What is Adventure?

ad·ven·ture [ əd vénchər ]

exciting experience:an exciting or extraordinary event or series of events

bold undertaking:an undertaking involving uncertainty and risk

involvement in bold undertakings: the participation or willingness to participate in things that involve uncertainty and risk

 

Now, how about real adventure?

 

We want to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience to those intrepid souls who have the true spirit of adventure in their hearts, and who long to undertake a special journey that will leave their spirit changed forever.

Few rules, nothing sanitized. An expedition where the journey is at least as important as the race, and where all who commit to the challenge emerge as champions.

Are you ready? Do you have it in you?

 

Over almost 7 days, teams will undertake a 340 - 700 km (200 - 410 miles) expedition over some of the most beautiful, epic and challenging terrain on Earth.

Racers will use a map, compass and their own wits to navigate their way over a (mostly) unmarked route by mountain biking, rafting, paddling, trekking, canyoneering, coasteering, glacier travel, orienteering, trail running, fixed ropes, and a few other surprises through the amazing expanse of Alaska’s Kenai peninsula!

 

Our goal is to provide racers with an ultimate racing experience that harkens back to the original spirit of “The Raid,” and pays homage to the original, traditional “Iditarod” trail. Racers must problem solve, route-find, and persevere over a true, unmarked wilderness expedition course. Racers will be challenged to their limits, while provided with a life-altering experience they will never forget!

We will be tweaking and working on the course format constantly to ensure racers the best adventure experience possible.

 

It is our goal to see that EVERY team successfully reaches the finish line. We have designed a course format so unique we believe it will provide the ultimate challenge for the world’s very best teams, while still offering an “Achievable Adventure” for every participant.

Selection Process

We are only going to accept 100 racers for Expedition Alaska! Because of the small field, and because of the huge demand, we are going to be implementing a selection process as follows:

Previous winners of Expedition Idaho (Thule, Yogaslackers, Seagate, Bones)

Teams that participated in the 2014 Expedition Idaho can get a guaranteed slot until January 1, 2015, at which time their slots will be given to teams on the waiting list.

First come-first served until we have filled 68 of the available slots. After that, teams will be placed on a selections list and will be granted entry based on the following criteria:

  • Date of entry
  • Qualifications, such as participation and completion of other major events
  • Skills
  • Unique stories
  • Co-ed teams of 4 or 3 will have priority over teams of 2 or all male/all female teams

 

Team Rankings

We want all teams to be finishers! We are not going to have “unranked” teams… we think that everyone who completes a fair portion of the course and reaches the finish line in time deserves to be ranked!

Therefore, all teams that finish at least 6 Phases + 1 additional CP/OP, and reach the Final Phase DarkZone campground and then the Finish line on July 4 will be considered official finishers! Just FYI, in two Expedition Idahos, ALL teams have made it, and been official finishers!

  • All Teams who complete the race with all intact and with all/most Segments and all/most CPs/OPs (Control Points/Optional Points) will be ranked first (the “Premier” Division)
  • All Teams who complete the race with all team members intact and with the most segments will be ranked next
  • All Teams who complete the race with all team members intact with fewer segments and most CP/OPs will be ranked next
  • Teams finishing with a lost team member will be ranked next
  • Teams finishing with 2 members lost will be ranked next, but can also join another willing team.
  • Solo racers will not be allowed to continue on their own, but may join another team who accepts them. Solo or 2 person teams may form ad-lib teams with other solo/pair racers, but will be ranked after 3 person teams.
Race Logistics

Can Point to Point (P2P) and Modified Styles live together in harmony?

We believed they can, and in Expedition Idaho 2011 and 2014, we proved it, with some of the most amazing races and finishes ever!

We will be following a similar program this year, with teams racing to the “Dark Zone” campground the final night of the race, and then embarking in waves on the last day for the “Mad Dash/Victory Lap” to the finish!

Expedition Alaska will feature 14 distinct phases, with a number of smaller “sub-phases” included. Teams must complete a minimum of 9 phases + ONE additional CP AND make it to the Dark Zone AND the Finish Line before the cutoff to be considered official finishers!

Some of the details…

Our top teams (The Premier Division) will be able to race the course out essentially Point to Point, and we fully expect that some of the teams will be able to clear the course under the time limit. These teams must meet various time cutoffs, and must have all team members still racing.

After about the mid-point of the race, teams will have the choice of shorter alternate routes that will allow/encourage them to reach the finish within the 6.5 day time limit, and at this time, they will be placed in the “Open” division.

There will also be on-course time cutoffs, where we will direct teams to alternate routes for safety or time concerns. If a team loses a team member, they will also be changed to the Open division.