Frigid 2015 Updates
Less than three weeks until the 2015 OGE Frigid Infliction! Some critical updates for you:
1. You no longer need to bring a climbing harness and biners! Petra has agreed to have their rental harnesses available on race day. You’re welcome to bring your own for speed or comfort, but you’ll be carrying it through the whole race.
2. You will definitely want some traction! Some of you do the entire race in hard-soled xc ski boots. During this year’s ropes section, xc boots will not be sufficient or safe – think of normal hiking boots (or maybe even something like trail runners, if your feet can handle the cold).
3. You will definitely be carrying your skis! The FAQ suggests that you prepare for the possibility, but this year it’s a confirmed requirement – you will be carrying all of your gear for a significant portion (possibly all) of this year’s race. Skis, poles, boots, and snowshoes – it’s worth practicing.
4. We’ve clarified our GPS policy for those of you who want to track yourself after the fact. In short: tell us ahead of time, and keep all GPS-enabled devices in your pack. Check out the Electronics Policy and let us know if you have questions.
If you have questions about those updates, please comment below and we’ll get answers published and communicated as soon as possible.
Are microspikes over ski boots an acceptable alternative to carrying an extra pair of boots?
Just got off the phone with Petra: microspikes and the like will specifically be prohibited for this segment – sharp edges aren’t going to do anything good for racers or ropes. That said, a lightweight pair of trail runners or anything else with a grippy sole should work, and ideally you won’t be on the ropes for long enough that your feet freeze… but that’s a personal decision. If you had something like microspikes but without the metal – just grippy rubber – that would probably be perfect.
what if our ski boots have more of a vibram style sole
You’ll probably be fine – vibram soles get pretty solid in the cold, but it’s not like vibram hiking boots are going to be much better.
sorry for being a nit-picker. will there be someone at check in friday night to make a ruling on intended footwear? that might help a lot of people if it was possible.
After discussion with the team, we’ve realized that we can’t tell you how to prepare without giving you some idea what you’re going to tackle. In short, you are likely to be walking across a metal cable, maybe in snowy/icy weather, and you WILL slip and fall with hard plastic soles. Obviously, the team from Petra will keep people from major injury, but we’d like to avoid unnecessary bumps and bruises.
We’re not going to mandate anything specific for footwear (except as noted before, no metal spikes on this portion of the course) but we want you to be prepared. Most backcountry boots will probably work, but you’ll be the ultimate judge. You’re welcome to try anything from barefoot shoes to wrapping your feet in rubber bungie cords, whatever you think will do the job and keep your toes from freezing.
So it sounds like, if you have classic or light touring XC boots, plan on switching to something with traction (shoes, hiking boots, rubber covers over ski boots) for the ropes, but if you have BC-type XC boots with a grippy/lugged tread, you should be fine. Is that about right? Thanks!
That’s the general thought process over here. Something like these covers might do the trick, if needed: http://www.zappos.com/tingley-overshoes-work-rubber
I need to buy a new map bag for the race and was curious from racers who had previously participated: what size map do they generally provide? I want to make sure it is large enough without being awkwardly big.
Without giving anything away, I can say that GMARA has handed out maps anywhere from 8.5×11 (Frigid Infliction 2007) to 36×48 (Bitter Pill 2013). Here are a few shots of regular racers with map cases, for reference – number of races is a lazy estimate, our database isn’t perfect:
Untamed (~11 races): http://photos.gmara.org/Races/Frigid-Infliction-2012-best/i-ZB7qqd7
Mercators (~13 races): http://photos.gmara.org/Races/Frigid-Infliction-2013-best/i-B7CrBcs
A GMARA Board Member: http://photos.gmara.org/Races/Frigid-Infliction-2011-Best-Of/i-rxJC37X
NH Trail Vets (~9 races): http://photos.gmara.org/Races/Frigid-Infliction-2013-best/i-WLSzFZ6
Ultrabambi (~11 races): http://photos.gmara.org/Races/Frigid-Infliction-2011-Best-Of/i-tq2qgrz
At a glance, I’d say larger cases seem to be preferred.
I need some clarification – does this mean everyone will be able to use Petra’s harnesses at the ropes site, free of charge, or do we have to rent them in order to use them?
Everyone can use Petra’s harnesses, no need to bring one. I see the confusion, the main Frigid page didn’t get updated when we adjusted the gear list… will fix that now, thanks for checking!