can guarantee that the mountaineering sections will be one of the highlights this season. But to not give to much advantage to the Nordic teams the ski-sections are in the last half of the course. Some other mountaineering sections are too brutal for skis so we added snowshoes and rope sections..."

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We will be out scouting the course, during this week and will not be at the office to answer any question before 29/3, with urgent matters can you reach us at +46 70 69 80 759 or +46 70 17 49 681. We will come back with newsletter 4 in two weeks with the latest news.

MEETING POINT, ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

The meeting point will be at Örnsköldsvik airport and you fly via Stockholm. You need to be at the airport 12/5 at 17.00 and there from the transport will be organized by the organization.

The transport back to Örnsköldsvik airport will 20/5 and you will arrive there at 15.00.

TO THE DESTINATION

The transport to the secret destination will take about 5-7 hours, and under the transport we will stop at an outdoor shop where all teams can buy gas to stove and other material. We will also stop at a supermarket where teams can buy all race food. (if you not have arrived earlier and done the shopping, then you just can relax for a while…)

ACCOMMODATION, BEFORE AND AFTER

If you decide to come to Explore Sweden before the meeting at Örnskoldsvik Airport for acclimation and to get rid of the jet lag, and also to be sure that you will have all you luggage, there are plenty of accommodation in Örnsköldsvik city.

The best way to get from the airport down to Örnsköldsvik city is to take the daily bus that goes up and down at every flight, if you not want to book a cab that can take you directly to the accommodation.

Unfortunately the organization is not able to pick you up at the airport before the meeting point, so you have to organize this transport by yourselves.

Örns TAXI                   +46 660 100 00

Öviksbygdens TAXI     +46 660 104 00

Accommodation (all these alternatives are close to Örnsköldsvik city)

First Hotel Statt            +46 660 26 55 90

Focus Hotel                 +46 660 821 00

Park Hotel                    +46 660 103 60

Strand City Hotel          +46 660 106 10

Panget lilla hotel            +46 70 540 64 08

Youth hostel                 +46 660 29 61 11 or +46 70 585 55 99 (weekends)

If you have to wait in Stockholm and need accommodation there you can find very good hotels at;

IBIS hotel                     +46 8 655 01 00 (www.ibishotel.com)

Arlanda hotel    +46 8 597 89 700

Park in Arlanda            +46 8 591 111 00

All these three hotels are just a few minutes away from the airport and they have the policy to pick up at the airport and also back to the airport.

FINAL PAYMENT

We will also remind you that the last payment for the entry should be done before the 30/3-05. Teams that have done the registration in the last minute and not have got the account will get it. The last payment is 2.300 Euro. 3.800 Euro in total.

Sweden and Explore Sweden welcome you with open arms, and please do not hesitate to ask questions.

Explore Sweden is a member of the AR World Series.

Please visit the webpage at: www.exploresweden.se