Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ambassador David Lamb reports on the Frigid Infliction Adventure Race, March 2, 2013 in Bolton Valley, Vermont.
On March 2 HMG Ambassador David Lamb and his Untamed New England adventure racing teams just completed this year’s Frigid Infliction winter adventure race at Bolton Valley Resort, Vermont. As usual Dave was traveling efficient and strong with his Hyperlite Mountain Gear pack.
The MVP Health Care Frigid Infliction race, organized by GMARA (the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association) is a 10-hour winter adventure race for teams of two or three. This race features several winter disciplines as well as requiring you to continually navigate. They use an accelerated cutoff system which really challenges experienced teams while providing a great race for the first timers.
Here is Dave’s brief recap…
With a 3:30 am wake-up and 5 am start we had to prepare for 24f temps, light snow, and 1.5 hrs of headlamp travel at the beginning of the event. 30 teams started from the XC Center on back country XC gear for the first few checkpoints before transitioning to snowshoes, foot travel (post holing), tyrolean traverse (100 feet long, over a gorge) and back again to XC gear. There were 17 Check Points (CP’s) and 1 extra CP at the end for a time bonus.
The race rules stated each competitor has to be able to carry all gear, food and clothing for the entire race (10 hr limit). This included, XC skis / poles, skins, XC boots, snow shoes, climbing harness and associated gear, food, water and clothes. At 1.7 pounds and 2400 cu in capacity, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider Pack easily swallowed all the gear with room to spare.
One of the best features of this pack is the ability to load the pack quickly in transition areas (TA’s), cutting down on the need for a deliberate strategy for cramming gear onto and in the pack which we have found to be a challenge with other pack designs. With the time saved in TA’s, I am able to gain the valuable seconds you are striving for to use reviewing the maps and determining route planning and strategy. Adventure racing combines the need for well designed, high tech, light weight equipment to assist in shaving seconds off the day, which translates to minutes and hours gained over the length of a longer event. This pack accomplishes this.
An additional taken for granted benefit is that the main chamber of the pack is waterproof, which eliminates the need for double packing water sensitive items like food, dry clothing, emergency gear, etc.
Our two teams tied for first place and had a very sizable gap at the finish.
Interested in adventure racing in the Northeast? David and his cohorts would love to get you involved! Check out Untamed New England for more information. They are planning a big season in 2013 with lots of events and new participants. They hope to field a team(s) in the following races:
See you on the course!
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