Castlewood AR101

Adventure Racing 101 & 201

New to Adventure Racing? We have multiple opportunities for you to learn about adventure racing, inside and out.

AR101 Classroom Instruction:

We have AR101 classes planned for:

We also hosted 4 years of a four-class series called Adventure Racing 101. That’s over 16 hours of adventure racing information specifically tailored to new teams. 

Below you’ll find the video from the 2018 classes. You can also find footage from 2017, 2019, and 2020 on YouTube.

Navigation & Trekking

We’ll chat about how to succeed on the trekking legs of any adventure race, as well as tips for excellent navigation. Questions answered: What shoes and socks should I wear? Does foot lube really work? Should I bring/use trekking poles? How do I use a compass? What’s a contour line? Should I shoot a bearing or follow terrain features? What is a terrain feature? …and bring your own questions as well!

Paddling & Clothing

Need help with paddling, or what clothes will work best for an all-day race in December? Questions answered: How do I figure out who sits in front and in back of the canoe? How will I stay warm while paddling? What’s up with personal vs. race-provided paddles? What do I do if my boat tips over? What should I wear for each leg of the race to stay warm, but not overheat? …and bring your own questions as well!

Biking & Teamwork

Let’s chat about the biking portion of adventure racing! Questions answered: What bike should I ride? What tires? What is bikewhacking? Do teams really tow each other in adventure racing? How else can I help my teammates? …and bring your own questions as well!

Nutrition & Race-Day Strategy

Food. Yes. Such a fun thing to talk about. Questions answered: What sort of things should I consider eating during an 8-hr adventure race…bars and gels or “real” food? What about sports drink or water? What if we have to treat water during the race? How does race day unfold and what should I expect? What’s a bike drop? Which, if any, checkpoints should my team skip and how do we decide that? What’s a gear check? …and bring your own questions as well!

 

AR201 – In-the-Field Orienteering Training:

Join the St. Louis Orienteering Club this Fall to grab invaluable experience in the field! Free registration for all St. Louis Orienteering Club Fall events is offered for all Castlewood 8 Hour participants with a discount code that will be emailed to you after you register for the race.