The Alpine Quest course will take you on an unforgettable journey through the alpine wilderness. You will paddle, trek and ride through the high plains landscapes, home to unique, cold climate-adapted plants and animals.  

The course will consist of kayaking, mountain biking and trekking sections with some other activities!

The route is determined by control points marked on a map. It is up to the teams to choose an exact route between checkpoints. You will need to find control points, using topographical maps and satellite images marked on the maps provided, as you complete each leg or discipline. In transition areas, you will change disciplines and will have access to the pre-packed gear and food. 

The exact course is kept secret until the evening prior to the race, while the logistics planner with an indication of time and the order of the legs and disciplines, will be released one week prior to the race, leaving you with time to plan your packing and strategy. 

The fastest team to successfully navigate all of the checkpoints and cross the finish line with all four members will be the winners. 

 

Maps

Teams will be provided with topographic maps of various scales, with marked control points. 

It will be your team’s choice of which route is the best to take. Sometimes, the best route might be threading your way through the thick bush, other times, it may be to follow tracks that allow you to move faster, but maybe longer in distance. 

Expedition course teams will receive two full sets of maps, while Explore teams will receive one. The maps will be waterproof, but dry bags are still advised for the paddling sections. 

All teams will receive the course map at the same time and will have just a few hours to plan their strategy and routes between checkpoints!

Navigation skills are a key component of a successful finish, and if you are not confident with your map-reading skills, you should definitely attend an Adventure Junkie training week and practice at orienteering or rogaining events. 

 

Race logistics

Expedition:

The course will be an epic 48-hour journey from a start back to HQ.

Teams will be transported by bus to the start line.

Race organizers will transport Expedition course gear (including bikes in the bike boxes) between transition areas, as you swap from one discipline to another.  One week prior to the race, the logistic planner will be sent to all teams, where you will find out details of which legs, in which order you will complete and at which points of the course you will have access to certain gear. 

Explore: 

Explore course will have similar to Expedition course logistics. The logistics planner will be released one week prior to the race. The teams will be transported to the start line by bus and then make their way through the Great Dividing Range.  The course consists of two stages over 2 days with an overnight rest. The gear for the transition area and overnight rest will be transported by race organisers and volunteers. It could be an additional transfer involved in-between stages. 

Disciplines

Trekking:

Teams will navigate their way on walking paths (Explore) with the sections of complete off-road (Expedition) - through the high plains, in creeks, rocks, and bush. For the Expedition course, this will be a significant section of the race. 

Mountain biking: 

MTB sections will consist of all types of terrain, including minor bitumen, rough 4wd and a significant number of single tracks of MTB parks. Explore course will be less demanding, with some easier single tracks, while Expedition teams are expected to have a good level of riding skill, to be able to progress through these sections efficiently. 

Kayaking:

Explore course will have only a flat water paddle section on the lake, while the Expedition course will have a white water leg with up to grade 2+ rapids. White water skills are essential for this event. 

If you are a novice team, we suggest you start on the Explore course, but for the truly adventurous, you can still join the Expedition course if you wish! It will test and push you, possibly to limits you didn’t know existed. Some first-time teams will not manage to finish the course, but plenty of first-time teams are still likely to manage it. 

Are you up for an amazing alpine challenge?

 

lead teams charge forward