Adventure Racing

Sep

2018

Mountains and Oceans

Saturday

A weekend spent in the mountains and on the coast is a weekend well spent in my book.

This last Saturday I was in the lower Blue Mountains near Glenbrook shooting one of the Adventure races from Maximum Adventure. We shoot 3 of these races a year and they are a lot of fun. It makes competitors do a bit of orienteering while trail-running, kayaking and mountain-biking there way around a course. Always a very social atmosphere.

Paddling on the Nepean
Heading back up from the river.
Heading down to the river
With everyone looking out for him there was not much chance of Wally getting lost.

I tested out a new flash system dipping my toes into the Godox system and checked out the AD200. It will hopefully last me a bit longer than the usual speedlights that I use at the races and tend to burn out on a regular pace. Mixed early results but will give it another good nudge this weekend and hopefully have some more to say afterwards. I may even try to read the instructions beforehand this time.

Sunday

Then for Sunday, it was down to the coast for a sunrise session at a highline. Although the sun didn’t cast its usually morning colours thanks to a big cloudbank sitting on the horizon it was a beautiful morning none the less. Sitting there watching the highliners doing their stuff while surrounded by nature. Whales swam and jumped in the oceans below and black cockatoos flew overhead. A good weekend indeed.

Sunrise highline session at the coast
What a morning!!! A sunrise highline session on a 220m line while whales swam past in the ocean below.
Highlining at the coast
A young humpback whale takes to the air
Black cockatoos checking out the show
Highlining at the coast
Look closely, he’s there

Jun

2017

True Grit 2017

A couple of weekend ago I went and covered perhaps the toughest race that I have covered to date, True Grit. True Grit is a military inspired obstacle race held over a 10km or so track. What makes it so tough though is that there is also a smaller True Grit run in conjunction which is a punishing 24hr obstacle race and is also the Australian Titles. It was the 24hr part that I came to cover.

Heavy rain preceded the event and was forecast to continue over the weekend. I got out onto course just after the main race from day 1 finished up. I started out with the closest obstacles, a rope crossing and a 10ft wall climb. On the wall climb team work or help from strangers went a long way to getting up and over. A last gasp from the weather and the rain hammered down for an hour or so. Thankfully the Canon gear is pretty well waterproof throw on an OP Tech rain sleeve and an umbrella in between competitors goes along way to keeping the gear dry.

One section was called the muddy mile but due to the rain was more like a mile walking through a river. The muddy mile finished with having to duck under some barbed wire however around 3 in the morning the wire duck had to be closed off due to the river rising and covering the barbed wire.

I got so wrapped up in shooting that my night went way longer than expected. I grabbed an hour and a half sleep but think that I shot for around 20 out of the 24hr race. Its events like this that I love. Night shooting always adds an extra dimension and there is just so much variety in things going on to shoot

If you think this is up your alley you can check out all the details and get involved with the event when it next comes around over at the True Grit website here. They also run the standard True Grit in other cities around Australia.

: Get your balance on point for the creek crossing

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: If you failed or dodged an obstalce the its 10 burpees as payment

: Up and over the A Frame Cargo

: Getting down and dirty at the True Grit 24hr obstacle racing

: Drying out and warming the bones for the next lap

: Heavy rain at The Wall

: Heading back to the event centre

: Along the Muddy Mile

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: The obstacles don’t get any easier as the race goes on

: A bit of night time bouldering

: Night time adds an extra dimension for lighting

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: Across the finish line and out for another lap

: At least with the rope climb you were out of the mud and water for a moment.

: Morning mist adds to the atmosphere

: Over the water on the Tyrolean Traverse

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: 16hrs in and still smiling

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: Barb wire kept them low on the Tyre Crawl

: True Grit and the 2017 24hr obstacle racing Aussie Trails

: Taking the win yet again Lachlan Dansie

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

Jun

2017

A Right Royal Adventure Race

Last weekend saw 2 days of adventure racing through the Royal National Park in Sydney’s South East. The event sports a variety of disciplines that sees athletes mountain biking, trail running, orienteering and kayaking through some of the parks fabulous scenery.

