In early March every year in the capital of Karelia will start forwarding the winter kite-marathon on ultra-long distance “TRANS-Onego”. The participants for 4 days and 3 nights have to overcome more than 300 km on the ice of lake Onega. However, this year due to abnormally warm weather, the marathon was in jeopardy – lake Onega did not freeze.
But the organizers found a way out, paving the route on the ice of a frozen lake Sandal that under the Kondopoga. However, the length of the lake is about 50 km, so the participants have to do 3 laps and 30-kilometer championship the loop to gain the necessary distance.
3 March Petrozavodsk hosted the opening ceremony, and on March 4 at 12.30 athletes started with the first checkpoint. Just to start out 23 teams from Russia, Sweden, Norway, France, Finland and Romania (according to race rules, a team can consist of two or three athletes).
The first day proved favorable to race – good weather, light frost, sun, moderate winds helped the road. Two teams of leaders – “Northren Express” (Dmitry Nikulichev and Eduard Radaev and “Aplums” (Boris Filimonov and Farid Arslanov) – was able to complete a full circle (86 km on the course) and return to the starting point. The rest of the team at 21.00 laid out the tent and spent the night at a distance. To continue the race they are allowed in at 7 am.
On 5 March, the weather changed abruptly, came a warm front with rain, wet snow and gusts of wind up to 30 knots.
With checkpoint “Lukin”, which is 15 km from the starting point come the disappointing news: “About KP coverage straight, 15 cm of snow. But he’s getting heavy, getting warmer. Blizzard does not stop. In the lake of smooth ice interspersed with drifts up to 30 cm tall. To go is very difficult. The wind ripped, and strong. “Snow angels” arrived on 4 sqm kite and said that it let slowly, but safely. Several teams are in the capture, on a single kite, since it does not have such a small space. In General, participants say that it is very difficult to go. About half of the teams, moving away from our KP 500 meters, dropping the kites and then fly for a long time.”
Not all indursty cope with the weather. In the evening it becomes clear that a few teams away with the race. In the final days went off the track with 4 teams: №1 “Ust-Ilimsk GUYS”, No. 9 “Norway Supermix”, No. 8 “Element5 “, No. 26 “Double shift”, followed by the final race and said the leaders of the “Northren Express” and “Aplums”, which managed to finish the second round and reach the base.
Here is what Farid Arslanov (team Aplums): “the Snow has gone, the boost high, strong wind, spiskah cut and they stay there. Several times out seriously… And today thaw gave. And decided it was better to go than to leave on the course health and materiel. Clothes are all soaking wet. But it was to the finish line with a margin first. The first pancake is always lumpy.”
On the morning of 6 March the weather calmed down a bit and light wind allowed to go on the kites of large size, but raw sticky snow still hinders movement. In the race we will have 16 teams. Led her team from Petrozavodsk and Cherepovets – No. 11, “Ghostbusters” and No. 24 “Sheksna”. At 7.30 the leaders left the base and went to third round. The third place team from Romania No. 34 “Team adventure”.
I hope leaders will be able to finish the race today. For the next days is a weakening of the wind and not finishing teams will have to walk or ski tour.
Follow the progress of the competition on the official website of the CURRENT: http://trans-onego.ru
championsonegotranswaiting
What do you think?