The entry for the Exmoor Explorer is now open.

It’s on Sunday 5th August & cost £20 🙂

Is anyone going to do this?

provisionally yes as I still have this day free for once (at the moment)

I just have to persuade my knee that it can do it.. will I love it Crispy..?

Thanks for the reminder, all signed up.

I’m in – my 5th year 😯

Anyone feel like answering some questions?
Would a 16 year old be out of place
If I have never taken part in a xc event would I likely get lost
And is anything other than a bike, helmet and suitable clothing needed?

Wonder if the bloke on the roadbike will be trying it this year 😯

Would a 16 year old be out of place
If I have never taken part in a xc event would I likely get lost
And is anything other than a bike, helmet and suitable clothing needed?

#1. No (but maybe just check the small-print on their site for more about age).
#2. No (err, ok, maybe, but either way it’ll be an adventure). 😉
#3. From experience, lots of water / food & chain-lube.
I had the 2nd worst ‘bonk’ of my life on this ride one year, and whilst it felt quite scary at the time, thinking about it again now, my ‘performance’ would have looked pretty amusing to anyone else – about 10kg of food and a short rest later I was fine, but that was the last time I prepared for anything by only eating salad the night before. 🙄

I’d also suggest getting the hours/miles in now, to get properly acquainted with your contact points, as you’ll be together for a long hot, dry, dusty day come August (unless it rains, but even then the first bit will still be true).

Would a 16 year old be out of place
If I have never taken part in a xc event would I likely get lost
And is anything other than a bike, helmet and suitable clothing needed?

I’m doing for the 7th year running so I have a bit of form on this event. The event is either a short 25 mile ride or a longer 35 mile ride. You ride to the ‘all you can eat T-stop’ & at this point you can decide whether you want to do the short ride back to the finish or the longer ride which is a 10/12 mile loop back to the T-stop a second time, then back to the finish. Exmoor has some very nice singletrack downhills but it also has some long techy brutal uphills too, IMHO you do need to be reasonably fit & competent on a MTB to enjoy this event. Anyway to answer your questions:

1. Check the event website for details on age, some won’t let you take part under a certain age or require parent/guardian consent to let you take part. As long as you can do a minimum of 25 miles XC you should be OK.

2. Unlike in some of the years gone past the route is now well marked & you shouldn’t get lost, however even people with the route on GPS can go wrong mentioning no names (Dibbs 😉 )

3. Strong legs & a good pair of lungs could come in handy too.

If you want a bit of a challenge & to test yourself then give it a go. I normally get halfway round & wonder why the hell I’m putting my aged body through all the grief & pain. Then the day after I’m already looking forward to the following years event – I find it addictive & go back each year.

I’m in 8) (again)

I’ll be continuing my downward spiral, second home in the first EE, missed marker post last two years and ended up doing 4 or 5 miles extra (4 or 5 miles on Exmoor = hundreds of extra feet of climbing). 🙄

registration completed here… how long after the event is finished do they hang around waiting for stragglers..?

Yunki – if you’re not finished by last light then you’ll be the Beast of Exmoor’s dinner ;o)

You know those people that enter a marathon wearing a vintage diving suit and take three weeks to finish..?

That will be me… but without the diving suit..

That will be me

That will be me also, Yunki – looking forward to it! 😀

excellent.. I look forward to riding with you.. 😀

is there a lantern rouge contest for last place..?

is there a lantern rouge contest for last place..?

I’ll race ya for last… probably by getting lost. 8)

I could be tempted 🙂

OK, I’m in 8)