Archive YAU 2009

March 23rd, 2009

Heidi McGuire's first news feature is online

Not only athletes showed great determination at this year's YAU. Heidi McGuire came all the way from Denver on her own time to film the race and Diane van Deren. It was really great working with her and if you follow this link you will see that Heidi did an excellent job: 

www.9news.com

March 18th, 2009

Pat Cooke-Roger's report on the YAU 100 mile race now online

If you want to get an impression on what this year's 100 mile race was like - from the point of view of an athlete - please check out Pat's report. 

March 12th, 2009

Sunday Times writes about the YAU

Here is a link to an article written in the Sunday Times March 8th, 2009.

March 9th, 2009

Final YAU 2009 report

The weeks leading up to the 7th YAU had shown us that the winter weather in the Yukon has got many faces. And it showed us a new one. Snow. Lot's of it. Okay, we obviously always have snow when we start in Whitehorse but we have never had that much before and during the race. Luckily, the temperatures at the start were ideal and although there was plenty of snow on the ground the trail was hard. Not only was it hard, it was also marked really well as a lot of athletes commented. Therefore, I would like to say a big thank you to the Canadian Rangers and the Yukon Quest!  

I also want to thank our sponsors. Montane for the great jackets and shirts. Mike Simon our co-ordinator here in the Yukon likes his new jacket so much. I don't think he takes it off anymore. Thank you SPOT for equipping us with free SPOT devices and thus making the YAU safer and more interactive. Thank you Lestra for the brand new Yukon Arctic Ultra sleeping bags. Thank you Trekking Mahlzeiten for the tasty expedition food. Thank you Tourism Yukon for the continued support and a great thanks also to our local and supporting sponsors Coast Mountain Sports, Norcan, City of Whitehorse and High Country Inn. The race would not be possible without your help.  

Thanks to the entire crew of staff and volunteers who endured nights with hardly any sleep and all that work. A special thanks to Chantal Gagné who ran the 100 mile race, spontaneously helped as a volunteer after the race, had an accident on the road and two days later was on the road again to see athletes finishing in Dawson (8 hour drive one way!). If we had a spirit of the north award, you would definitely get it (next time we will have one ;-) ! Thank you also to our checkpoints for hosting us. If you followed the news updates you know that at McCabe Creek the checkpoint burnt down. We have opened a PayPal account for donations (see above) and it were great to get all of you to help out. Any amount helps to rebuild the workshop. That way, the Quest and we can go back there and enjoy the hospitality of the Kruse family for many years to come. A special thanks also to Dale and Sue from Pelly Farm. As always you certainly are the winners of the best checkpoint. You guys are so good it’s hard to get the athletes going again once they stepped into your door.   Last but not least a big thank you to all the athletes for coming to the Yukon and taking on the challenge! For those of you who could not finish it, I hope to see you back some time and I hope you all are recovering well.  

This almost feels like the Oscars ;-) Now my little summary of the Yukon Arctic Ultra 2009.  

Conditions on day one could not have been better. Sunshine and cool temperatures. At the marathon finish on Rivendell Farm this time we had it a bit warmer. Mike had prepared the cabin there. Since it is such a little place we also had the strict rule that everyone had to stay outside – with the exception of our marathon finishers. Richard Malz-Heyne from Germany was back to win this distance one more time. And he almost did. If it would not have been for Markus Exner, also from Germany. Markus impressed us all with a very good finishing time (3:57) and still looking in great shape afterwards. He actually came out to see how things are and we may see him back to do the 100 miles. Place three went to Canadian Regan Chernish.  

At this point with the longer distance athletes it was pretty much business as usual. However, one athlete impressed me a lot. Peter Jansen from Germany was literally storming into the checkpoint and looking really strong. I was already looking forward to greeting him in Dawson. We also quickly found out that Alan Sheldon on his mountain bike would be spreading out the field a lot. He was fast.  

The next morning I did not want to believe it when I heard that Peter Jansen and Hubert Gantioler had to scratch at Dog Grave Lake due to frostbite. I thought there must have been a mistake in the communication but it turned out to be true. Both had frostbitten toes. It just goes to show that temperatures don’t have to be extreme for this to occur. Peter and Hubert were in great shape and fast. Unfortunately, also Julian Bartlett from Team Helmut had to withdraw due to injury. It was hard for him to see his team mates continue but he immediately offered to volunteer. And he did that so well all staff and volunteers hope to see him back to race and volunteer! Another surprise was David Berridge’s withdrawal. I am sure he would have made it all the way to Dawson. But he had made a promise to his wife only to finish if it would not prevent him from going to the Atacama Crossing. Well, since David came to the conclusion that he would need too much recovery time he finished his race in Braeburn but promised to be back for another try.   It was very nice to see ALL 100 mile athletes finish. Especially Markus Wiaderek. He had to scratch last year due to frostbite. Well, he recovered, came back and won (31:25). It came as no surprise to see Germans Peter Schaudt and Friedrich Fink take 2nd  and 3rd place (38:34). Not only were they fit. They also shared something that a lot of YAU finishers have in common. They really enjoyed the experience, were laughing as they came into checkpoints and had a very positive attitude. Well done guys! 

If you want to find out a bit more about what these first 100 miles have in store please read Pat Cooke-Rogers report which I will put online shortly. Thanks for the report Pat!   Now it was down to the 300 and 430 miles. At this point a few of the 300 milers were already slow. And Salvador Ribot from Spain was struggling. I think he was ready to quit in Braeburn but seeing his friend Javier head out to Ken Lake gave him the motivation to follow later on.   Alan was still so fast that we did not have Ken Lake ready for him. It did not seem to bother him too much. He just kept flying. Luckily I managed to catch up with him in Carmacks where he finally rested for a few hours. Everybody else made their way over the many lakes and one of the nicest sections of the trail a bit slower. Unfortunately, by Carmacks the number of athletes having to scratch was increasing. Javier and Salvador already decided to call it a day at Ken Lake and were brought out by our snowmobile guides. Peter Mild, by the time he came to Carmacks also had to give up. John Quinn did not make the cut-off but because we had athletes leaving Carmacks late I let him continue unranked. Cyd and Scott Fraser had the same problem and scratched, too.  

In Carmacks I was introduced to a dog which we later called Yukon. Turns out that Yukon had been following our athletes from the Takhini area. It moved up the lines and caused some confusion, too. Yukon decided he liked the athletes so much he started licking their faces while they were sleeping in their sleeping bags. It took some athletes a few seconds to realize this was not a hungry wolf  but a friendly dog. They shared their food with Yukon and he came all the way to Carmacks. I am quite sure he would have gone all the way to Dawson. However, we thought such a nice dog would have an owner and brought it to Whitehorse and told the radio stations. Nobody claimed Yukon and after the race Bruce Thompson offered to adopt him. As I write this Yukon is already in Montreal where Bruce will pick him up by car to take him to his new home, Vermont.  

The day we closed the Carmacks checkpoint I thought would be just a regular race day. It turned out to be a bit different. I was in Pelly Crossing when I had a look at the SPOT shared page. A help signal from Joachim Rintsch near McCabe and 5 help signals not too far away from Carmacks. What on earth … was my first thought. 1 minute later Phil from the RCMP in Pelly knocked on my door to talk about those help signals. It later on turned out that it was not us who alarmed the police but someone else who thought we are too busy with other things (i.e. the fire at McCabe – which at the time I did not know about). Anyway, the RCMP already had dispatched Search & Rescue in Carmacks and we then took care of the signal from Joachim. And it was especially Joachim’s signal that confused me. He is THE YAU veteran and I could not imagine what may have made him push that button. I knew it was nothing life threatening and kept on guessing. On my way to McCabe I kind of already thought it may all have to do with last night's snowfall. I turned right into the driveway of the McCabe Creek farm and then stood there with my mouth open. Where we had our checkpoint there was only a pile of smoking ashes left. You can imagine the thoughts going through my mind. So, I got out of the car and talked to Kathy Kruse who was next to the site. I was very relieved to hear that nobody was hurt and also to find out that we did not cause the fire. I got onto the sat phone with Jessica who was our race centre where all information is always collected. She told me that Joachim had been encountered by Greg, one of our guides. I was right. The snow had made the trail disappear. The same problem near Carmacks where Sophie Collett, Michael Wardas, Simon Bayliff, Carlyle Jenkins and Andy Pocock all had pushed the help button and already were brought back to Carmacks.  

Since it was a first I was not sure what to do about the situation. For Joachim I did not have to dispatch anyone. Greg was there anyway and once he had broken trail again Joachim could continue. With the Carmacks end it was a bit more complicated they had already been transported and made up their mind to scratch. I decided to give them an opportunity to finish anyway. They had made the Carmacks cut-off. Therefore, I suggested to bring them to McCabe, give them a heavy time penalty and let them continue from there.  

Francis Beauvallet, John Quinn and Mark Melville-Taylor all scratched at McCabe. For Mark it was particularly disappointing as it was not his first try. I tried to convince him to keep on trying but he was certain he would not finish within the 8 day time limit.  

About 5 km out of McCabe we have had one of the worst overflows ever. Although it was not the same for everyone. Some got through it quite well whilst others went in quite deep. Alan who was the first to get there actually did stop, build a fire and dry his clothes. Only to go get soaked again a bit later. Everyone made it to Pelly Crossing anyway. Only Sophie, Michael, Simon, Carlyle and Andy made up their mind that it would not be fair to others and that they did not feel they had done it all. That's why they scratched at Pelly.  

In the meantime we got another help message. This time it was from Luigi Mazzocchi. Luigi had been struggling at Pelly because he did not hydrate well. This had caught up with him on the trail to Pelly Farm and caused him bad back pain. From the Farm we went out to get him. I brought him to the hospital myself that night and left him in the capable hands there.  

At this point I realized that Thomas Wiget from Switzerland was our only 300 mile athlete left in the race. He could take it easy now. It also needs to be said that Thomas like others had problems losing the trail that night on his way to McCabe. It took him 3 hours to find it. Thomas finished in Pelly Crossing after 186 hours and 2 minutes. It made him the first athlete to have finished both the Yukon Quest and the Yukon Arctic Ultra 300 mile race. I wonder if we will ever see another Quest musher having a go at it?!  

Sean Brown who at this point was about 12 hours faster than the year he finished the 300 miles and had plenty of reasons to be pleased with his performance. I was positive he could make it to Dawson. In the end it was an infected blister on his foot that made him have to stop at Pelly Farm. Diane Patrick from our medical team had to make that decision and Sean was sure not happy but he accepted that there was no other option.  

By then we had had another help message. This time from Alan in the Black Hills area. I thought it would be a disappeared trail again. We could only go and check on him the next morning and it turned out that he had a severe knee problem. However, the 12 hours rest were enough recovery for him to continue and cancel his help message.  

