10/11/2008

Words by Katrina Strand
Photos by Uwe Buchholz and Warwick Patterson

My bike is my adventure buddy. We are always on a mission to travel to cool places and meet cool people. Sometimes it’s a hop and a skip away to the North Shore, but most recently, he (yes, he) brought me to Peru to explore and race a Mega Avalanche.

My friend Claire Buchar and I were in Chile last fall for a DH race when we heard about the event and met the organizer. It then became our mission to get organized and get ourselves down there. Where there’s a will, there’s a way...

After much organizing, several riders met up in the Andes - there were Europeans, South Americans, and us two Canadian girls (Claire and I). We played tourist for the first few days and were awed by some surreal Inca sights. These people had it all figured out - immaculate fortresses on mountain peaks, surrounded by thick forest canopy, huge sculpted, articulate rock structures, all in the middle of nowhere. Write this down now: M-A-C-H-U P-I-C-C-H-U. Everyone should check this place out at one point in your lifetime. It reeks of good energy.

Katrina and Gee Atherton checking out the ruins at Maccu Piccu || Photo: Uwe Buchholz

Then it was time to ride.

In case you haven't heard of a Mega Avalanche, they're mass-start enduro DH races that cover anywhere between 15 and 25 kilometres - straight down the side of a mountain. The series started in Europe and is now going international. Riders are lined up according to seeding times and then it's game on. Everyone hustles down the course together - girls, guys, pro, amateur, young and old. And you do this twice.

A local Peruvian woman checks out the action || Photo: Uwe Buchholz

People are stoked on the non-traditional race format because it tends to attract a lot of recreational riders. You can race the whole race with a buddy if you want. There are pros that do the series and are extremely serious, but for the most part everyone is there to ride and have fun with their friends. I’m hoping that the series will push its way into North America some time soon. It would go off.

Mega Avalanche courses typically combine DH and XC, and the best times are usually over an hour. Normally, riders will ride the lightest bike possible that is still capable of pinning it downhill when necessary but likes to climb as well.

I was a little nervous cause my bike is more DH than XC, but it turned out that this course was mostly downhill and quite a bit shorter than usual. No one complained about the lack of peddling - mostly down was a good thing when racing at an elevation of 4,300m (14,100'). In case you hadn't figured it out, this is high! [The Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain is only 6,000'. - Ed.] Everything that takes energy is difficult, and the little push to the top of the course required a snack break.

I knew we were in for a treat when the shuttle took two hours to get to the top. The course wound itself through the Andes, past little villages, down old Inca trails, dropping over 1,000m. The views were epic and the terrain was pure flow. It was definitely a smile-on-your-face kind of course.

My partner in crime (that would be Claire) and I prepared ourselves for race day. This is the only DH race you need to race with a backpack full of water, food, change of clothes, and everything for changing a flat. A little aspirin and some special tea before the ascent helped thin out our blood and make the altitude more tolerable, and we were ready to race.

Katrina and Claire (or is that Claire and Katrina?) ripping up the course || Photo: Warwick Patterson

The ladies were in line B, right behind the fastest seeding times from the day before. Riders like World Cup DH racers Cedric Gracia, Markolf Berchtold, Gee Atherton, and Diana McGrath, DH World Champion Fabien Barel, Olympic XC winner Miguel Martinez, and Mega Avalanche series winner Rene Wildhaber were all ready to battle.

As the ribbon lifted, Claire and I were laughing hysterically, which almost winded me because you can’t laugh and ride at altitude very well. There were only four girls in the race but that didn’t take away from the avalanche experience, that’s for sure! There were a lot of sketchy passes at the top and a few stops to check up on the random casualty. For the most part, Claire and I cruised in unison and (coincidentally!) tied the first race. What a pleasant surprise!

The most massive of mass starts - check out the hydration packs || Photo: Warwick Patterson

I had so much fun ripping down the course with Claire; I’ve never had the chance to race a race with one of my best friends. During the second run, I rode over the finish line alone, taking first, while Claire stood on the sidelines with a flat. She still pulled off a second place, though, because of the points she accumulated with the first run. Crazy Caroll, the local Peruvian ripper, finished third. Unfortunately, Diana McGrath had a bad crash in the first race and didn’t make it to the second one. I was bummed about that and have been sending her quick healing thoughts ever since.

Katrina playing with the local kids - waaaay more bike than this kid is used to || Photo: Warwick Patterson

The men charged hard and in the end, Rene Wildhaber won both races, his fastest time was 22:59. Cedric Gracia took second and Gee Atherton was third. They all looked a little green after the race, so I’m assuming it was pedal to the metal the whole way down for the boys.

Now that the race was over, it was time to drink some Pisco Sour (and get greener), so that’s what we did. If you don’t know what Pisco is, consider this a warning. The rest of that night is censored!

A bunch of us left the mountains the next day and flew into the coastal city of Lima. Most of the riders went home while Claire and I had planned some additional days to take advantage of our adventure. Lima definitely caught us by surprise. Within the first half hour, sitting in the courtyard of a fancy hotel, laughing about something as usual, I got robbed.

Two men in suits grabbed my bag from under my arm and bolted to their getaway cab. I battled, but they won. Luckily, the other surprises were nothing but great hospitality.

Katrina railing a corner in Lima, after the race || Photo: Warwick Patterson

Some local rippers, who we had met at the race, took care of us, showed us around and made sure we had smiles on our faces. Bring us to some awesome tracks and throw us on some beaches and you have two happy girls!

Katrina and men's winner Rene Wildhaber checking out the trails around Lima || Photo: Uwe Buchholz

Peru is an unbelievable country and my time there definitely won’t be forgotten! The mountains, the people, the history, and the culture are fascinating. It is so completely different than our little bubble up here in plush Canada. Everything about it is intense, so be prepared for any situation, 'cause anything goes. It is a place for the adventurous. And of course, don’t forget your bike!

Canadians and Peruvians, playing nice together on two wheels || Photo: Warwick Patterson

Thanks again to the Lima locals: Esteban Zimmermann (a.k.a Yeti), Carlos Andres, Diego Sarmiento (who everybody called Pacifico), Luigi Marmanillo (our official shuttler due to another broken bike - apparently he is crazy), Diego del Rio, and Alessandro Carozzi. They were a solid, laid-back group of guys to hang out with, which is just our style.

For more information on the Avalanche races, check out AvalancheCup.com.

Katrina Strand

Check out more exploits of the Dirty Girls.