Event Details

Event Overview

Mountain Designs Adventure 1 Series

Explore Gippsland will be a qualifying member of the Adventure 1 national series. Teams of 4 competitors are eligible for the points series with not only a national ranking up for grabs but a free entry to the GODZone expedition race for the series winners.

Thanks to iconic Australian outdoor brand Mountain Designs for supporting the Adventure 1 Series.

Event Location

The Walhalla and Mountain Rivers district of Gippsland, Victoria offers some of the most amazing landscapes for Adventure Racing.

The Thomson River snakes through the centre of the region and has long been an obstacle for gold seekers accessing the area in search of riches. But paddling down the river would be much more fun than pushing a wheelbarrow with all your possessions up the hill to Walhalla.

Explore Gippsland HQ is only 2hrs20mins drive from Melbourne airport, and less than 2hrs from Melbourne.

For interstate/international teams we will offer a pick up from Melbourne Airport on Friday, and drop off on Sunday evening to help make the experience of travelling as easy as possible. Entrants will be given more travel details, including recommended flight times.

Event Details

Race Disciplines

Race Format

Race Schedule

Event Location

Accommodation

Mandatory Equipment

Logistics

Mountain Designs A1 Series

EVENT OVERVIEW

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Join Australia’s best adventure athletes for the opening round of the 2021 Mountain Designs A1 Adventure Series. Explore Gippsland is a new event in the series but with a management team with more racing experience than any other in Australia.

Race Director Rob Preston has been a #1 Adventure Racer in the world as a member of the Swedish based Team Haglofs/Silva and AR World Champion medalist with US based Team Adventure Medical Kits . As an ambassador for the A1 series, Rob is now excited to share his passion and experience through Explore Gippsland.

A1 Series - 30hr

The Mountain Designs A1 Adventure Series started in 2017 and has built in size and reputation over the last 3 seasons. Drawing together Australia’s premier Adventure event organisers under the one brand has created a vibrant and exciting future for the sport in Australia. The premier division is the Mixed class with teams of 4.

30hr course is open for…...30hrs. Winning team is expected to finish in 25-27hrs. The course will consist of compulsory and optional checkpoints, and a bonus leg for the lead teams.

A2 Series - 13hr

The A2 is a new development series of Adventure Races across Australia and will become a pathway for athletes to start small and then build up to longer races. With 2020 being the first year, there will be competitions in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Teams will compete in teams of 2.

Sprint- 3-6hrs

A perfect introduction to the sport of Adventure racing with basic navigation, kayaking equipment provided and still visiting amazing locations. Teams of 2 and only a general level of fitness required.

Race Disciplines

Trail Running/Trekking, Mountain Biking, Paddling, Packrafting (30hr Race only). All races involve navigation.

Race Format

All Explore Gippsland events will be Un-supported Format. What does this mean? It means we will do the hard work for you and remove the need to bring a support crew.

Can I still bring my family and friends?

Absolutely. But they won’t need to wash your bikes or load boats onto cars so they will actually enjoy their weekend away.

There are several places where your supporters will be able to watch and cheer you on, and we can suggest some fun tourist activities.

Preliminary Schedule

Accommodation

The best races we have experienced around the world have offered affordable accommodation and a friendly atmosphere. We know that finding accommodation can be difficult to find, and very expensive in some locations. But we have secured a venue with affordable accommodation options so you can bring your whole family.

Please contact us if you want more details about accommodation for your team and family.