The weather for the 430 milers was great. – 35 degrees Celsius was probably the coldest they got. Compared to the – 52 degrees from 2007 that was rather pleasant. Only the guys in the back had another scary night. Mark Hines, Joachim Rintsch and Klaus Schweinberger all encountered high winds and snow storm conditions coming down from King Solomon’s Dome. They had to literally feel the trail with their feet because they definitely could not see it anymore. 

None of the 430 mile racers had to scratch between Pelly Farm and Dawson. They all made it. Alan won in 182:50. Enrico followed with 231:25 which made him the first runner to arrive. 2nd came Bruce Thompson with 227:53. The absolutely remarkable thing is that while Enrico did suffer (mainly from a frostbitten toe) Bruce looked like he just came back from grocery shopping. Absolutely amazing! Rank 3 went to Andy Heading in 249:10.  

So, you did it. You proofed that it is possible to actually get to Dawson City and I am proud of all of you! We will see what happens next time …                                

Yukon Arctic Ultra 2009 Race Updates

February 28th, 21:30 PM local time

Party at the High Country

All athletes who had finished in Dawson City and all the staff and volunteers made it back safely to Whitehorse. So, now really the race is over. We all met in the bar of the High Country Inn tonight and most of the athletes are still there. Celebrating their enormous achievement. And it seems they are really used to lack of sleep now. Therefore, the party may still go on for a while ...

I have updated the results table that shows the ranking per distance/category. Also, we have many photos online and will get more over the coming days and weeks. Thanks to everyone for contributing to that!

Over the next few days I will also write my final report. The true story of this year's YAU ;-)

February 27th, 13:00 PM local time

Klaus Schweinberger at the finish

Klaus Schweinberger just before reaching the finish line

At 12:43 PM Klaus reached the finish line in Dawson City. He is our last finisher. So, everybody who was still in the race is now safe. We will get packed now and leave for Whitehorse shortly. Tomorrow it's party time!

February 27th, 10:10 AM local time

Joachim and Mark finish

Almost at the same time Joachim and Mark reached the finish line in Dawson. Joachim only came in two minutes before Mark. Both were looking great. 

Joachim and Mark at the finish

They actually had one of the hardest nights of the entire race last night. The wind was blowing so hard on the Dome that the trail was near invisible. "The wind was so strong it blew my sled of the trail", said a surprised Joachim at the finish. "We felt the trail with our feet more than seeing it", he added with a big smile on his face.

Klaus is expected to finish in about 3 hours time. He is just walking through the gold fields taking pictures of the gigantic dredges on the way and enjoying the rising sun.

February 27th, 07:45 AM local time

Joachim, Mark and Klaus not far away now

Joachim was already actually almost here. Then for some reason he turned around. We will know in a few minutes why he did that ... Just found out. Joachim thought he passed Dawson ;-) He turned around and ran into Mark. They had a chat and met with Sue Bradley and Chantal Gagné who were looking for Joachim to see what's going on.

Now they should be here within about 30 minutes.

Klaus is about 4 hours back. We saw him last night and he is fine.

Many photos

Mark Gillett made really great photos at this year's race. You can see them in our gallery or you can go directly to his website. There you will see the images in a larger format. We will soon let the athletes know how they can purchase photos. 

Also, I have uploaded more photos taken by staff and volunteers.

February 26th, 04:50 AM local time

Diane van Deren and Jerym Brunton finish the 430 miles

At 03:35 local time Diane van Deren and Jerym Brunton arrived in Dawson City. They both had not had their SPOT on today so we had a hard time guessing when they would get here. Luckily Diane called home from the King Salomon Dome with a sat phone and we knew they were speeding right along. 


Diane and Jerym at the finish line

They were both looking good coming in. Diane did go through some overflow earlier and said her feet hurt. But it's nothing like last year. And it was great to see Jerym finish, too. He was here in 2008 and had to scratch because of injury.

Diane actually walked in the doors of our race centre here and offered to sing a song if we gave her a guitar. Well, it just so happens that Eric Kocher who is a medical volunteer here with us had one. So, Diane tuned the guitar and sang us all a song. One of these moments that you don't forget ...

Diane and Jerym rank 5th overall. Diane is the first in the women's category. Jerym is 4th in the men's foot category.

Now we are waiting for Klaus, Joachim and Mark.

February 25th, 20:25 PM local time

Andy Heading arrives in Dawson

At 19:40 Andy arrived in Dawson. He is doing great and looking forward to a hot shower and burger at the Downtown Hotel. Andy ranks 4th overall and 3rd in he foot category. I should also mention that the 430 mile distance was his idea ;-) I hope is now not thinking about the 1,100 miles to Fairbanks ...


Andy Heading, Enrico Ghidoni and Alan Sheldon in Dawson City

February 25th, 15:15 PM local time

Waiting for Andy Heading

We are all still in Dawson City currently waiting for Andy Heading to arrive. After a long time he seems to have switched on his SPOT again. So, we know where he is and expect him in a couple of hours.

Bruce Thompson is already on an airplane back to Whitehorse. Enrico is recovering and doing well. It seems he actually ran into a pack of wolves. "I saw all these crossed trail markers lighting up in the dark and was wondering. Then the markers were moving. Finally, I realised it's wolves. I got out my emergency whistle, blew it and increased my speed", he told us at breakfast. Well, I am not sure if it was the whistle but he did arrive in one piece. Having said that, as far as I know there are no records of wolves ever really attacking humans. Seeing them on the trail is rare and one can consider it great luck to have such an encounter.

We are not getting any SPOT signals from Diane and Jerym but we know they left Indian River at 6:00 AM and were doing fine. Klaus, Mark and Joachim will reach Indian River soon.

February 24th, 22:40 PM local time

Bruce Thompson 2nd runner into Dawson

At 22:23 Bruce Thompson arrived in Dawson City. It looks like he outran our crew's car who were trying to catch him coming in. Unlike last time Bruce had no problems with shin splints. He does not have a single blister actually. "But I do have a bad paper cut on one of my fingers", he mentioned at the finish banner. Bruce ranks third overall and second in the foot category.

February 24th, 20:40 PM local time

Enrico Ghidoni reaches Dawson


Enrico in Dawson City

At 16:05 local time Enrico reached the finish line in Dawson City. He is the first athlete to make it on foot and he comes second in the overall ranking. It was an emotional moment to see him arrive. He clearly had been suffering the last couple of days but it seems it did not slow him down.

We let him rest a bit and then went to the local Medical Centre to have them take a look at one of his toes. He has got frostbite on the tip of it and received medicine. It is not severe (i.e. likely no contribution to the Sour Toe collection) but will have to be monitored. I would like to thank the doctors and nurses there for the immediate and uncomplicated help. True northern spirit!

Enrico took a shower and we all then went out for dinner as he was really, really hungry. Now he is sleeping at the hotel.

A couple of hours earlier I saw Alan sprinting down the road (without bike). I did not believe my eyes. It seems we have to increase the distance to Fairbanks ... Alan did not have an easy race as we have always had a hard time keeping up with him. So, at some checkpoints he did not enjoy comfort and company. Later on his knee did not want to bend any more. A long rest helped and gave him the energy to finish.

Sean Brown is fine and went up to Dawson City with us today. He actually got his wife Clara's (who he says is a "lovely person" :-) permission to come back in 2 years time. Thank you Clara. We are all already looking forward to see Sean facing the challenge again. Sean also mentioned that two nights ago he saw great Northern Lights. "I just wish I could see the Aurora Borealis without pain once", he added.

At the moment we are at the finish which is he Visitor Information Centre. Bruce Thompson should be here within the next couple of hours.

After Bruce we expect Andy Heading. Diane van Deren and Jerym Brunton still are together. Joachim Rintsch, Klaus Schweinberger and Marc Hines are in the back. Apparently Klaus was in such a good mood at Pelly Farm a day earlier that he even gave Jodel lessons ...

February 23rd, 22:00 PM local time

Alan Sheldon wins the 430 mile race to Dawson City

Alan Sheldon at the finish in Dawson City

At 16:20 today Alan Sheldon crossed the finish line in Dawson City. That makes him the overall winner and the first YAU athlete to manage this distance. Congratulations Alan! Since Alan was on bike we are still waiting for the first athlete to get to Dawson on foot. This seems to be Enrico Ghidoni from Italy who is currently resting at Indian River. 

Some more clarification on the rescue near Carmacks

It seems that the search and rescue which was executed by the RCMP and the Canadian Rangers three days ago near Carmacks has caused quite a bit of attention. I called the RCMP in Carmacks today in person to apolgize for any inconveniences. However, I called when the officers were out and could only leave a message. I will try again.

I guess the main concern is that the help message caused a response that used resouces when a more serious emergency may have needed resources elsewhere. And this of course a worry. In the excuse of the athletes I have to say that they did not expect to be rescued by the RCMP. They were briefed that in case of a help message it is race staff coming to check. I already stated below how come in the end it was the RCMP going out. I was personally contacted by an officer in Pelly Crossing at the time of the incident. I immediately related that this is a non life threatenging situation. That is why the "help" button on the SPOT (www.findmespot.com) was used. In a life threatening situation it is the 911 button that is used.

Reading todays newspaper I am not sure if my information reached the officers before they left. So, once again my sincere appolgies. In the end I think it was simply a number of coincidences that we now need to learn from. 

February 23rd, 12:43 PM local time

Thomas Wiget from Switzerland wins the 300 mile race

At 04:02 this morning Thomas Wiget reached the 300 mile finish in Pelly Crossing. Since everybody else scratched he already was the winner. So, he enjoyed the time at Pelly Farm but still made good speed on the farm road out.

Right after Thomas finished I got him and Sophie back to Whitehorse as Sophie had a flight to catch.

Sean Brown scratches at Pelly Farm

I saw Sean Brown at Pelly Farm last night and he was tired but willing to go on. Therefore, I was surprised when I was now told he scratched. Having had a closer look at his feet Diane from our medical team found an infected blister. He is still staying at the farm and in good hands. He will go back to Whitehorse either today or tomorrow.

Alan Sheldon will soon finish the 430 miles. He had a hard time finding the trail at times and one of his knees is still bothering him - although a 12 hour rest seems to have helped somewhat. 

Diane von Deren, Jerym Brunton and Andy Heading are on their way to Scroggie or already there. Bruce Thompson left Scroggie and is on his way to Indian River. Apart from that there is the group of Klaus Schweinberger, Joachim Rintsch and Mark Hines at the end. They all are enjoying the remote wilderness north of Pelly Farm and I am sure taking many pictures.

Temperatures are colder again now. Probably down to - 35 or - 40 at night where the athletes are. However, it is not as extreme as it was in 2007. Therefore, we can continue the race without problems for the moment.

