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The Adventure Zone

Past stories The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

Photo credit: Full Moon Adventure Co.

Adventure racers are a breed unto themselves, and the thrill-seeking participants in the 2005 edition of the Full Moon in June (FMIJ) event, held on June 25-26 this year in the foothills of the Rockies, near Nordegg, Alberta, are no exception. Alberta's biggest multi-day adventure race has been a favourite with western Canadians since its launch in 1999. Loved for its physical and mental challenges, the 36-hour race includes mountain biking, trekking, navigation, fixed ropes and whitewater rafting. The four-person coed teams must come prepared for all eventualities and complete the entire course together or be disqualified.

To shed a little light on the daunting route, organizers hold the race each June on the weekend closest to a full moon. This year's competitors will need every advantage they can get. The course "is tougher than ever," according to Full Moon Adventure Co. spokesperson Brian Gallant. "Technically, the overall distance is shorter than most years, but I think many teams will be out there longer than usual. There's a lot of muskeg and bush in the area that will eat people alive if they don't watch where they're going."

In a tried-and-true adventure race format, teams will not know anything about the course until five hours before the race start. Maps and instructions are handed out for the first leg, and as each section is completed, information on the next leg is distributed. Navigating the 140-kilometre course, team members will get little if any sleep, using all their strength and savvy to respond to the complexities of the course. "Factors like elevation, wet terrain and dense bush can really take their toll on a team," says Gallant. "They'll need a lot of mental strength to make it through in under 36 hours. If they keep working together, they can dominate the course, but they will need to stay on the ball and not get disheartened when faced with the inevitable adversity."

Like all adventure races, this one is fuelled in part by the goodwill and high spirits of its staff and volunteers. Their contributions, in combination with what a past participant has described as "an all-you-can-eat adventure-racing buffet," have made the FMIJ a race that draws moonstruck competitors back year after year. Visit www.fmij.com for more information.