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Archive YAU 2006
Another Yukon Arctic Ultra is over
And every year I think next year routine will kick in. Well, this year I finally learned that there is no such thing as routine in a race like ours. Or I should say that there are new challenges every year.
This time, our main challenges were caused by the unusually warm weather prior to the YAU and during the first couple of days of racing. Unfortunately, the warm weather brings on more difficulties than one would expect. To add to it we had also lack of snow on quite a few parts of the trail. Especially the race course from SIR North Country Ranch to Dog Grave Lake was very demanding. The YAU was still fast. For some it was so fast that records were broken. However, the lack of snow cover meant that on some of the lakes and rivers athletes had to run, bike and ski over ice. A lot of the Quest markers kept falling over as the Rangers had not drilled holes in the ice and we had no time nor equipment to start drilling, either. It turns out we were not the only ones who some times found orientation difficult. Even Quest winner Lance Mackey go lost on his final run to Dawson city. His dogs knew where to go but he thought he knew better. We now know that reflective spray paint is not the ideal solution for people looking for the right way at night. And next time we will have a crew ahead of racer that will take care of nothing else but marking. Having said this I must also say that at times part of the problem is the fact that athletes push themselves so hard to get to checkpoints. They get there, are extremely tired and make simple mistakes. I won’t mention anyone in particular ;-)
For the marathoners it was a fairly easy run. It was relatively warm and the surface was hard. 7 athletes went for this distance. The winner is Han Frenken, the marathon man from the Netherlands who reached the finish in 4:52. He was followed by locals Polly Thorp (4:55) and Rosemary Plaskett (5:23) from Whitehorse. They all had great fun. For the gang from Whitehorse it was their first marathon and judging from their smiling faces after the YAU my guess is they will do many more.
As already mentioned the trail from checkpoint 1 to checkpoint 2 was very tough. The overflow that was found in places did not make it easier. The winner of the 100 miles was Jonathan Lucas, an Englishman who lives in the Yukon and did the race as the first skijorer. Jon did really well and his dogs seem to have liked it, too. Our race veterinarian, Carolynne, had a close look at the dogs at the checkpoints and said they looked great. We will see if other skijorers will follow in Jon’s footsteps. Jon himself would like to do the 320 miles next year and we will try to make it possible for him.
The fastest guy on foot was Mike Scherman from Canada. He arrived in Braeburn after 31:41. So, it seems the training tipps he had received from former YAU 100 mile winner Ray Zahab did work for him.
The third finisher at the 100 mile mark was Thomas Muhler from Germany. After finishing the 320 miles with his mountain bike in 2005, the crazy adventurer was back to the YAU with a special project. From Braeburn he went on to the highway to bike 1,000 miles north to Tuktoyaktuk.
Our xc-skiers Ian Thompson and Alan Chambers had decided to switch to running after the marathon. Ian had enormous blisters and I was surprised to hear he would keep on trying. He finally did have to give up at Dog Grave Lake while Alan literally ran to the finish line afterwards.
Everyone who finished these 100 miles did a really good job. However, a special mention goes to Denise and Alison Pickering, the mother-daughter team from England. They are a very good example that this race can be done without suffering, too. The right training, gear and strategy saw Denise and Alison reach the finish without any major problems. On the contrary, the two looked so good in Braeburn that they easily could have gone on. And it looks like they will be back in 2007 to try the 320 miles.
Talking about the 320 miles. I knew that Andrew Matulionis from the USA would be fast. When he won the 100 miles in 2003 he was so fast at night that I thought I see a dog team in the distance. However, he did surprise us all with his pace anyway. At one point we had to have 4 checkpoints operational to be able to keep up with him. Not only did he finish the race. He also broke Andrew Barnetts record by more than 15 hours and reached Pelly Crossing after 129:40.
Not far behind him was Stuart Gillett from England. Thus Stuart has shown that he is not only fast in desert races. He can also cope quite well with the cold. He finished after 132:22.
Bruce Thompson reached Pelly after 145:55 as the third athlete. 15 athletes out of the 34 had to scratch and could not finish their 320 miles. Everybody else made it. Phil Lloyd did not make it within the time limit but he did finish the entire race course and thus was awarded a finisher medal, too. From the feedback I have received so far everybody enjoyed the experience (minus some of the suffering). Some will be back whilst others will probably stay away from any winter trails for a while. I enjoyed the experience, too. And once again I want to thank all the athletes for coming to the Yukon. Also, I want to thank my team, Shelley Gellatly, Jessica and Mike Simon, Martin Like, Gary, Murray and Thomas, all the volunteers, our checkpoint hosts, sponsors and supporters!
18:24 local time - More pictures in the gallery
My rovving reporter has taken some time off work. So, I have to take over again.
This is not my post-race report, yet. I just want to quickly inform you that everyone has made it back safely to Whitehorse. There was even enough time and energy in our amazing athletes to have a few beers at the High Country Inn bar last night.
There are some really nice photographs in the gallery. Check it out!
12:44 local time - The race is almost over
Star reporter Martin Like with his last update on the 4th Yukon Arctic Ultra:
Within an hour or so the 2006 Yukon Arctic Ultra will be finished. Phil Lloyd from the UK will be bringing in the Red Lantern when he crosses the finish line here at Pelly Crossings. His effort in finishing this monster of a race typifies what the majority of the athletes have had to endure over the last 8 days. Like all the others, he will have stories to tell his Grandchildren - including the story of him falling asleep as he ran from Pelly Farm to the finish and waking up 4 hours later much refreshed but a tad cold.
A few hours ahead of him, Ian McGlade crossed the line in 7 days 23 hours and 20 minutes. Many would have questioned his ability to finish bearing in mind the condition of his feet over the last 100 miles or so. Ian is certainly one tough cookie and finishing is one heck of an acheivement.
In the early hours of the morning 2 Brits who I believe have run together the entire route. Howard "Cookie" Cook not only had to endure the hardships of the race, but also endured Steve Reeves continuous banter from start to finish. That is a feat that would break any normal mere mortal. Both were in good spirits at the finish particularly when downing their few tots of whisky and beer in the warmth of the finish cabin.
Late last night Dominique Leclercq flew into the finish. Over the last few days Dominique has stormed through the back of the pack posting some incredibly fast times between checkpoints. Dominique toyed seriously with the idea of scratching at McCabe some 100 miles back, but I am certain now that he has finished he is pleased to have dug deep to earn his medal.
A little earlier John Dodd arrived at the line. John certainly looked the worse for wear having pushed himself to his absolute limits and then some. Thankfully this morning he is back to his bubbly self and already talking of his next challenge (only joking Mrs Dodd). In all seriousness, in my eyes John is top of my list for super heroes in an event when heros are available in the bucket loads. The depth to which John had to dig to finish just goes to show that with determination and the right mental attitude then anything is possible. Really well done mate.
Just after posting my last report yesterday evening Steve Evans and Klaus Schweinberger came in together. Both looked incredibly good after their ordeal and sadly for the rest of us Klaus was still singing. If you could bottle his energy you could run a city on it.
Crikey, I nearly forgot my two German friends. Thats the problem with writing from memory, particularly with a memory like mine. Firstly Tom Wolter-Roessler completed the race that unfortunately was a little beyond his reach in 2005. His improvement was so great over last year that had he had the chance to run back I am sure he could have and would have. Tom waited at the finish line for the compatriot Joachim Rintsch to finish whereupon Tom enjoyed his first beer in 6 years and deservedly so. As mentioned Joachim finish yesterday evening to complete the 320 mile wobble for the 3rd time. Anyone who has done this race once has much to boast about, twice is absurd, but 3 times is just plainly off the scale. Well done Joachim, the Yukon race will not be same if you werent running along in your 100% controlled pace.
Cant think of much else to say. I hope I have mentioned everyone as the reports have progressed. Everyone who starts this race deserves immense credit, completing it is the icing on the cake. Until next year, this is Martin Like YAU rovving reporter signing off.
18:45 local time - 15 hours and 30 minutes to cut-off time
Once again the wonders of modern technology have let me down. As suggested yesterday, I had hoped to post at least one other report before now, but alas it wasn't to be. Perhaps it wasn't the technology, just my inability to use it.
This wonderful race is now approaching its conclusion and I think when the boys and girls who have wobbled around the Yukon wilderness arrive home, be prepared for some remarkable stories. Once again I have arrived in front of the computer without any official documentation and times in front of me. But like previously, I will just make it up from what I remember and pray that it is somewhere near correct. Bruce Thompson did indeed arrive at Pelly crossings yesterday afternoon to secure 3rd place. By far and away he looked the freshest person on the whole trail. The kind of fresh that makes you want to kick him just to make sure he is human. Now he is one man who has got an incredible tale to tell. This is a quick precise of the tale - In between one of the checkpoints (possibly Carmacks to McCabe) Bruce finds himself in incredible pain with shin splints. Now if he says it was incredible, I ain't about to doubt it. In a moment of lunacy, instead of crying out of the race, he cuts down a branch of a tree, straps it to the outside of his leg and continues for a futher 28 miles. Now this is where the story might go astray - he then finds that after 28 miles and arriving at the checkpoint, his emergency treatment has overcompensated his problem and he now has to strap the same branch to thie inside of the leg for a further stretch on this wretched trail. The bloke is patently flippin bonkers.
Next across the finish line early yesterday evening were Paul Howells and Paul Mortimer. Paul and Paul were part of the 4 man group that intrigued me when they said they would all finish together when then first passed through Pelly crossings. Obviously the competitive spirit is alive and kicking in the Yukon. 2 hours later the other 2 racers, Mark Cockbain and Hugh Hunter arrived, jubilant in the knowledge that they had knocked this bugger of a race on the head. That was it for last night. All us poor volunteers had to endure was hours of daring do's related to us over a few beers with the most recent conquerers of this event.
Now onto this morning. by 1.30am, the last of the racers through Pelly Crossings left on the out and back to Pelly Farm. Leaving together were Ian McGlade and Phil Lloyd and 2 minutes later Dominique Lecrercq followed in there foot steps. It was going to be a long hard night ahead for these intreped adventurers, it was cold with a lazy wind behind them.
Bugger, I am running out of time again before this store closes....hmmmmm Let's skip a bit of waffling and cut to the chase. Arriving this morning at the finish were Stephen Caldwell in 8th place, having had to bivvy out on the Pelly Farm road last night when he started hallucinating. He was trying to tell me about his hallucinations, but I could not understand a word of what he said due to his awesome Irish accent. It would be brilliant if he would write a report up about the race in due course, just so that I know what I was nodding my head and smiling graciously at. Making up incredible time on the Farm road and finishing in 9th was Mark Allison. My guess is that Mark will have posted by some considerable margin the fastest time over this last leg - he was running brilliantly when I saw him 10k from the end and looking at his time I assume continued that pace to the end. Still out on the Farm road and heading to the finish as I write are (in order of closeness to finish when I saw them) John Dodd, Tom Wolter Roessler and Joachim Ritsch, whilst proceed up the trail behind them together are Klaus Schweinberger and Steve Evans, and a little further behind are Steve Reeves, Howard Cook and Dominique Leclercq. Still to arrive at Pelly farms before heading back towards the metropolis of Pelly Crossing are Ian McGlade and Phil Lloyd. Have to go now, again apologise for the rushed report. Fingers crossed I will be able to post an updated report at the conclusion to this event.