February 22nd, 20:15 PM local time

Good things and bad things happened today. The good things concern the athletes. So, once again I can say that everything is fine. Mike went and found Alan. He is moving again now and decided to stay at Indian River with Murray and Kevin tonight. The only worry is a knee that is bothering him and slowing him down a lot on the downhills.

Everybody else still in the race, is fine too. Thomas Wiget is approaching Pelly Crossing to be our only 300 mile finisher! I saw Sean Brown, Klaus Schweinberger, Joachim Rintsch and Mark Hines at Pelly Farm a few hours ago. Sean has a swollen foot but is confident and wants to continue after finding it very cold last night. Klaus and Joachim are like always. Perfectly fine. Mark said "The dogs don't complain. So, I decided not to complain, either."

The bad things today happended to the orga staff and volunteers. However, luckily nobody got hurt here, either. The problem is and was an extremely slippery highway. Volunteer and 100 mile finisher Chantal Gagné was on her way to Pelly Crossing to give athletes a ride back. Around Braeburn she lost control of the car and went into the ditch. She is fine but the car had to be towed.

I had the exact same problem. Going relatively slow about 6 km before Pelly Crossing I lost control of my car and trailer. The road was a sheet of ice. Again, nothing happened to myself or anybody else. I only feel very sorry that Chantal has now got a broken down car when all she wanted to was to help out with the race.

The accidents had a consequence for Sophie Collette. We could not bring her back to Whitehorse tonight. She is still at Pelly Crossing and as soon as Thomas Wiget finishes here, we will get going. It's not fun for Sophie to be stuck her but it is safer that way. Team Helmut got a ride back to Whitehorse with Mark Gillett our photographer and they promised to be very careful out there. Hopefully by tomorrow there will also be more gravel on the road. In any case we will go very slow.

February 22nd, 03:20 AM local time

We decided to bring Luigi to the hospital in Whitehorse today as the nursing station in Pelly Crossing recommended it. I am just coming from the hospital and Luigi is in good hands there. It seems to be nothing serious and at the moment he is just being hydrated with IV drips.

Many 300 milers withdraw

Sophie, the guys from Team Helmut and Michael Wardas decided to scratch for good at Pelly Crossing today. We had offered yesterday to move them up the trail and give them a time penalty since they had made the Carmacks cut-off and the trail was snowed in. Since other athletes made the leg between Carmacks and McCabe despite the bad trail they agreed to scratch as it would not feel like they have done it all. I hope I am getting this explanation right. It is very understandable and I respect that very much. Simon and his team mates at the moment also seem to be very certain they will never ever attempt it again. I have heard that many times before ... Anyway, there are 4 used Snowsled Pulks and harnesses for sale for a good cause now. If anybody is interested get in touch with Simon please (www.teamhelmut.com).

Unfortunately, these were not the only withdrawals today. Francis Beauvallet and Mark Melville-Taylor scratched, too. Both felt that they were going to slow to make the finish.

Michael Wardas, John Quinn, Francis Beauvallet, Mark Melville-Taylor along with Luigi are all back in Whitehorse now.

This actually means that of all the athletes who started to finish the 300 miles only Thomas Wiget (who is also a former Yukon Quest musher) is left in the race. That's a first. He was perfectly fine when I last saw him yesterday and may finish some time tomorrow.

What's new with the 430 miles?

As I told you we informed Mike Simon about Alan's help message. He will go out with the first sunlight to check on him. By noon I should be able to post something on how he is doing. If not, don't worry as the reason may be that I am bringing a bunch of athletes back to Whithorse first.

"The machine" Enrico Ghidoni should be in Scroggie right now. The crew may hold him there until they know what is going on with Alan.

Diane, Jerym and Andy I saw coming in to Pelly Farm. They are in great shape and making good speed. I also met Bruce Thompson before he left. He was also doing great. Amazing actually how good he looked after all that distance.

Klaus Schweinberger and Joachim Rintsch I saw resting in Pelly Crossing. As always they are taking it easy. Doing their thing. Mark Hines got in just as I left. He was all smiles and it seems he has picked up a lot of speed (he stopped taking so many pictures ...).

February 21st, 08:30 AM local time

A beautiful day and many things happening

First things first. Everybody is fine. Luigi Mazzocchi who set off the help button this afternoon was experiencing back problems and decided he would take too long to get to Pelly Farm and certainly not make the finish. So, I went out with Ken, son of Sue and Dale Bradley to go and get him. He has now had a bath and we will take him to the nursing station. Depending on what they say, he will either go to Whitehorse tonight or tomorrow.

On to the next one. We have received a help message from Alan Sheldon shortly after Mike Simon checked on him today. He was perfectly fine. Since he backtracked after using the help button we are assuming that he lost the trail or has equipment problems. The guides nearest to his position are Mike Simon and Pete Neilson. They will call us later tonight and we will pass on the message and decide what will be done.

About the "help" message

Actually, the help messages were not supposed to show on the shared page. I guess one of the programmers forgot to block this. We did not want you to see it because we knew it would get you worried when there is no reason to worry. Well, now that it's not blocked, I will explain it to you as I did to the athletes at the briefing.

The help message means "I have a problem and need outside assistance. It is definitely nothing life threatening." Before the SPOT people just waited on the trail until we got there on our control runs. We had and have also a system set up where we roughly know when to expect people. If they don't show up by a certain time. We go and check. The SPOT now just helps athletes to get the message across faster. AND we know exactly where they are.

So, everybody at home. DON'T worry. The weather is still mild and as I said, a help message may mean an athlete needs to withdraw but it is NOT a matter of life and death.

February 20th, 08:30 AM local time

What a day ...

It was a day with many things happening. So many I don't even know where to start. Well, I guess at the beginning ... On my way from Carmacks my first stop was McCabe Creek where volunteer Marianne stayed with a few athletes. I drove into the farm road and turned right to park next to the workshop which has always been our checkpoint there. Just that the workshop was not there any more. Instead a pile of ashes. A thousand thoughts went through my head immediately. But I tell you right away that nobody was injured! The fire was caused by a generator and discovered by Marianne. Nobody was in the building at the time. However, the fire could not be stopped. The entire workshop burnt down.

So, there was no tragedy but of course an occurance which is very difficult for the Kruse family living at McCabe. These generators cost a lot of money and I probably would have been devasted. Not so the Kruses. It is not an exact quote but Jerry Kruse later said something along the lines of "I can look out that window and cry and complain. There is still going to be a pile of ashes. Things like that just happen." Now that I admire!

Who thought that this was all the day had in store for us was wrong. From McCabe I went to Pelly Crossing and turned on the computer. I checked the SPOT shared page and almost fell of my chair. A help message from Joachim Rintsch about 10 km from McCabe and 5 help message from Sophie, Michael and Team Helmut. Well, on the phone to race headquarter Jessica Simon to co-ordinate rescue. We knew it was no life threatening situation but still it seemed very strange and I was really keen on knowing asap what had happened.

Since we were not able to be at two ends at the same time and because of the amount of help messages we decided to involve the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and organise a Search & Rescue party from the Carmacks end. The RCMP also were going to back up our efforts from the McCabe end.

I drove to McCabe. Before I got out my snowmobile I called Jessica again and she told me that Greg had already encountered Joachim. The problem: 20 cm of fresh snow had made the trail disappear. And whilst it is easy to pick up the reflective of the Yukon Quest markers at night, it is really difficult to do that during the day. Joachim did not know anymore where he had to go. At night snowfall was so bad that visibility was allmost zero. Greg put in the trail again and Joachim could continue the race and came into McCabe fine. So did Sean Brown shortly afterwards.

In the meantime I had to go back to Pelly Crossing to have better communication possibilities with Jessica. It did not take long and I was informed that Sophie, Michael and Team Helmut were fine. They encountered a similar problem like Joachim. All of them found it almost impossible to pick the right trail. In additon to that the snow slowed them right down. Frustrated they concluded that it would be impossible to finish the race in time and pushed the help button.

I have to say thank you to the RCMP and Search & Rescue to help so quickly. I also want to apologise for any inconveniences. I am glad that it was nothing life threatening and it showed how efficient help can be organised and how professional the RCMP and Search & Rescue work out here. 

Since Sophie, Michael and Team Helmut had made the Carmacks cut-off and are otherwise fine, I decided to give them a time penalty (slowest time for the leg to McCabe plus 20 hours). They have been moved to McCabe and are allowed to continue the race from there.

February 20th, 08:30 AM local time

Leaving Carmacks

By 10:00 we will all be leaving Carmacks to move further north. As we expected John Quinn did not make the Carmacks cut-off. He came in at 01:21 in the morning. Because he is feeling good and we have other athletes still in the race leaving now, he is allowed to continue unranked. We will monitor his progress to McCabe and if he does not fall behind he is fine to go all the way.

The temperatures are still very moderate but we are having unbelievable amounts of fresh snow - by Yukon measures. It is snowing right now. I would say about 10 cm so far. That has two consequences. The trail is slower and sometimes disappears. So, athletes have to focus and look for the markers.

Everybody leaving Carmacks was in good spirits. And they have a good reason because most athletes who made it to here finish the race.

February 19th, 21:50 PM local time

Michael Wardas just came into the Carmacks checkpoint which means he got here before cut-off. He is tired but in good spirits as he can continue his race.

February 19th, 20:30 PM local time

Finally, I have got the time to tell you a bit more about the last couple of days and the status.  

First of all I need to inform you that Salvador and Javier had to scratch at Ken Lake. Javier had been to Everest and commented that climbing up there is easier than this race. Greg one of our guides brought him out on his snow machine to Braeburn. It was a long trip of about 5 hours. Salvador went out on snow machine with our Ken Lake crew. Both are back in Whitehorse now.

Peter Mild had to scratch last night on his way to Carmacks, too. So did Cyd and Scott Fraser who just got into Carmacks. It shows that even in relatively "mild" temperatures the YAU is a very extreme challenge.  

At the moment we keep our fingers crossed that Michael Wardas will make the cut-off time into Carmacks which is 10:30 PM. John Quinn is currently at the end of the field and doing fine. He will not make the cut-off but told our guide Kevin that he would like to walk to Carmacks anyway.

Mark Hines, the guys from Team Helmut and Sophie just walked in the door. They were not smiling at first but it seems they are relaxing a bit now. The first question was: "Robert, have you done this yourself, yet?" Somehow I always get this question at this stage …  

Alan Sheldon is currently in Pelly Farm. We had to hold him there until our crew for Scroggie Creek checkpoint (between Pelly Farm and Dawson City) is ready to go. They will likely give him a head start and he may leave early morning hours tomorrow. On his way to Pelly Crossing Alan got into some heavy overflow (water underneath ice/snow). It looks like all athletes have to go through it. It's a scary and unpleasant experience but in the temperatures we have at the moment they should all be fine – just need to change clothes immediately afterwards or use garbage bags.  

