Discussion: NIAR - Faroe Islands 2023

If anyone wants to race at NIAR next month and doesn't have a team yet, Darren Steinbach and myself are in search of another teammate.

https://niar.io/races/niar-faroe-islands-2023/

If you're interested in racing with us, please message one of us. Looks to be an epic race!

Good luck! Hope to see you there.

Looks incredible. 15k meters of total elevation? Even if you were on the course for the maximum 6 days, you'd average > 8000 ft of climb per day.

I looked back at my prior race GPS records and discovered that 8000 ft per day is basically average for a day of AR. so...nevermind...:))

In the version we did that went across central Norway, there was more vertical than any other AR I've done (9 XPDs total). And it's always steep.

NIAR is about ready to kick off!

Team list: https://raceid.com/en/races/8141/startlist?current...

Forgot all about AP once I got settled in to follow this race. Hi everyone!

The prologue O' course looked like a ton of fun, esp. with two maps and the starting map treated like a score O'.

The first bike was not too weird except for the two tunnels...one under the Atlantic Ocean. Whoa! That would be sorta freaky.

Looks like some very complex steep terrain that discourages short cuts on the first big trek.

It seems that all teams are skipping the Pro points (36 - bike & 40 - trek, so far). These points also aren't shown on the tracking map. I'm quite curious to know if this is a change in the race or just teams making the mutual decision to avoid them?

Tracking link: https://en.follow.me.cz/tracking-en/?race_id=404

This also has links to the racer maps and route book (look on the left side of the screen)

Interesting note in the Route Book reads: "RED SECTION section 1:1 on map, if you fall you die. This area is CLOSED." Ominous and clearly serious.

I guess the Ice Axes required for the treks (although there is no actual ice present) aren't enough in these areas.

On the second "half" of the big trek, Estonian ACE has overtaken NIAR between CP45 and 46 by choosing a more direct route. At CP45, the gap was 35 minutes in favor of NIAR. At CP46 is was 15 minutes in favor of Estonian ACE. It is approaching dawn in the islands, so I suspect that the teams can still easily see each other's lights across the barren terrain. That is, unless there's a bunch of fog, which is apparently very common.

Very curious what's going on for Swedish team Hamilton which had been neck and neck with NIAR for the entire race until shortly the packraft crossing. After punching CP45, they headed back East as others have, but immediately after crossing the dam, turned South. Are they looking for help? Are they lost in the fog?

Haven't mentioned it because others have already in FB land, but it seems like Bend Racing / 4 Hour Fuel has left their tracker at the GZ2 packraft drop. OOPS! Penalty likely coming for them. They are probably actually somewhere between CP45 and CP46 about now.

A wee bit further back in roughly 15th place, it looks like Rootstock has made a tactical error by choosing a more direct off-trail route from CP42 to GZ1. They did some circling in a steep-walled ravine and have moved along since, but that lost them more time than the shorter path might have gained them. And now, they will be side hilling for a few miles about 100m above the ocean. I don't envy how their knees and ankles and feet (blisters!) will feel after this section.

Which FB threads are providing good updates?

Good opportunity for a bit of cunning route choice on the upcoming packraft leg - there is an ~8k/+500m hike option over the peninsular from Oyri (opposite shore to CP53) to TA3 that would cut off 25k or more of paddling. There is a path shown on OSM, and Strava heatmap shows that people do actually use it so there is presumably something actually on the ground, however it's not shown on the 1:50k map that they have so it'd be a bold decision but one that could pay off...

Hamilton are out - tracker now showing at the finish.

re: ice axes - they are required for self-arrest if you take a fall on the wet/steep grassy slopes. Evidently they can be as slick as ice. I read this in a pre-race update from RD.

Edit: video from Fear Youth/Bend Racing practicing this technique: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvz1D6BovR4/?igshid=Mz...

GD44: Regarding FB threads, while I despise them as a place for ongoing discussions, there are insightful posts coming from Bend Racing and FEAR Youth, which is sort of the NZ branch of Bend Racing. Haven't seen much else outside the usual from ARWS (Kirsten Oliver's photos are absolutely stunning), NIAR (the race org), and maybe Sleepmonsters.

Is there anywhere that shows the names of the people on each team? All I see are the pictures.

Race roster is here: https://raceid.com/sv/races/8141/startlist?current...