Obstacle Course Rating - Turf Warrior November 2014

Turf Warrior

Leenane, Connemara, County Galway 01/11/2014

This was our last outing this year, at the start of this month.  We had a smaller group of ten out this time, all of us taking on this event as part of a friend's stag.  

Ratings

Price 4/5

Hard to judge the pricing as this time out we got a package deal for the stag party, including accommodation and the race entry, but the price in September was €55 for a single entry, and they also offered a group rate, although I have no idea how much they knocked off for it.  However, they do not charge anything extra for parking or spectating, which is a big plus.

Timing 3/5

Coming to that time of the year when it's getting a bit cold to be running through the bog, although you are advised to wear a wetsuit, whether you bring your own or rent one from the adventure center is up to you.  The weather was a bit miserable for us, but then again it was great the week before, so it's a lottery, really.

Distance 4/5

10K, a nice handy one, manageable for most people, but long enough for it not to be a walk in the park at the same time.

Course 4/5

An excellent mix of natural terrain and original man made obstacles, among beautiful scenery.  The trail through the bog was brilliant, you could try to be clever and match the person in front of you step for step, and still end up landing in a surprise bog hole that your unsuspecting 'scout' had passed over without incident.  The rope swings were also very good fun, especially when someone else botched it and ended up sprawled in black goopy muck.  There was also a section where you had to wade waste deep through a trench of a thick viscous peat, which was a lot harder going than expected.

They had monkey bars, so I was happy.  Until I got to actually using them.  The bars were created by fixing four ladders over a pit, which you used in the traditional way.  These were quite narrow, which made things tricky but a challenge is always good.  The only problem was that, at least on the ladder that I used, there was a wire across each rung, apparently to protect the wooden steps from wearing down when used for their original purpose.  This wire now only serves to dig quite painfully into the palm of the user's hand when their entire body weight is being suspended by one arm.  The resulting bruises make you feel like the stigmata is coming out through the palms of your hands for the next week or so.  Two weeks on I am still aware of it when I change gears.

The sniper was utterly pointless as he was firing at us through a net which protected us from getting shot in the face, but also meant that all he had to aim at was our legs.  I'd be surprised if he hit anyone.

Dirt Levels 5/5

I think all the events this year have scored full marks on mud, and this one is no different, although I'm fairly sure there were at least three new types of muck I've never seen before.  Really dirty, really fun.

Waiting Time 3/5

There were two or three areas where participants could only pass through one at a time, and, particularly on the rope areas, this happened quite slowly, and so the only thing to do was wait.  And wait.  And then wait a bit more.  It must have taken ten minutes of standing around before we actually got around to making our way along the ropes, which is a long time when you're already wet.  In other areas though things moved along quite well.

Safety 2/5

To be honest, the reason I decided to include a safety section in any of the ratings I have done is directly as a result of this event.  Over the course of the day I saw one guy nearly drown and another come very close to falling headfirst from a high platform.  I had reservations about the swimming area as well.  I'll go into the near drowning incident in full below.

In other events, we have been warned in no uncertain terms before the race starts that if we are unable to swim not to attempt such and such an obstacle, and we are told once again when we reach the obstacle in question.  However, at this event there was a slide that could land you in water that could be chest deep or out of your depth, depending on your velocity by the time you reach the end.  There should have been at least one lifeguard, with a float or a ring buoy on hand in the event that someone should get into difficulty.  As it was there was nothing in place and the closest steward was at the top of a big hill, which is why there was a near drowning.

The second big water obstacle was a jump of about 4-5m or so into the fjord.  One steward met people as they approached and advised them to wear the life jackets provided if they felt they needed them.  We were also told that we could either swim to the slipway a few hundred metres or so away, or if we weren't confident swimmers, we could come in by the rocks and wade to it from there.  There was nobody at the end of the platform telling people when to jump, this was left to common sense and one's own judgement as to whether or not the person in front of you was clear or not.  Bad idea.

Being a confident enough swimmer I opted to go without the life jacket, and swam the distance, stopping half way and coming back to check on the last of our team to make the jump to be sure he got to the edge safely as even with a buoyancy aid he wasn't at all comfortable in the water.  It was as I was bobbing around in the deep water that I made the following observations:

1. There were three stewards on the water keeping an eye on things: one in a RIB flanking the swimmers, moving over and back between the platform and the slip; and two in kayaks weaving in and out between the folks making their way through the water (it was one of these kayakers that came to aid the last member of our group in getting to the shallower water).
2. There were well over twenty people in the water making their way at varying speeds towards their destination, and most of them were trying to get there by swimming.

Really there was no way that three pairs of eyes could satisfactorily observe everyone in the water, (unless of course there was another person on the shore I had not noticed who could radio the guy in the RIB if they spotted someone in trouble).  It would be one thing if everyone had to wear a life vest, but I think the assumption was that everyone was wearing a wetsuit which would provide some extra buoyancy, but quite clearly they weren't.  If someone had got into difficulty and attracted the attention of the stewards it would have been the easiest thing in the world for an over-confident swimmer with no extra flotation to get exhausted and slip under the water unnoticed.

At one other point in the race, I was helping someone up and over an obstacle that was something like a half pipe with a rope to climb up.  Once he made it to the top he stood up and went to come down the other side, but lost his balance and nearly fell headfirst off the side of the platform.  Perhaps there were too many people crowding the area at the time, but it would have been an idea to have a railing or a barrier at the top to avoid an accident as it was a very near thing.

