Greg and I recently traveled up to Bear Valley California to conduct our first reconnaissance of the competition grounds after the snow melt.  I have a few observations that I wanted to share with our current and potential competitors.

1. The area is still magnificent. The area combines inspiring views with an ample playground of lakes, woods, mountains, and rock formations for our competitors to be challenged on.

2. The town of Bear Valley is extremely accommodating. Every time I leave the area I can imagine myself moving here and being perfectly content. The people are inviting, smart, and extremely excited about the event. We could not ask for a better venue.

3. The altitude is brutal. 7,000 plus feet of elevation above sea level has a significant impact. Competitors must come prepared to deal with these effects. I suggest you arrive early, if possible, and read up on ways to adjust to the altitude quickly. James has posted some suggestions in our blog – please take a look.

4. We are in the final stages of our coordination with the Forest Service and the town, but it looks like we will have plenty of adventure in store for competitors. Expect routes with amazing views, stream and lake crossings (waterproofing your gear), canoeing, rock climbing, rappelling, swimming, running, obstacle courses, and feats of strength.

We are nearing 100 days until the competition. If you have not signed up – now is the time to do so and start training. If you have signed up and haven’t received an email from us, please check your spam filter. We will be getting in contact with you with more specific details on the event.

You can expect us to have a renewed focus on getting instructional videos up on the blog to help with preparation.  We also suggest that you also look for outside resources, and practice these skills before arriving.  If you come across a great resource we can share, please send it our way.   Better yet, if you would like to contribute to the blog, please let us know.

Best regards,

Kent