Cheers.
10:50 local time - Andrew Matulionis wins 320 mile race (report powered by Martin Like)
It's all happening now. We have finishers, we have scratchers and we have plenty of very weary wobblers on the trail.
Firstly let's have a look at the finish line. As predicted sometime ago our man from Whitefish USA, Andrew Matulionis crossed the finish line in 1st place at 8.15pm last night. Looking incredibly fresh, he certainly didn’t look like someone who had just smashed the record for this race by over 14 hours. Andrew becomes the first foot athlete to win both the 100 (2003) and 320 race – all he now needs to do is win the inaugural race to Dawson next year for the complete package (get the baby jogger ready, Mrs M is expect bambino number 2 this coming Summer). Hot on his heels was Stuart Gillett (UK) who arrived at Pelly Crossings about 2½ hours later and also shattering the former course record and becoming the fastest European in this incredibly hard event. Stuart managed to eat into about 1½ hours of Andrew’s time in the out and back section to Pelly Farm, which was either mad or heroic, bearing in mind he was aware of how far Mr Matulionis was ahead. I am going to go with heroic because I am so flippin chuffed with the way he tackled the race. Its been a steep learning curve, but with the benefit of the knowledge he has now gained, Stuart will undoubtedly be a man to watch in any future sub zero races. 3rd place is yet to be confirmed, but barring absolute disaster, Bruce Thompson should be in shortly to take that spot. Currently he is the only athlete on the home stretch from Pelly Farms.
Elsewhere on the course – we have 5 athletes who have left Pelly Crossings to do the 60 mile out and back to Pelly Farms. Paul Howells, Paul Mortimer, Mark Cockbain and Hugh Hunter should arrive at the turn around point about now. They have all now vowed to stick together to the finish, which I find quite amusing. My quick unprofessional psychoanalysis of them indicated to me that if ever there were 4 racers who were single minded in their objectives, then these 4 would be near the top of my list. The Yukon air must be mellowing them. All of them left Pelly Crossings about 13 hours ago, and all looked in good shape. Actually that’s a lie – they all looked absolutely wreck, but they were definitely in good spirits. The 5th athlete on the way to the farm is Stephen Caldwell, who left the relative comfort of Pelly Crossing checkpoint at 1.30am this morning. He has got some stories to tell when he returns to Northern Ireland, and by heck can he tell them. He was really chipper when he left and I imagine that as I am writing he is quietly singing to himself or talking to his sled as he wobbles down the Pelly River. Resting in Pelly Crossing at present are John Dodd and Mark Allison. Both have stormed through from McCabe arriving at Pelly at 6.40am this morning. Everyone else who was going to leave McCabe has now left. The last to leave was Ian McGlade, who was on the trail at 1.35am. Unfortunately we have had 3 people scratching at McCabe. Iztok Boltez (SLV), Fernand Marechal (BEL) and Dominique Leclercq (BEL) all called it quits. That’s about it for the moment. Can’t promise, because things can get a bit manic at times around here, but if I get the chance I will write another gripping report later this afternoon or this evening.
I can’t see the report I posted last night, but I apologise for all the spelling mistakes, it was written in a manic rush and I know that I got at least 1 persons name wrong, but I think it was close enough for anyone to work out who I was talking about. One last thing – temperature is significantly lower now in the Pelly Crossing region. Hovering around the -20 mark, but on the exposed river down to the farm, this can feel significantly lower.
Bye for now.
19:00 local time - Martin Like reports from Pelly Crossing
This is going to be a bit of panic report. Have only just access to a computer with internet, and alas I only have 15 mins before the store closes. Oh the pressure of being a roving reporter. Straight down to the nitty gritty - In about 1 hour we expect Andrew Matulionis to arrive at the finish line. If I had time to work it out I would give you his approx time, but I haven't so I can't. All I know is that he has been flippin quick and will have beaten Andrew Barnetts time by about 15 hours. Have just been to see him out on the trail and he is still looking sickenly strong, oh how I wish I had his legs when I do my wobbles.
Other news about the trail. Everyone got out of Carmacks last night. Phil Lloyd arrived 35 mins before the cutoff and looked in incredibly good condition. He left the checkpoint at 3.30am this morning. I would like to say he looked fresh going out, but I totally overslept and missed him all together. Between Pelly crossings and the finish line back at Pelly crossings (the bit inbetween goes to Pelly Farm) we have Stuart Gillet, currently in 2nd, with Bruce Thompson chasing in 3rd. Currently resting at Pelly crossings are Paul Mortimer, Paul Howells, Mark Cockbain and Hugh Hunter. They are about to leave to Pelly Farm at 8.00pm tonight. Just arrived at this checkpoint is Stephen Caldwell. Only 1 other racer is expected in to Pelly crossings tonight, that being Fernand Marechal (have probably spelt that completely wrong - haven't got a race roster in front of me - but I think you will know who I mean). When I passed through McCabe earlier today, Fernand was the only athlete resting their.
From memory that leaves approx 9 racers on their way to McCabe, but at the time of writing I would expect a number of those will have already arrived. .
Crikey, my time is nearly up - as Robert isn't going to get a chance to read this before it gets posted, I want to take this opportunity to wish my daughter Emily a happy birthday for tomorrow.
Still a few more seconds, what else can I fit in. Ian McGlade is wobbling along nice and steady towards the rear and is in good spirits. Joachim is as strong as ever. Damn - time is up...
18:13 local time - Martin Like reports from Carmacks
I apologise for the lack of a report. Have been in Carmacks for the last 24 hours and whilst it has been possible to access the internet, other things seem to have got in the way. Currently this checkpoint is like a mad house. I am writing this at 4.20pm and there are presently 10 athletes resting here having all come in within a 3 hour period. 2 runners are still on the trail between Ken Lake and Carmacks - Ian McGlade (IRL) is due here in the next hour or so, whilst Phil Lloyd (ENG) is reported to be someway back up the trail and possibly might miss the cutoff at 10.35pm tonight - we will keep our fingers crossed.
As has been the case since the start, Andrew Matulionis (US) is still way out in front and it would appear that he is working well within himself, and whilst it would possibly be folly to predict it at this early stage, but barring disaster he ought to comfortably win the 320 race and I would think Andrew Barnetts record from 2 years ago will be broken in the process. In second place is Stuart Gillet (ENG) who I saw leave Carmack yesterday afternoon. He looked tired, but there again nearly all the racers do.
Unfortunately there are a couple of racers scratching from the race. Either on the way to Ken Lake or at Ken Lake Ken Byrne (IRL), Katherine Hay-Heddle (ENG) and Yves Magnee (BEL) decided to call it a day. Calling it a day doesn't do justice to what these racers have achieved - this is one flippin tough race, and not for one second can their departure from the race be regarded as a failure. Some of those mentioned are already planning thier return in 2007. One other racer has also decided to scratch - Mark Melville-Taylor decided to jump on the skidoo just 6km short of Carmacks.
In my humble opinion reaching Carmacks is 90% of the way to completing this race. Although there is still about 140 miles to go, once you reach this point, the racers are as tired as they are ever going to be....the sections of the race from here on in are far more manageable, albeit far from easy....the athletes will now be well in tune with the environment and finally the athletes will now have their systems and procedures in order. Optimistically, I predict that most, if not all, of those that leave here will see the finishl ine in the next 3 1/2 days. The weather forecast for the next few days is looking very favourable. The highs lokk likely to be around -10 with the lows in the night about -20. Its going to be Sunny with calm winds. Now I have said that, look out for blizzards to hit the Yukon.
07:04 local time - 11 athletes for the 320 miles have scratched so far
Of the 34 athletes who started the 320 miles 23 are still competing. The gap between the leaders and the ones in the back of the field is quite considerable. It will mean that today we will have 4 checkpoints in operation.
Here in Carmacks it was a fairly normal night. Paul Mortimer, Paul Howells, Mark Cockbain, Hugh Hunter, Stephen Caldwell and Fernand Marechal have arrived here. The only worry was this morning when we heard from Stephen Caldwell that Fernand is lost somewhere close to the Carmacks checkpoint. Stephen was lost himself but after a look at the map he was heading into the right direction. Fernand went another way. When we found him he had lost probably 2 hours. He was tired but fine. Both Stephen and Fernand are resting now.
Hugh, Paul and Marc left together. Paul Mortimer took off before them.
Andrew Matulionis who still should be in the lead is probably already heading for Pelly Farms. I will get more news after 8 AM local time.
17:35 local time - finally, the first photographs online
I had to come all the way to Carmacks in order to find a computer on that I (and I want to emphasise the "I" - as I am not a computer wizard) was able to put photographs on the website. So, please go check out the gallery.
The latest news are that everybody is still doing okay. A lot of the athletes are suffering, e.g. from blisters or other problems with feet. Which is normal at this stage of the race.
Bruce Thompson has just left. He followed Andrew and Stuart to McCabe Creek. I will bring Henk Sipers there in an hour. Henk tried to do the 100 miles but had to drop out. He offered to volunteer and will now welcome the athletes at the interesting checkpoint of the Kruse family which is also a checkpoint for the Yukon Quest who will come through in a few days.
17:03 local time - Martin Like's third report
At last the weather is turning to a more typical Yukon climate. 8.30am this morning (Tues 14th) the thermometer is showing -20, which I am certain will please the athletes as they progress up the trail from Braeburn in the 320 mile race. However, before I bore you with all the details in that race, let me tell you about the conclusion to the 100 mile wobble.
The final runner to finish at Braeburn arrived at 11.55pm last night. Alan Chambers (UK) literally ran most of the 37 miles from Dog Grave (CP2) covering the distance in 12 hours 45 minutes, which was significantly faster than the vast majority of the field. The reason for Alan showing such a variance ability (last in the 100 mile race, fast last leg) is that over the first 63 miles he accompanied a friend who had early on succumb to the dreaded blisters. Other significant finishers in the latter hours of the race included Derek Oehey (IRL) and Andrew May (IRL). Their attitude to this race was simply superb. Before the race they genuinely proclaimed that they would be treating this race as a journey and that they were 100% out to enjoy the experience. I have little doubt that they achieved their objective. Coincidentally, Alan Chambers will be leading an expedition to the North Pole in April in which Andrew May will be participating. Neither knew of the others participation in this event. Other strong finishers into Braeburn last night were Ben Rowlands (UK) and Mark Hamilton (UK).
