Extreme World Sports Festival - Montpellier France

Wow....  that's really all I can say....  5 days of the best....

Team Commie Bar at the Odyssey Wild Wonderful 24 hour

Summit Adventure Racing - Team Commie Bar ventured down to southern WV to take part in the Odyssey Wild Wonderful 24 hour Adventure Race over the weekend.  Here's the race report

I got onsite at Ace Adventure Resorts by 5pm or so on Friday.  Dan was a bit behind me and Eric was having tire problems with his car and was way late.  I took the time to get my bike put together and outfitted with gear then after Dan got on site we went to race check in.

There was not much planning we could do on this race because they were not going to give out race maps and books till the morning.  That plus the fact they would be unable to start the race with the Class IV/V run on the New River because it was running at 16 feet over flood stage.  The decision was made to bus us out to the take out point and start the race from there.  The initial perception was this would be a foot/trekking intensive course.

We grabbed some chow at the restaurant and got ready for the race brief at 2030 hrs.  It was pretty straight forward.  Come dressed to race tomorrow and get on the bus.  We went back to the tent camps and I hit the rack pretty much right after cause I was packed up.  I did make some changes to the clothing as it looked like it would be cold.  I'm glad I did.

The next morning dawned clear but cold.  We grabbed a coffee and went to the race HQ.  I didn't eat too much in the morning but brought an Ensure for the bus ride.  It always worries me to start the race with a bus ride because by nature we begin overhydrating and sitting on a bus for over an hour having to use the bathroom is awful.

We got down to the bottom of the New River Gorge by 0745.  Looking at the river it was imperative that the rafting be cancelled.  I don't think I've ever seen a river that scary.

The race began at the take out point and started with a simple foot run up the river road to CP 1.  After that we were permitted to descend back to the river to pick up our bikes and begin the long slog out of the gorge on two wheels.  We got up pretty quick and then a long descent back to the bottom to cross the river over an old bridge and then climb again.  It was a pretty intense climb that had us carrying bikes up stairs and over rock strewn trails to CP 2.  Here we dropped bikes and made our way running into Fayetteville to grab two points in town.  The entire run was about 4 miles or so and then back to the bikes.

The first mistake of the race was coming out of CP 2 on bikes.  We took the wrong trail and ended up backtracking back down to a low portion of the trail coming out of the gorge.  We lost a good hour plus before getting on track.  From there we were pretty successful in getting the mandatories of CP 6, 7, 8 and then circled back up to grab all the remaining optionals on the bike (CP 9, 10, 11, 12) before heading into Mandatory CP 13 and the transition to foot.

We took the time to change clothes and were given 6 new CP locations/grid plots and had to plot them on our map.  Many of them were in the same area as the bike portion.  Of the 6 grids, only one was mandatory but were able to get 4 of the 5 optionals before making our way up the mountain where CP 16 was at.  We got there about 8pm and it was going to get dark on us soon so we stopped to dig out night gear and lights.

It was a very long foot movement from 16 down to CP 20.  We had problems here not in finding the marker but we believe there was a misprint on the directions for what we were supposed to write down on the passport sheet to indicate we had been there.  From here we nailed 21 and things began to fall apart a bit.

First off the maps were not very good.  We had been given a topo map that basically had crayon marks on it for the trails.  The other map was supposed to be a trail map but was not very good either.  Second off the fog began to roll in.  We couldn't see 5 feet in front of our face.  And lastly we we're getting tired.  We had been trekking since 5pm the previous day.  We stumbled and missed getting CP 25.  From there we moved up to the saddle and could not find CP 26 at all.  We bailed and decided it would be wise to move close to the finish.

Halfway back we looked at the map and decided that there were at least 3 points on the way to the finish.  We initially missed what looked like would be an easy point but then we went down this stream bed further and got it.  We nailed two more before cruising down the final trail to the finish.