Enrico reached Pelly Crossing at 18:35 and was welcomed by volunteer Erik Kocher. Marianne Heading is waiting at McCabe for Diane, Bruce, Jerymn, Luigi and Andy. The rest of the crew is in Carmacks. Sean, Thomas and Joachim left for McCabe. Klaus, Francis and Marc are resting at Carmacks.  

Some of the athletes have found a very special friend these first few days. Although, not all of them were that happy at first. Sean Brown was approached by a dog while he was in his sleeping bag. At first he thought he will end up being eaten by a wolf. "Then I realized a wolf would not lick my face …", he said. It turns out this dog – and I will call him Yukon – joined us in Takhini. Another athlete who got a good scare was Mark Melville Tayler. Like Sean he first thought a wolf is paying him a visit. Yukon then walked with several athletes all the way to Carmacks. He also met up with Peter Mild. Sure enough Yukon stepped into an animal trap just off the trail. Peter saw it and helped the dog to get free again. We brought Yukon back to Whitehorse to the animal shelter. If nobody picks him up I will recruit him as support crew for 2010 ;-)  

One of the main problems – apart from the distance and the challenging trail – are the temperature changes. After – 5 degrees C and sweating a drop to – 15 C or – 20 C on a lake or river seems very drastic. It can be more difficult than going from – 20 C to – 40 C. For us the good thing is that at night temperatures are not too extreme in any case and that means less to worry about.   

Another example as to how tired the athletes are was yesterday's fire alarm at the Recreation Centre in Carmacks. The alarm goes on every night if not prevented by entering a code. I had managed to enter the code too late an seconds later the siren started. It was really, really loud. The only athlete who woke up was Andy. The rest of them did not even notice ...

We also find the SPOT extremely useful for our work. At first we had difficulties getting across how to operate the units. For us this was a new thing, too. Some athletes made mistakes. Some still do because they are so concentrated on the trail that they forget to re-activate the tracking mode or forget to send messages. If operated correctly all units work and as was expected it helps us increase safety and logistics by a great deal.

February 18th, 23:00 PM local time

A report from Julian Bartlett

Due to an injury Julian had to scratch. He is now with us as a volunteer and wrote the following report:

Team Helmut – Wednesday (Day 4)

My experience of the event has been mixed. As I keep reminding myself, failure is often part of success and there is a fine line between them when competing in endurance events such as the YAU. I came into the event with confidence running high. My preparations over the past six months during the build-up had gone well. I had no disillusions that the YAU would push my physical and mental boundaries to new limits ... but that is why I/we entered the YAU in the first place. Mentally and physically I felt strong on the start line and ready to give my all. I felt that the only thing that would prevent me from crossing the finish line at Pelly Crossing would be an injury of some kind. I had not prepared myself for this situation occurring so soon as CP 2 at Dog Grave Lake but I knew it was the only option available to me.  

From approximately mile 15 into the challenge I began to feel soreness at the front of my ankle joint on my right foot. This pain was clearly being caused by an inflammation of the tendon fascia and tendons that run down to the foot. Heel striking and flexing of the foot was creating the problem so I immediately tried to adjust my gait in an attempt to slow the rate of inflammation as much as possible. However, the inflammation continued unabated and I now had the problem in both feet and at around the half way point between CP1 & CP 2 I knew I was potentially fighting a losing battle. The strong anti-inflammatories that we had been provided with simply weren’t doing much to help and every step was becoming increasingly painful to a point where I was in agony, especially on the many declines that the trail throw at us. The leg to CP2 seemed to be never ending and we had severely under estimated the time it was going to take us, mainly because of the terrain. Upon my arrival at Dog Grave Lake I knew that my race was over. I knew that even with a substantial rest it would not give my inflammation enough chance to subside and as soon as I started to walk again then the pain would return very quickly.  

Breaking this news to the team was so hard as I felt that I was letting them down more than myself. All the time, effort and energy getting to this point was to no avail. My only solace was that despite feeling tired I felt good. The realisation that I would no longer continue the trail with my team mates was very hard to accept. I am extremely grateful for the support I received from the support crew (Tammy and Jessica) and my fellow competitors who made it easier to deal with my frustration and upset. My wait for a ride out of the CP gave me time to get my head around it all and gradually I began to deal with my demons. The suggestion of being able to continue along the trail by helping the support crew gave me a new purpose and focus. The thought of simply returning to Whitehorse and sitting around on my own for 4-5 days was definitely too hard to comprehend. My goal is to now give my full support to the team and the other competitors.  

Si, Andy and Carlyle continue along the trail and I am truly honoured to be associated with them. The strength of mind and body that they continue to show hour after after, mile after mile on the trail is simply incredible. This event is seriously tough. The cold conditions and never ending trails make this challenge incredibly hard. As I write, sitting at CP5 this I am so proud of my friends, three men who express courage and determination few can ever get close to experiencing or understanding. All I can do is give them my positive energy, willing them on. They are out in there in the dark, in temperatures of -20C but refuse to give up. Their reward will be arriving at CP4 in a few hours and having some hot food and some well deserved rest, albeit for a few hours before having to force themselves back on the trail again for another 10-12 hours. I can only imagine what thoughts they are having, the things that they are each using to keep themselves motivated and to keep putting one foot in front of another.  

I am now experiencing a different angle to the event and really appreciate what the many volunteers who make this event happen put into it. There is a great spirit amongst the support team. To run an event like this is an challenging endurance event in itself! The YAU is a unique event and a special experience. test

February 18th, 19:27 PM local time

Another quick one before I hopefully have more time later tonight. All 100 milers are back in Whitehorse safely. I will post the results later.

Alan Sheldon has reached Pelly Crossing and is getting ready to leave for Pelly Farm. Incredible. Enrico is on his way to McCabe and expected to get there around or before midnight. Andy Heading and Bruce Thompson are in Carmacks. Diane Patrick, Luigi Mazzocchi and Jerym Brunton will be in Carmacks in a few minutes.

Everybody else is fine out there. Since the temperatures are not too extreme they all should be okay tonight.

A big surprise was to see Salvador Ribot continue. He had a hard time towards the end of the 100 miles. However, he rested well and decided to give it a try. Like Cyd and Scott Fraser, John Quinn and Mark Hines he will now have to beat the time limit to Carmacks which is 4 days and 12 hours.

February 18th, 04:34 AM local time

As always the 3rd day was very busy with people finishing the 100 mile race and transfers back to Whitehorse. It is very early now and staff and volunteers are trying to catch up on some sleep. That is why this update will be short. More news later tonight.

Everybody has reached Braeburn now. Marc, Chantal and John are sleeping on the floor here. Salvador is in the rooms at the back and sleeping, too. Enrico seems to have gotten himself a set of wheels. He is very fast and should reach Carmacks soon.

Alan just does not seem to stop. I think he has not slept more than 6 hours since the start. We had to call the Quest to ask if they can welcome him as he got too far ahead for us to catch up yesterday.

February 17th 03:49 AM local time

Chantal Gagné a local athlete from Whitehorse is using her own SPOT. That means she is not on our official race shared page. However, you can still follow her progress if you klick on this link.

February 17th 03:14 AM local time

Peter Mild just arrived. He had 1 and a half hour rest since the start. So, he is really looking forward to some sleep. However, the urge to eat something is still stronger at the moment. So, even at 3:00 AM Steve, the owner of Braeburn Lodge is in the kitchen making him a gigantic cheese burger - I would say the equivalent of about 8 cheeseburgers from MacD.

February 17th 02:50 AM local time

Diane van Deren and Jerym Brunton came in to Braeburn together. They were tired but nothing out of the ordinary. Bruce Thompson came right after them. A good 45 minutes behind Andy Heading. They will have a good rest now and continue in the morning.

In the meantime Peter Schaudt and Friedrich Fink reached the 100 mile finish which puts them in rank 2. Both were in great spirits but sure glad to finally have made it. Now they are resting.

Luigi Mazzocchi just walked in the door and it means for the 300 mile race he is currently in the lead. He looks very strong and does not seem to be very tired. So, it will be hard catching up to him.

February 16th 21:28 PM local time

Markus Wiaderek wins 100 mile race

At 17:55 Markus Wiaderek came into Braeburn which puts him into 1st place of the YAU 2009 100 mile race. Needless to say that he was happy. And he can be really proud. He was here last year and had to scratch because of frostbitten toes. "It makes you wonder if it is a good idea to return", he said. Well, he came back with a vengence. His finishing time is 31:25. And it seems to be while before the next 100 miler gets here.

More surprises and true love

It is now confirmed that Julian Bartlett has scratched at Dog Grave Lake. With him it's not frostbite that caused the problem. It sounds more like shin splints in combination with another sports injury. He will spend the night at Dog Grave Lake and will be transported out in the morning.

Peter Jansen and Hubert Gantioler who had to scratch at Dog Grave Lake due to frostbite are now on their way back to Whitehorse. So is Markus Wiaderek.

The surprise was David Berridge. He walked in the door a couple of hours ago and I got up to congratulate him on this first part of his 430 mile journey. However, he told me that he scratched. The reason being a promise that he made to his wife. "I promised I would come here and only finish if I still can do the Atacama Crossing which is taking place very soon", David explained. After almost making it to Braeburn he felt that his body would not recover fast enough if he went the full distance. Consequently he scratched. 

Enrico is sleeping and want to leave at midnight. The next athletes in should be Diane van Deren and Jerym Brunton.

In the meantime Alan Sheldon keeps on motoring. Luckily he is using his SPOT and we are aware of his position. Before he gets there I will drive up to Carmacks and secretly take the air out of his tires or steel his saddle ...

February 16th 17:30 PM local time

Enrico Ghidoni the first athlete on foot to arrive at Braeburn Lodge

I was just informed by Kim Outridge one of our great volunteers that Enrico arrived at Braeburn Lodge. Earlier on I was told he had stomach problems and was a bit weak. That seems to have changed. Kim said "he is all happy and looking strong".

Check out our Gallery

I am very happy that we have Mark Gillett taking pictures here at the YAU 2009. He is a professional and excellent adventure photographer. Check out his photos that I just uploaded. You will also find pictures taken by our medical staff Diane Patrick and I have also included some images I took myself.

February 16th 17:00 PM local time

Another perfect day

Well, it was/is another perfect day as far as the weather is concerned. And we have a hard time keeping up with Alan Sheldon on his Mountainbike. I asked guides Murray and Kevin to catch him on the trail to Braeburn to tell him to stay at Scuttlebutt Lodge if he wants to rest - as Braeburn Lodge Checkpoint was not set up, yet. I expected him to come around 3 AM. Well, Murray and Kevin agreed after hard days work to stay awake in a car on the trail near Braeburn. At 6:00 AM still no sign of Alan and they fell asleep. At 6:15 Alan passed the car and went to Braeburn - not having a closer look into the car ...  Later he told me that a flat tire slowed him down. Just that for hours he did not realise he had a flat tire. He rested a bit and left already for Ken Lake. Now it may be my turn waiting for him in the car at Carmacks ... Please somebody make this guy rest!