Back to the 320 mile race which continues as I write. Last to cross the road at Braeburn, which in my eyes is a major psychological barrier, was Katherine Hay-Heddle. She left the warmth and comfort of the café at 8.00pm last night. Without a flippin doubt, Katherine is one tough cookie. However, she was in some discomfort with her feet on leaving, and I anticipate her progress will be slow and may be her undoing in completing this monster of an event. I would be incredibly chuffed if she can prove me wrong. A few hours earlier in the day, the ever consistent Joachim Rintsch (GER) left Braeburn with fellow runner Tom Wolter-Roessler (GER) and Klaus Schweinberger (AUS). Joachim is attempting to complete the 320 mile race for the 3rd year in succession, whilst Tom is returning to face his demons having had to scratch in the latter stages of last years race. At the front of the race Andrew Matulonis is absolutely flying. A phone call this morning confirmed that he was already in Carmacks arriving at 6.20am this morning. He reported that the trail is becoming quite windblown and navigation a little more testing between Ken Lake and Carmacks. On this section, albeit some distance behind Andrew are Stuart Gillet (ENG), Bruce Thompson (CAN), Hugh Hunter (SCO) and Paul Mortimer. I am so looking forward to seeing Hugh arrive at Carmacks, just so I can tell him that Wales absolutely totally and utterly stuffed Scotland last weekend. The news of this stupendous event has only just filtered into the hills of the Yukon. Resting at Ken lake at the time of writing is Stephen Caldwell (IRL), whilst all the other racers who left Braeburn are assumed to be closing in on the remote checkpoint at Ken Lake. (By the way, Mr Caldwell sends his love to his wife Shannon on this appropriate day xxx). That’s enough of my literary garbage for the time being. With a bit of luck I will be moving onto Carmacks shortly where hopefully I might have better access to a computer and particularly the internet. Therefore possibly I will be able to post more frequent reports if only to keep CBC News happy.
Stop Press: Have now arrived in Carmacks - Andrew did leave ages ago (departure time not currently known, but I guess would have been about 9am this morning. Stuart Gillet arrived here at 12.20pm and departed at 1.40pm. Bruce Thompson arrived at 2.03pm and is currently sleeping in his sleeping bag. The weather has warmed up a bit since this morning, but is currently hovering around the -10 mark, which is about as ideal as it can be for the racers.
08:02 local time - Andrew Matulionis is in Carmacks!
Andrew took us all by surprise this morning. We got the message that he would like to be in Carmacks by 7 am today. I was not expecting him to be that fast but he made it even before that. He is fine and resting now.
Andrew said that "the trails are marked well but on some of the lakes the wind has blown off all the snow. It's scary." It basically means that for many miles the athletes walk and run on ice.
Stuart is about 6 hours behind Andrew.
Sean Brown is now resting at Braeburn. He went the wrong way for 4 hours and is very tired. I don't know why he went the wrong way, yet. But Martin tells me he is not so sad because that way he saw some more wildlife. Sean has decided that he will scratch because at the pace he can go right now he will not be able to finish.
With Alan Chambers the last 100 mile racer made it to Braeburn last night. I have not talked to Alan, yet. He will come back to Whitehorse today.
13:00 local time - Emotions, rain and overflow
Finally, some quality time in the office ...
It was a busy day yesterday. The trail to Dog Grave Lake was really tough. Overflow created a problem for some athletes and for some time it even rained! That has never happened, yet. However, I better get to the most important news really quickly. Of course the YAU has more winners and everybody, including the athletes still on the trail, is fine according to my latest reports. When I say fine I mean no serious problems. Of course at this stage of the race, the suffering has begun. We have had to evacuate quite a few people due to blisters, infections or simply exhaustion. I will write a longer report later. Now I want to give you the opportunity to read Martin's second report and I will update the results tables. So, here it goes:
Apologies for the lateness of this report. When I first plugged the computer into the socket at Braeburn, sparks were flying and I was just a tad concerned that Robert wouldn’t be best amused if his laptop went up in smoke at this early stage. Anyway, enough of my problems, they pail into insignificance compared to the hardships being endured out on the trail. Just one last bit of banter before I start – in the comfort of the café some of us volunteers, organisers etc have just been discussing the problem of blisters (something that is proving to be a factor this year). It is always good to turn a negative into a positive, but in all my years of wobbling around in these type of races, blisters have been something that I have never yet managed to find that positive attribute. However, Werner, the ever present cameraman has suggested those complaining are nothing but moaning minies as surely the blood oozing from the significant blisters will at least keep the athletes feet warm.
Back to the race now. As mentioned in my previous report, the weather is in an unexpected way playing hazard with athletes. At one stage yesterday (Sunday 12) the temp reached the heady heights of +6. It even rained in Braeburn, but thankfully only briefly. Whilst initially worrying for all the participants, there wasn’t enough to cause any major problems (the concern being that most athletes have come well prepared for the cold, but in most cases are unlikely to have equipment to keep them dry). One athlete who seems to have had no concerns with the weather is Mike Scherman of Canada, who stormed into Braeburn a little after 6pm last night, to win the highly competitive 100 mile foot race. Subject to confirmation, but I believe Ray Zahab’s record from 2 years ago still stands (albeit the course has slightly changed). Having seen Mike running out on the trail and being absolutely in awe of his speed over such a distance, I think I would have collapsed in amazement had I had an opportunity of seeing Ray run in 2004. Alas I was wobbling somewhere many many miles back at the time.
Coming in approximately 5 hours later, Mary Beck, also of Canada came in second (logically first lady). At the time of writing only 2 other runners have finished the 100 race, these being Sally Mason US (3rd) and David Berridge UK (4th). All times and positions to be confirmed. However, the very first competitor across the line in the 100 mile was actually the sole Skijor racer, Jonathan Lucas who, with his 3 dogs arrived at the finish line around 2.30pm. Having never seen Skijor racing before, it was a delight to watch them progress down the trail and without doubt the dogs were having a ball. Very tempted to come back next year to give that a crack, my only fear being that knowing my luck, the dogs would turn around at Whitehorse with Vancouver being my unintended destination.
Another very significant result was the first finisher in the bike 100 race. Veteran of this race, Thomas Muhler, arrived at the finish line just before 7pm last night. Now if anyone was thinking that Thomas was getting soft in his old age (having completed the 320 race last year), think again. The mad German (and calling him mad is very appropriate), is now getting on his bike to continue his journey up the North Klondike Highway for about 400 miles and then turn left and continue for a further 500+ miles to Tuktoyaktuk way way above the Artic Circle (flippin nutter). In my travels around on the skidoo last night nearly all the other athletes in the 100 seemed to be progressing well at various paces, with no major dramas, but with a few scratches. Whilst this isn’t a definitive list, Lang Evans and Henk Sipers had to call it a day at Dog Grace (cp2) falling foul of the crippling blisters that are going to be the bain of this years race. A glut of racers are anticipated at the finish line over the next few hours.
Moving onto the 320 mile race. Again the suffering replicates those of the 100 racers. Whilst proportionally the 320 mile racers will be going that bit steadier, the problems of blisters, sweating, rain, etc encountered are equally ever present. At Braeburn, the first racer in was Andrew Matulionis of the US at 9.15pm last night. After 6 hours rest, he has now crossed the road and is heading towards the Chain Lakes. This next section, in my humble opinion is the most testing on the course. The trail gets significantly more lumpy, the distance is that bit further, the chain of lakes before the next cp go on and on and on and on and to cap it all, the athletes will have just left the comfort and wonderful cheery hospitality at Braeburn. Only 1 other 320 mile athlete has crossed the road, this being Stuart Gillet of the UK who left Braeburn at 6.20 this morning. At the time of writing only 1 other athlete is currently resting at Braeburn. Correction, that athlete, Bruce Thompson (US) has just left. Wow it's all happening now. Paul Mortimer (UK) has just wandered in - quote…..”it's awesome out there. Have been on my own in the wilderness with plenty of time to reflect on the simpler things in life”. Without doubt Paul is looking in great form. A wonderful way to celebrate his return to normal life having been involved with in an awful crash a few years ago when he was knocked off his bike, which left him immobilised and with those immortal words ringing his ears that he would “never walk again”.
There are a few scratches from last night, and whilst I don’t like to highlight their disappointment I will mention their names so that it can be assumed by those watching at home, that those not mentioned are progressing accordingly. Struck predominately by blisters at Dog Grave were Frank Janssens, Michael Odenwald and Andy Carr. STOP PRESS::::::::: Mum and Daughter team Denise and Alison Pickering from the UK have just arrived (8.12am) at Braeburn to complete the 100 mile race. I am sure many have doubted whether these 2 slightly built ladies would manage to complete this race, but not only have they completed it, they have also annihilated many more roughty toughty men in the process. I am in total awe. OK, I think that’s enough of my rambling report. Just to reassure all of you at home, that those not mentioned in my report above are no doubt progressing accordingly.
09:00 local time - Difficult trail to Dog Grave Lake
I have to head out to Braeburn in a few minutes. So, I have to keep it short and sweet.
Mike Scherman is the first athlete to have have left Dog Grave Lake. He left around 07:00. I have yet to get a confirmed time. Jonathan Lucas and Thomas Muhler are currently still in Dog Grave. All other athletes are on their way there.
Kim Outridge who was going for the 100 miles had to scratch yesterday at SIR North due to problems with her feet. She told me this may happen but she wanted to give it a try. She said she would come back and try it again in 2007!
Unfortunately, Anna Milino had to scratch this morning. I don't have the details, yet. It seems that she has difficulty with her feet and/or legs and just can't keep on going. Shelley is heading out as I write these lines to pick her up.
More news and photographs will either follow later tonight or tomorrow morning (local time.)
21:14 local time - Race results updated
Right on the welcome page on down in the right corner you will find a link to the results of the YAU 2006. It is an excel file that has all the "IN" and "OUT" times of the checkpoints. Please note that the order is not according to rank. The order is according to race bib number and remains the same. All times are subject to confirmation.
20:43 local time - The race is on!
This morning the 4th edition of the Yukon Arctic Ultra has started. As promised Martin Like from Wales who is a YAU veteran and has come along this time as a volunteer, will give you reports as often as possible. Here is his first one:
The race got under way today (Saturday 11th) at 10.35 on the banks of the River Yukon in Whitehorse. Whilst all races of this type see athletes enjoying a mixture of pre race banter and quiet reflection on the task ahead, in this years race on the line the dominent conversation was by far regarding the unseasonal weather. Usually temperatures in Whitehorse at this time of year would be around -10 to -25, but today it was at and above zero. This isn't necessarily good news for the participants, who have for months been preparing in various way to combat the extreme cold that was expected. The warmer weather means that the racers will now have to be more vigilant in avoiding sweating too much, whilst also adapting many other factors of thier respective race strategies. Trail conditions have also been affected, albeit so far, from the start to checkpoint 1 at Sir North most participants have reported fast but icy trails. It is anticipated following reports by the trail guides that the forthcoming section to Dog Grave will be worse.
