January 30--Halfway mark sees attrition rise
By James Bowyer

As worn-out Raiders pass the critical midway point of this year's race, almost one-third of the teams have dropped out.

Fourteen teams to date have fallen due to dehydration, foot problems, broken bones, or fatigue. Most of those who did not make it crumpled on the 68-mile hike that began yesterday and continued through the night.

Dogged by a mist that hid the stars above, many Raiders got lost in the mountains and lost precious hours and the essential motivation to continue.

Some of the slower teams were able to benefit from the 312-foot vertical abseil, gaining crucial hours on the leading pack. Regulations forced frontrunners who arrived at the cliff-face during the night to seek an alternate route to the abseiling section, one that added an extra five hours to their hike.

Seemingly untouched by the problems of lesser mortals is Team Endeavor, which is making a serious bid for the Raid title by breaking the French stranglehold on the top position. The team, lead by California teacher Louise Cooper-Lovelace, stormed into checkpoint 24 on the banks of the heavy-flowing Umkamaas River to begin the 37-mile rafting section.

With only a couple of hours sleep, the upstart team navigated their way to the lead, beating their nearest rivals by almost an hour.

"We are going to paddle like hell," was Lovelace's snappy response to a reporter who asked her about the team's rafting strategy. Team members, known for their laid-back approach, captured a strategic coup by placing themselves at the front of the pack at this stage of the race.

But as the team's assistants frantically shouted out items on the checklist necessary to comply with regulations, the Raid jury met behind closed doors. Setback struck the mostly New Zealand team when the jury levied a a one-hour penalty. Two teams, say the jury, saw Team Endeavor walking on a trail forbidden by the rule book. The decision wipes out the team's hard-earned lead, pushing them back into third place.

As the rugged Lesotho Mountains fade, the unruly landscape has given way to a more organized terrain that is South Africa. Large farms employing modern agriculture have replaced the comfortable-looking stone hut villages of Lesotho. The rapidly flowing Umkamaas River runs through a land sliced up by razor wire marking the boundaries of the single-owner farms.

Although its load--made heavy by recent rain--has dropped, the river is a minefield of hidden rocks and unpredictable rapids.

As night falls, the handful of teams that have made it to the rafting section must leave the water in order to comply with the 6 p.m. curfew. Trailing teams will trudge on through the night in order to reach their assistants and find some comfort before setting off on the rafting section at 6 a.m.

Quotes for the day

"These Gauls are crazy." --one of the members of the assistant teams quoting from the famed Asterix and Obelix comics.

"I hope that at the end of the race we have 25 teams completing the Raid." --Gerard Fusil briefing media about the dropout rate.

"I am trying to impress my kids, I want to teach them that you can do anything in the world. I am trying really hard." --Louise Cooper-Lovelace, of Team Endeavor.

James Bowyer is a freelance journalist living in Cape Town, South Africa.