All in all we got all six mandatories and then 22 optionals.  That would be good enough for 2nd place.

P.S.  Just checked and we are now number 1 in the nation in the point series..

TEAM COMMIE BAR LEADS THE WAY...

The 2014 Yough Extreme

After a brutal winter that forced a lot of training indoors, it was time for the first real test of the season. 3 weeks ago I had taken the ASI team down to Germantown for a 6 hour race and had felt pretty good about my conditioning. Moving that up to 10 hours is quite a bit more and in the brutal terrain of Ohiopyle state park means a lot more!!
 The team roster was this: Team Captain: Todd Copley Team Mule: Dan (Bait) Schaefer Team Newbie: Eric Lapp

We met up at Wilderness Voyageurs at 6pm on Friday and got the maps, clue sheets and passport. It looked like a pretty straightforward linear race and we quickly plotted the points and devised a route we thought would work. The distances didn't quite look like 10 hours worth of racing but..... you never know. After beers and grub at the Falls City Pub where we looked more at the maps, we headed up to the campground. I had the college big van and ended up sleeping in there. Actually slept great after we did some final preparation for the race. We got up at 0600 and showered and got dressed and made our way down to Ohiopyle by 0715 for coffee then up to Sugar Loaf for the start of the race by 0730. The race gun went off at 0800.

Here's the stages Stage 1: 8 mile run that took us over Sugarloaf and along the trail to the road crossing and firetower road. On a spur off firetower road was CP 1 and we nailed it. From there it was the typical long slog down firetower road to the paddle section at Ramcat. We ran FAST down the road and put a great amount of distance on a lot of the competitors. We got to Ram cat after about 1.25 hours and grabbed our boats and moved to the put in.

 Stage 2: Paddle The Middle Yough is the same every time we race at Ohiopyle. We were all a bit concerned about the temperatures and knew we'd be cold on the two hours or so of paddling. I pulled some rain pants over my tights but left my shoes on as well as just my race jersey covered by the PDF. I was pretty comfortable the whole paddle but always when you get out you have "wooden" legs and feet. So...... off we went. Me and Eric in one and Bait in another. The water seemed low to me and the paddle was uneventful other than twice we got hung up on a rock. The second time was most concerning because we COULD NOT get pushed off until I virtually got my hand in the water and on the rock. We wasted 10 minutes or so on this and coincidently this was the amount of time we lost on the paddle to the 1st place team. When we got to the take out we hauled the boats up and they told us there was an optional point over at the Fern Cliff portion of Opyle. We jogged down into town and crossed the railroad tressle bridge and out onto the peninsula to nail the point then turn around and head back to the take out and the beginning of the Baughman trail to the top of the mountain.....

 Stage 3: Trek As straightforward as can be. Up the Baughman......... Up, Up, Up.... This is always a slog and we kept a decent pace up the climb to get to CP 4 and the Baughman Overlook. I looked at our times after the race and we were on pace with the leaders on this segment to the top but it appears after that CP they notched the pace up (probably ran the rest of the way in) and we continued to trek into CP 5 and the transition to bike.....

Stage 4: Mountain Bike Going up Baughman I didn't eat because I knew I had a philly cheese steak in the pack at the transition area. When I got there I started gulping this down as I changed into bike gear. It was a great sandwich with banana peppers and jalapenos.... That said not eating for the hour plus up the Baughman would come back to haunt me. We took off on bikes and glided into CP 6 and then on the way out to CP 7 I got the first of the "Bonks"..... just a tired feeling that had me pushing the bike on sections I'd normally ride. We nailed CP7 and there was a decision point. We could backtrack the way we came to pick up a fire road over to CP 8 or do some bushwacking from CP 7 thru the woods. We elected to backtrack and I'm glad we did. We got to the top of Sugarloaf dropped the bikes and humped down to nail CP 8. I was still hurting but knew I had enough to get out the pipeline to CP 9 to clear the course.

