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Strategies for beating the cut-off times
Submitted by bolders on Fri, 07/30/2010 - 17:12
Race organisers will pull you off the river if you don't make the cut-off times. They have to - they can't let you paddle in the dark as part of the race.
The cut-off times are in the rules and were restated by race organisers today. Let's look at them and consider strategies to beat them!
Day 1
Cut-offs are stated in relation to the start time, which is scheduled to be 0830 for paddlers. The crucial cut-off is the last one in the Ti-Trees, which must be reached by 1600. That means if you start bang on 0830 you need to paddle at 6.9kph on average all day to make the last cut-off. If you are on a much later grid and don't start until 0930, you'll need to aim at 8kph. If you start further back, you also have a lot more craft in your way as you try to maintain this pace.
All the earlier cut-offs allow for a slower pace, but unless you're able to paddle faster and faster as the day goes by, you'll eventually get stopped at the Ti-Tree checkpoint. Any delay of the start time will make your job harder.
Day 2
Cut-offs are set times, and again it's the last one at Middle Swan Bridge that needs to determine your pace. Your start time will depend on your grid position, so let's pretend you're starting at 0730. You need again to paddle at 6.9kph (call it 7kph) to make it in time.
Strategies
1. Write up a chart of when you need to get to each major landmark, note the main times on your boat where you can see it, and give it to your support crew to keep on your case.
2. Have a watch, or even better a GPS, visible to you on the craft. Keep an eye on your time and progress.
3. Be realistic. You are going to get slower later in the day unless you are superman or in a team. Get ahead of the game early on and take some pressure off.
4. You will need plenty of suitable food and hydration to get through, but you don't want to use too much time up stopping to eat and drink. Organise 'chow bags' that the support crew can pass to you, and snack while you paddle. Use drink systems and easy foods that can be consumed with both hands on the paddle.
5. Be really strict with yourself about breaks. If you need a stretch and a pee, do it but set a time limit of a minute or two, and then tell your support crew to point down the river and say "Get on with it".
6. Be patient. You will find the first couple of hours frustrating, with too many boats and too little water. Keep moving forward, run/drag when necessary but don't blow a valve getting to Katrine Bridge, it's only the first 1/4 of the day!
Caveat
There comes a point when it's not worth it. Pushing too hard may see you injured, or exhausted to the point of being in danger. I have sat in a K2 with a partner who somewhere around Middle Swan no longer knew where he was and what day it was. I've support crewed for someone who was not drinking enough, and I watched them zig-zag down toward Sandalford because they were losing the plot. Some folk who have raced in very low years before will not start because they have made an assessment that it's not worth it for them. Other folk will find this year a worthwhile challenge, and a huge accomplishment to finish. Make a careful assessment for yourself. If in doubt, I suggest there's little harm in starting the race and seeing how it goes, as long as you know when to stop.
Walyunga Cutoff
Hi Juffy,
It was a time cutoff. There didn't appear to be any risk of of being over-run by power boats - the first one didn't come through until almost an hour after we were off the water.
Although the competitors must be self sufficient with regards warm clothes etc, surely the event organisers also owe a duty of care to the competitors.
Forcibly removing them from the water such a short distance from support, with no provision for warmth, food, transport or communication, is falling way short of the mark.
Making Cutoffs
I stand to be corrected also, but ...
I have had a look at the rules and there is nothing in there that says that the Avon/Swan river is 'closed' for competition during the Avon Descent.
Consider this - on Sunday, any picnicer at Walyunga could have jumped into their Finn Gizmo or Widgit they bought at some camping store and done the Walyunga to Bells trip (with no helment or PFD - and they do it - we have all seen them) and no race official could stop them.
So ... once you have been officially withdrawn from the event (as per Rule 601 c.) there is nothing (in the rules) to stop you jumping back in your boat and paddling on down to Bells.
A far better option than standing around cold and wet for two hours!
I got pulled at the Ti Trees in 2006 and felt the same way as Maddo did at Walyunga - cold and wet with no direction as to what happens next and no way to contact the support crew waiting at Cobblers. In hindsight, I wish I had quickly withdrawn and paddled onto the Day 1 finish.
I only decided not to compete in this years Descent at the last minute, but this (i.e. being withdrawn, but paddling on to the support crew) was one of the strategies I had considered leading into this year if I had not made the Ti Trees or Bells cutoffs.
I'd love to say
....that I'm shocked and surprised Maddo, but it's exactly what happened to us in '06. Were you pulled off because the powerboats were coming through over the top of you, or for a time cutoff?
Walyunga Cutoff
While I stand to be corrected, the rules on the Avon Descent website only mention Stronghills, Bells & Middle Swan as cut-off points. My understanding was that Walyunga was a safety checkpoint.
I have NO problem with the cutoff times (in fact I was quite looking forward to getting yanked at Bells), but as one of the first unfortunates pulled from the water at Walyunga, I DO have a problem with what happened to the competitiors there.
Almost without exception, those told to leave the water at Walyunga had their support crews waiting for them at Bells, but instead of being allowed to paddle on to there, we were forced to sit & shiver for 2 hours at Walyunga, with no way on contacting our support.
Instead of being transported to Bells (as stated in the rule book), it was up to our crews to figure out there was a problem, confirm it on the info board (apparently no PA announcements were made), and then come looking for us. To add insult to injury, they were all then stung $10 to enter Walyunga at 4:30pm
Cut off at Walyunga ?
According to the rule book and general information sheet that we received in our packs, Walyunga was a safey checkpoint.
On the Avon Descent web site under the 'Avon River Level and Race Update', Walyunga appears as a cut off point. If you dont make Walyunga by 1pm, (approx 4½ hrs through the valley) your probably not going to make it to Bells anyway.
Good luck everyone.
Middle swan
I reckon Bells before 1:30 is on the critical path for many on day 2 - keep in mind the checkpoint is at Middleswan bridge, 2km shorter than 2006.
If you get past Bells before 1:30 - all you need to do is keep rolling your arms over (easier said than done I know) and you'll be at Middle Swan before 4.
Thankfully I'm paddling in a team this year. Good luck to all those doing the event properly - hope everything goes to plan.
Would be great to hear any news from people heading to Northam to register early tomorrow.
Katrine
"Keep moving forward, run/drag when necessary but don't blow a valve getting to Katrine Bridge, it's only the first 1/4 of the day!"
While I agree with getting ahead and staying there to keep the pressure off, if your time to Katrine sucks it's not the end of the world. In '06 I took 2.5 hours to reach Katrine (~6kph) off a late LP grid and I felt utterly shattered by the endless in-and-out of the boat and shallow paddling.
After Katrine though, it gets a lot easier - there's a lot of deeper pools where you can get some speed up. At the end of the day I only missed the Ti Tree cutoff by 5 minutes, so it's easily possible to make up from a bad start.
Biggest lesson I learnt in my first couple of years - on the sandflats early on Day 1, you don't know better than everyone else. There's no shortcuts. They're all snaking down the river in a conga line because that's the only channel - if they were off the channel they'd be grounded and swearing. If you get off the line, you'll be in 5cm of water before you know it. Be patient and keep moving - and preferably find a 515 to draft. :)