Enjoying the fast trail to Sir North was Jonathan Lucas,the sole participant in the Skijor 100 race, who stormed into CP1 at approx 26 miles in 3 hours 46 mins. He was delighted with the course so far, but I strongly suspect the next section might be a little more testing on him and his 3 dogs. The first runner to arrive after 4 hours 35 mins was Mike Scherman of Saskatoon, Canada who is participating in the 100 mile race. No doubt he has fellow Canadian's Ray Zahab record time from the 2004 in mind as he storms down the trail. Mike is currently 1 hour 28 mins ahead of the Danish runner, Jacob Nielsen who is in second place in the 100 foot race. The winner of the inaugrial 100 mile race in 2003, Andrew Matulionis from Whitefish USA, is currently leading the 300 mile foot race, arriving in Sir North in 5 hours 32 mins. One of the race divisions concluded at Sir North this afternoon, this race being over the classic marathon distance of 26 miles. The eventual winner in a time of 4 hours 27 mins was Han Frenken of the Netherlands. He didnt have it easy though, as he was chased hard, particularly in the latter stages by Polly Thorp of Whitehorse. (Please note - the times given above are all subject to verification)
Whilst at this stage it is difficult to report on the progress of all the ahletes, some random snippets of info for some (will report on others as the days go on).....Katherine Hey-Heddle has stopped flippin smiling all the way down the course so far. At time of writing she has just arrived at Sir North and looking far far too happy. The boy of Tent 67 have stuck together over the first stage, having likewise only just arrived, I gather that they are likely now to sensibly split up into smaller groups to progress down the trail. Hugh Hunter is wearing his kilt, as I believe he has done in all his previous races - however, he has been a complete fraud and untypically of a true Scotsman is wearing long johns underneath.
Pre-race challenges
It is a long journey to the Yukon and every now and then some luggage gets lost. This time we broke a record. So many athletes were arriving from Vancouver on Feb. 8th that the plane could not take along all the overweight luggage. So, actually the luggage did not get lost. It was simply too much weight. Yesterday morning then there was of course considerable worry if everything would make it in time. The good news is that in the afternoon all gear arrived at the High Country Inn. Quite the relief.
Yesterday was also the first day of the training course. It was only about -4 degrees Celsius but with very strong and nasty winds. "It is amazing how fast you get cold if you are slow getting things done", was one of the comments I heard afterwards. And it is true, it does not have to be - 20 to get cold.
More lessons were learned and this morning we will have the debrief of the training course. Then it is paperwork and finally at 5:30 PM we have the pre-race dinner.
Three more days to the start
There is some beautiful country waiting for the athletes as this photograph from Christiane Kappes is showing.
A lot of athletes have arrived by now. For 27 of them tomorrow will be a first day of activity. It is day 1 of our YAU training course. After a lot of information about gear, the trail and survival we will hit the trail for some serious testing. 3 hours of trails and 4 hours of camping will give everyone the opportunity to check gear and learn some lessons. We expect temperatures down to - 20 degrees celsius. That's a nice start.
Yukon Arctic Ultra to start at 10:30 AM on Feb. 11th
In less than a week the 4th edition of the world's coldest and toughest race will once again start in Whitehorse, Canada. I arrived myself on Feb 2nd and I am happy to report that all preparations are going really well.
The local team with Shelley, Mike and Gary has done an excellent job. The food is ordered, the checkpoints confirmed, the rooms are booked and like the athletes, we are eager to get going.
With us at the start line will be 62 athletes from 13 different nations. This is a record and we are all very excited to have so many people taking off into the vast and cold Yukon wilderness with us.
Once again runners, xc-skiers and mountain bikers will be part of the race. And even the first skijorer will take up the challenge with his team of dogs. With more than 90% the runners are by far the strongest contingent. I wish all the athletes a safe journey and a great adventure!
Robert Pollhammer
Updates on the website during the race
I have had a few enquiries if there will be updates on the race on the website. Yes, there will be news on how the athletes are doing. YAU veteran Martin Like will come along to volunteer. I have asked Martin to write reports as often as possible. These reports should also be a bit more entertaining than what I can write … We will try to have at least one report per day. What limits the frequency of reports is the fact that we often are in the middle of nowhere and internet connections are not present, slow or not working. So, sometimes you will have to be patient with us.
Tent 67 - from the desert sands to the Arctic
I just received an email from Phil Lloyd, one of the athletes who will start at the YAU 320 mile race. Phil is part of Tent 67, a team of athletes who met for the first time at the Marathon des Sables 2004. There they shared tent 67 (hence the name). Phil and his friends have decided to continue entering races together and try to raise money for charity at the same time. Tent 67 now has a website. Yes, you are right it is www.tent67.co.uk. Phil, Andy, Mark, John, Paul (Byard) and Paul (Howells) will have a sat phone with them. With this phone they will get updates to their friend Tim in the UK. Tim is actually a professional comedy writer for TV so it should be an entertaining read.
Emails to competitors
It will be possible to send messages to athletes. Again, I can't promise that all messages get through or get there within a day but we will do our best to hand on print outs of any emails. Please send the emails to info@thegreatoutdoors.de and don't forget to write who the message is for.
Weather and trail
Thanks to cold temperatures in January most water surfaces are frozen by now. Right now temperatures are around minus 20 degrees Celsius. The only problem is lack of snow. However, this affects more the snow machines and the mushers of the Quest. For the Yukon Arctic Ultra things should be fine.
Food at the checkpoints
Food is a main motivator out there on the trail. For this year we have a new partner regarding some of the checkpoints. The Deli in Whitehorse will provide meals for the following checkpoints: Sir North Checkpoint, Dog Grave Lake, Ken Lake and Carmacks.
Braeburn will be a culinary extravaganza ;-) It is the place that sells the world’s largest burgers, sandwiches and cinnamon buns. There, athletes can order a meal of their choice and a beverage from the menu.
I can’t tell you what we will have at McCabe Creek, Pelly Crossing and Pelly Farms, yet. The food for McCabe and Pelly Crossing will be provided by the Kruse Family. They have done a great job in past years. The same goes for the folks at Pelly Farms who will cook for the athletes themselves.
Drop Bags
I have been asked what can be put inside the drop bags and what bags to use? First of all, I can’t guarantee that drop bags will always be in a heated place. I will put all drop bags in a closed trailer and distribute them on my way up north. In other words, it is possible that some of the bags stay outside in the trailer over night before these get to their destination. Participants need to make sure there is nothing in there that can explode due to cold temperatures. Fuel can be put into the drop bags but needs to be in proper containers that don’t leak!
The bags should be packed well and be of a good material.
Gear check at Checkpoint 1
I have heard from athletes after the YAU 2005 that some participants exchanged gear at the first checkpoint in order to pass your little “test” (lighting stove and showing the sleeping system). I wish I had known this before. Athletes, please be smart and don’t do that. In case of an emergency it may be deadly not to be equipped right!
Schedule before the race
Feb. 8th
17:00 – 18:00 Hand-out of rented/bought equipment at the High Country Inn.
Feb. 9th
07:30 – 08:45 Hand-out of rented/bought equipment at the High Country Inn.
09:00 – 24:00 YAU training course.
Feb. 10th
09:00 – 11:30 YAU training course debrief
13:00 – 15:00 Paperwork and drop bags. We collect any missing paperwork and drop bags. Again, this will be done at the High Country Inn.
17:30 – 22:00 YAU Pre-Race Dinner at the High Country Inn
Feb. 11th
10:30 start YAU 06
YAU 05 Race Report from Simon Howell online
Simon Howell participated in the YAU 05. He is one of the few who have attempted the 320 miles with xc-skis. Now he has finished his race report and sent it to me. It is very interesting and fun to read. You can download a word file of the report here.
YAU training in Austria in full swing
Paul, Klaus, Denise, Alison, Hugh, Stuart, and Jacob (from left to right) came to a beautiful snowy Tyrol for the first ever YAU training session. On Thursday, the first day, I took the easy way of sleeping in a heated cabin. They all stayed outside in their sleeping bags over night. It turned out that they all are equipped well. The - 5 to 10 degrees Celsius made them feel quite comfortable if not actually too hot.
On Friday we went for approx. 6 hours of hiking on hard snow trails. It was very hilly and thus perfect training for the Yukon. I could feel that the only sport I do right now is getting up and walking to my desk to work ....
After two days without a shower I almost felt like being in the Yukon. I usually look worse than the athletes I am told. Anyway, after breakfast there was a chance to take a shower and go for a swim (inside!). But before getting there an obstacle had to be overcome. With fully loaded sleds we went down the Mt Hohe Munde - from about 1,600 to 1,100 m. Not an easy task.
At lunch we were joined by Klaus Schweinberger, an athlete from Austria who wanted to come out for the long tour. At about 14:00 and - 10 degrees I saw them disappear into the beautiful Gaistal valley. Accompanied by Günter and Peter, two mountain guides, they are now walking 12 hours non-stop. Then they will have a 4 hour break and walk another 4 hours. It won't be easy as a lot of the walking will have to be done on snow shoes. Also, the temperatures will drop down to at least - 20 degrees.
I am not with them. I said that my right knee hurts and I have work to do ;-) The advantage of being a race director ...
Henry Worsley shares his thoughts about preparation for the YAU
Henry finished the 320 miles this year and now put his thoughts on preparation for the Yukon Arctic Ultra on paper. Rather than writing a diary he decided to focus on the mental and physical challenge of getting ready for the race. His article is especially aimed at those doing the YAU on foot.
Please note that Henry's and all other reports have not been edited by the YAU, i.e. what ever is written is the opinion/point of view of the respective author.
You can download Henry's report here (word file 37 KB).
Yukon Wide Adventures offers gear for rent
Thomas de Jager, owner and operator of Yukon Wide Adventures, has sent me a list of gear which he would like to offer YAU athletes for rent. This list includes waterproof bags, stoves and cook ware. Please not that I have not tested these stoves as to how functional they are in the cold.
For rental and enquiries please get in touch directly with Thomas. His email is info@yukonwide.com. The list you can download here (pdf file 215 KB).
Luke Cunliffe offers YAU Seminar in London on Dec. 18th
Luke who has successfully completed the YAU 320 mile race and many other ultras will once again hold an informal seminar about the YAU. It will take place on December 18th from 2:00 to 6:00 PM in London.
Topics covered:
- About the Yukon Arctic Ultra
- Training
- Nutrition
- Injury Prevention
- Personal Admin in the Yukon (including hygiene, cooking and blister treatments)
- Equipment
Everyone who went to Luke's first seminar found the information very useful. At £11.75 the price for the seminar is more than fair. So, if you have got the time and don't live to far away I strongly recommend it. You can download the full information document here (MS Word file 54 KB).
Carolynne Fujda will be our race vet for 2006
I am very happy to be able to announce that Carolynne Fujda, owner of Lots of Latitufe Mobile vet, will help us as a veterinarian for the skijoring discipline.
