I sort of ignored the local Health & Safety rules today as I went feral along the #viaferrata, #abseil and #trek leg, somewhere high up in the #Rodrigues hills. The first teams may have finished the #ExpeditionAfrica on Ile Rodrigues Tourisme, but it certainly does not mean that the 50-odd teams out there are any less serious about finishing this incredible #adventurerace.
One of the key #adrenaline attractions on #RodriguesIsland is the #viaferrata, a cable and steel rod walkway route of nearly half a kilometre. This vertiginous course clings to the high basalt cliffs overlooking the village of #LaFerme, with a fluted rock face rising high from the steamy tropical forests brimming below. Air traffic includes the endangered Rodriguan fruit bats, chattering Olive white-eyes and the crimson Mauritius fody. Not that the white-knuckleled racers really noticed as they fought vertigo and #sleepmonsters along the way…
The technical rope work continued further into the trek, with a thin-air abseil off a suspension bridge into a thickly wooded gorge. And then it was back onto the bike, back onto the boat – and in some cases – boat portaging. Let’s just say there were tired arms, which led to some wincing and complaining as the racers took on the challenge.
A head-wind Pirogue Paddle at sunset – with all four bikes and team members on board – saw the remains of the day battle home into T10. The midfield, including SPOT Africa #TeamSpot, now have three legs left before they can tick off this multi-day humdinger. Best of luck to Zane Schmahl, Robert Le Brunand Liza and Charl Du Plessis. Great testing out the new Sony #sonya7r3 in some truly testing conditions – shot for the support, @OrmsDirect
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