Challenge the North Face 2004 a Waccos story

I would like to share with you the Chamonix challenge North video that I competed a while ago (in 2004 precisely). I really enjoyed this multisports event. Internet technology allows now to host video online thanks to Dailymotion. This is a sound photomontage which I am a bit proud of. Check this out!

For those who do not have DSL, don't be mad! Here is the minute report with pics as usual.

Following rules applied:

• - team of three competitors, one support member for assistance
  
• - two competitors on track, swapping with the support member at checking point is allowed
• - event  occurs on a  three days duration basis: orienteering, tyrolean rope, mountain bike etc..
• - the first day objective is to filter the pack in elite and challengers categories for the next two coming days (differentiated route)
• - be in a good mood and show your respect to the environment

My Team: The Waccos (WACC = weighted average cost of capital + WACKO = crazy i.e. Jacko the wacko) play on words , in a nutshell: finance craze!

• - Sandman our orienteer (essential piece), and sands collector "around the world"
• - Masked Tetrodon (it's a fish) our genious manager, and skilled diver
  
• - Akunamatata (Hakunamata, like in disney aka lion king, or  "Hakuna matata is a swahilie saying meaning « no worries»") in charge of physical condition.

Thursday 20 may, Day 1

Our first appearance at  Chamonix center was the very professional presentation show on a mini stage. We could reasonably thought "hey we are that good ?".  We (i.e. the Waccos) got the number 24, other teams picked up nice and  graphic names (les marmottes bondissantes "jumping marmots", Houlala, roul'ma poule "go on honey", les ptites louves "little female wolves, les boules "the bollocks"...). This underlines an ambience rather cool and casual. However ,  there is still some real pros outhere, I'm talking of the real deal, the Swiss Team Salomon or Quechua Arks. They are here to reap the prize money. Chamonix is only an easy challenge among the world circuit for them. They were competitors 2 weeks ago in Africa (Morrocco) and will fight against each other in the colorado states in two weeks! Way out of my league, I tell you.

orienteering session among the goats.

CO completed (we avoid the penalty for dangerous road crossing, 33% of the teams shortcut the  route and were given  10 minutes penalty) , for the next stage, we stop the watch and prepare to abseil down a cliff!

the rope down is almost 70 meter long, I have seen some big guys litterally cracking under pressure, not so good to be scared of heights...

we continue on the taggle rope

mission accomplished, our team is ranked on the first tier, it augurs well for the first elite trail of Day 2. Yeah, we are officially appointed ELITE as a team, our ego is now as wide as the solar system!

Friday 21 may 2004, Day 2

08:00 am Starting point , running part with lot of flag marker along the hilly route, (each point has a flag marker and a distinctive punch that is used to mark the scorecard). From now on, it is serious business, time to be fit and sharp.

Sandman and myself climbed up above the rain / snow limit to fetch the last control flag (this one with heavy points). It's cold uphere, the steep slope  leadin to the "mer de glaces (sea of ice)" was reckless and quite dangerous. Wikipedia tells us:

"The Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is a glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the Alps. 5.6 km long and 200 m deep, with an area of about 40 sq km. It is the second-longest glacier in the Alps, after the Aletsch Glacier.

It originates at an elevation of 3,900 m, and descends to 1,400 m. It was once easily visible from Chamonix, but has been shrinking and is now barely visible from below.

It is in the Chamonix valley, it was the first place in the valley to have a custom-made tourist attraction.

The Mer de Glace, like all glaciers, is constantly renewed under the effect of two phenomena: accumulation, notably due to snowfall and ablation, essentially due to melting. The Mer de Glace flows permanently under the effect of its own weight, crusting crevasses, seracs or pockets of water to form, depending on the type of ground."

Off foot path, walking in one meter snow depth, I stupidly sledge 200 m on my butt before stopping 10 m from a cliff.   We arrive sound and safe next to  the Sea of Ice refuge.

Normally the next  event would be a zip line above the sea, but the weather is so bad that a lot of competitors dropped  this event (even our team). No penalties were applied, the director assessed the situation right. On the picture above , we see no one, all the teams are in the toilett, trying to get some hot air from the hand dryer!

1:20 pm This morning orienteering course is over, we did not punch all the control card as we prefer to save time for the next event. We swap one team member during a check point. Mountain bike orienteering course starts now. Masked Tetrodon is on board.

3:41 pm I switch again with Sandman for the rest of the mountain bike event. We ride along a river bank, we have to dismount from our bikes due to the path (rock climbing etc...).

While we plough along the bike path, Sandman sets up our tent n the basecamp #2. Yeah.. even not in the race, the assistant has a primary role (tent logistic, food and beverage preparation, communication tools, material maintenance etc...): mandatory and secret weapon of the team!

8:00 pm late night starting of the orienteering session (time limit 120 minutes) Sandman and Tetrodon are up to this one.

Really not easy to report the control points on the map at dawn (moreover a mist complicates the visibility with our headlights) welcome to the night orienteering  world!

The Waccos come back in due time, and with half of the scorecard punched (only the salomons and Quechua succeed to complete all the control!). From the base camp, it was a great show, seeing all these lights scattered in every directions of the mountain. 75% of the teams were not in the time limit, this underlines the hardness of this event!

Saturday 22 May, Day 3

8:00 mountain bike event (Orienteering)

the snow again ...

On the summit, for a multipoint checkpoint  (we lost a bit of time on this one, time that we will regret in the next event)

back in a less hostile environment

Tétrodon and I rode down cautiously, the snow mud mix did attack our brake shoes, but our slow pace did not help us to find some flags along the way. We finally join Sandman for a last foot orienteering session with a frightening height to overcome.  I am starting to feel the pain in my legs from the last two days efforts. I have to walk during the climbing ( so very often in fact) and I am not able to keep up with Sandman. The time limit is still in our abilities . Bad luck, we flunk our map, we are now staring at a fallen wood bridge and a flooding river. And close to the bridge, there are ...scary falls! Turning back is not an option if we want to get up there in time. Crazy waccos... in the heat of the race, we bear the risk to jump from rocks to rocks ( in retrospect, it was so dangerous and stupid as well). Despite this bald move, we fail for 15 minutes at the control point. Sh..t. Now the upper paths of the route is out of reach for us. We continue then down to the valley.

2:25 pm Finally our uncompleted "elite" control scorecard is validated. The waccos team loose ground and we are now ranked in the middle of the pack.  However the  Waccos are crazier than ever to finish the time sessions! The next events will not be time measured.

rafting event

last run and bike session in order to come back to Chamonix

Final arriving 5:21 pm,  Waccos are smiling and hugging.

the control markers on the map (we realize now that we did a lot of climbing!)

The diner is  sumptuous, North face Inc is spoiling us, and its events budget is  ...sizeable.

Sunday 23 May, Day 4

We choose to stay the night at the base camp #1 and  head back to Lyon sunday morning. Ironically, the sun that we missed so much during the North face Challenge, appears in the morning mist. We appreciate the snowy peaks around , summit where we sworn, sweat and ran, but paradoxically, had so much pleasure.

Unforgettable...

Akuna