 The Finish: After bombing back we crossed the finish line and learned there was one more optional point on the top of Sugar Loaf Knob. I grabbed a coke and we headed out on foot. 25 minutes later we were standing on top and got the point and returned to the finish. Afterwards we headed into Ohiopyle for free beer and music and the awards ceremony. The Race Org totally botched the awards and the finishing times. We actually ended up in third place which is where I thought we were the whole time.... another great day in the woods. TCOPE

Did I say Free Beer....

Season Opener: Brake The Habit 6 hour race with the ASI Adventure Racing Team

As "Coach" TCOPE of the Garrett College/Adventure Sports Institute Adventure Racing Team I had plugged this into the schedule pretty late and decided to use this as a team selection event (and a nice little workout for me).  Originally slated for 3 disciplines, they pulled the paddle leg out of the race due to the weather and ice on the lake.


That left just Mountain biking and trekking.  We fielded two 3 man teams and I was a third on one just to get a workout and help the team learn about racing.
We drove down from Deep Creek at 4am and got on site in Germantown just as map distribution was taking place at 7am.  This was a first adventure race for the students and I was bopping around trying to help them get organized and plan routes and logistics as well as get ready myself.  The race flow ended up being this:
1.  A quick prologue to get 2 of 3 points on foot (your choice of points) and then back to the transition area.
2.  A bike section that took us to the western reaches of the park for Check points 4-12
3.  The return back to transition on bike for check point 13
4.  A foot orienteering course for 11 optional CPs
5.  Back on the bikes for checkpoints 14-19.

Our team with Jason and Adam and me took off to get points 2 & 3.  There were over 178 racers and 77 teams so there was a buzz at the start as people went crazy to get out into the field.  We got the two points and headed back tot he bike.

We transitioned onto bike and headed north up the park road and then west.  We picked up CP 12 and then turned around to head back on the trail down to CP 10.  We ditched the bikes and made our way up the steep ridge to nail CP 11 and then crossed the ridge and down to the stream to hit CP 9 and then back to bikes.
We paralled the lake on bikes and Adam got a flat on the way to CP 7.  Jason quickly fixed Adam's flat in 5 minutes and we we're on our way.  We nailed CP 7 and then down to CP 6 where we dropped the bikes again and made our way around the lake inlet to CP 5.  We then decided to leave CP 4 and make our way back to the transition area and CP 13.

The ride back was uneventful and we pulled into the TA and checked in.  We were given a new map with 11 orienteering points on them.  I decided to make our way up the eastern side on foot and hit all the points on that side and see how much time we had.  Ultimately we abandoned the 3 CPs on the western side and nailed CP 11 and then the other two we had bypassed down on the peninsula.

We got back and then mounted up on bikes again and said we would see how we felt.  We got CP 14 quickly and then up to 15.  I pushed on and said we could get 16 and then on the way back we decided to shoot for 18 which we nailed!  I was psyched and the team was moving well.

From there we pedaled back into the Finish.  We finished in 5 hours and 39 minutes and got all but 5 check points.  A great race for the new ASI racing team.

The other ASI racing team also had a great day out there and I don't have the results yet but it appears they all did very well.


T

Summit Adventure Racing Announces 2014 Race Schedule and Call for Racers

Coming off a stellar 2013 season that saw Team Commie Bar placing 1st in the North American Adventure Racing Series (NAARS) 3 man open division and 3rd place in head to head competition at the National Championships in Browns County Indiana, Summit Adventure Racing is expanding its schedule for 2014 and also seeking to add more racers to the national roster.

Boasting 25 Adventure Races on the docket for 2014, the race schedule will see the Commie Killers venturing across more than 14 states spreading over the Mid Atlantic, New England, Utah, Colorado, and North Dakota.

The 2013 3rd Place National Championship Team (L to R)  Chris Farrell, Todd Copley, Dan Bait Schaefer

The Team is bringing back its core roster of steady performers that have been with the team for close to 5 years.  