Whilst the conditions are great the race can still be dangerous. Hubert Gantioler from Austria and Peter Jansen from Germany - both 430 mile racers - had to find out the hard way. For different reasons both got frostbite on some of their toes last night and consequently had to scratch. It's a real shame as they were going incredibly strong.

By the looks of it Julian Bartlett from Team Helmut also had to scratch at Dog Grave Lake. However, that is not confirmed.

Everybody else is reported to be fine. Apart from Alan no other athletes have arrived in Braeburn, yet. I will have more checkpoint times for Dog Grave later tonight.

February 15th 9:40 PM local time

Markus Exner from Germany wins the marathon

Richard Malz-Heyne who has won the YAU marathon before and Markus Exner - both from Germany - were close together for a long time. However, Markus was able to increase his speed without much trouble and was the first marathon athlete to cross our finish line. And it did not seem that he went to his limit. As Shelley said "the guy is not even sweating!"

Regan Chernish came third, followed by Christel Bartczak and Ben Talley. It should be mentioned that Ben is from Texas and this was his first marathon. Quite brave to pick the YAU for that I would say.

Overall results for the marathon:

1. Markus Exner 3:57
2. Richard Malz-Heyne 4:03
3. Regan Chernish 4:48
4. Christel Bartzcak 5:41
5. Ben Talley 7:17

It seems that Mountain Biking is the way to go this year ...

The trail is in better condition that what we had expected with all the fresh snow. In other words, the surface is fairly hard. Alan Sheldon seems to enjoy with is Mountainbike. He is way ahead of the field and has already reached Dog Grave Lake! That means that he may be 7 hours earlier in Braeburn than we expected - because it looks like he will not rest much.

At Checkpoint 1 (Rivendell Farm) everybody was in very good spirits as it was such a nice day. What a difference to our - 40 degree start in 2008. The night will still be cold and cruel as athletes are now facing a lot of hills and a second checkpoint that seems to never arrive.

I will now update the results table and write a bit more later. Also, I will upload photographs before midnight (local time).

February 15th 7:40 PM local time

The day could not have been better

I just got back to Whitehorse and this will be a first and very brief update. More to follow later on.

We had perfect conditions today. - 20 degrees at the start and later on warming up to around - 10 with plenty of sun. EVERYBODY IS FINE! 

Start of the Yukon Arctic Ultra 2009.

Do not worry if you don't find the athlete you want to track on the SPOT shared page. It is a technical device and people may make mistakes using them. We are trying to reach the runners who are not using the Tracking Mode properly but we will only get to them at Dog Grave Lake at the earliest. The 911 and Help functions are a bit easier to activate and will work if need be.

February 13th  

SPOT shared page is up and running 

As you can see above we now have the link to our brand new SPOT shared page. It is the page where you can follow every athlete carrying a SPOT. You can see if and when an athlete sent an "okay" message - indicating that she/he is fine.  

You can also see the progress an athlete is making via the tracking. It is a signal that is sent by the SPOT every 10 minutes. Since some athlete have already received their SPOT and switched it on to test, you can already see this on the shared page. However, they are not racing, yet :-)  

Changes to our gallery  

We have made a change to our gallery to make it more user friendly. It's not working 100%, yet. It should be complete on Monday Feb. 16th.  

Training course

Today our official training course took place. Once again it has proven valuable for those with less extreme cold weather experience. Not only did people get great advise from Shelley Gellatly and Diane Patrick but also could they test their gear outside in about - 27 degrees Celsius. 

Pat Cooke-Rogers testing her sleeping bag at the training course

How do you train for this back home?

We have got two nice expamples for you. Team Helmut from UK/Australia were featured on the BBC News showing how they prepare: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7868042.stm. If you go to their website you will also find a nice Youtube video of their training in Scandinavia. By the way, Team Helmut have already raised GPB 50,000 for Breast Cancer Care with their participation in the YAU.

Example number two is a news feature of Diane van Deren on NBC: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=109657&catid=188. It was produced by Heidi McGuire who is also here with us to film Diane during her 430 mile adventure.

January 30th, 2009

430 mile finish at the Dawson Visitor Information Centre

As already indicated in the last update, we were considering some alternatives for our finish in Dawson City. I am happy to be able to tell you that the Government of Yukon has agreed to let us use the Dawson Visitor Information Centre. 

It's a nice building and it's close to the river, i.e. it should be easy to find for the athletes. For us it's great as we have got internet access and thus can update you frequently on when the 430 milers are expected to finish.

Emails to competitors

We have received quite a few enquiries regarding the possiblities of sending emails to competitors. The answer is yes it's possible. However, at the same time I have to say that we won't be able to distribute every email that we get. Since we are not a stage race it would require two volunteers or staff just dedicated to this job. In additon they would have to drive thousands of km in order to catch up with everyone - because of the spreading out of our athletes after a couple of days.

Anyway, we try our best. So, if you want to send messages please email to info[a]thegreatoutdoors.de. But only emails sent from February 15th to 28th will be delivered.

Athletes also may want to get phone cards while in Whitehorse as there are places like Braeburn, Carmacks and Pelly Crossing where it's possilbe to call abroad at very low rates.

January 17th, 2009

Hi everyone,

Talking about the weather

Well, I don't know if it is due to the overall climate changes but these days the weather in the Yukon sure is crazy. Right this minute it's + 2 degrees Celsius in Whitehorse and there is even a chance of rain. Obviously, it won't stay like this. All it shows us is that we have to be prepared for anything.

As indicated in the last newsletter we now have guidelines online which try to help athletes avoid frostbite and hypothermia. As I have written there, the list is not necessarily complete and certainly no guarantee to entirely avoiding these two problems. However, it will hopefully help.

We have also finalized the part of our safety guidelines that is about extremely cold weather. I don't want to put all of that online as it is primarily for the organizational team. However, I want show you some of it, the part that probably interests you most of all. So, here it is (again, please keep in mind that this is written for staff):

• No matter what the temperature, if an athlete obviously can't handle the cold and risks his life, we can withdraw him. If there is no immediate threat to the athlete's life, call the race director to make the decision.
                                       
• At - 30 degrees Celsius daytime high we all are in a high alert status. Forecasts will be closely monitored and decisions made accordingly. Snow machine checks will be reduced and athletes need to be aware of it.                                        
                                       
• At - 40 degrees Celsius daytime high and no change in sight, the checkpoints can expect to be informed that the athletes have to stop and stay at the checkpoint they are reaching. The race director will tell the checkpoint when to let athletes continue. A possible solution may be to make a second gear check and let the athletes continue in groups.
                                       
• If the temperature at the start is - 40 degrees Celsius we will do an out and back to the marathon finish (as in 2008). 300 and 430 mile athletes will afterwards be brought to Braeburn to continue the race. Waiting times will be credited.
                                       
• At this temperature there will be an extra checkpoint at Takhini Bridge – possibly with a wall tent. Here and at all other checkpoints the standard checking for frostbite becomes extremely important. Athletes with signs of frostbite will have to stop racing.                                        
                                       
• If the temperatures at the start are colder than - 40 degrees Celsius there will be a staff meeting to decide if the race will be postponed or extra safety measures will be put in place in order to continue anyway. The marathon will be cancelled as these athletes do not have sufficient gear to deal with these temperatures.        

I also would like to add that I know some people are so experienced they can handle extreme temperatures for quite a while whilst others have long passed their limits. However, in certain conditions we still have to stop racings as the machinery does not work anymore and more important I do not want to risk the lives of staff and volunteers.  
                                   
In all these years we only once had to stop the YAU. That was concerning the 430 mile athletes in 2007. It was so cold for such a long time that for safety reason we pulled everyone out of Scroggie. I keep my fingers crossed this time we make it to Dawson. But if the same situation happens again – no matter when – I won't hesitate a second to make the same decision.  
                                   
Blizzard new sponsor for the YAU 
                                   
In a few short years, Blizzard has progressed from its early days as a small-scale manufacturer of outdoor thermal survival products, to its current status as the market leader in its field. The range has expanded and they now sell thermal protective products to users in the military, the emergency services, the emergency preparedness agencies and disaster relief as well as the original outdoor market.
                                   
The company is based in Bethesda, North Wales, on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park.                     

Blizzard supports the YAU by providing us with survival gear that helps us deal with athletes who have got hypothermia and gear that helps us keep people a bit warmer if we have to transport them by snow machine.
                                   
If you want to find out more about their products please visit www.blizzardsurvial.com.   
                                    
Emergency checkpoint between Scroggie and Dawson
                                   
It is now confirmed that we will set up a wall tent checkpoint between Scroggie and Dawson. However, this checkpoint is an experiment and there is a chance that we won't be ready in time for the fastest 430 milers. Athletes will know once in Scroggie if the wall tent will be ready for them. For the people travelling at normal speed or the slower ones with problems we will be there.
                                   
There won't be any food. Only hot water and the shelter to warm up. I can't give the exact distance, yet. It is roughly half way between Scroggie and Dawson and the place is called Indian River.  
                                   
Our other checkpoints 
                                   
No major changes here. The marathon finish will be at Rivendell Farm next to the Takhini. Dog Grave Lake, Braeburn, Ken Lake, Carmacks, McCabe Creek, Pelly Farm and Scroggie will be the same as always. Only in Pelly Farm we will also have the back building as the athletes continuing to Dawson City have a mandatory rest. In Pelly Crossing we will likely be at the Curling Rink, a location we have used once in the past.
                                   
In Dawson City we are currently in the process of deciding which is the best place. What I can say already is that it won't be the Downtown Hotel as their Conference Room was not available. The decision will likely be made next week.
                                   
I have also updated the photo gallery with images from the checkpoints. The file name states where the picture was taken. That way e.g. you will know what the Braeburn checkpoint looks like, etc.
                                   
Apart from that you will find photographs from the trail and you will get an idea what the pulk sleds look like that everyone is using.  
                                   
Last minute shopping in Whitehorse 
                                   
Amongst athletes the most favourite place in Whitehorse before the race is definitely Coast Mountain Sports. It is the largest outdoor and sports shop in town and they have everything a participant of the YAU needs and certainly all the last minute bits and pieces that come to mind.
                                   
 As always Coast Mountain Sports is also happy to assist with ordering any gear they may not have. However, if there is any such thing (e.g. sleeping bag, stove, neo overboots), they need to know asap. The contact for YAU athletes is Ike the Assistant Manager and he can be reached by email ike@cmsyukon.ca. 
                                   
