Adventure Xstream Buena Vista - 6 Hour, 12 Hour & 18 Hour Course Options
The Buena Vista adventure race will be a spectacular course held in the Arkansas River Valley. The area aptly named "Headwaters of Adventure" because of the classic whitewater rafting and mountain biking options throughout the Buena Vista and Salida area. This will be a challenging course incorporating all of the numerous AR disciplines into the event; white water kayaking, single track mountain biking, trekking, an orienteering course as well as a ropes course.
The Adventure Xstream 18 Hour races as well as The Xstream Expedition are all races included in the Checkpoint Tracker National Points Series. Teams can accumulate points in their best 4 races in the national points series. An additional $10,000.00 is up for grabs in this national series. Visit www.CheckpointTracker.com for additional information.
Disciplines Included for the Buena Vista 18 Hour Adventure Race: (Race Start Time = Friday at Midnight)
- Whitewater Kayaking (~10-12 miles) - Consistent Class II & III Rapids (or alternate course with class II only)
- Mountain Bike (~30-40 miles)
- Trail Run/Trek (~20-30 miles)
- Orienteering & Map Navigation
- Ropes - Tyrolean Traverse
Disciplines Included for the Buena Vista 12 Hour Adventure Race: (Race Start Time = Saturday at 8:00am)
- Whitewater Kayaking (~7-12 miles) - Consistent Class II & III Rapids (or alternate course with class II only)
- Mountain Bike (~30-40 miles)
- Trail Run/Trek (~8-12 miles)
- Orienteering & Map Navigation
- Ropes - Tyrolean Traverse
Disciplines Included for the Buena Vista 6 Hour Adventure Race: (Race Start Time = Saturday at 8:00am)
- River Paddle (~4-7 miles) - Class I/II- Rapids
- Mountain Bike (~15-20 miles)
- Trail Run/Trek (~4-7 miles)
- UTM Plotting & Map Navigation
*Each disciplines distance is given as a range for training purposes. Exact distances are not given so that the course will remain secret. Disciplines, distances and difficulty subject to change.
Approximate drive times to Buena Vista from:
Denver - 2 hours
Albuquerque - 5.5 hours
Salt Lake City - 8 hours
Las Vegas - 11 hours
Phoenix - 11 hour
White Water Kayaking (optional): (12 & 18 Hour Racers)
"NEW" - Many teams have wanted to do this race but have been intimidated by the class III whitewater. So, for 2009 teams will be allowed to do an alternate course, bypassing the class II whitewater sections. The rest of the course will be the same, but teams will do a slightly different course which will allow them to run the class II section only. A time penalty will be assessed to compensate for this difference, but will allow for more teams to experience this race course.
For the regular course, the Buena Vista 12 & 18 Hour courses have some of the most fun and exciting class II & III whitewater in the State! Kayakers will have several miles of whitewater with consistent class II and III rapids, which will require "intermediate" level paddling skills. This is not to scare you away, if you have done our Vail race with class II+ rapids and feel confident in your ability, then you will have a great time in the Buena Vista race.
Solo kayakers will be required to use inflatable kayaks, no hard shell kayaks will be permitted. Tandem Aire Tomcats are provided to teams of 2 and 4. There will be plenty of river safety along the shore and in kayaks should racers need assistance, but the 12/18 hour kayak section is not for beginner paddlers. All 12 & 18 hour race participants are required to sign the "Declaration of Skill Proficiency" form to participate in this race. See the certifications page for more information.
The 6 hour course is already class II whitewater only.
Supported or Unsupported: For this event you can choose to have it be supported or unsupported. We encourage you to provide your own support crew as this will limit your logistical requirements for the event. However, if you can not provide your own support crew we will be offering a gear drop option for those teams. This service will be offered at no charge. Additional logistical information about the shuttle/gear drop will be posted to the "race updates" pages in the near future.
Event Sanctioning: The Buena Vista 12 hour & 18 hour course are sanctioned events with the ACA (American Canoe Association). All participants must be a member of the ACA to participate, or you can purchase a single event membership for $5. This can be purchased at racer check-in. For ACA information go to http://www.americancanoe.org
- Race updated will be posted in January
Volunteer Opportunities - Have family or friends coming with nothing to do? Put them to work. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the race. Volunteers who help for 8-12 hour shift receive a $100 race voucher that can be used by anyone. Have them fill out our volunteer application here.
Buena Vista Gear List - Preliminary, subject to change
Mandatory Personal Equipment (each person) |
Bike |
Paddle |
Trek |
Ropes |
| Completed Medical Information Form |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Hydration System - Minimum100 oz (3L) water capacity |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Emergency Space Blanket |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Bike Helmet - (For bike, paddle and ropes sections) |
X |
X |
|
X |
| Bike |
X |
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| Life Vest - Coast Guard Approved Type III (No inflatable PFD's Allowed) |
|
X |
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| Kayak Paddles |
|
X |
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| Climbing Harness (12hr & 18hr Only) |
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X |
| 2 locking carabiners, 1 one foot & 1 two foot commercial sling (12hr & 18hr Only) |
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X |
| |
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| Headlamp & Front and Rear Bike Lights (18hr Only) - required at night |
X |
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X |
X |
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Mandatory Team/Solo Equipment (per Team) |
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| Kayak - Solo Racers Only (Team boats are provided and mandatory) |
|
X |
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| First Aid Kit |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Compass |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Survival Mirror |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Whistle |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Cell Phone in Water Proof Container (for emergency use during the race) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| AXS provided Maps & UTM Grid |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| AXS provided Guide Book / Passport |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Strobe Light (24hr Only) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Lighter (24hr Only) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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Highly Recommended Equipment |
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| Wet Suit and / or Paddle Jacket and Pants (Water is COLD this time of year. YOU WILL GET WET!) |
| Water Purification - 12/18hr racers will have some limited access to streams to refill water. Tablets or filter is strongly recommended. |
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| Tire Pump |
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| Knife/Multi-tool |
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| Lighter |
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| Spare Tubes / Patch Kit / Bike Tools |
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| Gloves for bike and ropes |
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| Long Sleeve Polypro or Fleece |
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| Headlamp - just in case Sprint and 12hr are still racing/lost in the dark |
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| Dry bag for your maps and gear |
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| Rain gear and layering clothes (tops and pants) |
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The following forms and certifications are required for the Buena Vista race. These forms must be brought with your team to racer Check-in the day before the race. Do not mail them to us.