Carolynne has been a vet for 4 and a half years. She practiced in Fairbanks Alaska for 2 years and then decided to return "home" to Canada. In Whitehorse she practiced 2 years and started her own mobile veterinary service based out of Whitehorse, which has been up and running since the middle of August 2005.
Carolynne has already helped as a vet for the Copper Basin in Glennallen AK, and the Silver Sled in Haines Junction YT and she is a skijorer herself. She has 4 dogs herself and told me that she loves the "north" and working with sled dogs.
Welcome to the YAU team, Carolynne!
News from UK sled producer Snowsled
A new development on the sled front from Snowsled (www.snowsled.com) in the UK is their own design of plastic sleds – the ‘Ice Blue’, specifically for expeditions and racing. The shape is smoother and more efficient, with an ‘egg-shaped’ bow, and comfortable to use. It accepts the same accessories as the orange Paris sleds. Specifications are,
- Internal length: 1.42 m (56 ins)
- Internal width: 40 cms (16 ins)
- External length: 1.49 m (58.5 ins)
- External width: 47 cms (18.5 ins)
- Weight – 2.0 Kgs (4.4 lbs)
Accessories:
- full length zipped bag (250 or 400 litre size)
- ½ length sled bag with roll-down top
- compression straps and carrying handles (130 litre size)
- sled-bag compression straps
- hauling shaft
- hauling harnesss
- shock cord loops
Snowsled also supply other gear specifically aimed at wet or dry cold climate travel – clothing, sleeping bags and mats, stoves, headtorches, navigation equipment and tents – contract rates available to Yukon Ultra racers, i.e. a discount of 10% on sleds and accessories and 15% on all other gear Snowsled offers (clothing from Snowsled Clothing Ltd excepted).
Athletes who will participate in the YAU training session will get a chance to test the new Snowsled pulk.
460 mile race postponed to 2007
The YAU team in Whitehorse, especially Shelley, Gary and Mike, have looked into several options for the 460 mile race course over the last weeks. As promised, Stephen Reynolds from the Quest office has helped with his input, too. Unfortunatley, none of the options is really ideal for a great race. Therefore, I have decided to postpone the 460 mile race to the year 2007.
The alternative race courses would have either caused immense expenses or it would have made us make compromises regarding our demands on an exciting race course. In addition to that leaving the Yukon Quest trail would have meant dealing with some people who may not be keen on having us on their trails. Rather than saying "yes" now and than having to cancel the 460 mile race a couple of weeks before because we could not convince someone, I have decided that postponing is the better way.
Most athletes already had postponed their start for the 460 miles to 2007 anyway. They are keen on going to Dawson City. Only Tom Wolter-Roessler and Joachim Rintsch had remained on the 460 mile race roster. Tom will now go for the 320 miles. From Joachim I have not heard back, yet.
YAU has the first skijorer on the race roster
Jonathan Lucas from Whitehorse is the first skijorer to have signed up for the YAU. This means at the YAU 2006 also dogs will be at the start line. Up to 3 Huskies will pull their pilot on skies. And if the skijorer helps his team of dogs they can pick up quite the speed. A lot of training is necessary to master all that power on a trail as difficult as the Yukon Quest trail.
To make sure the dogs are treated well a vet will check the animals before, during and after the race. We have already found a great veterinarian to help us. Check back to find out more.
Changes to 460 mile race
Once again, the Yukon Arctic Ultra, the world’s toughest and coldest race for people without dogs will start in Whitehorse next year. Since the Yukon Quest and the Yukon Arctic Ultra start on the same day but from opposite ends, it would have meant that some mushers encounter our athletes who participate in the new 460 mile race between Pelly Farms and Dawson City.
It was the original agreement of the Yukon Arctic Ultra and the Yukon Quest to communicate well in order to be informed of everyone’s position. However, some mushers who have entered the Yukon Quest 2006 were not happy when they heard about this. They told us about their concerns and asked for us not to go all the way to Dawson City in order to avoid problems. We subsequently decided to contact as many mushers as possible in order to give everyone a chance to tell us about their point of view.
We have received feedback in favour of us going to Dawson City and some more mushers saying they would prefer not running into us after Pelly Crossing. In order to avoid further discussions and not to endanger the great co-operation between the Yukon Quest and the Yukon Arctic Ultra, we have decided not to direct the 460 mile race to Dawson City.
Instead we will try to find an alternative route. Stephen Reynolds from the Yukon Quest office in Whitehorse has kindly offered to support the local Yukon Arctic Ultra team finding other trails. It is not an easy task as it still needs to be a great wilderness experience and logistically possible.
In 2007 the Yukon Arctic Ultra will head out on the trail in the same direction as the Yukon Quest and after the mushers. In even years the Yukon Arctic Ultra will start early enough to avoid any encounters on the way to Dawson City.
This also means that the ultra athletes will see the 2006 race course for the 460 miles only once. From 2007 onwards the finish will be in Dawson City. This has affected the participants who are currently on the race roster. René Nüesch from Switzerland, Marc Perier and Gerard Verdenet from France will postpone their start to 2007. So will Martin Like from Wales. However, he may still want to do the 320 miles next year. Tom Wolter-Roessler and Joachim Rintsch, both from Germany, are keen to hear about the alternative race course. They want to go for it no matter where the finish is.
Please check back here for updates on the new 460 mile race course. We hope to have news on this within the next couple of weeks. All other race distances will not be affected and will happen as planned!
YAU training in Austria
For the first time Yukon Arctic Ultra will offer a training session in the Alps of Austria. This training will take place in Tyrol from Jan. 5th-8th, 2006.The focus will be on testing gear and endurance. Of course it is also a great opportunity to get to know other athletes and to exchange learnings. It does not replace the training course that will take place in the Yukon from Feb. 9th-10th where the focus will be more on survival, the race course and other important issues.
The training in Austria will be as follows:
Thursday, Jan. 5th:
Departure London at 07:55. Arrival at Munich Airport at 10:50.
Transfer by shuttle bus to Leutasch, Tyrol (2 hours)
Arrival at the foot of the Mountain Hohe Munde.
Snowshoe tour to our base camp, a very basic cabin at 1,600m above sea level (approx. 2 hours)
Your luggage will be transferred up the mountain for you.
During the rest of the day we will talk about all kinds of things and go through kit, etc.
At night everyone will sleep outside and build a snow shelter. If it gets really cold we will do some testing regarding building a fire and lighting the stove.
Friday, Jan. 6th:
We will look for the coldest possible place that is within reach and go there for the night. This maybe a glacier.
You will also do several hours of walking (without the pulk sled).
The night will be spent in that place. Testing gear.
Saturday, Jan. 7th:
You will be able to warm up at the cabin on the Hohe Munde.
Little tour around the area. Maybe Sauna.
After lunch we get going for the big tour: 12 hours non-stop with the pulk sled behind (for those who have it). Then 4 hour break in the wilderness and another 4 hours of walking.
Sunday Feb. 8th:
You will get some sleep in the cabin.
At lunch time we will talk about the learnings.
We pack our things and leave Austria to do some sight seeing in Munich. Alternatively we can do some more training.
Flight leaves in Munich at 21:40
Return flights from London with easyjet are 45 English Pounds.
Cost per person: EUR 300,-
The cost for the training course includes:
- transfers
- accommodation in simple mountain cabin
- guiding by professional mountain guide Friday and Saturday
YAU shop and rental gear
New in our shop: KTS, Kahtoola Inc's innovative, flexible traction system designed to be used with any common footwear from trail running shoes or hiking boots to snow boots. Kahtoola's 10-point gripping system is made from the strongest aluminum alloy and weighs only 19 ounces (540 g) per pair, making it the lightest 10-point system available. Straps and quick-release buckles make it easy to put the Kahtoola Traction System on any shoe.
No other product on the market offers the flexibility and versatility of the Kahtoola Traction System. A unique LeafSpring® extender bar and independent front and rear straps allow the system to flex naturally with any footwear. The extender bar is available in three different lengths and can be adjusted easily without tools. The folding heel support and collapsible design make for compact storage.
The KTS are not a must for the YAU but they are an interesting solution for parts of the trail where it is very hilly. With these light weight crampons you can get up and down the steep little hills without slipping all the time which can be quite a frustrating experience.
Race Roster
So far the highest number of entries the YAU has seen was 32 in 2004. Right now 45 people are on the 2006 race roster (8 marathon, 7 for the 100, 28! for the 320 and 2 for the 460 miles). So, next year will see a record participation.
I want to welcome all new entrants:
Marathon – Han Frenken (Netherlands) and local athletes Cheryl Wittart, Carolyn Campbell and Sarah Hanson, all from Whitehorse
100 miles – Thomas Muhler (Germany), Mary Beck and Lang Evans (Vancouver, Canada) and Henk Sipers (Netherlands).
320 miles – Sean Brown (UK), Tobias Modl (Germany), Simon Howell (UK), Ken Byrne (Ireland), Stuart Gillet (UK), John Dodd (UK), Gavin Booth (UK), Anna Milino Janzen (UK), Frank Janssens (Belgium), Hugh Hunter (UK)
Thomas, Simon, Ken and Gavin have already been at the YAU this year. Whilst Thomas did the 320 mile on MTB and will now do the 100 miles, Ken will increase his challenge and tries to finish the 320 miles after a very successful 100 mile race in 2005. Thomas will leave the YAU after Braeburn and go on the road 1200 km all the way to Tuktoyaktuk. Simon decided to give up this year after skiing 100 miles. He said he will never ever do this again. Now he is back and motivated as ever. So is Gavin who also had to give up at Braeburn due to an injury.
All other entrants are YAU rookies who will hopefully enjoy their first YAU experience!
Good luck to you all!
New in our shop and for rent: Grevling bivouac bag from Ajungilak
A bivouc bag is a vital part of every sleeping system. It adds insulation to the sleeping system and prevents wear and tear of the outside of the sleeping bag. I personally like the Grevling because it is breathable on top and waterproof on the bottom.
If you are interested in buying the Grevling please go to our shop. If you prefer renting you will find all information here.
Tickets prices for flights to Canada may go up!
I just want to quickly forward to you information that I received from Henk Sipers from the Netherlands who signed up for the 100 miles. Henk bought his ticket today and was told that due to the consequences of the storm which has caused so much destruction in the US ticket prices may go up soon. I have not verified this with any airlines but if you are already certain that you will come to the Yukon and need to fly there it may be a good idea to get in touch with your travel agency and ask.
Please also not that after the end of September entry fees will go up.
Orga Team YAU 2006
One of the strengths of the YAU is certainly the great team I have helping me with the organisation of things in the Yukon. And once again they have confirmed their involvement in the race and are already busy with preparations for next year. Shelley Gellatly co-ordinates the team in the Yukon. She is supported by Mike and Jessica Simon who will deal with the remote checkpoints and such important issues as food for the checkpoints. Gary and his crew will once again be out there for the athletes on their snowmobiles. I will introduce each one of them in more detail over the next few months. Thanks for helping me again guys!!!