Todd Copley will remain as Team Captain and Director and the solid core of the roster will feature the following racers covering different races during the season.
1.  Chris Farrell
2.  Dan "Bait" Schaefer
3.  Dan Kazup
4.  Jon Gamm

In order to cover this volume of racing, Summit Adventure Racing is also seeking new racers to add to their line up.  Racers from across the country looking to be affiliated with a nationally ranked squad are invited to contact us for becoming part of Summit Adventure Racing.  Doesn't matter where you live.  Send us an email to TCOPESWORLD@gmail.com along with a short biography outlining your adventure racing experience, background and goals.  

The 2014 Race Schedule is listed below.  A black box with the word "Open" indicates we are seeking a racer/teammate for that race.  Contact us if you would like to join us for that race.

Check us out on Facebook at Summit Adventure Racing and at Summit Adventure Racing/Team Commie Bar on Twitter

Race	Date	Location	Team Captain	Racer	Racer2
The Meltdown 6 hour	23-Feb	Newark DE	Dan Bait Schaefer
Brake The Habit 6 hour race	15-Mar	Germantown, MD	Todd Copley	Lee Ware	Open
Odyssey 24hr One Day Extreme	22-Mar	Stuart VA	Open	Open	Open
AXS Moab 12hour	5-Apr	Moab, UT	Jon Gamm	Open	Open
The Breakdown 6 hour	12-Apr	Elkhorn City, KY	Dan Kazup	Open	Open
Yough Extreme 10 hour	26-Apr	Ohiopyle, PA	Todd Copley	Dan Bait Schaefer	Open
Rev 3 Shenandoah Epic 28 hour	26-27 April	Bentonville, VA	Dan Kazup	Open	Open
Odyssey Wild Wonderful 24 hour	17-18 May	Oak Hill WV	Todd Copley	Dan Bait Schaefer	Dan Kazup
Jersey Inferno 10 hour	14-Jun	Vernon, NJ	Chris Farrell	Open	Open
Cradle of Liberty 24hr	28-29 June	Wagontown PA	Dan Bait Schaefer	Chris Farrell	Dan Kazup
Odyssey Blue Ridge Bear Epic 24 hour	19-20 July	Roanoke, VA	Todd Copley	Chris Farrell	Dan Kazup
Monongahela Moxie 8 hour	2-Aug	Morgantown, WV	Todd Copley	Open	Open
Krista Griesacker 12hour	2-Aug	Hamburg, PA	Chris Farrell	Don Theodoreau	Open
Calleva 10HR	10-Aug	Poolesville, MD	Open	Open	Open
Lionheart 24 hour	16-17 August	Ohiopyle, PA	Todd Copley	Dan Kazup	Open
AXS Glenwood 12 hour	6-Sep	Glenwood Springs, CO	Jon Gamm	Open	Open
Black Bear Adventure Race	6-Sep	McHenry MD	Todd Copley	Open	Open
Pocono Challenge 6 hour	7-Sep	Bushkill, PA	Open	Open	Open
Longest Day 24 hour	13-14 September	Location TBD (NY State)	Chris Farrell	Open	Open
AXS Moab 24 hour	4-5 Oct	Moab, UT	Jon Gamm	Open	Open
USARA National Championships 30 Hour	3-4 October	Deep Creek Lake, MD	Roster TBD	Roster TBD	Roster TBD
NAARS Championship 36 hour	18-20 Oct	Killdeer, ND	Chris Farrell	Jon Gamm	Open
GOALS Edge 6 hour race	19-Oct		Dan Bait Schaefer	Chris Farrell	Open
Adrenaline Rush 6 or 12 hour	November TBD	Virginia TBD	Open	Open	Open
Willowsford Frozen Foot 6 hour	2-Nov	Centreville, VA	Open	Open	Open

Check out Team Commie Bar at the National Championships......

Mercy.........