- by Ray Bernard
G4 digs for gold
08 April 2003: “Wow, there’s a mouse down here,” yelled Sergey Polyansky from the bottom of the cave. “That’s not a mouse, it’s a bat,” replied his teammate, Chris Perry, as four of the tiny winged creatures took to the air and flew past the Russo-Arabian pairing.
Set in the heart of what was a nineteenth century goldmine, the Hansieskloof Hunter was just one of a number of unusual hazards to face the Land Rover G4 Challenge competitors on day two of the South African stage.
The competitors were awoken at 5.30am by the soothing voice of U2’s Bono, played through a Range Rover stereo. It was a typically early start, but the view across the mist strewn Theewaterskloof Dam was worth an hour’s sleep. Having packed their bags into their Defenders, the competitors steadied themselves for the Strategy Pit.
But before this could begin, the event organisers had a sorry announcement. Canadian Jim Kuhn had accepted the advice of the medical staff and withdrawn from the Challenge. Kuhn’s wounds, sustained in a mountain bike accident yesterday, had required thirty stitches and the doctors felt that the risk of infection was too great for him to continue.
The popular Canadian was leading the event at the time of the accident and the dignity with which he accepted his misfortune typifies the spirit in which the Land Rover G4 Challenge is being contested. Kitt Stringer, who finished second to Jim in the International Selections, is being flown out to join the Challenge and will inherit his compatriot’s score. Kuhn meanwhile, has accepted an offer to stay with the Challenge and to work in the event HQ, where his skills as a computer software technician will be invaluable.
At 7.30am, the Strategy Pit began with the 15 remaining competitors planning their strategy for collecting the day’s Hunters. At the start of every day, each team must not only specify which Hunters they will visit, but also in which order they will complete them, in relation to the other seven teams. They formulate these predictions based on the activities involved, the individual strengths of each team member and the strategies posted by competing teams.
The Strategy Pit ensures a tense and exciting start to every day of the Land Rover G4 Challenge as competitors can gain valuable additional points for correct predictions. Predictions have to be accurate to one place in order for competitors to receive any bonus points.
Minutes after strategies were posted, the competitors orange Land Rover Defenders were seen travelling in convoy across the horizon. Using a combination of Global Positioning Satellite technology and a map, the teams had to navigate themselves across on-and off-road sections to their chosen Hunter.
For the Italian and Turkish pairing of Cuneyt Gazioglu and Alberta Chiappa there were early frustrations when a locked gate blocked the access to a path that led directly to their Hunter. A forty-minute detour followed and Gazioglu admitted “it made a mess of our strategy for the whole day.”
The Anglo-American pairing of Tim Pickering and Nancy Olson continued to suffer misfortune. Yesterday, Pickering lost his identity tag, which cost the team valuable time. Today, they lost around 2.5 hours when an incident with their support vehicle resulted in progress being delayed. As with the withdrawal of Kuhn, such incidents provide a reminder that in this sort of adventure anything can happen and competitors must sometimes be patient and always be prepared.
Pickering was typically philosophical: “It seems that we’re getting all the bad luck at the moment,” he said, “but, this is after all, an adventure challenge. We scored some good points this afternoon and we even,” he added with a grin, “managed to snatch a shower.” Personal hygiene is not something that sits easily with the demands of a global challenge.
The France/Spain and Turkey/Italy pairings arrived at the Riviersonderend Gorge at about the same time. Hidden away in the Hottentots Holland Reserve, it provided one of the most scenic and testing Hunters of the Challenge so far. Having donned wetsuits and climbing helmets, the competitors sprinted to the edge of the gorge. They were then faced with a seven-metre jump into a pool of water before they could register at the checkpoint. It was a test of nerve and character, but one that fazed no one. “That was fantastic,” enthused Spain’s Iñigo de Lara when he returned to the Defender; “it is definitely one of the highlights of the Challenge.”
If the gorge hunter was a test of nerve, then others were designed to challenge the competitor’s stamina and strategy. The Botrivier Vlei Hunter required competitors to grab their kayaks and paddle a route to the checkpoint. It was a picturesque setting but the grimaces on the competitors’ faces suggested that they’d had little time to admire the view.
There were some weary but contented smiles on the faces of the competitors as they set up camp at Cape Agulhas, which is Africa’s most southerly tip. As boil-in-the-bag food was brought to life on their Defender’s still warm manifolds, they were able to reflect on a tough but enjoyable day.
“We didn’t score many points today, but we learnt a lot about the African conditions and had lots of fun,” concluded Turkey’s Cuneyt Gazioglu. When they awake tomorrow, the competitors will be faced with a stunning view out to sea, and a host of new challenges.
©2003 irishcar.com