Deviation Drama

Today Total: 38.4k
Week Total: 56.4k
Month Total: 103.4k
Year Total: 365.4k

LOL - well today was a day I won't forget in a hurry.

Turned up to Black Range to find Kai Li and Vurt already there. Inekuips and Funrunner's tent was there but no car so they were off doing the water drop - ok great.

It didn't take the IQ of a Mensa member to work out all was not as it should when Ine and FR came ambling UP out of the Deviation on foot...

Having been a tad geographically challenged the girls had mistaken the Deviation for Black Range but had literally gone past the point of no return in the Ford Mondeo and could neither proceed nor retreat.

Go Girl also arrived and together with her we lads walked in to have a go at it ourselves to no avail - oh well - we're here for a run let's sort it out later...

By this stage Horrie, Will and Milov had turned up and we got away by about 8.25 in foggy, misty conditions. Ine and I took up tail end charlie posi with the others disappearing wraith like into the mist.

We arrived at Pluvio in about 54 min where the others had already completed a water drop and were waiting for us to arrive. After making our own drops we were ready for the Pluvio plunge.

I had a rush of blood to the head and charged off fanging it in slippy, slidey wet conditions all the way to the bottom of the first drop where we all kind of came together(ish) again through Allum Ck and Little River and then on the climb to Mini Mini - with the uphill merchants - namely Kai Li, Go Girl and FR showing their skill by running.

Plunge time again and we pretty much all gave it a nudge to get down to the Coxs (19.2k) in 1.56 from the start. All made it within a few seconds of each other except for poor Will who had been bailed up by a black snake that the rest of us had somehow missed!?!

A quick stop for a munch and water resup and we were off again. Ine and I very quickly falling into last posi bringing up the rear. We walked all of the ups - only running down from Mini Mini and the flat through the creek area.

We probably bludged a bit taking 1.59 to reach the top of Pluvio but we were very comfortable and we were soon running along Black Range. We ran strongly on the downs, flats and gentle ups and walked the steeper ups keeping a steady 7.33 per km pace to give us a sprint finish back to the campground in a final split of 68 minutes and a total time of 5 hours and 3 minutes for the 38.4k.

I was well pleased with this given the awful week I've had - given I was tired to start, have been fighting off a cold and had full loads in the camelbak - today has left me confident of going sub 6 hours on race day - the question is by how much?

Now for the drama.....

The others had enlisted the assistance of "Ranger Bob" to winch FR's car out. FR was not overly confident of driving and asked me if I'd mind - of course I didn't - so I saddled up with Ranger Bob and headed into the Deviation.

When we arrived at the car Ranger Bob took a look and suggested we drive out through the Deviation - ahem - I suggested that I wasn't so sure (as any Six Footer will know) as the second hill (alias the cliff) - not to put too fine a point on it - is a tad steep.

But Ranger Bob wasn't having a bar of it - he had the 4WD and the winch and it was his way or the highway - after all he "had been through it a couple of weeks ago and it was fine". Thinking - "oh well maybe it was graded or something since I was here in January" I agreed.

I should have stuck my digs.

Sure enough a third of the way up the "cliff" the Mondeo had enough and there was no way I was going to reverse back down that sucker. So nothing for it but to winch onwards and upwards - on our 3rd winch leg Murphy lent a hand and the winch jammed - great! With much stuffing around and lacerations from steel wire rope (ok so I exaggerated a bit - 1 laceration to my thumb) we freed the winch and recommenced operations.

I can't begin to describe the anxiety one feels sitting in the drivers seat of a Mondeo being hauled up the "cliff" trying hard not to look over the edge or think about snapping steel wire ropes - ahem, ahem.

Anyhoo we finally got out and I drove back to the girls - drama over? - not on your Nellie - just prior to arriving back at the campground Murphy once again put his hand up and dealt out a flat tyre - bloody hell!

I opted to just creep the last 400m on the flat and Ine and I changed the tyre there and I was eventually able to bid the girls farewell.

What a top day :-)