We finished !

We finished the Greenland Adventure Race after 5 grueling days of racing.

There is a short video on utube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQfJ88J8cE

(we're the guys wearing no:12 and with the red backpack)

Day 4 Kayaking:
The 30 mile winds and heavy rains saw the race shortened and the format changed to include a 12km run and 20km of kayaking rather than 40km.

Our best day so far with us keeping up with the frontrunners until the run.
We crossed the line in fourth place in a little over 4 and a half hours and managed to get well ahead of our closest rivals. The horrid conditions took their toll on the competitors with team artic ladies having to be rescued and taken to hospital for hypothermia.

Day 5 1700m climb over 30km of terrain
The final day with a massive climb of the largest mountain in Southern Greenland. A stunning snow capped mountain with the trip up well worth the exhausting effort. We finished this day in 6th position in 8 and a half hours and were welcomed into the finished line by the local Greenlandic people.

That night was the presentation and party for all competitors and race organisers. Despite having little energy in the tank we enjoyed some local Greenlandic dishes and shared a few drinks and allot of stories with the other races.

The winners of the race were team Sisimuit boys who ran away from Wiley Eye Wear 1 and Wiley Eye Wear 2 from Norway to win the GAR. We finished in 5th overall and came in behind the local team, We Are Ok.

More to follow soon ...

Day 5 : Hiking 15 km : Completed

The last leg of the race was tough both mentally and physically. It might be a shorter distance in comparison to the other legs but today was a very tough climb and certainly challenged all competitors. They climbed to the top of Mount Illerfissalik. The mountain is 1,752 meters high!

They reached the top (an achievement in itself) then ran down to cross the finish line in Igaliku. After 5 days of tough conditions the gruelling race over. They did it !!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO IAN AND GREG !!!

We don’t have official race result in as yet, will get these shortly.

Say tuned for more snippets and photos in the coming weeks.

:o)

Day 4 : Kayaking 40 km : Completed

Today the race took to the water...the freezing COLD water ! Ian and Greg completed the 40km paddle from Narsaq to Qaqortoq, dodging a few icebergs and the occasional interruption from wildlife. What an amazing leg of the race !

Only one more day to go

Day 3 : Running 43 km : Completed

More than half way through the race and with the toughest lap of the race completed Ian and Greg are still going strong. Day 3 was a gruelling 43km run - mostly up hill!

Starting in Sillisit they ran across the highland of the Narsaq peninsula to the town of Narsaq. This is one of the most picturesque areas of the race, up and down high mountains, green slopes and past thundering waterfalls.

Tomorrow they hit the water for some kayaking!

Day 2 : Mountain Biking 50km : Completed

Under very windy and raining conditions lap 2 has been successfully completed. Due to the fierce weather conditions race organisers were forced to alter the course.

They started off the bike leg in Narsarsuaq, then across the fjord to Qorlortoq Itinnera through the valley to Tasiusaq to the sheepfarm settlement Qassiarsuk and Sillisit. Now safely in Sillisit for the night Ian and Greg now huddle up in their tent recovering for tomorrows 43km run – the toughest leg of the race !

Day 1 : And they’re off and racing !

They start with a 20km run through some very tricky and diverse area. The starting point is in Narsarsuaq through the Hospital and Flower Valleys to the Dead Glacier. The name comes from the fact that this glacier is not calving anymore, only melting slowly.

Following a marked route, they cross the glacier using ski sticks and ice picks. On the way back, they will cross the melt river of the glacier.

Who knows they might even stumble across some wildlife !

5/09/07

Everything is fine here, acclimatising well.

Just been on a helicopter flight to the world’s biggest glacier and got to see the inland icecap. It's just beyond belief, it was 3000m thick and 800m below the water - that’s MASSIVE !!! It was cold but sooo good especially as I was wrapped up in a warm seal fur jacket!

Flying off tomorrow for the big race

Hoping for good weather

Ian

In Greenland before the race

This place is like nothing I expected. There is virtually nothing here, no trees no animals very few people. Just rock, ice and drunk local inuits! The icebreaker trip up here was incredible. You start by seeing your first iceberg and you're all excited and then as you get up to the artic circle they get bigger and BIGGER and i can't describe just how stunning they are.

We're up in disco bay now after the ship got in last night and it sits right on a massive glacier. We went on a cruise last night (in complete daylight) and got right up to the icebergs and you can hear them cracking and breaking up whilst whales swim around the boat!

We're off on a day trip today about 60k north to a glacier that you can see the ice break into the ocean! It's daylight until about 11 or 12pm and light at 5am so plenty of time to be out and about.

We fly out Wednesday for the race so not long now!

Mosman Daily

15/07/2007

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
180 runners lined up for a 32km run from Nowra to Kangaroo Valley. Rob and I jumped at the chance to run and they weren't joking when they said king of the mountain. I've never walked up a hill that steep let alone run up one!
Special thanks to our cheer squad, Pip, Ali, Ali and Scotty for getting us to the start and carrying us home after the race.

03/06/07

The Cannonball Run at Kangaroo Valley.
This is a very popular mountain biking track straight down the hill into that goes into Kangaroo Valley. It's 95% downhill, bloody fast and steep enough to earn it's name as the cannonball run. i did this track whilst down there with Ali and Scotty and as you'll see i have still got some training to do to get over those logs!

8/07/07

Rob and I took on the start of the Great North Walk? for a 5 hour hike. This 250km track goes from Sydney all the way up to Newcastle. We only walked the Northern Sydney section but a great walk that easily accessible from Sydney.?

30/06/2007

A chilly way to start a saturday morning. We've got a 40km paddle to train for and Greg thinks he's found a way to cover the distance a little faster! not sure how the 4WD will go in the water!?

27/06/2007

Indoor rock climbing @ St Leonards
Not easy to practice for ice climbing but this was a good start!?

Bondi Ice Party

The race features 40 kilometres of kayaking, 50 kilometres of mountain biking, and roughly 90 kilometres on foot. Five tough days of competing in the beautiful, wild and diverse terrain of Greenland. This race is ranked No.3 in the Lonely Planet’s Most Gruelling Events.

Ian and Greg will compete in this race in memory of Morgan and to honour his love for all things wild and wonderful. They will be seeking sponsorship to raise enough money ($15,000) for an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) to be donated to the Elizabeth Beach Surf Life Saving Club, near Bluey’s Beach on the NSW Central Coast. Bluey’s Beach was Morgan’s favourite surfing spot.

The IRB will be named "The Morgan Mellish".

All money raised will go entirely to the Elizabeth Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

THE MORGAN MELLISH MEMORIAL FUND
BSB 032020 AC 207320

Thank you for your support.

Race Map

LAP 1 : 20km
Run from Narsarsuaq to icecap, cross icecap, cross river, rapelling, back to Narsarsuaq.

LAP 2 : 50km
Mountain bike from Narsarsuaq Sillisit.

LAP 3 : 43km
Run from Sillisit to Narsaq.

LAP 4 : 40km
Kayak from Narsaq to Qaqortoq, 2 land crossings.

LAP 5 : 25km
Run from Igaliku to the the top of Mount Burfjeld (1750m) and back to Igaliku.