The last week of September 2010 saw the third DofE Wales Adventure Race take place in the Brecon Beacons National Park. A to Z Expeditions were pleased to help out with marshalling for the third year and put a mixed team in for the second year running.
The A to Z Expeditions Team from left to right: Bob, Chris (marshall), Jo (Team Captain), Ollie, Steve, Scott and Mark.
The start was a 9km run to the Usk Reservoir - made all the tougher by the warm weather and the undulating terrain - to launch the canoeing phase.
All aboard! Paddling catamaran canoes tested the upper-body strength and skill of the thirteen teams. A steady wind was also picking up, making paddling more of a challenge.
With the canoe section complete, it was back onto dry land and a change of discipline once again. This time it was on two wheels - the mountain bike stage. Two timed laps of the Usk Reservoir saw various teams having mechanical problems and some teams being split up in the woods - but the mighty A to Z Expeditioner's kept going!
The final discipline of the day was a reciprocal event with the teams splitting into 3 members on water and 3 members on land. A mid-afternoon finish meant all the longer to recover for day two.
Behind you! After being beaten at scrabble by Chris the night before, the guys turned up for day two looking fresh and ready at the Dan-yr-Ogof Caves for the first event. This was the hill stage and saw teams going up on to the Black Mountain above the caves.
A bridge too far?! Steve Ironside heads to the hills...
After the hill stage came another round of mountain biking - this time up to the quarry along trails and roads. By this time the teams were starting to have clear gaps between them - but the A to Z Expeditioner's were still going strong! At the quarries came the orienteering phase which not only tested the legs of the teams but also the technical navigation ability of them all!
Hands up if you've had enough! The finish and the team are all still standing! For the second year in a row the A to Z Expeditions team came first in the mixed-team category and came second in the overall event - an incredible improvement on last year's fourth - with PriceWaterhouseCooper coming first.
A great weekend and a great thank's to all the thirteen teams, marshalls, photographers, boat suppliers, caterers and organisers for their help in making it another success.
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