Important news for YAU 2006
As every year we have discussed over the last few months how we can improve the race. Since next year there will likely see more athletes than ever before, this is particularly important. Some of these changes I would like to tell you about right now:
- Mandatory camp-out at Checkpoint 1
Next year only the marathon athletes will be allowed to stay inside a warm place at CP 1. Everyone else will not be allowed inside. For us this first checkpoint is the place where we can see how the participants handle the cold in a potentially dangerous situation, i.e. even though we warn every year, we notice that a lot of athletes arrive sweating like crazy. They go inside, dry their clothes, stay for a long time where it is warm and only stay outside for a couple of hours near the fire. If athletes sweat in the arctic wilderness somewhere between checkpoints, there will be no place to warm up when the temperature suddenly drops. So, in order to make the scenario more realistic and to enable some of the athletes to learn an important lesson, we have made the decision not to let anyone inside any more. There will still be hot drinks (tea, coffee and chocolate), one hot meal and a big fire outside.
- Remote Checkpoints
In the past it has often happened that space was tight at the remote checkpoints because many athletes arrive within a certain time frame and some stay, e.g. at Dog Grave Lake, for a long time. In order to make it fair for everyone athletes will have to sleep outside at remote checkpoints, too. These checkpoints are Dog Grave Lake, Ken Lake and Scroggy Creek. However, we will have a tent where you can dry clothes and eat your hot meal. Other than that the tent is for emergencies only. Also, I want to make a recommendation specifically for Dog Grave Lake. Very often athletes have pushed themselves beyond their limits in order to get from CP 1 to Dog Grave Lake (CP 2). It is a checkpoint that never ever seems to arrive. Then athletes had to stay at Dog Grave for a very long time in order to recover and be able to continue. I strongly suggest you rest before Dog Grave in a safe and sheltered place next to the trail when you are tired. And I mean tired and not already falling all over the place. Don’t wait too long to get a rest. In the end this is the better strategy.
- Evacuation fee
It costs CAD 150 to be evacuated off the race course. It always has but I have been very slack about collecting this fee. With more racers on the roster, we have decided to collect this fee in 2006 up front at the pre-race meeting from the athletes who signed up for the long distances. We hope that this helps some participants make the right decision. Why? If an athlete decides to drop out at a checkpoint with road access, the fee will not have to be paid. It will be returned upon arrival in Whitehorse. Now I don’t mind if athletes give it a try and continue into the wilderness and are not sure if they can finish the race. However, if we have to evacuate in the wilderness, it may tie up a snowmobile guide for many hours. Thus we need additional guides and snowmobiles to keep it safe for everyone.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these changes, please let me know. Especially if you have already signed up or are thinking about it, I am always interested in your thoughts and suggestions!
Yukon Arctic Ultra Shop
I am not planning on becoming a major outdoor sports retailer ;-) However, I have decided to offer athletes and anyone else who is interested selected products for survival in arctic conditions. The products I will offer I have either tested myself or received a recommendation from someone who has tested the gear in extreme winter conditions. I have started with sleeping bags from Ajungilak which you will find here. Again, feedback is much appreciated!
2006 race roster
I will be very honest with you. I am unbelievably relieved and happy to see that many people on the race roster at such an early time! So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has decided to sign up already. For a race organiser it is great to know months ahead of time that the race can happen and there are enough athletes. It makes life much easier.
Since my last newsletter a lot more people have signed up. Sue MacKinnon-Dunn from Whitehorse will do the marathon. Kim Outridge and Lynda Campbell will go for the 100 miles. Both are from Whitehorse, too. Kim has finished the marathon twice and now needs a new challenge. After 2004 it is the second time for Lynda doing the 100 miles. Athlete Number 3 for the distance to Braeburn is David Berridge from the Isle of Wight. Michael Wood and Mark Cockbain have signed up for the 320 miles making it 18 entries for this distance so far. And last but not least Martin Like from Wales will join us at the start line for the third time! Martin already finished the 320 miles and now looks forward to the challenge of 460 miles.
YAU forum
I am also very happy to see a lot of activity on the YAU forum already. Many important questions have been asked so far and there are experienced people contributing answers. Therefore, it’s a great place to get vital information. In order to sign up you have to go to www.eventrate.com/private.
YAU Forum has it's first entry!
Cookie has started the YAU 2006 forum with the first entry by an athlete. The forum is always great fun to read. And on top of that it is a great source of information. So, join in if you are interested in the YAU or participating next year.
To sign up just go to www.eventrate.com/private. It is free of charge.
The return of friends
Two more athletes have signed up for the 460 mile distance. Marc and Gérard are Frenchmen and have finished the YAU 320 mile race in its first year. I am very happy to see them back for the challenge. Welcome Marc Périer and Gérard Verdenet!
Rules have been updated
Please not that I have updated the rules. The rules for Skijoring are now online. Also, I have included a rule regarding food and made some other minor changes.
Make sure to have a look at the rules if you have already signed up or if you are considering it. Thank you.
Forum on EventRate.com
There is now a forum available for the YAU 2006. Once again, the forum is provided by EventRate.com. All you need to do is go to www.eventrate.com/private and sign up. It’s for free and once you have signed up you can get in touch with other participants. I will also check the forum and contribute.
News regarding Dawson City
The latest information indicates that the distance for YAU athletes who go all the way to Dawson is rather 460 than 470 miles. I have changed this on the website now and I hope I did change it everywhere. The distance from Pelly Farms to Scroggy Creek, the only CP on the way to Dawson, is 71 miles. From Scroggy Creek to Dawson athletes have to manage another 102 miles. That is 102 miles without a CP!
All participants of the 460 mile race have a mandatory rest at Pelly Farms of 6 hours. Anybody who does not look fit to continue or is not equipped sufficiently to continue will be withdrawn from the race. No matter what distance you go for, the YAU is a dangerous race. The 460 miles take the limit one step further. We will try to make it as safe as possible but you have to be aware that beyond Pelly Farms there is literally nothing. Evacuation by road is impossible and evacuation by air is not always possible, either. Furthermore, the weather will almost certainly be more unforgiving, i.e. it will be colder. There will be more overflow, etc. Please keep all this in mind when you sign up, train and prepare for this distance!
With Joachim Rintsch the third athlete with extensive YAU experience has signed up for the 460 miles. The German has finished the 300 miles twice already and he told me that he is looking forward to the challenge of the additional miles. Welcome Joachim!
Skijoring
Since 2005 the YAU is open to skijorers. However, this year we have not had any teams participating, yet. I made the announcement very late which did not give those who were interested enough time to prepare. Next year we will hopefully see the first XC-Skiers competing with a pulk sled and a team of dogs.
Over the last couple of weeks I have received feedback from some athletes who have helped me make some important decisions regarding this new and exciting discipline. One of these athletes is Kirsten Ballard who finished a 350 mile Skijor Race in Alaska with a team of three dogs. Thanks to all and especially Kirsten for taking the time! Here are the things that will be specific to the YAU skijor race:
- There are not too many long-distance skijor races around. Therefore, there is not very much knowledge as to how this is best organised. That is why I have decided to "only" open the 100 mile distance for skijor athletes. This means a distance far greater than most skijor races and allows us to start a learning process. Once we have gained further experience it is possible to open the 320 miles for this discipline, too.
- Several people have recommended to me that the best size of a dog team for this kind of a distance is 2-3 dogs. And this is what we will allow for the YAU. Only skijor athletes with a team of 2-3 dogs may participate in the YAU 2006. Again, this is part of a learning process. If we get feedback that 1 dog or more than 3 dogs would be fine, too, we will consider it for the following races.
- To the skijor athletes the same rules apply that apply for everyone else. However, due to the nature of the sport we will have some additional rules which will be added on the YAU website soon. Right now I can say the following:
- We will have a vet at SIR North and Dog Grave Lake and we will try to have one at the finish in Braeburn. The function of the vet is the same as it is in dog mushing races. To have a look at the dogs and give the athlete and us feedback as to how the dogs are doing. If an athlete obviously does not take good care of his dogs (which I don’t expect) then she/he will be immediately disqualified.
- If a skijorer has to drop 1 dog (of a 2 dog team) or 2 dogs (of a 3 dog team) already at SIR North, the athlete is not allowed to continue.
- If a dog has to be dropped, the athlete has to pay a transportation fee for the dog but is allowed to try and finish with the rest of the team if the vet gives the "go".
- Doggie first aid has to be part of the kit. This has to include foot ointment, suture kit, antiseptic, anesthetic. Also, 2 sets of booties have to be taken along for each dog.
- We will transport dog food to SIR North, Dog Grave Lake and the finish. All other dog food and snacks needed has to be part of the gear in the sled. There has to be enough food for one extra day (e.g. in case of getting lost or bad weather).
Also, please note that there is no purse. As it is for the other athletes, the YAU is about adventure and fun, to test ones limits and to enjoy the Yukon wilderness and the great spirit of this race. I do realise that gear, training etc. of a good skijoring dog team is costly but I do not want to compete with other races on purse. And I do not want to see athletes pushing their dogs over the limit to win some money. Even though this may make some skijoring athletes decide not to come, I prefer to handle it that way. I hope that is okay for everyone.
Race Roster
The 300 miles are extremely popular this year! Already 14 athletes have signed up for this distance. Steve Reeves, Steve Evans and Howard Cook changed their 100 mile entry to the 300 miles. And new to the 300 mile race roster are Phil Lloyd, Andy Carr and Paul Howells – all from the UK. Welcome to the YAU and good luck and fun for your training!
Additional information about pulk sleds now online
I just received some more information on Shelley's sleds (details on weight) and a photograph of a harness. The sleds can be bought or rented. The harnesses are only available for purchase. You will find all information in our section on gear.
Update on the 470 miles distance
There will be one checkpoint between Pelly Farms and Dawson City only! I am just getting the distances confirmed but it will be approximately half way. This adds to the challenge and is another reason why only experienced athletes will be accepted. The Drop Bags for 470 mile athletes will be in Pelly Farms and not Pelly Crossing. More details to follow.
Entrants for 2006
Welcome to the new entrants Howard Cook (300 miles foot) and Tom Wolter-Roessler (470 miles foot)!
YAU now with official Race Representatives in the US
I am very happy to be able to tell you that Lisa Smith-Batchen and Jay Batchen will from now on represent the YAU in the United States. Lisa and Jay are very experienced ultra athletes and they already represent a number of great races. You will find all information about them on their company website www.dreamchaserevents.com. The YAU is not on their website, yet. However, that will happen shortly and you may already contact them about entry fees for the US, application forms, etc.
