The majestical mountains

Today was marked by the passage over glaciers at above 3,000 metres for the leading teams in this edition of the Adventure Race World Series and several mountain passes for the teams behind.  The time difference between them is now building up with some feeling the effect of the climbs endured during the mountain bike section of last night and this morning.

The program for this first day : two masterful mountain bike sections followed by a trek in the alpine region above the Tarentaise Valley.  A grand total of 121 kilometres for a 8,000 metres climb.

The 38 teams made up of 4 racers (1 feminin) covered the ski areas of La Plagne and Les Arcs on mountain bikes.  A descent down to Villaroger and up to Sainte Foy/Tarentaise then followed.  They found this section tiring with the need to push the bikes at certain places.

The next trekking section offered the racers a magnificent view over the Mont-Blanc mountain range and the surrounding chain of alpine mountains. One after the other, they walked up the Louie blanche pass then on to the Petit Saint Bernard Pass which links France to Italy, followed by the Forclaz pass with it’s picturesque mountain pastures, then the Ouillon pass.

Just after 5pm the leading team (400Team Naturex – 20)  reached the summit of the Petit Dome des Glaciers (above 3,000 metres), an exceptional site offering views over the glacier and its crevasses.  Due to the numerous open crevasses present at the summit of the Petit Aiguille des Glaciers (at 3,465 metres), the RIF organisation decided to no longer climb to the top as was planned but to go round to the dome below.

This portion of high mountain terrain and mountaineering has consequently created  time differences between the teams.  The race is now divided into 3 categories : the leading teams at the head of the race, a spaced-out group and teams who are trailing behind and who may well have to comply with the first cut off point of this Raid in France (cut A) : this is a shorter and easier trail allowing them to join the main trail lower down.

To see the teams tomorrow : direction – Cormet de Roselend where the teams will do a via ferrata called the Rocher du Vent.  This pass at 1,968 metres is situated with the Beaufortain to the south and the Mont-Blanc to the north. This pass leads to the Roselend lake, stunning with its turquoise waters.

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