The Hard Fall Adventure Race (NOTE REGISTRATION IS NOT YET OPEN)

Who:
Teams of 2, 3 and 4
What:
24 hours of Adventure - Hike, Bike, Paddle and Navigate!
When:
August 17, 2024
Where:
West Dover, Vermont

Description: The Hard Fall Adventure Race is a 24 hour multi-sport event for teams of two, three and four. The 2024 race will be held the weekend of August 17th, with Mt Snow resort serving as our host location. We’ll get your team out into the woods and on the water, doing different activities, navigating with a map, and going to places you never would have otherwise. You’ll have an incredible, unique experience with other teams there to do the same.

Disciplines: Racers can expect lake and whitewater (class I and II) paddling, fun and tricky single track, treks to mountain lookouts, and several surprises which will hopefully keep things fresh and interesting for even the most seasoned competitors (don’t worry, there won’t be any surprise 1000ft rappels). You’ll also be continually navigating, and you’ll be doing this for up to 24 hours, managing your effort through an entire night and navigating in the dark. We are known for being able to really challenge experienced teams while providing a great race for the first-timers, and we expect this to hold true for our 24-hour events.

Categories: This year we will have two main categories which will be awarded separately – packraft and non-packraft. Within each of those we’ll have the usual categories for 2-4 person teams – male, female, and mixed. The 3-4 person mixed teams in both packraft and non-packraft will be our “premier” categories. Both divisions will tackle the same course, the packraft division will probably have a bit more fun on the whitewater, and hopefully some more strategic decisions to make in other parts of the course. If you don’t have a packraft but would like to try it, we are working on securing a small number of rentals for the weekend that we plan to make available on a first come, first serve, basis to registered racers.

What’s included with registration:

  • Live tracking and leaderboard
  • Waterproof maps
  • Post race feast
  • Awesome prizes for top teams in each division plus a raffle for all racers
  • Boat rental fees for non-packraft division
  • USARA qualifier
  • All permits, insurance and safety staff
  • T-shirt (for racers registered by Aug 1st)

Disciplines


The 2024 race will likely feature the following disciplines (but we’re not revealing any secrets yet!):

  • Navigation with topographical map and compass
  • Mountain Biking (Singletrack, fireroads, etc, nothing SUPER Technical, but definitely some awesome riding)
  • Hiking / Trekking (Primarily off trail travel, some limited sections of trails, practice that Nav!)
  • Paddling (Flatwater and light class I/II whitewater
  • Other surprises as announced

Keep in mind that these disciplines can occur in any order, and you could have multiple sections in the course for each activity. We’ll sometimes surprise you with other disciplines too – but nothing you wouldn’t be prepared for.

Directions


To be shared when we’re ready. Don’t worry, navigating to the start line should be fairly straightforward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a good race for a team new to adventure racing?
One thing we do really well is providing a enjoyable experience for the new teams. Make no mistake – 24 hours is a long time. However, if you want to put in the time to learn and get ready, you will have a unique and memorable experience!

Can team members split up and go do different sections of the race? Unless the race rules specifically allow you to separate for a portion, you will be together as a team at all times.

How are teams ranked? Teams are ranked by the number of checkpoints they successfully find. In the event of a tie, the team which did it faster is ranked higher.

So you’re saying I should stay out in the woods till I find all the checkpoints, no matter how long it takes? We’d really rather not have to send out a search party. Plus, you lose checkpoints for being late, so your plan won’t actually work. Nice try, though!

Are maps provided or do we have to bring our own? All maps will be provided, and will be pre-marked with the secret checkpoint locations.

Will we be plotting UTM coordinates?
No. We use pre-plotted maps. We made the decision as an organization that in a race of this length it made more sense considering the number of new teams we see. Never fear – the navigation will be challenging enough without this extra step.

Will water be available at transition areas? Yes, we plan to have a limited supply of water available for you in transition areas.

Will we have access to gear we leave in our vehicles after the race starts? Nope. Plan to bring everything you think you may need for the duration of the race.

Can we leave personal gear we don’t need behind, such as our PFD when not on the paddle section or bike helmet when not on the bike section?
With the exception of paddle gear, assume the answer is no. We will be transporting 1 paddle bag per team, but beyond that your best bet is to practice carrying everything and adjust based on the specifics of the course. You can leave water bottles attached to your bike, but you can’t leave your helmet and shoes behind unless specifically told otherwise. 

