Just 7 days till I depart for Greenland and I'm getting excited ... my team, Team POLAR/Feed The Machine, is the only one representing America. We will be racing the SIKU EXTREME ARCTIC CHALLENGE.
The SIKU EXTREME ARCTIC CHALLENGE is 5-day combined stage and expedition race takes teams through a distance of about 250 km and climbs 9,000+ vertical metres in the magnificent and wild beauty of Ammassalik Island, Greenland. The race is always held in July, as this month unfolds, the Arctic summer reaches its very height with long sunny days and just a few hours of twilight. The average temperature during daytime is between 10 - 15 degrees celsius.
The SIKU EXTREME ARCTIC CHALLENGE consists of the following stages:
Mountain Biking
The bike sections have received the best reviews from very prominent mountain bikers. Very demanding routes both physically and technically. The routes are laid out on a mixture of gravel roads, paved roads, dirt tracks and "no tracks at all".
Mountain Trekking
Navigating through mountainous terrain, with very few - if any - defined tracks. Cols, culoirs, peaks and rivers need to be crossed with a lot of loose rocks and some easy scrambling. On one of the stages we might incorporate actual climbing, but this will be done with the timing on hold, to make this experience accessible for all racers, including those without any previous climbing experience.
Glacier Trekking
Several glaciers will be travelled. This requires full glacier gear (crampons, harnesses, ropes, ice axes) and the requisite knowledge to use this equipment. There will be crevasses on the glaciers, but generally the crevasses are easy to navigate - though in bad visibility difficulties can arise.
Ice Fjord Paddling
The Canoe venue is a unique experience on the ice-filled waters of the Sermilik Icefjord. Paddling among the huge icebergs is an awesome experience and not to be found anywhere else. Our Grabner Adventure inflatable canoes have proved their value - they are stable (very safe) and carry the whole team. Safety on this venue is a main issue and security boats are at all times close to the racers.
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Below are a few pictures from previous years races. You can watch a short clip from last year's race here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agdpq2y1oM0
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Team Saab Salomon on the Mittivakkat Glacier
Part of the base camp
Race start
Team Tscherning, canoe sprint
Stunning Arctic vista
Team Inu:IT on the Mittivakkat Glacier
MTB route in the streets of Tasiilaq
Team Peak Performance
Polhems Fjeld
Jeff Vicario