Dog mushing with Muktuk – the kennel of Yukon Quest legend Frank Turner
We are going past Muktuk kennel every year. It is just across from Sir North Country Ranch, on the other side of the Takhini. Of course, during the race there is no time for a visit. That is why I would like to suggest to you to visit Anne, Frank and their 100 plus huskies before or after the YAU. Many people come from all over the world to try dog mushing in this dog mushing paradise. As participants in the YAU you are already there and if you like dogs mushing is definitely something you should try.
Frank and their team know the YAU. If you book your dog mushing experience prior to the race, they can help you with interesting advice. They know what the cold is like because with their dog teams they often stay out in the wilderness at night. I have posted all the information on the Muktuk dog mushing adventures here on arcticultra.de. You will find it here. The longer trips may be difficult regarding timing but if you have got the time, it’s worth it. And for those longer trips you will get a discount if you are participating in the YAU.
What you won’t find as part of the activities on arcticultra.de is the possibility to go from Whitehorse to Dawson with a dog team. Should you be interested in doing this, let me know. Anne and Frank said they would be more than happy to offer it!
YAU statistics
If you are into statistics, the following might interest you: 104 athletes from 16 different nations have started at the YAU so far. 23% of them are women, 77% men. 92 athletes did it on foot, 6 athletes took their XC-skis and 6 tried it on MTB. So far 72% of the athletes managed to finish but for the respective distances the number of DNFs varies significantly.
Information on pulk sleds now online
Pulk sleds are an important piece of kit for the long distances. I have now put some interesting information about sleds on the YAU website. There you will be able to find out what possibilities there are to get a sled, i.e. renting, buying or building one and how to go about it. You will find this information in the section on gear.
YAU 2005 video documentary
I got an email from Werner that he hopes to send out the video documentaries of this year’s YAU to all those who pre-ordered it, in the last week of May. If you have not ordered it, yet, the cost is CAD 49,- including shipment. I strongly recommend the video if you have not experienced cold weather before. It gives you an impression of what it’s like. And of course you get a really good idea of what the trails and everything else look like and what makes the YAU so special. If you are interested, please contact Werner at info@yukonimages.com. On www.yukonimages.com you will also find a large number of great screen shots from the 2005 video material.
Entrants for 2006
Welcome to the new entrants Steve Evans and Steve Reeves (both 100 mile foot), Adam Wilton, Denise Pickering and Ian McGlade (all 300 mile foot)! A special welcome also goes to those who will be back for the second time. Welcome Matt Pain and Klaus Schweinberger (both 300 mile foot).
Interview with Martin Like
I got to know Martin in 2002 at the last Iditasport ultra in Alaska. After this race, my original plans were to get involved in organising the Iditasport. Unfortunately, that did not work out. At least at the time I thought it was unfortunate. It did not take long and the idea evolved to put on a winter ultra in the Yukon. When it all started, Martin was one of the first athletes to sign up. Together with his friend Andrew Barnett, he successfully competed in 2003 and came back again in 2004 - both years 300 miles foot.
The Welshman is quite an exceptional athlete because he does not run and still does well. If Martin puts his head down it is difficult to keep up with him. He is consistent and does not mind going in the dark and resting next to the trail. Unfortunately, last year he could not finish due to injury but he plans to be back to do the 470 miles to Dawson in 2006.
I thought it might be interesting for athletes who are considering participating next year to get some input from Martin. That is why I asked him if he would like to answer some questions - a little interview so to speak. Here it is:
Martin, you participated in the YAU 2003 and 2004. Rumour has it you may be back again in 2006. Why? What is it that you like about this race?
Martin: "I would have loved to have been back in 2005 but family commitments dictated otherwise. Subject to sorting out some very restricted finances, I have every intention of being on the start line for the wobble to Dawson in 2006 and my aim will not be just to finish, but to race it and be competitive. By some considerable margin the YAU is my favourite event, this is for a number of reasons. From a racing point of view it suits me best. I seem to do better in the longer non stop races (YAU, Jordan Cup, Iditasport) than I do in the stage races (MdS, Jungle Marathon). These latter races tend to favour the racing snakes and to a degree, in my opinion, rely far less on mental ability and organisation. I may not be the fittest person about and my physical stature is slightly at odds with what a perceived ultra racer should look like, but when it comes to mental toughness I am very confident in my ability and will mix it with the best. I also relish the YAU for its extremities….the extreme cold down to the minus 40’s…the extreme isolation with checkpoints being 30-40 miles apart….and the simple fact that there is practically no one but yourself to rely on. This is not meant as a macho statement, it is just the type of race I enjoy. Another massive factor in why I love the Yukon race are the people involved. The race seems to attract some wonderfully talented competitors who are not only amazing athletes but are in my eyes some of the most humble and unassuming people you could come across. The organisers and volunteers are likewise incredibly helpful and are totally dedicated to ensuring a fair, safe, yet testing event. And finally the people of Whitehorse are very welcoming to all those involved in the race, albeit I am certain they consider us at time a little foolhardy to be tempting fate in their extreme environment."
What other ultra races have you done in the past?
Martin: "As indicated above I have in the past done the Marathon des Sables (2000) Iditasport in Alaska (2002) Jordan Desert Cup (2002) Yukon Arctic Ultra 300 (2003) Yukon Arctic Ultra 300 dnf (2004) and the Jungle Marathon in Brazil (2004)."
Does your training for the YAU differ in any way from the training for these other races?
Martin: "For the YAU 300 I certainly concentrated more on long hours on my feet in testing environments. Such training would be centred on weekend training "runs" of anything between 6-12 hours up on the hills in Winter. This doesn’t in any way replicate the Yukon environment, but it does replicate the shear hardship that I would have to endure. On numerous weekends I would be doing 2 such sessions on successive days and on occasions only allowing a few hours sleep in between. For races such as MdS and the Jungle my training was far more running based and not over such great periods of time."
A lot of athletes, who have done desert races before, are tempted by the idea of experiencing the opposite, a race in the arctic. What should they be aware of?
Martin: "Crikey, what a hard question to answer. It depends which type of Desert race they are coming from. Assuming it is something like the MdS then the first obvious thing they need to be aware of is that a race such as YAU is non stop with a lot less checkpoints and therefore requires a significantly different racing strategy. The obvious other factor is the environment – its flippin cold. It is far easier to moderate and cope with the temperatures in the Desert than it is in the Arctic. In blunt term, if you sweat you run a very real risk of hypothermia and if you don’t look after yourself you will most likely die. Also there are far greater natural hazards in the Arctic races to contend with – overflow on the rivers, whiteouts, moose encounters to name a few. I would hate this to put anyone off – practically everything is avoidable if you are prepared and confident in your ability to overcome such hurdles. I could go on and on, but I think it would give an unfair impression that such races are completely alien to Desert races which is not the case.
If you were able to give the most important advice for the YAU, what would it be?
Martin: "Arrive in the Yukon prepared mentally. Its easy to get physically fit and everyone on the start line will be prepared for this element. But my guess is that most of those that dnf do so because they hadn’t got it right in their heads not because they weren’t fit enough. To achieve this you will have… 1. Need to have done your training and therefore be as fit as you can be….. 2. You will need to have tested your kit (clothing, food, sled etc) and be confident in using said kit ……and 3. be mentally prepared for all eventualities – constantly run through your mind all the conceivable scenarios you can for all eventualities.
What experiences have you made trying to get sponsors for your participation in the YAU?
Martin: "I haven’t for YAU. I was fortunate enough to obtain significant sponsorship for both my first Desert (MdS) and my first Arctic race (Iditasport) which enabled me to buy a majority of the kit I use for those types of races. In both cases I was also obliged to raise a considerable amount of money for charity which I would have done in any case. However, trying to obtain such sponsorship was to the greatest degree more stressful than the training and the race itself. So nowadays I fund my entry into the races myself."
Did you have any such thing as a favourite kit?
Martin: "If I have to pick one piece of kit that isn’t obvious (such as sleeping bag, stove etc), it would be walking poles."
Anything that was absolutely useless and you won’t take along any more?
Martin: "Hand Warmers – ie the pads that warm up once your open them – every race I have done in the Arctic I have had a quantity of these in my sled, but I am yet to use one. However, others swear by them, so please don’t treat the above answer as advice – it’s just what I have found useless."
What does your family say about your participation in extreme races all over the world?
Martin: "They now accept it and are very supportive – its my release valve and if I was not doing these races or something similar I would go potty."
Thank you for answering all those questions, Martin!
If you want to read more about and from Martin Like, please have a look at his great website www.littlefatwelshman.com.
For all those of you who read this short interview, please note that I did not edit any of Martin's answers. Therefore, I want to add here that I am one of those people who strongly recommend hand warmers. And as Martin suggested, there are many people who "swear by them". If you intend to do the YAU for the first time, test them! They don't weigh a lot.
Last but not least, welcome to the YAU 300 mile race, Mark Melville-Taylor from England!
Diane Patrick's photographs online
A selection of Diane's photographs is now online in our gallery. My personal favourite:
Will Gow, YAU 300 mile finisher, on his way to Pelly Crossing on the farm road.
And there is another racer on the 300 mile roster - Welcome to the YAU Jonathan!
Welcome back Katherine and René!
I asked Katherine today if she is sure she wants to enter the YAU again. "Can't leave unfinished business" she said. Maybe it also has got something to do with the fact that she is getting a Malamute puppy soon? No matter what it is, I am very happy to see her again in 2006!
And there is somebody else who is coming back. In fact, René was the first athlete to be on our race roster this year. The race veteran from Switzerland has already travelled to Canada twice to compete in the YAU. It has always been great to see René doing the YAU. He has got his own pace (which is not a slow one!) and it seems that he could go on and on and on ...
We will see who is next?!
More photos in the gallery
I have now got more photos in the gallery, taken by Dave Milne. And I managed to add the pictures that were taken by German athlete Ralf Jacobi. Take a look!
YAU 2005 Video documentary
Werner's video documentary will likely be finished mid May. Like his film about the YAU 2003, I am sure it will be awesome. If you are thinking about doing the YAU 2006 it is a great way to get an idea of what we have in store for you. In case you are interested in purchasing the video/DVD please get in touch with Werner directly (info@yukonimages.com).
YAU 2006 entry fees now online!
The entry fees for the marathon, 100 and 300 miles are the same as this year. However, from now on the entry fee will include the USARA single event membership and insurance (subject to confirmation). Also, the entry will include a video documentary.
The time limit for the race distance of 470 miles to Dawson is 13 days. That means 5 additional days of racing to do 150 more miles. This part of the trail is very remote and there is considerable elevation but 5 days should be sufficient - based on our experience so far. For early entries the fee for this race is EUR 1,700. More details for Dawson City will follow over the next few weeks.
All entrants will from now on have to make an immediate first payment of EUR 150. We have made this change because there were a lot of last minute cancellations for 2005. If you decide to withdraw at any point these EUR 150 are our administration fee and will not be refunded. Apart from that we will also have rules for cancellations once certain deadlines are past. This information will be posted early next week.
Online registration & payment through Eventrate.com are not available, yet. Please give them a couple of days to update the website as I just have forwarded the information to them a few minutes ago.
