The roots of adventure racing are deep, and people often debate the origin of the modern adventure race. Some say the two-day Karrimor International Mountain Marathon, first held in 1968 was the birth of modern adventure racing. The first Coast to Coast race, born in 1980, was the earliest recorded challenge involving trail running, cycling and paddling. Adventure racing has been said to allow an individual to find his or her limits and push through them by taking participants out of their comfort zone and challenging them in unfamiliar surroundings. Virtually all races, no matter where they originated or what their challenge, include three cardinal rules: no motorized travel; no outside assistance except at designated transition areas; and team members must carry all their mandatory gear.
For some the goal of the race may be to win, whereas for others just competing in an event, being part of a team, or crossing a country using only their own physical power and mental stamina through remote, untouched wilderness constitutes success. Our race is a race against the clock. It requires discipline, determination and heart. You need not be a skilled athlete to participate – just a team player - as we bike, hike, raft and sea kayak over 150 miles, from the Pacific to the Atlantic shores of Costa Rica.
Upon arrival in San José, we are quickly whisked off to the Pacific coastal town of Quepos, and the picturesque cliffs of Manuel Antonio National Park. We familiarize ourselves with our gear, our bikes, each other and our team as we gather for instruction on the sugar sand beach. The team aspect of adventure racing is among the most enticing and demanding aspects of the sport. Each day our team will select a captain and designate a team navigator. Determining roles, goals and team philosophy before the start of the race is essential. One of the challenges is navigating the differing views and functions of each of these positions, some choosing very little structure, while others assign specific rights and responsibilities to each person. While teams can be successful with differing organizational philosophies, few are able to complete the race with poor team dynamics.
The next morning we head off on our bikes to the town of Esquipulas and warm up our legs as we get accustomed to biking on relatively flat terrain through lush verdant tree-lined roads. Two toed sloths, bright green parrots and large iguanas cheer us on from the roadside. Trading our bikes for boots, we continue trekking into the fresh cool mountains of Costa Rica. Over the next two days, we rotate between hiking and biking, making our way to the Continental Divide at 7,640 feet above sea level. Up here the mountains appear and disappear in the tropical mists. Remembering Newton’s Law along the way, “what goes up, must come down,” the rest of our day is fast paced and a mountain biker’s dream – all downhill. We finish the afternoon in the beautiful Orosi Valley where rich pastures and dark green forests of coffee carpet the landscape.
The next two days we bike into the Reventazón River Valley, where coffee fields turn into sugarcane plantations and the temperatures change from mild to tropical. From here, our course takes us down river all the way to the Caribbean coast. Whitewater rafts are our first mode of transportation as we travel 20 kilometers through some of the most beautiful rainforest imaginable. Cascading waterfalls, river-carved canyons and roaring Class III and IV rapids greet us as we work our way through the passage. Our final leg takes us along the Pacuare River in sea kayaks to the Caribbean lowlands where banana plantations gradually swallow the receding rainforest. The river quickly slows to a tranquil pace as we kayak the last few miles reaching the mouth of the Pacuare as it meets the Caribbean Sea; salt water never felt or tasted so good!
From the mouth of the Pacuare, we transfer back to where it all started, San José. Here, we commemorate our successful nine day passage with a huge celebratory meal, enjoying some well-deserved rest and reflecting on crossing a country from coast to coast—quite the accomplishment, and without question—Pura vida!
| AGES |
DAYS
|
TUITION |
DATES |
ARRIVE/DEPART |
| 14–18 |
9 |
2,725
|
7/01/10–7/09/10 [session 1]
7/12/10–7/20/10 [session 2]
7/23/10–7/31/10 [session 3] |
San José, Costa Rica
|
