Wild Endurance 104km Race 2008

I was surprised when Sean contacted me asking me if I was interested in joining a "fast" team for the inaugural WE100 event. Sean was RD and with some to-ing and fro-ing I eventually made the start line, albeit on a somewhat different looking team with several of the original team members pulling out the week before.
And so alongside multiple TW winner Jonathan Worswick, Strider and 2.49 marathoner Shaun Atchison and rogainer Andrew Black we set off into the Blue Mountain wilderness under the guise of "Victorias Restaurant", Sean's business putting up sponsorship.

This would be my second team event after TW a few years ago. I was rapt to be involved and to be honest a tad scared given I knew the team would be gunning for victory. I just prayed I'd be able to hold on.
The first section, a 33km traverse of the King Tableland plateau with a sharp drop to Bedford Creek and back up to CP1 went well. We were joined by a couple of teams, one of which Shogun's team we knew were going to be competitive. On the final 8kms back to the aid station we picked up the pace and put a gap into them, but I must admit to being just out of my comfort zone here as the boys pulled me along at a pace that was fairly rich.

A quick stop managed perfectly by Jonathan's partner Kate and Chris Graham (one of the original team members (unfortunately forced to DNS due to a calf injury). I decided to change shoes as my Inov8s were really not providing enough cushioning on the hard trails thus far, so when I slipped into the super comfy Nimbus my feet were happy once more. We were on our way again in 7 mins.

The next section takes us into the Jamison Valley via Kedumba Pass, a long winding downhill. We were in great spirits with plenty of banter as we took the piss out of Jonathan’s constant lace fetish. He wore a new pair of Salomon’s with the fancy lacing system and was forever stopping and adjusting them. Apparently this happened a couple of weeks prior on a 24hr Rogaine with Andrew.
On our way down we noticed another runner out training coming up the hill, turned out to be CR EXE getting a last hitout in before NF100.
The Sublime Point Trail was magnificent. I was keen to see this section in the daylight, as we will most likely be covering it at night during the NF100.
At the top of the main ridge halfway across the valley a panorama opens up with the Three Sisters towering above just ahead, the magnificent Mt Solitary to the left and the menacing Kedumba Walls off to the right, what a sight.
I was rather surprised with the amount of undulating terrain all the way to the foot of the Giant Staircase. Our schedule for this section was underestimated.

Not long before we joined the Federal Pass, Chris turned up ready to roll along for a few more kms with us. We made great time along here enjoying the singletrack after mostly wide firetrails till now. Plenty of tourists to negotiate at the Scenic Railway and some bemused looks. We stopped just before the landslide for a quick coffee and some food.

The trail gets decidedly more technical now with plenty of TW style rock clambering/hopping before emerging on a good singletrack again that would eventually take us to the foot of the Golden Staircase and the track diversion to Ruined Castle and Mt Solitary. Chris took off a little earlier to get ready for our impending arrival. After a decent climb where a very strong Andrew took off up ahead we finally arrived at CP2 (56km) on the Narrowneck Plateau.

Kate and Chris were very efficient once again. Shaun toddled off for loo stop number 20 (stomach issues which would plague him later on) while we tucked into some soup.
The aid stations were great, even with crew it was nice to have some alternatives too. I grabbed a banana at each stop and stuffed it in my back pocket along with a couple of gels.

We took off with Chris along Narrowneck looking to get to CP3 at Dunphys campground, some 21kms away before dark if possible. It was definitely cooler now up on the plateau and it seemed to take a while for me to get going again. I struggled along here but was not alone as the others did too. The constant up and down was wearing us down a little. We arrived at the fire tower with a few kms to go before Taros when Shaun spotted a dunny and made a b-line for it. We took the opportunity to walk a little and eat. Andrew produced a bag full of corn crispy balls that were divine. He seemed to have everything bar the kitchen sink in his pack!
Once regrouped we ran well to Taros where we were greeted by a very excited volunteer. He assured us that the new ladders were safe having being up and down them himself a few times. The ladders did make for a quick descent and we were soon merrily hopping along the saddle up and over Mt Derbert and then downhill to Medlow Gap. My Nimbus were comfy but traction wasn’t too good on anything loose or angled.

It was a nice milestone turning onto Mitchell’s Creek firetrail and heading north again. Daylight was fast fading on us though and we needed to get the lights out just before the turn off for Dunphy’s Campground and CP3 (77km). This time Kate appeared having walked up the hill from the campground. I slipped on the dry gravelled surface coming into the CP, luckily no damage done.

Things started going south for us here with Shaun having real problems holding down anything. We ate more soup at the very nice open fire and then refilled our packs and left. One of the volunteers there mentioned the track diversion up ahead a km from the 6FT. I hadn’t realised there was a late change to the course, oh well.

Chris joined us again on the way out until we rejoined the firetrail. Once at the top of the hill we broke into a run again. This didn’t last long however as Shaun pulled up and needed to go again. The poor bugger was doing it tough and at this stage I think we all realised it would be slower going until he recovered. I chatted with Andrew as we turned off our lights marvelling at the night sky. Shooting stars and the odd possum glaring down at us from the tree lined trail, we were right where we wanted to be. I looked at my watch realising my faint hopes of getting home in time to watch a live game between Man Utd and West Ham in the EPL were fast fading. We did eventually get going again and just when I started thinking we would make good time to Nellies we were directed off the main trail. This was the much talked about diversion, the result of a disgruntled land owner not allowing a few runners to traverse his property in the wee small hours of the morning!! We just figured it would be a loop around the perimeter of his property and then back onto the 6 FT track, easy. Instead what we faced was a bush bash up a steep hill with very little traction, an undulating skirt along a ridgeline and then a drop through some trees and scrub back to the 6FT. 2.8kms in approximately an hour plus. Shaun was now totally stuffed, and to be honest I wasn’t too flash either. I cursed the landowner.

We were losing lots of time and now it was just a case of getting this thing done.
Nellies Glen Rd was cold with lots of walking. I wore my spray jacket for the first time and put some gloves on. The climb up Nellies was slow but not too bad and I was looking forward to another cup of soup at the Explorers Tree. 92kms and 13.5hrs down and my 301 battery died. The CP was set up at the hut near the 6FT startline. The volunteers were very animated giving us a warm reception. We complained about the dangerous track detour and they radioed something off to the RD.

We were now looking froward to what we believed to be a relatively gentle 9km descent through the streets of Katoomba and into Leura. Instead once in Katoomba we were directed onto a rather nice single track that hugged the cliff edge on the way into Leura Again we were surprised with the amount of time it was taking us but at this stage once we were moving we were happy. A volunteer from North Face joined us for the first few kms through Katoomba to make sure the markers were all still pointing the right way, apparently some kids had been playing silly buggers earlier. About 4kms from the finish we met Sean and Mel. I mentioned mockingly that we needed to talk about the nasty track diversion off Mitchell’s firetrail. After lots of stairs up and down we finally emerged on a road where Chris was once again waiting for us. We now had just under a km to the finish. It was just past midnight and Jonathan’s birthday, he mentioned we’d slowed down purposely to arrive just on his birthday. :)
And so to a rather nice applause and welcome we finished at the Fairmont Resort Leura in 16.03.

We were well ahead of the next placed team, a good 3hrs plus as it transpired. We were rapt with the win and not long after were sitting in a bar at a fireplace drinking beer. Noice!

A fabulous event well organised thanks to Sean and excellently marked.
Thanks to Kate and Chris for their faultless crewing and to Sean for getting me involved in the first place.