Raid Gallacecia Expedition Race
An Adventure Pilgrimage in Gallaecia
Rob Howard / 11.05.2015
After an al fresco lunch the teams were issued with their map packs by Race Director Pablo Lopez. Teams had initially gathered in the meeting hall and were all sat in rows of chairs before a podium decked out in ARWS flags with microphones all set up ... but then Pablo just said, “We have lunch outside now!” There was a rush of course and an hour later after beers and snacks he gave out all the maps. This time the rush was back into the halls to get a table! It was all very informal and easy going.
Details of the route will be published to the official race web page and the main points of interest are that that there are 4 orienteering stages (these maps will be issued on arrival at those sections) and the middle of the race has a 3 hour mandatory rest stop. The canyoning stage has a neturalized time of 2 hours so teams are not competing there and each of the CP’s has an assigned time penalty, so it appears none of the CP’s re mandatory, though I’ve not confirmed that.
The distance totals are 172km of trekking, 271 of MTB and 68km in kayaks which gives a total of 511km including 14000m of ascent. The most ascent is on the second MTB stage and the second most is on what is called the coasteering stage at 2100m! There is going to be a fair bit of climbing up and down along the Atlantic coast but it seems this section is more coastal path then watery scramble. It may not be quite what most racers understand by coasteering.
There are also 4 cut-offs on the course, the first at Fervenza’s Reservoir (17.00 on Weds 13th), followed by Xallas Canyon (19.00 on Weds 13th so teams are not canyoning at night). These are just 2 hours apart and separated by a 23km kayak so teams arriving close to the first cut-off may still miss the canyon stage. (The RD also says those who do miss the first cut off will miss the canyoning out on their short cut.) The others are at Mount Pindo (01.00 Thurs. 14th) and Ponte do Porto (14.00 on Friday 15th.)
The race begins with a run around Cuntis and then a ride to the Southwest to reach the Ponteverda estuary and the first orienteering stage at ‘A Escusa on Monte Castrove. The next ride takes teams to Ridadumia where they will paddle down the River Umia, out to sea via the Illa de Arousa and then upstream on the river Ulla to finish the stage. On the way there are 3 short treks, two on islands and one urban orienteering section at Vilagaria de Arousa.
The next ride crosses over the Barbanza range of mountains and passes numerous dolmens before getting to the Fervenza Reservoir and River Xallas. This kayak leg has an opening time of 07.00 so the fastest teams might be advised not to start too fast ... or so says the Race Director! The route passes some minor reservoirs and has some portages as well as including a ‘rough water’ section.
The canyon stage follows and from the photos looks very spectacular. It is one of Gallaecia’s best canyons and is said to be the only river in Europe to enter the sea directly from a waterfall. At the end of the descent teams have a guided rappel and finish with a 60m rappel to end the stage.
The next trek is an out and back loop into the wild and strange granite terrain of Mount Pindo and this section is score orienteering in the sense that CP’s can be visited in any order. When teams get back to the village of O Ezaro they take their mandatory 3 hour rest.
A short ride then takes teams to Cape Fisterra from where they follow the ‘lighthouses path’ around the coast for 52km.
After another ride the next foot orienteering stage is in the narrow streets of the village of Camarinas which is described as a labyrinth and the ride then continues to orienteering on Trece Beach where teams will be on Mount Branco, the highest moving sand dune in Europe at 150m. The ride then continues again via the castle at Vimianzo and back past the Fervenza Reservoir.
The MTB stage ends at Negreira which is a pilgrimage village for those going on from Santiago to Cape Fisterra. When the bikes are dropped for the last time the teams continue along this pilgrimage route to the finish at Santiago de Compostela, orienteering across Mount Pedroso on the way.
The finish is both appropriate and memorable as it will be set up on the west side of the city’s famous cathedral in the capital of Gallaecia. This is a World Heritage site and the destination for millions of pilgrims from around the world every year ... and next week it will be the destination for the team in Raid Gallaecia too.