Our pre-race schedule
                                   
The following is our schedule for this year's YAU: 
                                   
Feb. 12th
17:00 - 18:00    Hand-out of rental gear, High Country Inn 
                                   
Feb. 13th
13:30 - 16:00    Indoor part of the official YAU Training Course, High Country Inn
17:30 - 21:00    Outdoor part of the official YAU Training Course, trails near Whitehorse 
                                   
Feb. 14th
08:00 - 09:00    De-brief of the official YAU Training Course, High Country Inn
09:00 - 10:30    Official Trail Briefing for ALL athletes, High Country Inn from 11:00    Start of the Yukon Quest
11:30 - 14:00    Gear check for athletes who did not participate in the Training Course and handing in and filling out missing paper work, High Country Inn
from 17:00    Pre-Race Banquet, High Country Inn 
                                  
Feb. 15th         
10:30        Start of the Yukon Arctic Ultra 2009  
                                   
Updates during the race 
                                   
We have no media centre as such, i.e. no single person dedicated to writing updates. I am the one writing the updates and often I get help by staff and volunteers. So, the frequency depends upon the availability of internet (which we do not have in all places) and the time I/we have got. Usually, there is one update once a day.
                                   
The good news is that with the SPOT you will be able to follow athletes online. There will be a link from arcticultra.de that leads you to the SPOT website. BUT PLEASE NOTE: Do not panic if the virtual button symbolizing an athlete disappears off the screen. Whilst the SPOT are very reliable it is still technology and it may fail in extreme weather conditions or a battery may simply have run out.  

Also, not all athletes have signed up for a SPOT. So, if you can't find a participant on the website, it's likely because he does not have a SPOT. He/she will of course still be visible in our results spreadsheet with the IN/OUT times at all the checkpoints. You will find the link to this spreadsheet at the bottom right of our "Welcome" pages. It will be called "Results 2009".  
                                   
Race Roster 2009 update
                                   
More athletes have signed up: 
                                   
Local volunteers Tünde Fülöp and Sylvia Anderson will run the marathon before helping with the race. They will be joined by German Markus Exner. Chantal Gagné from Whitehorse and Markus Wiaderek form Montréal have signed up for the 100 miles. Thomas Wiget from Switzerland and Luigi Mazzocchi form Italy are now part of the 300 mile race roster. Mark Hines who will write a book about his experience has signed up for the 430 miles and there may be one or two more "old friends" joining the ultimate distance. 
                                   
Welcome to you all and good luck!
                                   
Best regards,
                                   
Robert Pollhammer

December 24th, 2008

Hi everyone,

it's Christmas time and as always in past years the really cold weather has finally come to the Yukon. Luckily. We need these cold spells to have well frozen rivers and lakes. Let's just hope we won’t have a – 40 degree Celsius start again. It will make it easier for everyone.

One thing I can already predict now is that the first 20 km of trail won't be as soft as they were in 2008. The Yukon Quest will start in Whitehorse the day before us. So, the trail will have seen more traffic by the time we get on it. And unless it gets too warm it should be nice and fairly solid.

Some more news:

Our Medical Team

Compared to other ultras our medical team is rather small. I always need to emphasize this as I see a lot of the responsibility with the athletes. Also, in a lot of the emergency scenarios the athletes need to take care of the situation a long time before we get there.

Still we need a medical team and I am very happy that Eric Kocher and Diane Patrick will be back again. Both have been with the YAU several times and know what to expect and how to deal with it. If you want to find out more about Eric and Diane please check out their profiles on arcticultra.de.

Guideline for extremely cold weather

Due to the experiences from the YAU 2008 we have decided to make changes to our Safety Guidelines. These guidelines we have developed for the organizational team. One of the changes is that we will give a clear statement on what will happen if at the start it is – 40 degrees or colder again. That way we won't have to have several meetings and participants getting worried as to what will happen.

Along with it we will implement guidelines for athletes on how to deal with extremely cold temperatures and avoid frostbite and hypothermia. These will be online within the next couple of weeks.

New forum on facebook.com

Our "old" forum on arcticultra.de did not work very well. That's why I have decided to start a new forum on facebook.com. Most of you will know facebook.com already. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends and finding new ones. If you are not a member yet it's not difficult, either. Signing up is simple and it's free of charge. If you click on "Forum" on the left side in the menu, it will take you right to it. If you are not a facebook.com member you will have to sign up in order to get there.

SPOT test on the go

Mike Simon from Whitehorse who is coordinating the checkpoints and snowmobile crew is currently testing our first SPOT. For those new to the newsletter, these SPOT devices will be given to athletes free of charge. Only the 100 and 300 mile athletes need to pay the basic service fee. The SPOT which values 199.00 EUR everyone gets to keep. With it we and people back home can track the participants and the participants can ask for help or in case of an emergency for rescue.

It is the first time that the SPOT will be used so extensively in such a potentially harsh environment. With the testing we will get valuable experience for the race. To find out more about SPOT, please check www.findmespot.eu.

Sat Phone rental

To make the YAU as save as possible the organizing team also needs satellite phones. The company we rent from is Total North in Whitehorse. Unfortunately, Globalstar still does not work well. So, the best choice is Iridium. Weekly rental is CAD 125.00. With these phones you can share special moments on the trail with friends and family. And it is a very good safety back-up for those doing the 300 and 430 miles. It's not mandatory but we do recommend it.

On www.totalnorth.ca/sat_phones.html you can download their rental form. If you do want to rent one, don't hesitate very long because they may need to organise additional phones and that takes a couple of weeks.

Race Roster 2009 update

Many great athletes have joined the race roster since my last update.

Regan Chernish from Calgary will run the marathon. Günter Roth and Kurt Wallnberger from Austria and Daniel Marcoux from Canada will be in the 100 mile race. Peter Mild from Sweden will give the 300 miles another go. And there are more new faces, too: Francis Beauvallet from France and John Quinn from England. For John the temperature change will be quite extraordinary as he currently works in Dubai … On the way to Dawson City we will see David Berridge from England and Enrico Ghidoni who already finished the YAU 300. There is Sophie Collett from England and with Canadian Cyd Fraser the first women to try this distance on XC-Ski. She will be joined by her brother Scott Fraser. Together they are Team Air North.

Welcome to you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Robert Pollhammer

December 9th, 2008

Team Helmut's limited Edition YAU 2009 Buffs now online  

Team Helmut - YAU 2009, 300 miles, foot

In the last news update I informed you about Team Helmut and their initiative to raise money for the Breast Cancer Care charity. One of their ideas was to get Buff to produce limited Editon YAU 2009 BUFFs. Both, the POLAR BUFF and the ORIGINAL BUFF are now available for purchase on Racelite.com. Alternatively, you can also purchase the BUFFs from Simon Bayliff of Team Helmut directly (simonbayliff[at]btinternet.com). 100% of the profits go to the charity.

November 11th, 2008

Hi everyone,

here are the latest news:

Montane new YAU sponsor  

I am very happy to be able to announce that Montane have come on board to sponsor the Yukon Arctic Ultra. Montane is a brand which epitomises the spirit of the Yukon Arctic Ultra; their philosophy for lightweight and breathable clothing products which provide protection from the elements makes Montane an ideal clothing partner. Tim Butcher, Marketing Manager commented "We are delighted to be able to support what is such an iconic ultra distance race, the terrain and conditions encountered during the Yukon Arctic Ultra are a real test for competitors as well as their kit making it one of the most challenging races in the world and one which Montane hope to continue to support in the future".  

If you want to know more about Montane, please check out www.montane.co.uk. We will soon features certain Montane products as YAU merchandise.  

News on the YAU and SPOT  

All YAU 430 mile athletes will be equipped with a SPOT unit free of charge. This will include the unit itself valued at EUR 199.00, the EUR 99.00 basic service fee and the EUR 39.00 tracking feature. Athletes doing the 100 and 300 mile race can get the units and the tracking feature free of charge. The only thing they need to pay is the EUR 99.00 for the basic service fee.    

After the race, all athletes get to keep their SPOT.

The basic service fee includes:  

• ALERT 9-1-1: Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
  
• CHECK IN: Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. Unlimited Check In emails included. Up to 200 annual Check-In or Help text messages to any mobile phone, worldwide, are also included in the plan. Additional text messages cost  EUR 0.10 per message.
• ASK FOR HELP: Request help from friends and family at your exact location. Unlimited Help emails included. Up to 200 annual Check-In or Help text messages to any mobile phone, worldwide, are also included in the plan. Additional text messages cost  EUR 0.10 per message.  
  

The tracking fee means that you can send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using Google Maps™, i.e. we and people back home can track your progress.  

All athletes may also purchase the GEOS Search & Rescue Benefit for an additional fee of EUR 11.00. This provides up to $100,000 (USD) of additional search and rescue resources, including helicopter extraction around the world and reimbursement benefits – underwritten by Lloyd’s of London – for any emergency service expenses incurred. For more information, including terms and conditions, visit www.geosalliance.com/sar.

Thank you Yukon Quest  


Photography Harald Eisenberger

When I first contacted the Yukon Quest office in 2002 to tell them what I would like to do they were uncertain what to think of me and these people who were wanting to run, cycle or ski on the trail. We have always appreciated the fact that we can use this trail the Canadian Rangers put in primarily for the Quest. Dog teams always have the right of way – even if they are not part of this legendary sled dog race. Also, we have adjusted our timing in order not to get in the way of the mushers as one of their main concerns is damage to the trail which in turn may injure dogs or lead to disadvantages for teams in it to win it. Last but not least, I believe that the mushers have come to appreciate the adventurous spirit of our athletes. They are much alike. Just that we don't have the dogs with us …  

As a little thank you I have decided that 50% of the income from all marathon entries will be contributed to the Yukon Quest. In addition for local athletes the entry fee to the 2009 YAU marathon will be no more than CAD 50.00 even for late entries. That way we hope to attract more Yukon athletes.  

Obviously, this contribution to the Quest is not gigantic as we do not have that many marathoners. However, it is a gesture and a thank you for all these years of very good cooperation.    

From the Yukon to Antarctica  

Ultra running is something very inspiring. Due to it’s extreme nature, the YAU seems to be extremely inspiring. For Ray Zahab the YAU was truly a turning point. For this Canadian runner the participation in the 100 mile race of 2004 was his first ultra. He finished in little over 28 hours and won. What Ray has been doing ever since is quite incredible. Apart from winning many other ultras the Canadian athlete ran across the entire Sahara – from coast to coast. In a few weeks time Ray along with two other athletes will run more than 1,000 km from Hercules Inlet, Hercules Inlet, Antarctica, to the geographic South Pole. They will attempt to do it in a record time of 35 days. In an interview with host George Stroumboulopoulos on The Hour Ray talks about this new project. If you want to follow Ray’s progress check out www.impossible2possible.com.  

With Will Gow and Henry Worsley it was a bit different. When they came to the Yukon in 2005 to do the 300 mile race they already had a inspiration. A very big plan. They are descendants of Sir Ernest Shackleton's band of Antarctic explorers. And as such they decided to finish some unfinished family business, i.e. recreate the 1909 Nimrod Expedition and get to the South Pole. Something Shackleton and his comrades were not able to achieve at the time. 97 miles before reaching their goal they had to turn around.  

