by Jess Evans
March 23, 2018
This is an exciting time for Athena Adventures as we prepare to put on our first adventure race. Luckily, we have the experience and knowledge of the 361°Adventures brothers giving us guidance. I have spent many hours in the mountains and in conversation with my friends at 361° Adventures to bring a breath-taking, challenging race to you all. You’ll have plenty of biking and trekking on ridges, down into valleys, and along mountains. There will be some awesome views of the mountain ranges in the distance and the backside of Pikes Peak. We have purposely kept the elevation at the lower range of the mountains to make it more accessible for all altitude acclimation levels. (Read my Exercising at Elevation blog from earlier this month.) There will be a small paddling section, just to give you a taste of paddling on a mountain valley reservoir, but most of the race is gravel roads and trails.
The race takes place in mid-May. Registration is open at 361adventures.com/pikes. Review the gear list to make sure you have what you need. We are supplying the canoes, but you may bring your own paddling gear. If you have a third teammate, you will need to bring your own middle seat. We have a group campground for everyone to camp at if you do not mind roughing it. If not, the race start is very close to Woodland Park, Colorado which has other campgrounds, motels, and B&Bs. The City of Woodland Park is very excited to have us in their neck of the woods during that weekend. There will be a picnic after the race onSunday, May 20. We are very conscious of dietary needs, and hope to have something for everyone.
If you are new to adventure racing, or concerned about the length or elevation, shoot me an email at info@athenaadventures.com . I may have some advice or ideas that will help you. I am looking forward to seeing you all in Pike National Forest, Colorado!