Finally the drop below the monkey bars was bloody long, and we saw one person land on a girl who was passing underneath, which looked quite sore, but could easily have broken her neck.

I love these races, and I am by no means suggesting that they are made so safe that they aren't any fun.  Sprains and broken limbs are injuries that, while unfortunate, could be reasonably expected over the course of any these events - landing wrong after climbing a wall, or running over uneven ground come with their own risks.  But when folks aren't warned about deep water obstacles, there aren't any lifeguards,  a loss of footing can send you falling off a high ledge and only 'common sense' is stopping the person on the platform after you from jumping on your head you're looking at serious inadequacies in safety.

Showers 5/5

Probably the cleanest I've been after one of these events.  There weren't any showers per se, but jumping into the open towards the end got nearly all the dirt from shoes, clothes, body and hair.  The large heated dome facility that they had for changing afterwards was truly a very welcome surprise, although some of our group didn't find it and got changed by the bus.  

Food 3.5/5

Hot soup and tea, very pleasant.

Fun 4/5

We had a great day out.  Nearly half the group had never done one of these before and they really enjoyed it.  Some of the longer stretches through the bog that could be quite monotonous are filled with hilarity as the person running beside you suddenly isn't there anymore and you turn around to find them struggling to climb out of a bog hole.  Some of the longer waits were a bit of a pain as that was when the cold started setting in.  The lackadaisical approach to water safety detracted from the experience for me also.

Overall  3.5
I'd like to point out that the stewards were all tremendously friendly and encouraging both before during and after the event, and the long section that I have included on the safety issues is in no way meant as a criticism of them in any way. I'm purely aiming to highlight the shortcomings of the areas that I felt were unsafe, in the hope that in future events these issues will be resolved, and allowing this to be one of the best events of the year.

What makes it unique?
The lengthy bog stretches, swimming in Ireland's only fjord, the best changing room facilities I've seen at one of these.   The option to rent a wetsuit (if you book it in time) is a great idea as well.

Recommendations
Rent a wetsuit or bring your own, I didn't as they were booked out and I didn't want to damage my one.  As a result I was pretty damn cold at the end.  If you opt to go 'sans-wetsuit' and can't swim play it safe and assume the water at the bottom of the slide is too deep for you.  If you're confident in the water but aren't used to long distances, wear a buoyancy aid for the long swim or stick to the shallows, and get clear from in front of the platform or from under the monkey bars because there could be somebody right behind you.

The Incident
One of the obstacles, a slide I'd estimate to be 50m long, which consisted of a sheet of tough plastic on a slope, which ended in a ledge depositing the slider into a large pool of water. This was attended by one steward, a girl who stood at the top and threw a bucket of water onto the slide before each person went down to send them on their way.  One of our group who wouldn't be a very strong swimmer asked this girl if the water was deep as he couldn't swim, and he was told 'Ah, you'll be fine'.

And thankfully he was.

I was the last of our party to slide down, disappointingly slowly, given the speeds I'd seen others managing on it, and landed in water that was chest-deep.  I climbed out the side and started making my way around the pool, pausing to take a picture of the team making their way along the next obstacle, a series of floating platforms.  It was at this point that someone began shouting for help, but when I turned to look I could see two guys at the bottom of the slide, one of them jumping up and down in the water and making all the noise.  He looked fine, and I couldn't see anything wrong, so assumed they were messing, so I turned back to take another picture, when somebody on the platforms directly across from the 'messers' began pointing and shouting for a marshal.  I turned and ran the 20 metres or so to the scene where I found three guys in the water, one of them being the one who called for help, the others no less than three feet from the edge.  The bigger of the two men was trying to climb on top of the other to keep himself above the water, submerging the smaller man.  It's been a long time since I've done any lifesaving training, but I did remember that the last thing you should do is get in the water, so I lay on the edge and extended my hand to the struggling man.  Unfortunately given the slope of the bank and the muddy conditions I ended up reaching too far and fell in as well.  I put my feet down, found the water to be chest deep, and took a step towards the two men, hoping to reach them and drag them to safety, but I stepped off a ledge and found myself out of my depth as well.  It was as I was backing up to distance myself from them again that the steward from the top of the slide jumped into the water between us, big fluorescent yellow jacket and all, and somehow managed to disentangle the two men, and helped the one in the most difficulty to the edge where I and others helped to get him onto the bank.  As I got out, the visibly shaken gentleman that had called for help in the first place told me that he (the drowning man) had tried to climb on him first.  The chap that had found himself being pushed under the water seemed unfazed by the encounter and stood catching his breath.

Seeing the rescued man sitting by the bank with his head in his hands and being seen to by the steward and the others I went about catching up with the others.

What was wrong with this scenario?
Given the time it took for me to react, I should not have been the first on the scene, but as I was I should have had access to a ring buoy or something to throw to the struggling men.  By the time the steward got to us there were three of us in the deeper water, and she jumped straight in, which, although heroic, possibly wasn't the safest option.  I don't know how well she had assessed the situation on her sprint down the hill, but in the end it worked, so fair play to her.

Thankfully nobody was hurt.

This concludes my rating of our Obstacle Course events for this year.  Watch this space for freediving, Movember and more!