Wulong Mountain Quest
August 27, 2007 It was a bit of a rush on the last night after the final race day, packing gear, awards ceremony, etc so we didn't have much time to comment on the most exciting and beautiful day of the entire race. The last day was scheduled to take 7 plus hours, but it was nicely broken up into many disciplines with lots of transitions so we thought it would be a good day for Team SOLE. We started with a 7-km biathlon (2 runners and 2 bikers). Paul and I started on the bikes and Sully and Chad set off running. After a couple of bike exchanges the road was so steep that the bikers stopped catching the runners. 1000' climb from the start in subtropical heat. Not a person was peeping a word, instead breathing 60 times a minute. It was a tough climb with running shoes on our small Crank Brothers pedals. Chad and Sully once again hung tough and ran the big climb. We made it over the top of the climb and continued the standard bike/run exchange to the next Adventure Skill. This time each team was given 4 standard inner tubes (car size and filled with air) 2 boards and a handful of rope. We were intended to build a raft and paddle it 1-km to the checkpoint. We were 5th on the water and it was quite a funny site with teams laying on their tubes all in a line with heads to butts. We spend the 30 minutes side by side, with the Finland team on our left, and French on our right...exchangeing hilarious comments on this activities. The chat was over soon, as we'd be on kayaks for the next hour...There is no keep to grab, so we just rip two double kayaks off the pile, drag them down the steep mud hill and jump into them with out so much as a pause. We had a good paddle and held our own among Nike and NZ paddlers. This section took us through a lake with immense granite walls. IMMENSE. Finally the take out. We were neck and neck with the NZ Cavaliers, La Fuma (remember we have a 1 second lead over them) and Velvet.org.nz was also just behind. From here it was a little confusing as we only knew we were heading for a 7 km run through some "tourist caves." There was a nice little gondola heading up the side of the mountain. Paul commented that the gondola ride could be a nice break. Hmmmm.... of course no gondola ride for us. We instead would be directed to the steep stairs that switch-backed underneath the gondola where the tourists could cheer us on as our legs were burning from the climb. Then into the caves...absolutely stunning one of those places to come back to at a more leisurely pace. More stairs. La Fuma was hot on our heels along with the Cavaliers. Everything inside was wet and humid, but the temperature allowed us to cool off a bit and get the core temps down. More stairs. It was a pity that we could not enjoy the amazing sculptures and stalagmites and such that we carefully lit and displayed. Paul was just content trying to keep pace with Chad and not vomit onto any unsuspecting tourists taking pictures of stalagmites. Then finally outside and back into the glaring sun for a 7 km downhill, pavement run where we would transition to the rafting section. Down hill 7km, at full pace...is painful. We can assure you this much. Each team got one small four-person raft. At the start of the rafts we found ourselves in 3rd place, but a quick trip to empty water from our boat let the French (La Fuma) pass us and the Cavaliers and Velvet just behind. The canyon was stifling hot. Paul was overheating and approached heat stroke from the pavement run and the still air. Sully took time in between strokes to dump water on us all and keep us cool. All four teams fighting for 3rd place basically finished the rafting together where we all grabbed our climbing gear and heading to the flying fox. The Flying Fox was a bit of an uphill hike and some ladders to a platform on the bottom on a bridge. Here there were ropes that we hooked into with a pulley and zipped down the line till you hit the water then swim the rest of the way across the water. This was a spectacular drop from a bridge, along a diagonal rope, several hundred feet, into the raging Wulong River. HERE, is were a much controversial stoppage in the course cost our team 5 minutes, which would prove to be valuable later, AS predicted! The daily 15 minute 'rest area' was next, bananas/water/sponge bath;). Here Paul told us that the race directors had held him up so they could untangle the ropes and that we would have a small time bonus for the time he waited. At the rest stop we did our best to stay cool with plenty of ice and water before heading out on the 20-km bike. We knew that if we played our own game we could still catch the teams ahead. We put our heads down and pedaled. Our strategy was surgical. We tried to keep our own steady pace and it wasn't long before we saw the NZ Cavaliers led by arguably the fastest guy at the race, Marcel ' The Strangler' Haganer (also of Team SOLE) As we expected they were suffering a bit in the heat. We passed them with our steady pace, but not 5 minutes later we have punctured. HEARTBREAK. We're also out of air cartridges so we have to pump it with our little pump. We try to stay calm and cool. Sully again finding cold water to dump on our heads. Full team work, ALL the time. Soon Velvet comes by just as we start to continue the climb. We ride together for a bit but our pace is faster and soon we leave them behind aiming once again for the Cavaliers. NO WAY. Another flat (a different tire this time). We stop in a tiny little village and ask around for a floor pump. With our excellent pantomime skills we are soon handed a tiny floor pump and have the locals pouring water on our heads with their hose. Back on the road it gets steeper and rockier (perfect conditions for our 29er bikes I might add). We ride where most other teams are walking, we pass the Velvet team once again and head to the next transition. Think steep, exposed, razor rock and stagnant air. Enjoyment is at a low level at this period, but our efficiency and speed we KNOW is good. If the few teams in front so much as have a tiny mechanical, we are on the podium for the day. It would not be. First a 2 km run and into the final caving section. They promised the best for last. . This time not a tourist caving section but a river that runs through a canyon and into some dark caves. After the heat of the bike ride it is fantastic to plunge into the first pool and begin making our way through. About mid way through, we hear French. We're a bit stunned at the time we made up, but there we see their lights on the ceiling of these immense caves. We are off/on swimming and scampering over boulders. It's rather fun, and only 70f. Finally we emerge into the daylight. We know the finish is close. A 500' elevator takes us almost back to ground level and we sprint up the final flights of stairs, Sully pulling me and Chad pulling Paul at a pace that had us leaving it ALL on the course. We come to the finish line in 5th place 1:20 behind La Fuma. The effort was flawless. The course was wild. Our luck with the hold up at the ropes, and two punctures (w/out C02's) was untimely, this was the day we should have been on the podium. BUT that is racing. Afterwards there is much discussion and a very professional process to be followed by the race organization to review the "wait time" at the ropes. They make a decision that La Fuma will share 4th place with us. Going fast and taking chances in China. Karen Lundgren
Wulong, China
Hard-earned Finish
Paul Romero
Chad Ulansky
Eric Sullivan