When: August 17th & 18th, 2013

Where: Parry Sound District, Nobel, Ontario, Canada

Host Site: McDougall Recreation Centre (148 Hamel Ave. Nobel, Ontario, Canada P2A 2W9) Click here for a Google Map link.

Categories: Teams of 3, or 4, can be Coed, All-Male, All-Female

Disciplines: Trekking, Canoeing, Mountain Biking, each requiring wilderness navigation

Duration: Teams have up to 30 Hours to complete the course

Distance*: 150km (Trekking 35km, Paddling 30km, Mountain Biking 85km)

*Distances are approximate and are largely impacted by individual team route selections

Short Courses: In order to give all teams the best chance of finishing, there will numerous locations along the route where teams can choose a shorter course, or may be directed onto the shorter course if they miss a time cut-off.

Unsupported: The event will be completely "unsupported", meaning the organization will transport your gear between the various transition areas. If you have friends and family who would like to follow the event, we'll have maps available detailing "ideal" spectator points along the route. Or, better yet, have them sign-up as a volunteer, for an inside look at the sport and your progress.

Entry Fees: Early-Bird (until May 15, 2013) $250 per person, Regular (until August 2, 2013) $300 per person. Registration closes on August 2, 2013 at 23:59

Cost Includes: Professionally designed and managed race-course, transportation of all gear between transition areas, canoe rentals (includes PFD, canoe paddles, and safety equipment), custom designed event t-shirt, finishers memento, use of emergency communication devices (SPOT sattelite messengers and VHF Radios), post race meal, awards banquet, pre-race pancake breakfast, free entry to navigation seminars and field courses.

Schedule of Events:

Friday August 16, 2013

Race Check-In: 16:00 – 20:00 (All team members must be present, unless permission is sought from the Organizer)

Registration procedure:

• Check-In
• Gear Check (must show specific gear indicated on the gear list with an asterisk)
• Navigation Test (teams who have finished comparable events, won't need to complete this check). We'll be testing knowledge of: topographic maps (symbols, contours, scales, distance & time estimates etc.), UTM grid system (identifying locations), and compasses (features & deriving bearings).
• Emergency Communication Device Pick-Up (teams will be shown how the SPOT tracker and VHF radio works & what to do in case of emergency)

We'll aim to make registration as smooth as possible, and don't expect it will take more than 1 hour.

Gear Drop-Off: 15:00 – 20:00 (Provide Gear Bins/Bags to Race Management)

Race Briefing: 8:00pm – 9:30pm (at least 2 members from each team must be present)

• Introduction of Race Staff & Sponsors
• Distribution of pre-marked race maps and instructions (teams will be given 45 minutes to review the maps before the Course Overview commences)
  
• Course Overview (The Event Director will describe the course and provide pertinent information not contained on the maps or in the instructions)
  
• Q&A

Saturday August 17, 2013

Pancake Breakfast: 06:00 - 06:45

Board Buses for drive to Start: 06:30 – 07:00 (Buses will depart at 07:00 sharp!)

Arrive at Start Location: 07:45

Race Start: 08:00

Sunday August 18, 2013

Course Closes: 14:00 (All teams must be off the course at this time)

Awards Banquet: 12:00 – 16:00 (we'll aim to have the awards ceremony between 15:00 and 15:30)

Accommodation Options:

*Note* Accommodations in the Parry Sound area fill up fast, book soon!

Camping: Camping won't be available at the host venue this year.  

The closest Provincial Campground is Oastler Lake Provincial Park, which is 15 minutes south (note, Oastler Lake Provincial Park has train tracks running close to the campground).

The next closest Provincial Campground is Killbear Provincial Park, which is 25 minutes west.

Hotels/Motels/B&B:

Options close to Parry Sound can be found by clicking here.

Finding Team-mates:

Interested in finding a team, or require a team-mate to round out your roster? Send me an e-mail (bob"at"wildernesstraverse"dot"ca) with a description of your AR experience and goals. I'm currently keeping a list of teams and individuals and have been making matches frequently.

Ontario Adventure Racing Points Series (OARPS)

For those interested in seeing how your team stacks up against the competition in Ontario, Wilderness Traverse is a member of the Ontario Adventure Racing Points Series (OARPS). Teams will earn points for the series by participating at the Wilderness Traverse. More details can be found by clicking on the link above.