At the moment Will and Henry are in Punta Arenas waiting for their onward journey Patriot Hills Airbase in Antarctica and then down to Shackleton's hut, close to Mount Erebus - the world's southernmost volcano. While in Punta Arenas they were invited to a nearby house which used to belong to a local influential family. In their visitors book was an entry from Ernest Shackleton written in July 1916 after the Endurance journey when he was arranging the rescue from Elephant Island. As well as signing the book he wrote a short poem which you can see below:  


EH Shackleton July 1916    

If you want to follow the progress of this exciting expedition, check out www.shackletoncentenary.org.    

Team Helmut's Limited Edition YAU 2009 Buff for a good cause  

Team Helmut who signed up for the YAU 300 have had a great idea to raise money for a good cause. Well, I guess their entire project is about raising money for the Breast Cancer Care charity. However, as part of it they got Buff to produce a limited Edition YAU 2009 - 50 regular Buffs and 50 Polar Buffs. 100% of the profits go to the Breast Cancer Care charity. The normal Buff is £ 20.00 (EUR 25.00) and the Polar Buff is £ 30.00 (EUR 37.00).

If you are interested in purchasing one of these Buffs, please get in touch directly with Simon Bayliff of Team Helmut (simonbayliff[at]btinternet.com) or check out www.racelite.com where we will have the Buff available shortly.  

YAU Mountain Bike  

You would not believe the feedback we get from people looking at this bike. "What on earth is this …?"



Well, it’s the official YAU Mountain Bike powered by Bike Point Jena a bike specialist store in the east of Germany. I know Peter, the owner, from the Adventure Races I organise here in Germany and Austria. When he found out about the YAU and the fact that Mountain Bikers may be interested in a special bike put together her in Germany, he went right at it. To be fair, there are other people, e.g. in Alaska, making bikes just as good – in the end a lot of the components are the same. The advantage is now that European Mountain Bikers interested in doing an extreme winter race can get their bike in Germany. Less shipment cost and better service.  

The basic price for this bike is EUR 2,395.00. However, there are many options and basically each bike will be made to the demands of the specific athlete. So, prices may vary. If you are interested in more detailed information in the component possibilities, delivery times, etc. please let me know.

October 4th, 2008

Hi everyone,

after 4 R'ADYS Trophy Adventure Races I can now focus on the Yukon again. The R'ADYS Trophy is a series of Adventure Races which I organize. Information and impressions of these races you will find on radys-trophy.com.

Norcan and Lestra sponsor the YAU again 

Norcan the number one place for rental cars in the Yukon will help us with free rental vehicles again in 2009. This company from Whitehorse has done that ever since we started. Support like this from local companies is very important as it helps us not having to increase the entry fees.

So, if you need a rental car before or after the race, get in touch with Norcan. Their fleet is great and their service is awesome. You will find more information on norcan.yk.ca.

Lestra a company based in France and specialised in producing sleeping systems and backpacks will also help us again. For this year's race it did not work out in time but for the upcoming race Lestra have now produced a Yukon Arctic Ultra Special Edition Down Sleeping bag.

The technical features:

Extreme temperature range: down to - 46° C
Weight: 2,300 g (incl. stuff sack)
Size: 225 cm long, 55 cm wide in the foot area and 90 cm wide at the shoulders
Packing size: can be compressed to 32 x 35 cm
Fabric outside/inside: 290T Micro Polyster, wind, water and dirt resistant
Fill: 1.500 g original white quality down (95/5) and 750 Cuin

Including a rugged compression stuff sack from 150D Oxford Nylon

The YAU extras: In order for the sleeping bag to work well at the Yukon Arctic Ultra and other extreme cold weather adventures the sleeping bag has some extras designed into it, e.g. double zipper cover, extra large YKK quality zippers in order to open and close it with gloves, extra insulation in the head area, a bag for water bladders inside.

The regualar sales price is EUR 699.00. Lestra provides us with 10 rental sleeping bags, i.e. "first come first serve". The rental fee is EUR 250.00 regardless of the race distance. Also, YAU athletes may purchase the sleeping bag for EUR 599.00. If you are interested, please send an email to info@thegreatoutdoors.de.

You will soon also find info about bivy bag and sleeping mat solutions from Lestra in the section on rental gear on arcticultra.de.

Racer Roster 2009 Update

Since my last update there has been quite an increase again. Friedhelm Fink from Germany joined the 100 mile race roster. He was talked into it by Peter Schaudt who signed up earlier in the year. Mike Thomas, Jez Kearney and Pat Cooke-Rogers, all from the UK, also will have a go at the 100 miler.

At the 300 mile race we have a new athlete whom I want to wish an extra big portion of luck. It’s Mark Melville-Taylor from England who is back to give it a third try after having to stop last time due to a bad cold. Michael Wardas from Canada and Spaniard Salvador Ribot i Pons will go to Pelly Crossing, too.

On the way to Dawson City we have two new athletes who know the YAU very well. Sean Brown from England can be considered a "YAU-addict" and is back for the fourth time. For Bruce Thompson from the US it will be the third participation. Last but not least, there is Andres Martin Ruz from Spain who signed up today!

I wish you all good luck and fun in your training and preparation phase.

Booking flights

I am about to book my flights and was told that a the moment there still are some good rates available. So, if you know for sure you will join us don't hesitate much longer with the flight booking. Soon the prices will go up.

Also, if you book please keep in mind that you may have to participate in the training course (Feb. 13th to 14th). And even if you do not participate in the course I do recommend you don’t plan a last minute arrival. It has happened in the past that luggage was lost on the way. It has always been found and delivered in time for the race. However, if you only arrive the day before the race this can cause you a headache that you don't want.

News from Racelite.com

• Check out the Sale section. You will find interesting gear for the YAU at reduced prices, e.g. sleeping bags from Lestra, pants from Montane, longsleeve tops from iRULE, Marmot Expedition Mitts, etc.
• Great Yukon Arctic Ultra gear: The Montane Extreme Smock is a piece of kit which you will really enjoy at the race. It has an active cut with drop tail, great possibilities for ventilation, warm and detachable hood, removable crotch strap, etc. The price at 129.95 € is great value for money. And it is also available as a women's version.

Preview

With the next update we I will let you know the latest news on the GPS SPOT Tracking (see also update from July 30th). And I will introduce you to the Yukon Arctic Ultra Mountain Bike made by Bike Point Jena – that thing is awesome!

July 30th, 2008

Hi everyone,

how are you all doing? There have not been any news updates for a while because I am busy organising Adventure Races. Those of you who are from Europe should check it out. The website www.radys-trophy.com is available in English, too. Our 100 km distances are great training for any ultra races.

Start of this year's first race, the R'ADYS Trophy in Garmisch-Partenkirchen   

YAU Crew 2009    

At this point it looks like once again our experienced crew will be there to support the race, i.e. Jessica and Mike Simon, Murray, Kevin and of course our local volunteers. Although, rumour has it that some of our volunteers may be busy running the trails!    

Race Roster 2009    

Our race roster looks good already. There are familiar faces like German Richard Malz-Heyne who will be back to run the marathon. Klaus Schweinberger from Austria and Andy Heading from England will have a second go at the 430 miles. And they will not be alone. Yukoner Shelley Gellatly will try it, too. She is joined by Jerym Brunton (New Zealand), Peter Jansen (Germany) and Alan Sheldon (England) who will take his bike. With Hubert Gantioler from Austria we also have a xc-skier with quite the athletic background. Hubert holds the world record in 24 mountain running and 12 hour xc-skiing, came 12th in the MdS 2007 to name just a few of his achievements. If he can stick to his plan he is going to make us work hard to keep up with him. The 300 mile race roster is full of newcomers. Simon Bayliff, Andy Polock, Julian Bartlett, Carlyle Jenkins and Ben Hammersley. All from London! So far Javier Subias Olivan is the only one not coming from England. He brings with him quite extensive experience in high altitude climbing. Last but not least, the 100 mile race. For this distance Mark Morgan and William Morris from Wales were the first ones to sign up. Followed by Marianne Heading from England who will have another go and Peter Schaudt from Germany who is looking forward to some cold weather. Welcome to you all!    

I have also written back and forth with a lot of athletes wanting to sign up for the 430 miles. Most of them have participated in the YAU at least once before. It will almost be like a reunion ;-)    

Gear

Those of you who want to buy gear at reduced prices should write me a quick email. I have put together an excel file with products that I have on SALE (Páramo and iRULE clothing, extremities gloves, Lestra sleeping bags). Upon request I will email you this file.    

In general you may want to have a look at my online shop www.racelite.com. I have put together a range of products which is great for (ultralight) Endurance Running and Adventure Racing.    

Entry Fee    

If you are thinking about signing up for next year's YAU please keep in mind that fees will go up by EUR 100 if you enter after August 31st, 2008.  

SPOT Technology    

I am currently in negotiation with SPOT, a company which has come up with a great product for races such as the Yukon Arctic Ultra. The SPOT is a Satellite Messenger. It has four basic functions:    

1. "Ask for help": Request help from friends and family at your exact location (in case of the YAU, we are your "friends")
   
2. "Check-in": Let contacts know where you are and that you are okay.  
   
3. "Alert 911": A GEOS 911 call is initiated and professional rescuers come to get you.
4. "Track Progress": We can and everybody else who goes to arcticultra.de can track your progress. The entire route is also stored and can be reviewed after the race.  
   

The awesome thing is that the SPOT is tiny and light. It only weighs 209 g!!! It's operating temperature goes down to – 40 degrees F. The only thing that is not perfect is that it won't work well under tree cover.  

So, all athletes already signed up or thinking about it PLEASE NOTE: SPOT are willing to sponsor all YAU athletes who do the distances 100, 300 and 430 miles with a free SPOT device (retail price is EUR 199,-) which is yours to take after the race. I need to find a way now to finance the service fees. The annual fees are split up as follows:  

• BASIC (911, HELP, OK) EUR 99
  
• TRACKING EUR 30
  
• GEOS insurance EUR 11
  

Since I have not budgeted for these fees I can't pay them out of the race budget. I would be more than happy to contribute but I need your help to cover the cost. So, please give me your feedback how much you would be willing to pay if the SPOT device is yours to keep after the race.
For more information on the product please go to www.findmespot.com.  

Accommodation at the High Country Inn  

The High Country Inn will once again provide athletes with reduced room rates. The YAU rate for the Superior Room is CAD 89 (instead of CAD 129) and the Executive Suites for CAD 129 (instead of CAD 199). The rates also include a continental breakfast.

IMPORTANT: If you make the booking please give them the group number 34318.  

