COURSE DESCRIPTION
The race will start at the ramp outside Capella Lodge at the southern end of the Island. Climbers will then make their way down the hill and follow the Lagoon Road to the gate at the commencement of the Mt Gower hike. It’s then approximately 2km along the sandy dirt track to Little Island where they will hit the first of many obstacles, which involves about 400m of boulder hopping to the base of the first climb up to the Lower Road ledge.
This first climb is sure to get the lactate burning in the legs as it’s a steep uphill section of ropes and loose footing, and will take them 100m up in elevation in only a small amount more in distance. This will lead them into about a kilometre of the most spectacular cliff running in the world, known as the Lower Road. This is a much flatter section, but can see athletes running on no more than a 1m wide track along a cliff face. The athletes who can ignore the death-defying plummet into the ocean immediately on their right, and not suffer from vertigo, could make up some much-needed time on their competition.
Once having negotiated the Lower Road, there is another little scrambling up hill section and bush run, which will take them around the corner and into Erskine Valley. Erskine Valley has one of the most pristine creeks running through the valley floor, which provides a much-anticipated water stop for avid Hikers. However, the athletes will have no time for hydration and will charge through the creek and onto Mount Gower Proper with the longest uphill section up and onto the summit.
About half way up from Erskine’s Valley, climbers will pass onto the saddle, and starts the toughest section of the climb known as the ‘get-up place’. It’s the steepest and hardest 400m of almost vertical climbing, and will require a large amount of stamina and upper body strength as the athletes haul themselves up with ropes on the rocky outcrop. To make it even more challenging, this high up on the mountain, there’s often cloud cover and a lot of moisture which makes footing even more precarious. Once successfully negotiating this section, they will be greeted by the summit of Mt Gower. Unfortunately for them, they won’t have any time to take in the breath-taking views Mt Gower has to offer, and will immediately start their descent.
Athletes will return via the exact track they made their ascent, however, it’s all skill and footwork here (rather than pure VO2 max) and this is where the race will be won or lost. One wrong move or a lapse in concentration, and the injuries could be devastating or even fatal. It may be the person who can negotiate the descent without a serious fall, that crosses the ramp outside Capella Lodge as the winner and potential record holder of Mt Gower.
Throughout the course, athletes need to be extremely alert and cautious… hazards are numerous, and include cliff faces, slippery surfaces, loose rocks, tree roots, low tree branches, sand patches and grassy knolls. The risk of injury is not insignificant!
Total race distance (approx.):
13km
MAPS
There is no official track closure for the event, so contestants must observe safety measures to any member of the public who is using the track during race time.
MTGOWER 