Adventure Racing in Utah

...the hardest part is the sand. The sand in your shoes. The sleep deprivation. And also the heat, 35-40 degrees Celsius from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The temperature remains constant for most of the day.

SHOOT: This is an interview I did for Shape magazine a while back, with Ina van Tonder, after the 800 km Eco Primal Quest.

clipped from english.ohmynews.com Appearances can be deceptive. She's diminuitive and slight, but South African Ina van Tonder has done four Ironman races and if that wasn't challenge enough, she also participated with Team Powerade Cyanosis in the world's most grueling multiday multidisciplinary event: the Eco Primal Quest.* The Primal Quest is no ordinary adventure race. It's a monstrous eight-day 800km slog through scorching desert and dust. Nick van der Leek asked her to relive the experience. "Utah is a combination of our Richtersveld and the Fish River Canyon. It's very rugged and dry. The sun sets at about 8 p.m., and when it does everything turns red. Red red red, and pink. There are huge, huge boulders and canyons all over the place. At one stage you have to go down the canyon, down a steep 400 foot cliff. So you have to abseil down -- the Americans call it rappel -- and put your bike on a zip line. We did an orienteering section on day six or seven. That was my low. My feet hurt. I was very sleep deprived.