Other Important Information for Adventure Travel

Is probable that while visiting a sport store you may have noticed a section for adventure racing backpacks. You may have never heard about it, but the fact is that there are plenty of brands available. What are they for? Adventure racing is one of the new fads in sports. Just check a beginner adventure racing event at any sports channel and you will notice that it requires teamwork, dedication and the desire for adventure. Quite attractive, isn't it? Let's find more about what is it exactly and how to start adventure racing as soon as possible.

What Is Adventure Racing?

Unfortunately, there isn't one true version of when or where did adventure racing began. As in many things in our history, the real truth may never be known. Maybe it was the consequence of an accumulation of events that gave birth to this great, new sport. One of these sources points to the Karrimor International mountain marathon as the precursor of adventure racing.

This two day marathon began in 1968 and requires two persons to do it. The next step in adventure racing came in the 1980's, when the Alpine Ironman and the Coast to Coast events were created. By the end of the 1980's, a man called Gerard Fusil created a race of it's own based in these events.

Called, "Challenge of the Warriors", it spread through different countries of the world, from Costa Rica to Borneo. At the beginning of the 1990's, Mark Burnett read about the story and decided to bring the concept to the USA, transforming it into a major media event. Today, it is practiced through out the country, and the biggest annual event, called Primal Quest, is celebrated each year since 2002.

Why Is It Considered To Be The New Pinnacle Of Endurance Sports?

People who are already inside adventure racing warn other people from entering this sport. Why? Because it is addictive. The mix of teamwork and fun makes it an exhilarating experience for the majority of people. And, since it includes sports that cover earth, water and air, it attracts all kind of tastes.

Plus, at it's different levels of expertise, it requires a lot of energy to accomplish. Each sport requires the use of different parts of the body. That means that you will require to use all your muscles. But using that amount of force will not be possible if the participant doesn't have a will made of steel. It requires the most strict minds to accomplish what these men do.

Types Of Adventure Racing

Adventure racing varies in length and type of discipline. In the case of length there are five types. The first one is known as sprint, a race of one to four hours which include an unknown surprise during the event. The second type of adventure racing is the endurance, which lasts from four to twelve hours. In these kind of races the participants need to use a bit of navigation skills for orienting themselves.

Then there is the 24 hour race, which can go from 12 to 36 hours. These kind of races require basic knowledge of rope skills and may use a support crew for transporting the gear, like their adventure racing backpacks, from one place to the other.

After the 24 hour race comes the multi-day race, that goes from 36 hours to 4 days. Because of the duration of the event, the participants require strong navigation skills and a lot of will. These events are very hard and could be a danger to the health of an untrained person.

Finally, comes the expedition, that goes from 4 to 11 days, or even more. It includes activities like horseback riding, a lot of mountaineering and paddling. These kind of adventure racing should be left to the people who have trained for a long time.

Regarding the disciplines, they are usually divided into the following: paddling, wheel traveling, beasts of burden, catching air, covering terrain and learning the ropes. Each one of them has different levels of difficulty, so do not expect to learn everything about ropes in one camp lesson.

Continue to: Guidelines on Beginner Adventure Racing