Aberdeen Asset Management Adventure Racing Team

Landrover G4 Challenge by Bruce Duncan

On Thursday 27^th November we had been given instructions to arrive at

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No earlier than 6am and no later than 7am. This was all we knew other than the fact that we had the possibility of 3 days of gruelling physical and mental challenges ahead of us to select the top 2 men from the UK going forward to the International selections in February.

Nick and myself were in the same group for the day, which started off with a drive in the country, well ok, a full on 4×4 drive around some of the muddiest tracks the Eastnor Castle estate could throw at us. Then it was onto the physical stuff, 3 minutes spent on each of the ‘world’s strongest man’ style events, wheel lifting, cable reel spinning, carrying a log around a tree and shuttle runs. This was followed by brain exercises, especially tricky after such physical exertions. Next up was some mountain biking on bikes was too small for me, then navigating, this was where my nav skills really came into play, minimising distance run for the top points.

After a full mornings activities we were gathered outside the Landrover experience HQ and split into wee groups, and here, in true reality TV style we found out if we were through to the next few days of competition, it was a tough break for those that didn’t make it through, but joy mixed in with apprehension for those that did get through, more time spent cold and tired with the knowledge only 2 men and 2 women would be going though at the end.

G4 Final 24

We were split into 3 to take a brand new Landrover Discovery 3 back to the camp site to set up for the next few nights, this would coincide with a nice spot of rain! Then it was back to HQ for re-grouping, food, and being shown the activity plan for the next few days.

It was to be more driving, mountain biking, kayaking, team work and running, along with first aid, multiple choice tests, engine knowledge, individual interviews, night map memory using Google Earth satellite imagery (which was placed on the ceiling to make it extra hard to read!).

A full few days lay ahead, but looking around the room at Olympic athletes, mountaineers who had scaled many of the worlds big peaks, international athletes of many sports and a good handful of adventure racers, the competition was going to be fierce and relentless. These people were not used to losing, and neither were Nick and myself. Its an individual competition, but we used each other as much as possible to gain an advantage where we could.

As soon a lunch was over, we were back out into the mix, driving, getting our navigational knowledge tested, being interviewed and running around the castle grounds on map memory. Bed was a great sight after such a long day.

Thursday night was very cold, and we expected to be woken in the middle of the night for an exercise, this didn’t happen, so we got a fitful nights sleep and were up early for a full day of activities on Friday.

Winching was first up for our group, now the Landrover we had didn’t seem to get stuck easily, but when they did we had to know how to get them out, and we were about to learn, a muddy few hours later, and we had extracted ourselves from the mud and were then sent on an endurance run, it was only 45mins, so not bad for me. Kayaking was next in the quarry, not one of my best sports, and I looked really bad when I was in the same group as Olympic medal canoe slalom athlete Campbell Walsh.

Bruce finds small bikes hard work

After the time trials in the boats, we had to zip wire across the quarry and build a raft, I was a victim of the press here and given a right good dunking for their waiting cameras! The raft was then built, raced across and carried back.

Lunch included a talk from Olympic Gold medal cyclist Victoria Pendleton, and after a quick photo shoot we were back into the thick of things. Mechanical knowledge was tested, then more multiple choice exams on all sorts of topics, wheel changing. Then out for more driving, this time up a stream avoiding the light sabres hanging in the trees, a great sight in the dark, but very tricky to avoid close up. We were then instructed to build a bridge using 4 tree trunks and drive a Landrover over once complete. It really concentrates the mind when you know you might have to do the driving!

Next up was an interesting test, running round a field to find as many flashing road lights as we could in 30 mins, very surreal especially in the thick fog. I got very disorientated here, and luckily stumble over Campbell who pointed me in the right direction home. Then it was onto the wee mountain bikes again for a speed trial on the roads. The thick fog meant that the road was almost impossible to see, so caution was required, the 2 hills in the course made it really hard going.

We were now done with the physical challenge of the day, but still had our 2 mins on stage to think about, in front of a room packed full of fellow competitors, judges, press, organisers. Some great wee sketches were done, Nicks nappy changing lesson was first class, as was Emma Cox’s animal balloon making, I muddled through with wee sing song and informing everyone of my freaky feet!

Bed soon followed, then in the middle of a sound sleep music was sent blaring around the camp and we were up at 2.30am for a wee night exercise, this was an interesting one, as some people wanted to work as a team, others were keen to race, the voices for the team idea were strong and this was how it went, until I got back to the top and was told that if it was a dead heat then those that had the furthest boxes would get the most points, I immediately decided to punch as I would dip out hugely in that case, so went for the ruthless look after myself option.

Bed was welcome once again and it was on to the final day.

Camp was struck and we drove back to HQ for the final time where we were changed into new groups again for the final few exercises. First up was a speed kayak loop around the castle tarn, 6 checkpoints to get in the shortest amount of time. With people whizzing over head on the zip wire this was tough work, but it did get you warmed up quickly.

Next was more physical activities, the same events from Thursday were re-run, and were not enjoyed at all, but a few people did beat their records from Thursday. The activities had suffered from the wet and the use, so they were all much slippier and therefore tougher, along with the tiredness this was a real killer.

A wee low ropes course was next, one of my favourites, and I skipped round it faster than any other competitors, which I was really pleased about, and then it was onto the zip wire. A 400m line from a castle turret across the tarn with a race back to the start, what a way to spend a day!

A wee bit of jumar practice and then the last scored event of the weekend, some radio orienteering. The man at base has the map and radios instructions to those on the ground, very tricky to do, but a great mind game so late in the weekend.

Finally before we were to find out the results we had a bouldering challenge, a last man standing type event racing round a 4 sided climbing wall. I managed to get through to the final on this, which involved a head to head race around the entire wall, we decided to go for a cross at the far corner and race from there, this we did and I managed to just leap to the finish before Adam to claim a Gore-Tex jacket.

So the weekend was over, nothing more we could do, just gather around the Landrover in the car park and wait to hear if our names were read out. It was a very nervous time, I hadn’t been too concerned about getting through, but as the competition went on I realised I wanted it more and more. As the first girls name was read out there were cheers and tears, then silence again, they read my name, and I was overwhelmed. I’d competed really hard, but there were some supreme athletes to beat, and I was honoured to have been chosen above them. The final 2 names were called out and the 4 of us were chosen. What a feeling.

G4 Final Four

Champagne was sprayed, interviews had and friends said good bye too. 3 days of possibly the toughest most competitive events I have ever had to do against some sterling opposition was over, and know I had to look towards the International selections in February to do it all again, but this time, just against Andy Grieve, for my place on the Landrover G4 Challenge to Mongolia.