The race will take just over five days for those who finish. While each team plots its own route, all start the race with a 42-kilometre mountain trek through the Craigieburn Range, completing two abseil sections along the way. They then mountain bike from Ryton Station to Lake Coleridge where they pile into sea kayaks to paddle 39 kilometres through the Coleridge canals and down the Rakaia River. There, they hop onto their bikes again for a 26-kilometre uphill grind. To succeed, teams must draw upon the strength of their teammates and the assets available in their physical environment.
Strategy is as critical to success as skill and fitness.
For that reason, the world's best adventure racers are between 35 and 45 years old and bring the wisdom of maturity to every event. In the case of the Southern Traverse, nearly half of last November's 228 racers are native New Zealanders. In many ways, the Kiwi lifestyle epitomizes the ideal many adventure racers aspire to. New Zealand is an outdoor enthusiast's Disneyland. Its countrymen revel in the natural glory of their nation.