Enduro3

So we competed in and completed the Enduro3 race. Sujoy, Sunil and I cycled some 45 kms over mud tracks and hilly roads, trekked another 50, and eventually survived the adventure race unhurt, and still friends. We started around 10:30 am on Friday and finished around 6:30 pm on Saturday, having slept some 4 hrs in between.

The race:
Cycling:
From Paud Road to NDA.
On some muddy terrain inside NDA. Was good fun.
Back on the road, up and down, up and down and up up - ending at Panshet Water Sports Center.
(One of us and his cycle have since been divorced.)

Trekking:
Start from Panshet, walk along the ridge, get totally lost for a couple of hours, reach one end of the lake. (9:30pm)
Stop for the night.
Do river crossing. Only one in the team had to and Sujoy, you rocked then!
Sleep till 2 am. Trussed up in a dryfit t-shirt, the poncho, a full cotton t-shirt, a nice jacket, a monkey cap and inside a sleeping bag. felt good.
Wake and start trekking around 3 am.
Sleep again from 5 to 6 am because we got lost.
Wake (6 am) and trek trek around the lake, on the road, up koshimgarh and trek trek along the ridge till we reached Panshet WSC. (6.30 pm)

The lake and mountains were beautiful. The morning trek was quite refreshing and we saw a lot of birds. The sudden burst of wings from a group of quails from under my feet took me totally by surprise. So close were they, our bodies could feel the drumming vibrations of the frantic wing beats. Also saw a hovering black shouldered kite, a grey jungle fowl, a large green barbet(?), loads of red whiskered/vented bulbuls, purple sunbirds, some flowerpeckers, puff throated, jungle babblers, magpie robins, and rufous backed shrikes.

The race was tiring, and we lost our way more than once. But it was a lot of fun and it definitely tested our endurance and it feels good to have completed the race and be writing this blog.


Information for the next time (IT category):
Water was available at a lot of places and was not a problem.
Even though the race director laughs at you in the briefing session when you ask him about carrying sleeping bags, know that they are absolutely needed.
Do NOT expect flags where you need them.
Finish cycling as fast as possible so that you can navigate properly in daylight on the trek. On a moonless night like we had, it was impossible to look at the lake's shape and find our bearings from the map.
The river crossing is in a deep part of the lake and you have to swim (and not wade) across. You get a life-vest so you won't drown and there are ropes at water level to pull yourself along. The water is placid and does not have a current. The distance is around 100m I think.
The river crossing and rifle shooting timings are only useful when you have a tie. So really don't bother much with these.
The rifle shooting was dropped for our event because of time constraints(?).
Glucose is the best. Food may be taken but you would be better off with chocolate bars and energy bars.
Carry a couple of 1L water bottles per person.
Practise with your own cycle, and from well in advance. Don't fatigue your muscles just a day or two before the race.