STAGES

TREKKING STAGE

The terrain on trekking stage will be quite various. There you can meet hills up to 90 m in height covered with trees and vegetation with very different passability – from easy to run to slow passing. In some places the pines are spaced like a manicured park, sometimes there is a windbreak from dense underbrush where travelling speed won’t exceed 1 km/h. But there are only a few spots with really hard slow-passing terrain. You can pass over bare rocks (rock formations) or cliffs up to 40 m high. The moss covering the rocks can be really slippery like soap when it's raining; caution is advised. The organizers aimed to choose the most beautiful locations for check points on these routes. Three of them are considered to receive a “Spot of force” status (those participated in previous Red Fox Adventure Races know that this means and certainly spiritual presence which can be felt there). The varied and rapidly changing terrain will be really demanding to the racers in terms of precise orienteering skills. There are detailed maps in scales of 1:10000 и 1:20000 for all five routes.

MOUNTAIN BIKE STAGE

The race area has a relatively developed road network. The maps for this stage are specially prepared for the Red Fox Adventure Race 2017 in a scale of 1:50000. There are six road types: asphalt, gravel (wide, covered by broken stones), stabilized (forest roads covered in places by broken stones), dirt, single-track trails, and narrow paths. 70% of the routes follow roads that can be described as high-speed. In that hilly region a single vertical ascent could be up to 60 m.

Car traffic on asphalt and gravel roads varies from low to average intensity during the daytime and low at night. Anyway it is necessary to pay special attention when riding on public roads especially passing a sharp turns and steep ascents/descents. Racers should take into account their physical and mental state and avoid roads with intensive traffic when over-fatigued.

The most of check points on MTB stage will be located from 50 up to 200 m away from the road and sometimes hardly reachable by bike. So it’s recommended when leaving the bikes to connect it by special bike lock.

PADDLING STAGE

Paddling routes will pass through the northern part of Ladoga Lake with incredible views. There are extended skerries with bare grey granite and dozens of large and small islands beyond which lies the vast expanse of the great Lake. It’s the most beautiful and fascinating section of the race. That is why the paddling stage will be the most extended. It is possible to punch some check points without getting out of the kayak, sometimes it will be necessary to come along stiff slope. It’ll be reasonable to choose paddling round or making a small portage in some places. The islands and closed skerries will protect the majority of routes from the wind of some directions, although some narrows have a width of more than 2 km. Some CPs demand following along the coast of open Ladoga Lake where even a weak wind creates a good sized wave. You must consider that there are many extended rocky coast of length up to half a kilometer where it is impossible to get out to the land in case of overturn. It can be really dangerous taking into account average water temperature for this season which is about 6 °C. In gulfs with shallow waters it can reach 15-20°С.

Daytime breezes on Ladoga Lake in the summer can create a wave up to 1 m height sometimes. The quiet-water conditions of the Lake are usually at dusk, or from dawn until 10 a.m. In the case of a storm the paddling routes will be cancelled partially or completely. If this occurs, the alternate route will be used, as defined on the route sheet specifically. The decision in these cases will be determined by the organizers during the race in accordance with each situation.

There isn’t any renting of kayaks.

FIXED ROPE STAGES

Successful overcoming of fixed rope routes requires the following skills:
1. Rappelling and climbing by vertical or steep inclined fixed rope. Change the way of moving on the route. Climbing /descent with height difference up to 20 m.
2. Overcoming of horizontal or slightly inclined air portage up to 80 m in length.
3. Overcoming of horizontal or inclined rails.

The judges will control all fixed rope stages. Each competitor should overcome it unassisted but has to obey strictly to all judge’s requirements. Team can start rope stage only when all team-members completely prepared and dressed in all necessary equipment for passing this route.

Judges have a right to give a penalty or disqualify the team from the route in following cases: competitor has an accident, competitor doesn’t obey to judge’s requirements, competitor skips the safety rules, in case of obvious inadequate state of competitor.

There will be a test rope route in the Race center prior the race start. All teams have to pass it before the Team’s registration. During this test stage the competitors should rappel by vertical rock wall of about 20 m height up to check point and climb then. Team member should wear a belay. Time of passing is limited for the team. It will not be very strict time limit, but not very tender too. The exact time will be announced at the start of test course. Teams staying out of the control time will not be admitted to the most difficult rope stage at the Race.

ROCK CLIMBING STAGES

Routes length – up to 20 m. Difficulty level – 5 а-5 в. Angle of slope – 80- 90 degrees. One of the routes will be short and passable without using a belay, so in case of failure competitor will fall down to the lake.

BOARD FLOATING STAGE

This route will cross the lake in a rocky pit.
Organizers recommend to be prepared properly for this stage. Surfing board is made of polyfoam. Dimensions - 240*60*10 cm. Water temperature in the lake can be 12-18 °C.
Teams receive surfing boards in transition area in a rocky pit. You should return it back to judges of this transition area after passing the route.