This was round 3 of Paddy Pallin‘s Adventure Series. The first one for the series was Cam’s Wharf near Newcastle then it went up to Queensland for round 2 and later in the year the 4th and final round will be in Glenbrook in the lower Blue Mountains.

Both days started off chilly down by the edge of the Hacking river but as the sun broke through things warmed up a bit. Sunday was a fantastic day for racing and being out and about. Saturday remained a bit cloudy but was fantastic light for photography with the clouds creating a one big soft box effect.

Here’s a few highlights from the race below.

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

Dec

2016

The Urban Adventure

One of the more unique events on my calendar with Outer Image is Paddy Pallin’s Urban Adventure Race. It is an adventure race that takes place through the heart of Sydney. Competitors race around the CBD and surrounding suburbs doing various events and challenges. collecting points.

The events and challenges that I shot were only a small part of it. They included indoor climbing at Sydney University, slot car racing where competitors had to complete 3 laps of a circuit in under 25 seconds, frisbee golf at Centenial Park, a short sack race, dance lessons where it was all about the style and even price check shopping in the Paddy Pallin store in the city. A little bit of something for everyone.

The race attracts all types of people from some serious racers out for a day of fun to families with small children taking on their first adventure race. It’s definitely one to keep an eye out for next year especially if you would like to dip your toes into the world of adventure racing.

If you have an event that you would like covered swing on over to Outer Image and touch base with us so we can work out how best to suit your needs

: And they are off…..

: Route checking

: Orientation at the Urban Adventure Race

: Climbing at The Ledge at Sydney Uni.

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Urban Adventure Race through the streets of Sydney

: Sack racing.

: Frisbee golf in Centenial Park

: Last of the dance lessons.

Oct

2016

Great Adventure Challenge

Last weekend my camera’s weather proofing and my own was put to the test. I was up at Cam’s Wharf on the NSW Central Coast covering Maximum Adventure’s Great Adventure Challenge and it rained and rained and rained but it didn’t dampen the smiles and the fact that it was a great day out.

The Great Adventure Challenge or GAC is an adventure race for corporate teams where they raise money for the Starlight Foundation. 17 teams from various companies compete on the day doing a variety of disciplines including mountain biking, trail running and kayaking with a bit of orienteering throw in for good measure. The wet weather added a new element into the event as well.

Rain started to fall about half an hour before we were due to start shooting and continued all morning turning the tracks into treacherous trails with a 10cm layer of thick mud on top. It kept up through the day but as the day progressed it started to ease off until it dried up about half an hour before we were due to finish up. I had full wet weather gear on but water seems to find a way to get in none-the-less. By the end of the day I was pretty thoroughly wet through.

I have a large Think-Tank rain cover which is definitely rock solid at keeping the rain out. The problem I have with it though is how big and bulky it is. For a much lighter and easier to handle rain protection I use Optech rain covers which are also large enough to cover my trigger system atop my camera. For around $15 you can find a pack of 2 on Ebay. They come packed up about the size of a cd which makes them small enough to just throw in your back for that just in case it it down rain situation.

I saw another new toy on the weekend. Gil my colleague showed me his new coffee plunger that makes what is supposed to be a fancy little expresso. It appears that though that he might have gotten a faulty version because despite my request to try it out I or our other photographer failed to see so much as a drip from the plunger. 😉

Here is a selection of shots that I got from my locations on the day.

: Maximum Adventure’s Great Adventure Challenge

: Team TVSN Channel, Great Adventure Challenge

: Team Nature’s Way, Great Adventure Challenge

: Team Data#3, Great Adventure Challenge

: Team Salesforce, Great Adventure Challenge

: Team Triathalon, Stryker, Great Adventure Challenge

: Captain Starlight

: Team Westpac, Great Adventure Challenge

: Wet through