Well even though people are complaining about there not being a lot of snow at the ski fields it definitely feels like winter to me! After being away racing for much of the last month to arrive back in Queenstown and not see the temperature rise into double figures once in the first week I feel like I have moved to Antarctica.

Since June our adventure racing team Balance Vector has been on several overseas missions, each with a slightly different make up in personnel and each in stark contrast to the winter season here at home.

Our trip to the Nuevo Leon Outdoor challenge in Mexico couldn’t have been further from the NZ winter as we were faced with the harsh realities in racing in 50 + degree temperatures. This was a 3-stage race with 12, 24, and 6-hour stages and teams of 3.

With Kristina stepping away from the adventure scene to focus full time on kayaking, Nathan and I were joined by Sally Person (formerly Fahy) for this race.

The first 12 hour stage took us through true desert terrain where there was no respite from the harsh heat, the only plants able to survive in this inhospitable terrain were the spiky cactus varieties and they provided no shade from which to hide from the sun. With temperatures already into the 40’s by 9am it was shaping up as a very hot day. Each CP had huge quantities of water as competitors consumed huge amounts of fluid in the heat. We were struck by 8 punctures during one of the bike legs as the sharp cactus’s ripped through our tyres, Our tube supply was quickly used and it was on to the trusty puncture repair kit.

After a particularly nasty hike-a-bike section, we clambered aboard our bikes for the final 50 km to the finish of the section. About 30km into the ride and everything seemed to be going well, everyone was feeling the heat a little but looking strong and sounding positive when Sally suddenly veered off the road. Assuming a lapse in concentration, we all continued when 100m down the road once again Sally went off the side of the road. What happened next was probably the scariest thing I have witnessed in an adventure race. When Sally tried to get back on the bike this time it was obvious something wasn’t right. Nathan and I quickly sat her down but she would continually try to get back to her feet. In the space of the next 5 minutes things deteriorated alarmingly to the point where she couldn’t tell us what country she was in, who Nathan and I were or comprehend anything that was going on. With 20 km to any water or shade, we flagged down on of the following teams and asked them to send help as soon as they could find anyone. By now Sally was getting pretty freaked out by Nathan and I and much to our horror decided to make her escape through he cactus fields. With no option but to try to restrain her we were forced to give chase and ended up some 200 metres from the road. Luckily for us, she recognised her husband Tim’s name and we were able to calm her slightly. By now a slightly drunk Mexican in a beat up pickup had arrived after being paid off by the team we had sent for help. We piled ourselves and the bikes into the pickup and went flying off down the dirt road at some insane pace, providing Nathan in the open air back with more thrills than he cared for.

It was a relief for us to finally pull into the finish; Sally received urgent medical attention before being taken off to hospital. Nathan and I finally received word 7 hours later that Sally would be fine and she would make a full recovery. Luckily, she doesn’t remember much about the whole episode.

The remainder of the race included one of the harshest rides I have ever had to endure with even the top teams forced to walk on even relatively small climbs as the temperatures soared into the fifties for the second time. There were also highlights though as we raced through a massive canyoneering section, huge rock pools, water slides, caves and rock jumps kept us entertained for over 6 hours and on the last section I experienced the longest fastest and slightly terrifying Tyrolean traverse ever. At 340 metres long and 300 metres above the ground it was hold on and pray as you sped through the fog high between two Mountain peaks. When you can only see 40 metres ahead of you and they get you to abseil to the end of a rope before you start (so you didn’t hit the other side with too much speed!!!!) it is a recipe for one big thrill.

The race was filled with different experiences including adjusting to Mexican time, add 2-3 hours to everything, A real feeling of being accountable for ones own safety as there was very little safety personnel and no safety backups, huge crowds of school children at all the major transitions and temperatures which peaked at 54 degrees centigrade.

Sally has since made a full recovery but I think may still be finding the odd cactus needle imported back from Mexico, Nathan and I had another adventure only a few days later on Safari in South Africa and Namibia but that’s another story.