Updates
Team Captains Updates
We will post here any organiser updates and answers to questions submitted to us by Team Captains that we think need to be shared by all. Please: only Team Captains should submit questions (by email).
Update 15th December 2023
A few good questions came up at the online Q&A session on 14/12/23. A summary of the answers is below.
Q – Are there any restrictions on packing bicycles, such as size and material?
A – There is a standard max size of box that bikes must fit in. Details are elsewhere on the website (see ‘Bags and Boxes’ section of the ‘Updates’ page).
Q – What kayaking gear do you provide or available to rent?
A – We are only providing kayaks (2-person Sit On Top type). Teams will need to bring paddles, PFD’s, backrests etc.
Q – Can you recommend what level of experience we need for the kayak?
A – see the ‘FAQ’s’ page of the website
Q – Is a split paddle necessary?
A – No, fixed shaft paddles are OK, but see the notes around kit being in bags etc.
Q – Has it got to be a mixed team of 4?. What navigation skills are required?
A – You could race as a same gender team but will not be ranked in the Adventure Race World Series ranking system. Nav – can you navigate on the mountain in the dark using paper maps and compass?
Q – Food & water – how does this work in practice? I presume we carry sufficient food & water for a stage(s) and resupply at a transition?
A – Correct. You can pack food into your transition bags for restocking yourself. Don’t rely on passing shops, cafe’s etc.
Q – is sleeping at a ta allowed?
A – Generally yes, we will allocate space outside the TA for this where possible. You will not be allowed to sleep inside the physical TA building though,
Update 14th December 2023
The draft weekend schedule is (subject to minor changes);
Weds 24th and/or Thurs 25th July 2024
Transfers for International Teams. All details/costs TBC, but from Manchester Airport is the most likely.
Thursday 25th July
2pm – Race HQ and Registration Opens (Dolgellau, North Wales)
Early Evening – Race Briefing and Map Issue
Friday 26th July
AM – Bags & Boxes hand-in
12noon – Race START
Saturday 27th July
RACE
Sunday 28th July
RACE
12noon – expected first finishers
Monday 29th July
2am – expected last finishers
10am – Prize-Giving & Brunch
Questions that came up in previous editions, but still relevant in 2024;
Do we really need to take a digital camera. Can’t we just use a smartphone?
You need to have a ‘dumb’ camera. This is to prove location in the event of a CP being missing, or you think it is missing. Take a picture. Your smartphone will have GPS/mapping/navigational ability and is therefore not allowed to be used during the race. You are required to carry a phone for emergency purposes, but this will be sealed into a bag at registration and not accessible to you unless in an emergency.
Schematic: We plan to send you a course schematic around 1 week before the race start. This is intended to help you plan your logistics and bag/box packing.
Maps: we plan to print these on waterproof paper. These will generally be A3. We strongly advise you still think about providing a second waterproof/protective layer (e.g. Fablon, Map Bags etc.) as your maps will get some abuse and are critical to your safety and success. The map sets (2 per team) will be issued at the course reveal. Race maps will be mainly UK Ordnance Survey based and will be at 1:50000 and 1:25000 scales.
ADDITIONAL COMPULSORY KIT: Each team will need to carry (during all stages) a bothy bag or similar capable of accommodating all team members – i.e. a 2-person for Pairs, and a 4-person (or 2 x 2-person) for Quads.
Bike Lights must be a minimum of 50 Lumens Front (white) and Rear (red)
PFDs for kayaking sections are not supplied by the organisers – you need to bring your own. These must have a buoyancy of 50kN as a minimum. We may test these at sign-on. The foam inside PFDs degrades over time – you’d be amazed at how many fail the test.
Paddles for kayaking sections are not supplied by the organisers – you need to bring your own, and they must be transported in the team Paddle Bag.
Backrests for kayaks are not supplied by the organisers. Please feel free to bring your own, but fitting/removing at each TA will be your responsibility, and will be in race time.
A bike helmet will be OK for the paddling sections if we mandate the use of a helmet. We will not need you to bring/use watersports-specific helmets.
We strongly recommend you bring a tent big enough to accommodate all team members, and sleeping bags. At the very least you are going to need this to sleep somewhere on the course/at a TA, and you might take these with you on some stages.
