Team Kelty-Cabela race diary--January 31
Joy Marr, team coordinator
The team has seemingly slowed way down. They are very tired and Nick's feet are possibly what is slowing things down so much. The doctor at checkpoint 20 looked at him and removed a huge blister. He is a trooper, the doctor said, but now he is sure to move slowly.

One of the other American teams, Team Endeavor, got off yesterday and is moving well ahead of the pack. Team Compaq is disqualified with one member out with a bad knee. They will finish, but not officially. They are personal friends of our team and we (the assistants) have been working together to get all our American teams in. Finishing is most important. Team captain Don Mann would like to finish in the top 10. Today is the first time we have dropped below that, at number 13. But finishing even further back--but officially finishing--is the real goal.

The teamwork is great. Compaq had a vehicle down and we had two vehicles, so we took them and the horse gear back to Champagne Castle (a 14-hour drive) to pick up their second vehicle. While there, they got our trailer. We all drove with gear and assistants in another vehicle down Sani Pass (one hour), an extremely rough road. There were rivers of water running across the road--some almost knee-deep!

It's hard not to worry and to empathize with those who are actually out there racing. We know how hard everyone is trying, but luck has so much to do with it all. The fog is dangerous in the Drakensberg Range, and has caused teams to be lost for hours. Teams are walking together to try to minimize the danger. You can feel the brotherhood. Compaq lost a map and hooked up with a team (whom they had helped during the Raid in Borneo two years ago) to find their way. Our team and a South African team have been traveling together. Everyone asks about each other and offers support and tries to work out problems together.