Do I need a real mountain bike for this race?
Our courses typically feature all sorts of terrain, including technical trails, forest roads, paved roads, and even hike-a-bike sections. We want people to be safe and that means at minimum, no road bikes or road bike tires. If you show up with a road bike or skinny/slick road type tires, we won’t be letting you race. While we STRONGLY encourage bikes with front suspension, gravel or cyclocross bikes are now fair game (though your arms and backside might not appreciate the decision).

Can we add a team member to our team after we register? Probably! Please email us and we’ll edit the team registration.

I’d love to do this race, but I’m having trouble finding teammates, can you help? We’re happy to try and connect individual racers. Email us your name and what your experience level is. We also recommend posting the request on our facebook group page.

I’m new to adventure racing, where can I get more information about this sport? We recommend checking out the United States Adventure Racing Association website for all things AR, and the “New to AR” page specifically for tips on getting into the sport.

Documents

Please take a moment to review the required gear list.

Mandatory Gear List

There are a number of other documents and policies you can review ahead of time:

Any racers under age 18 on race day will need a parent or guardian to sign waivers for them - in that case, we'll reach out with specifics.

Schedule


Due to the nature of the sport, you must be punctual. All race activities will start on time whether your team is there or not. Set multiple clocks, hire a wakeup service, buy a rooster, do whatever you have to do to get up and be on time.

The 2022 schedule is not finalized yet; what is here is illustrative.

Schedule:

Check-In/Maps Distributed:
Saturday, October ? 7:00AM-9:00AM
Race Start:
Saturday, October ? 10:00AM
Race Finish:
Sunday, October ? 10:00AM
Post Race Feast/Awards
Sunday, October ? 10:30AM

Updates

Here's the latest news about this race:

Teams

Team # Division NameRacers
54CFire Breathing Rubber Ducky Fun MachineKasia Wegrzyn, Amanda Martin, Kyle Auger, Emily Moreshead
194MGoose ARTimothy Ratowski, Robert Feissner, Tim Howland, Ben Schmidt
314MSweaty Sock GnomesAustin Planz, justin planz, William Leviness , steven saunders
23CVERTMatt Cymanski, Alyssa Godesky, Will Luppino
43C4050 AdventureShari Hymes, James Mernin, Bert Rothenbach
73CUphill Both WaysFrances Hiscox, Todd Sunko, Matt Clements
223CRootstock RacingAbby Perkiss, Karyn Dulaney, Jim Driscoll
243CWe AR Having FunCayla Marvil, AC Jones, Brian Sirkia
283CStrong Machine Dev SquadAnnie Chang, Brian McLeod, Jason Avis
273CStrong Machine ARCliff White, Evan Moreshead, Kit Vreeland
303FFragile FlowersOlga Huber, Alyson Courain, Michele Weiler
103MDDG Expeditionary Strike GroupJustin Davis, Joey DorwartCrane, Seth Grant
263MSome Assembly RequiredJohn Farley, David Farley, Rick Keilty
82CWhy Not?Neale Lunderville, Megan Moir
132CElectric MayhemKate Ballantine, Jason Andras
182CUltraBambiBrian Staveley, Alicia Clemente
352CInSomeKneeAchesJohn McKinnon, Brenda Rose
202F24 hours?! I thought you said 2-4 hours!Brittani Barone, Jacqueline June
32MAirline Cycles ARGreg Kolvoord, David Boudreau
62MPork Chop ExpressTyler Barnes, Jefferson Gotheals
112MFueled by Little DebbieGerben Scherpbier, Turner Shaw
122MNYARAJohn Courain, Aaron Courain
162MVandelay RacingJonathan Mulholland, David Mitrou
232MDeliriumKevin Leary, Dave Connolly
292MTectonic PaceMark Salas, Jeff White
342MSplit StateDavid Coutu, Jack Yager
322MNH Trail VetsMason Holland, Rob Hillman
332MOvertakenMichael Ferguson, Daniel Britton
362MThe ThunderchickensKevin Marks, Jeffrey Hixon
372MNorth is EverywhereMatt Schley, Ross Lieblappen
382MBissfitsDillon Bissell, Richard Bissell

Totals: 2C:4, 2F:1, 2M:13, 3C:7, 3F:1, 3M:2, 4C:1, 4M:2

Register

Registration is closed for the previous event and not open for possible future events. If you'd like to be notified when things are planned, sign up for email from the contact page.

For reference, these were the rates for the previous event:
  • May 23 - May 31: $225 per racer.
  • Jun 01 - Jun 30: $240 per racer.
  • Jul 01 - Jul 31: $255 per racer.
  • Aug 01 - Aug 31: $270 per racer.
  • Sep 01 - Sep 20: $270 per racer. Shirts may not be available