The HCI contact details are:

Email: info@highcountryinn.yk.ca
Phone: (867) 667-4471
Toll-Free Reservations: 1-800-554-4471 (within Canada & U.S.)
Fax: (867) 667-6457 4051  

4th Avenue
Whitehorse
Yukon Y1A 1H1
CANADA  

If you want to check out other options for accommodation, please go to www.travelyukon.com.  

March 6th, 2008

Dates for the YAU 2009  

For all of you interested in the YAU 2009 I have the dates! We start Feb. 15th at 10.30 in Whitehorse. If you like dog mushing you will once again be able to witness the start of the Yukon Quest the day before. It's a great experience to see all these dog teams taking off into the wilderness.    

I will soon have a booking reference number if you want to stay at the HCI. It will get you a discount and a breakfast included in your room rate. Since the Quest is in town I recommend you book your accommodation as early as possible. The same goes for flights. The earlier you book the more money you can safe!    

When you make your travel plans, please keep in mind that you need to participate in our training course if you have no prior extreme cold weather experience. This course will take place Feb. 13th to 14th.

But even if you do not participate in the training course I recommend you travel a couple of days early. It will enable you to adjust to the climate and time difference and it will give extra time if your luggage is lost. As far as the latter is concerned it happens almost every year to some athletes. The good news is that in 6 years all lost luggage has always been found and delivered in time for the race. Still a bit of safety margin won’t hurt.    

If you have any questions, please get in touch with myself or with your country representative (see Application section).

Filming/Media in 2009 

I would like to try and get an independent filming crew to the YAU next year. If you want to participate and think TV stations in your country may be interested in showing a short documentary of your adventure, please get in touch with me.    

If you are a journalist or you want to take a journalist/TV Crew along who will write about/film your adventure, please let me know. Tourism Yukon will give financial support to any media who guarantee good coverage in the primary target markets.  

What do we do if it is -40 again at the start?    

Some people have asked me what we will do if it is – 40 again at the start. The answer is we will start the race. The only thing that may make us delay the start is if it is that cold and there are considerable winds.    

The difference will be that next year we will decide the weeks before the race (depending on snow/trail conditions) where an alternative route would take us to. It could be the out-and-back we had or it may be other trails that allow us good access by road.   

In general I hope that the lessons learned this year help us avoid some of those frostbites. I will soon work on something in the FAQ section that will help you being prepared.    

Gear for the YAU 2009    

I will soon have some used gear of this year's race available for purchase on racelite.com.    

If you are uncertain about what you need, you will also find a useful gear list on that website (which I will update still in March).    

I also appreciate any feedback from past races, e.g. if you were really happy with a certain piece of kit or you found out that something did not work at all (especially in the extreme temperatures).   

R'ADYS Trophy – Adventure Racing Series by the Great Outdoors    

Some of you may know it already. In the summer time I organise Adventure Races in the Alps. This year there are 4 races as part of our series. The English part of our website is not up and running, yet. However, if you check www.radys-trophy.com in the next week or so, you will find all information there.    

I always recommend Adventure Racing as a great way of training endurance as there usually is quite some elevation and the races are up to 24 hours.

February 24th, 2008

Final Race Report - This was truly extreme!

It was the 6th Yukon Arctic Ultra. And what I said a couple of years ago once again has come true. Every race will see the athletes, staff and volunteers face new challenges. In 2008 it was the coldest start we have ever had. As a matter of fact with – 40 degrees Celsius it was the coldest marathon or start of a running race ever to be held.

Our arrival in Whitehorse was towards the end of one of the longest cold spells in the Yukon. Uncle Hugh who takes care of the weather station in Pelly Farm told me that they had had -50 degrees Celsius or colder for two weeks. That was a first for him and Uncle Hugh has been recording the weather for a looong time.

Luckily the Rangers had put in a lot of the trail before the cold spell. However, the bit from Whitehorse to the Takhini River was not put in, yet. It was supposed to be ready for us but nobody wanted to go out doing trail work in – 50. Having been out on a snowmobile in – 40 in 2007 myself I can totally relate to that.

For our athletes it meant that they not only had it extremely cold the first day and night. They were also faced with a soft trail for the first 13 miles. Thus for the first time in YAU history we actually recommended to take along snowshoes. As far as I know, those who did follow the recommendation were quite happy with it.

As if all this was not challenging enough another measure caused even more difficulty. Mike Simon who had to postpone the preparation for our remote checkpoint Dog Grave Lake wanted to give it one last try the Friday before the race. With the extreme temperatures he did not even get out of his shop. A call to Braeburn did not improve things, either. “It’s – 55 here this morning”, was the answer to the question regarding the current temperatures in the area.

With the weather forecast predicting no change we had to act. Safety first. So, we announced at the pre-race meeting that we will have a marathon as planned but a changed race course for the rest of the 100 and 300 mile races. We would later on decide how to continue after 100 miles, closely monitoring the weather forecast. The decision was taken by the entire organisational team and it was great to get Steve Reifenstuhl’s input, one of the most experienced winter running athletes out there. Steve told us that he had never raced in these kind of temperatures and he found it appropriate to react and make changes to the race course.

On the day of our race start we had a plan. We wanted to run in a large “Y” with plenty of access to the race course by road. However, again machinery failed shortly before the start and we decided to keep things even simpler and thus as safe as possible. The announcement was made that we would do an out and back race course for the first 100 miles, i.e. to the marathon finish, back to Whitehorse, to the marathon finish and back to Whitehorse again. In a way it seemed that most athletes were quite happy with this decision at first. However, when the 100 and 300 milers realised they had to go over that soft snow towards Whitehorse four times, they sure were not happy anymore.

I can’t emphasise enough how hard this was and how much of an achievement both physically and psychologically it is to have finished the first 100 miles.

But back to the beginning. Funnily, the weather forecast had changed just a few hours before the scheduled race start. Still we were not going to change our decision as the end of the cold spell had been predicted already several times. And I am glad we did not change it as it would have meant even worse frostbites than what we were to see. Athletes would have pushed on to Dog Grave Lake and caused even more damage to their toes, fingers and faces.

For the marathon athletes it was as tough as for the others. However, they had additional challenges. None had snowshoes. Trying to go fast on soft snow makes things worse. Less clothing caused Camelbaks to freeze early and it made all but one runner quit before the finish. Local athlete Keith Thaxter can proudly call himself the finisher of the world’s coldest marathon ever!

At this point I would also like to thank all the volunteers who helped set up the marathon finish at Rivendell Farm. Getting a checkpoint ready and waiting there in – 40 degrees is not a piece of cake, either! Thanks Beth, Myra, Kim, Tammy, Tunde, Sylvia, Shelley, Eric and Mike.

We knew it was cold but we were surprised how fast the cold took its toll. Back in Whitehorse we were waiting for athletes in the Riverview Hotel checkpoint. For a lot of them it was the end of the race already. Frostbite was the primary reason. What was a learning for them and us is that you can feel strong and fine. Still you may get or have frostbite as 100 mile athletes Michael Patmore and Markus Wiaderek found out. Most athletes did not expect to see blue toes or fingers when they took off their shoes or gloves. Luckily, it looks like all will recover. Some have already emailed me and are keen on coming back to have another go. Only Heike Pawzik from Germany may need an operation on one of her toes. And believe it or not, Heike wants to come back in 2 years, too. “If Reinhold Messner can climb Mountains with just a few toes, it won’t stop me either …”, was her comment when I brought her to the airport.

Others, like Marianne Heading or Thomas Wiget had decided to stop because they did not want to go over that soft snow again and again. That and the cold as such were also Alexandre’s and Eduardo's reasons for quitting. Although, I was impressed at how well Eduardo handled the cold. He had no signs of frostbite. Coming for a warm part of Spain (not that there are many cold places there ...) that was quite an achievement.

Thomas Farrell was a victim of the soft snow, too. He twisted a knee and had to give up. Roderick Rennison got along with the cold better than his brother Mark who got bad frostbite during our training course. Mark is recovering but due to his circulation problem the doctors recommended he better not try this again. For Roderick it was a problem with an old injury that made him decide to stop.

300 milers Martin King and Richard Anderson got in trouble because the valve on Martin’s drinking bladder had a leak and got him very wet. In – 40 degrees Celsius that is a serious problem. They managed to deal with it but decided to scratch after reaching checkpoint 1.

Like Thomas Farrell, Mark Allen who originally had signed up for the 300 miles, already changed to the 100 miles before the start. Mark got frostbite on one of his fingers, too. However, he did reach the finish and placed 2nd after Will Laughlin from the States. Will’s performance was impressive. Like the others he suffered. With him it was breathing problems that slowed him right down on the final miles but he made it.

Charlie Norton had teamed up with Kevin Smith. Both reached the finish of the 100 miles and placed 3rd. The Germans Raffael Zeller and Folker Schulz made it, too. Considering the fact that their sleds weighed about 50 kg each they did very well!

By far the fastest athlete on the 100 miles was Steve Reifenstuhl. His performance was unbelievable. It made us wonder if he indeed is from planet earth? It also showed us that Steve very likely would have set the new 300 mile record. The problem for him was that his record would not be comparable to the one Stefano Miglietti set with his friend Enrico Ghidoni last year. And it would not be comparable to future races, either. That is why Steve decided not to continue the race.

So, we were left with 3 out of 10 athletes in the 300 mile competition, Diane (USA), Jerym (New Zealand) and Chris (Netherlands). For logistical reasons we decided to bring them right to Pelly Crossing and then head back south towards Braeburn. At the beginning the temperatures were still chilly. Then the weather warmed up. I believe in the end we had + 9 degrees in Braeburn! As always a weather change creates different challenges. Strong winds had blown in a lot of the trails on the lakes and in the woods the trail became softer and softer.

Jerym had to give up because of shin splints while Diane and Chris were able to continue right to the finish. “I can’t imagine anything more difficult”, was Diane’s comment after it was all over. “My feet have never been this bad”, she told me. Chris had bad feet, too. However, he was already “running” up the stairs again at the High Country Inn and maybe we will see him back for the 430 miles next year.

To sum it up “this was truly extreme …”

I also want to say that I am proud to be able to organise such a tough race. However, I am not happy if so many athletes can’t finish and I am certainly not happy if people get frostbite. The latter is of course a risk that will always be part of the experience but I am sure with the learnings from this year future participants can do things to avoid this problem. Thus we will hopefully also see more finishers even if we start in such cold temperatures again.

I would like to thank all volunteers and staff, the ones I already mentioned above but also Marianne for walking 79 miles with Diane (!!!), Jessica and Mike for all the preparation work and the support during the race, Thomas Wiget who took such great care of Heike, Shelley, Andy and Jacob for being such great race reps, Dave for the maps, Eric for being such a patient medical support. Thank you Kevin and Murray for doing such a great job out on the trails!

Last but not least I want to thank all our checkpoints, the Yukon Quest, the Canadian Rangers and our sponsors!