Canadian athletes please enquire with Shelley Gellatly for entry fees. Again, please give Shelley some time to get organised as I will forward all information to her tonight. In the meantime, any enquiries may of course also be directed to me.
Details for Skjoring
Over the next couple of weeks we will work out all the details for this exciting new category, e.g. vet support, amount of dogs, etc.
YAU 2006 going all the way to Dawson City!
Yes, it is true. We will offer a race all the way to Dawson City next year. Together with the extra 6 miles due to our loop for the marathon that is a distance of 472 miles. I am currently working out the details.
Already now I can say that in order to go all the way to Dawson, athletes will have to be very experienced. We will likely only accept entries from athletes who have completed the 300 mile distance or an equally long race distance in a similar race. Other possibilities to qualify would be to have extensive cold weather experience from extreme mountain climbing, expeditions, etc.
After Pelly Farms the scenery becomes even more remote. There is no road access and the Quest checkpoints are far apart. We will have additional checkpoints. However, these may be very simple camps - possible even without any volunteers or staff - just a place where you can build a fire and get warmed up.
I will post the time limit on the website later this week.
YAU 2006 will start on Feb. 11th
Next year's race will start in Whitehorse again. The date for the start is Feb. 11th, the same day the Quest mushers start from Fairbanks, USA.
Matt Pain's YAU report now online
If you want to read Matt's great report about his race experience, please go to the race report section to download it. Thank you Matt for your story of the Yukon Arctic Ultra!
My final report on the YAU 05 is here! Sorry for being so late with this. Right after my return to Germany I had to move offices and I have been very busy organising company incentives and team trainings. So, here it goes ...
Once again a Yukon Arctic Ultra is over. And as the race director I am particularly happy that everybody made it home safely. Of course there were plenty of blisters, swollen feet and other injuries but nobody has suffered from any severe frostbite or other serious injury. Well, Simon Howell did have a major adventure on his plane ride back home. However, he is fine again, too.
The feedback the organising team has received is excellent. This made everyone very happy as we had tried to further improve race safety. One of the improvements was our 24-hour emergency and coordination phone number in Whitehorse. It worked exceptionally well. Dave and Mike always knew where everyone was. This would have been an excellent basis for making decisions in case of an emergency. Also, for our ski-doo guides it was much easier to plan and coordinate their travelling up and down the course. Gary, Murray, John and Don did not have to communicate from sat phone to sat phone. Instead they could call a land line. This saved them time and allowed for efficient working.
Of course there is always room for improvement. And some new suggestions have already reached us. As always we will discuss each idea and implement whatever will help the race.
Before I start my story of the third YAU, I would like to thank all participants for facing the challenge and for bringing such a positive attitude with them to the Yukon - even when the going was tough. Also, I would like to thank the entire team. Thanks to their determination and work this race is such a special event. Thank you Mike and Jessica, Shelley and Dave, Gary, Murray, Don, John, Diane, Tunde, Michelle, Thomas and all the other volunteers, Rolf and Ingrid and all other checkpoints which supported us once again.
A big thank you also goes to all the sponsors and supporters of the YAU:
Norcan
for the great and reliable rental cars
High Country Inn
for the accommodation, the great settings for our meetings and the perfect service
Yukon Tourism
for supporting us with media relations and PR
City of Whitehorse
for the permission to use the Yukon Quest start location
Air Canada
for helping me with my flight to Canada and the safe and fast transportation of the participants
Coast Mountain Sports
for helping the athletes with their questions on gear and last minute purchases
Eventrate
for selling and marketing the race and reporting about it
USARA
for providing uncomplicated help getting the necessary insurance coverage
Last but not least I want to thank the Yukon Minister of Parliament, Larry Bagnell, who personally got involved when two of our Irish competitors had difficulty tracking down their missing luggage! It was quite an adventure for them even before the race has started but they got it in time.
Once again there are plenty of interesting stories to tell. I guess I should begin with the marathon. Richard Malz-Heyne who had been coming to the Yukon many times before won this distance. It took him 4 hours and 13 minutes to reach SIR North Country Ranch. Tamara Goeppel and Thomas Tetz could not keep their high speed which they had at the beginning. That way Richard was able to overtake them. 9 minutes after the German, the local sports heroes crossed the finish line. Only a couple of days before the two had competed in the Fulda Challenge and placed second as a team. With Thomas also the first musher competed in the YAU. He did really well in two editions of the Yukon Quest! My guess is that his friend, Hans Gatt, three time winner of the Quest, will soon follow the footsteps of Thomas and be the first to win both races. All other marathon participants finished the race, too. Lester Byington came all the way from Texas to do so. He and local Christine Todd finished the marathon with their xc-skis. Kim Outridge and Roger Hamburg also finished and really enjoyed the experience of running a marathon on river ice and snow.
Whilst the race was over for the marathon participants, for everyone else it just had started. It was a cold first day. With - 20 degrees Celsius it was a lot colder than it was during the first two YAU races. That is why a lot of athletes would have loved to continue without the mandatory 4 hour stop at the first checkpoint. However, the checking of the sleeping system and the stove is a must for us. Also, it is interesting and important for athletes to realise the difficulty of camping out with sweaty clothes and to still try and stay warm. And a many athletes had this problem even tough we kept warning them. To learn how to deal with this situation can become very important in case of an emergency. Somehow it always seems that we find less people with wet clothes afterwards …
Almost all participants left exactly after the 4 hour break. They made their way into the dark and to the next checkpoint, 60 km to Dog Grave Lake. And it turned out to be a long way. It stayed cold, too. For Michael Odenwald from Germany, the exhaustion and the low temperatures turned into a nightmare. He decided to rest before Dog Grave Lake. He got into his sleeping setup and slept, only to wake up again shortly afterwards realising that his camelbak burst inside his sleeping bag. He changed his clothes and got going again. Once he reached the checkpoint he withdrew. Michael was too exhausted to continue.
In the meantime Catherine Hay-Heddle was in trouble, too. Her stomach caused her considerable problems. Matt Pain decided to stay with Catherine and helped her later in the night by building a wood fire. Murray, one of our experienced ski-doo guides told me that it was due to Matt’s help that a potentially very dangerous situation was prevented from occurring.
At this stage the German veteran ultra runner Peter Meyer was doing really well. He only had a 1 hour break at Dog Grave Lake and literally ran on to win the 100 mile race. Peter had no major problems with lack of sleep or the cold. However, at Braeburn Lake, already very close to the finish, he was forced to make an important decision. Heavy snowfall made it impossible for Peter to find his way across the lake. At this point he also was very tired. Rather than risking getting lost he decided to stay where he was and to continue at sunrise. That way he lost his big lead and was overtaken by the guys from Ireland, Ken Byrne, John O’Regan and Pearse Allen. They won the 100 mile race with a time of 48 hours and 38 minutes. Peter Meyer followed them and finished after 50 hours and 8 minutes. Since Pearse Allen spontaneously (!) decided to change his entry to the 300 mile race, this meant rank 3 for the German. All other 100 mile athletes except Fergus Hughes from Ireland were able to also successfully finish the race. Fergus unfortunately had back problems and he had to withdraw after reaching SIR North. Klaus Schweinberger, Tammy Reis, Andrew Reynolds and Nic Karonias were very tired but happy to reach Braeburn and its gigantic burgers.
Again, one race was over whilst the other one just had begun. This was a very difficult situation for many 300 mile participants. They had finished the 100 miles but at this point had more than twice that distance to go. The problem was that theoretically some of them could have finished within the time limit of 8 days. However, Milan Milanovich, Ralf Jacobi, Sean Brown and Simon Howell could not imagine that they would have the endurance to keep and even increase their speed. Simon certainly did not think that he would stand a chance with his xc-skis. He had already had quite a nightmare with all the hills. Eventually, they all decided not to continue and instead use the experiences they made and return next year to finish unfinished business.
Gavin Booth who was really going strong had to withdraw due to injury. He tried stretching a lot (at times with the help of Irish competitor Pearse - that stretching did look very scary) and got a lot of rest. However, to continue would certainly have meant more damage to the body.
David Hoile also had to scratch due to health reasons. His cold caught up with him and even though David already had the experience of a 100 mile finish in 2004, he could not continue.
After Katherine had a good rest at Braeburn she asked if she could continue her adventure. Since she seemed to have overcome her stomach problems there was no reason not to let her go on unranked.
Stefano Miglietti in the lead, Thomas Muhler on his MTB, Andy Heading, Tom Wolter-Roessler, William Gow, Henry Worsley, Joachim Rintsch, Pearse and Matt left CP 3 feeling strong and ready for the rest of the distance.
At this point the weather had warmed up. Rather than making it easier, often this means more difficulty for the athletes. The softer surface causes the feet to suffer. In many places overflow had to be dealt with. Nonetheless, they have always been in great spirits and even got to enjoy some fantastic Northern Lights.
Matt was so brave to try and finish even though he was way behind but finally gave up when he was sure he would not make it any more. He wrote a great report about his experience which I will have online shortly.
Whenever we had seen Tom, he was doing just fine. However, on his way to Pelly Crossing something went wrong with his body energy. It turned out he did not eat enough fat and just could not go one step further. Tom withdrew and it only took him minutes to get started on planning his return for 2006.
Towards the end the 300 mile race was really great to watch. Andy had been chasing Stefano for a long time and closed the gap on his way to Pelly Farms to 1.5 miles. Stefano had been pushing himself and his swollen feet and lack of sleep were starting to take their toll. I honestly thought that Andy would soon overtake him. I was wrong. The Italian picked up his speed once again and increased the distance between him and Andy to 3 miles again. When Andy found out about this at Pelly Farms, he decided not to try and overtake Stefano on the farm road back to Pelly Crossing. He got a good rest and then continued the race. Thomas who had also made it to Pelly Farms later had the advantage of a road. So, he managed to overtake Andy and finished in second place. Stefano needed 145 h 35 min. to finish. Thomas came second overall with his MTB after 149 h 7 min. Andy joined the two and finished third after 152 h 24 min.
Joachim Rintsch and Pearse Allen who did not speak each other’s language had been on the trail together for a long time and had great fun. After 189 h 37 min. they crossed the finish line and got the red lantern which our ski-doo guides sponsored. Thus also a new tradition was born. They Yukon Quest has been doing this for a long time already. The last musher always gets the red lantern.
Already before Joachim and Pearse, Will and Henry had finished their adventure. They actually used the YAU to prepare for another big project. Within a few years they are planning on actually making an expedition to the South Pole. They told me that they expect this expedition to be a bit easier …
I am very happy that all the athletes had so much fun. Even the participants who were not able to reach their goals had a good time and enjoyed the experience. A lot of them want to come back in 2006 to give it another try. The entire YAU team is already looking forward to seeing familiar faces next year. All the best and a great and healthy season 2005 to everyone!
Best regards
Robert Pollhammer
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