Updated 14th Dec 2023
ITERA-lite is an ‘unsupported’ race – i.e. teams do not have their own support vehicle/person. Instead, the race organisers move racers’ kit around the course. Each team is entitled to the following;
1 x Personal Kit Bag per person. Max weight 25kg. These should be robust and waterproof enough to be safely left outside even if it’s raining.
‘A’ and ‘B’ Personal Bags
Teams of 4: Instead of all 4 x Individual Bags (+ Team Bag), we require teams to have 2 x Bag A and 2 x Bag B (+Team Bag).
Pairs: Instead of all 2 x Individual Bags (+ Team Bag), we require teams to have 1 x Bag A and 1 x Bag B (+Team Bag).
Not all bags will go to all TA’s. There will be TA’s that are designated as ‘A Bags’ and some that are designated ‘B Bags’. Similarly Team Bags will go to selected TA’s. It is critical that you build this into your planning. In effect this is likely to mean that you share space in bags rather than them being strictly individual.
1 x Team Bag per team. Max weight 25kg. These should be robust and waterproof enough to be safely left outside even if it’s raining. These are generally used by teams for stuff like tents, sleeping bags, spare kit etc.
1 x Wet Bag per team. Max weight 25kg. This is used for stuff like PFD’s, paddles, back-rests and any other kit you might want on paddling sections. All Items should be inside the bag. Protruding items make them difficult to handle and load.
1 x Paddle Bag per team. Only paddles allowed in here. No loose paddles will be moved by event logistics team.
1 x Bike Box per person. Max weight 28kg. Max. dimensions 140cm long x 30cm wide x 80cm high. Many teams will make their boxes from Correx or similar – there are instructions and templates online.
We will also have a stock of cardboard bike boxes we can bring to the race for you if you need them – these will be £20each, must be booked in advance (Team Captains email us – itera@durtyevents.com) and will arrive flat-pack at Race HQ. You’ll need tape (e.g. gaffa tape) and any waterproof covering you might need to complete them. Please avoid “shrinkwrap” . Great for pallets, lousy for bike boxes. You will also need CAM type straps to close them.
We will check weights. Yes, we are the Ryan Air of the AR world 😉 (this is to ensure we’re not asking our volunteers to lift anything stupidly heavy – it’s a H&S thing). As a general rule you should endeavour to make sure that everything is inside any bag or box, nothing should be on the outside.
NO BUNGY CORDS or similar on any bags or boxes – these are a nasty hazard to our volunteers.
It’s important to note that not all bags/boxes will necessarily go to all TA’s. We will give you details of which bags/boxes will appear at which TA’s around a week before the race. This will give you the chance to plan your logistics so you have kit when/where you need it.
Updated 14th December 2023
Kayaking: Expect extended time in the boat. We will not be requiring formal qualifications, but will require some relevant quality experience, and a qualification would be useful both as evidence and to keep you safe (old BCU 3* or equivalent would be a good aspiration). Please do not come to the event with little or no paddling experience. You won’t be safe, and you won’t have a good time.
MTB: we’re not using super-gnarly trails for the race. It will be a mix of quiet roads, land-rover tracks, quad tracks, and singletrack. If you’re capable of riding ‘red’ grade trail centre stuff, you’ll be fine.
Ropes: we are planning a couple of trouser filler special stages. These may involve ropes. You should be able to put a climbing harness on properly, and know how to use a belay and abseil device. These skills are easy to acquire – we suggest you spend a day or two at a local climbing wall, or look for a local climbing group/club.
The Event HQ will be in the small town of Dolgellau in the Eryri/Snowdonia National Park of North Wales. We plan to open the HQ on Thursday 25th July, and close it shortly after the prize-giving on Monday 29th July.
Full details of facilities will be confirmed to Team Captains as soon as we can. We are not (14/12/23) yet sure if we can host camping and car parking on-site. These may be a short walk away.
Event HQ will host sign-on, kit check, the race Finish, and a post-race prize-giving and buffet. We will probably also host the race briefing there, but we may need to move this to another venue (walking distance) if we get tight on space.
If there are further questions or clarifications needed, Team Captains (and only Captains please or we will get overwhelmed), please fire them into us at itera@durtyevents.com.
We will probably do a round-up of these Q &A’s and send them back out to Team Captains so that everyone has the information and visibility.