Energy Challenge Day 1

Ok so a bit of background here....I wrote all of this as it happened over the last weekend, but then didn't have any internet access, and had some other interesting challenges once the event was over.  So just pretend that this is as it happens and go with it.......

Hmmm, things are about to get interesting!  The forecast is um....wet to say the least and we are a bit worried about what lies ahead.  Half the team had a last minute shopping trip yesterday to buy some   waterproof clothes.  To say that it has been hard to prepare while not knowing exactly what we were going to be doing is a bit of an understatement, but it paled in comparison to the way I packed this morning.  Rain on the forecast and the British summer, we really have no idea what we are going to get.

8 pairs of socks
3 pairs of shoes
2 waterproof jackets and pants
and 4 helmets

Got more than my fair share of strange looks getting on the train with all of that!

After a four hour drive from Reading we arrived at The University of Exeter and our home for the next four days. 

With Wimbledon in town this was the biggest
car we could get.  It was a bit tight!!

60% of our team.  Ready and raring to go.

Saw the Goodyear blimp on the drive down.  I guess
they heard we were going to be there and wanted
to catch the action....or not

You could almost smell the anticipation. Or maybe that
was the tuna pasta bake. At least the desserts were
good!

Views from Exeter University.  Those hills didn't instil
alot of confidence. 

Our first event was a Exeter Race Course, a horse racing venue.  It was a running and puzzle event based on time, where each correct answer took minutes off of your time.  We left the race course very early on and spent the next hour or so running up and down hills and trails in and around the race course.  There was even a bit of extra difficulty on our route, as we decided to leave the main trail and take to one of the more rugged paths which let us to cross a stream, or in come cases fall in a stream.  We had stumbled on a clue that Morse Code would be particularly useful in the event, and had spent the 4 hour car ride earlier in the day learning it.  In the end it paid off, and once our Morse Code bonus was applied, our aggregate time for the stage was only 16 minutes.  We were shocked to see teams come in with negative times.  Clearly there were some Olympians in our midst.  We stumbled back to the dorms after 11 only to set the alarm for a bright and early rise on Friday, with at least 3 more stages in store for us.  

Click here for video of the stage Video  

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