Anyway, so two Saturdays ago ,22nd March 2014, I competed in an adventure race called Rudders Revenge. The race which is in its 5th year is a 3-5 hour adventure that includes orienteering, kayaking, hiking, running, riding and even swimming. Before this, I had never done an adventure race, so was excited by what it might bring.
Each team consisted of two persons. A total of six of us from the company competed. (Someone is missing in the photo above..yes I can count) The rules for the race were simple. You were given a list of instructions on where to find markers in different parts of the terrain. Each marker would have points allotted, the overall value determined by the level of difficulty of the route to get the marker. Objective, get the most points! We started at 7am and had until Noon to complete. GO!!
The first part of the race involved kayaking to some small islands off of the coast of Chaguaramas called "Five Islands" This was officially the second time I kayaked, in 31 years aka my life. To add to the excitement, it was the first time Marc (the other guy in the Kayak) had kayaked ever. It was funny getting the kayak moving in a forward motion and learning the rhythm, but we got it after a while.
After we got back to shore, we were given instructions and a map showing us where all of the markers were located. We took this time to strategize and plot the which markers we were getting and the sequence.
We started into Chaguaramas on our course, going through different trails on our mountain bikes searching for these coveted markers. Some of the trails were more difficult than others. Some allowed us to ride up the entire trail while others required us to hike/run/hash. I will be lying if I said that I wasn't exhausted at different points. Added to which it was about 94 F/ 34C so yeah...pretty hot...
The highlight of the event for me was the jump off the cliff in Macqueripe Bay. After trekking through the hills, we met up with the race marshalls at the top of the cliff who gave us our life jackets and safety instructions. For me, I loved the excitement and was ready to go. For others, it was a chance to face their fears of heights and even swimming because..yes..you guessed it...some persons couldn't swim. It surely made some of them ask..."What am I doing ?!?!?!?!"
This was THE BEST PART of the race. After we dived into the water, we had to wade more or less 400 meters to the shore to return the jackets and then continue the event.
In the end, we completed the event as a team and were a proud bunch. We had our medals to show for our efforts and generally looking forward to the next challenge.
Photo Credits
- Michael Richardson
- Trinidad & Tobago Canoe/Kayak Federation - Merril See Tai
- Rudders Revenge 2014 Facebook Album - Jump Off Point
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