In 2022 we are aiming on holding two runnings of Alpine Challenge: 23-24 April 2022 (make up for November 2021—entries are open) and 26-28 November 2022 (entries are open).

100 mile—100 km—60 km —42 km—25 km—16 km—10 km

Individual—Team—Relay Challenge

 

To give you a taste of what it could be like on the course, watch the video compiled by the Eventurers"

 

In order to enable more people to experience the magic of the Victorian Alps and savour the atmosphere of this unique event we have introduced a number of changes, adding in short course distances of 10/16/25 km, discontinuing the 36 km distance and replacing it with a new marathon distance taking in the best of the high plains whilst offering fantastic scenery on a challenging course.

The Alpine Challenge is without doubt the toughest, most challenging, most spectacular and rewarding all mountain trail run in Australia—if not the southern hemisphere over seven distances. The 100 mile (160 km) course takes in 6 major climbs with 7,600 m of ascent and descent including Mt Feathertop, Mt Hotham, Mt McKay, Spion Kopje, Mt Nelse and Victoria’s highest mountain, Mt Bogong plus five river crossings. The 100 km involves over 4,000 m of ascent and descent and the 60 km course over 2,000 m of ascent and descent, whilst for those undertaking the 42 km run you will have over 900 m of ascent. The three short distances—10/16/25 km—offer an opportunity to experience great trail running and some of the historic huts on single tracks with great views over Heathy Spur and Rocky Valley Dam.

It also offers the most challenging weather conditions, from intense heat during the day or snowstorms and driving rain, to subzero temperatures at night.

Whilst the event organisers can take action to reduce risk to participants, they cannot eliminate it, as a result runners need to be prepared to run in all conditions or have the experience and sense to decide not to run at all on the day. Participants are advised to train for all conditions, including running in storms, snow and at night.

 

Key Information

Date: Saturday 26 November–Monday 28 November 2022

Location: Alpine National Park, Victoria, Australia

Start/Finish: Slalom Plaza, Falls Creek

Time Limit:

• 100 mile 42 hours
• 100 km 26 hours
• 60 km 14 hours
• 42 km 8 hours
• 25 km 5 hours
• 16 km 3 hours
• 10 km 2 hours

Equipment: Refer to Mandatory Safety Gear

Navigation: In order to encourage participation in the short course distances (10/16/25 km) these are well marked with flags and directional signs. The 42/60/100/160 km courses are generally unmarked however, major decision points (ie points where people have a tendency to go the wrong way) are marked. The course follows bush walking trails and is generally easy to follow using map, course notes and the Avenza interactive map, which shows your location on the course in real time on your smartphone. To ensure against technology failure all participants need to be able to navigate with map/compass or GPS. If you are unsure how to use a map and compass check out the link below or go to rogaining or orienteering.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/01/how-to-use-a-map-and-compass/

Entries: Online Entry

Support/Drop bags:

• Victorian runners in the 100 mile event MUST have their own support crews.100 mile runners resident interstate or overseas do NOT need a support crew and can use drop bags. NB: In case of withdrawal from a remote location you may need to wait until transport can be arranged.
• All 100 km runners can have small drop bags deposited at designated checkpoints.
• Runners in the 10/16/25 and 60 km event do not have access to drop bags on the course.
• Drop bag locations are at the following locations:
  • Langfords Gap, Loch Car Park, Pretty Valley Pondage 160 km
  • Langfords Gap, Pretty Valley Pondage 100 km

Accommodation: To book your accommodation at Falls Creek, visit:

http://www.fallscreek.com.au/reservation-centres

We encourage you to support the following accommodation venues that support Alpine Challenge:

St Falls Resort – 03 5732 8000 – located at the start

Cedarwood Apartments – 03 5758 3393 – 5 minutes from the start

Frueauf Village – 1300 300 709 – 5 minutes from the start

Other accommodation is located outside of Falls Creek at Howman’s Gap YMCA —refer Alpine Challenge Entry information. Participants are responsible for organising and paying for their own accommodation.

Registration: from 4 P.M. on Friday—Falls Creek Alpine Resort, Board Room—Slalom Plaza

Pre-run info pack: Please download and read the information pack. It contains important information.

Dinner/Briefing Friday: Dinner, 2 sittings from 5, 6 P.M.—in St Falls Resort at Falls Creek Alpine Resort—Slalom Plaza. NB: Dinners must be pre-booked when you register.

Briefing Sessions: 2 sessions: 5:15 and 6:15 P.M. in the St Falls Resort function room/restaurant

Fundraising pack: Please download and read the fundraising pack to support Alpine Search and Rescue who are a vital part of Alpine Challenge.

Nearest airports: Allow 4.5 hours to drive from Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport. Participants travelling from the north may prefer to fly into Albury, on the New South Wales – Victoria border. From there, it’s only a 2-hour drive. This is an excellent option if you need to head off after the race.

Car hire: Car hire is available from several providers at all airports. Please check your rental agreement carefully, especially if you are using the car as a crew vehicle. Some companies will not let you drive on unsealed roads, such as the one used to access Pretty Valley (NB: This is a dirt road suitable for 2WD).

Public Transport: It possible to get to Falls Creek by public transport from Melbourne. Train to Wangaratta, bus to Bright, private car to Mt Beauty (at public transport rates), taxi to Falls Creek. For details contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Services Both Falls Creek and Mt Beauty have supermarkets, however, if you require specialist items such as race apparel or gas canisters, we recommend you purchase these in Bright, Albury or Melbourne before the run, where there are numerous outdoor stores.

If you are looking for something different, if you want a fantastic run or tough walking against the clock, great scenery, unpredictable weather and to push yourself to the limits, the Alpine Challenge is for you.

Updated July 2022

This plan has been developed using the International Trail Running Association guidelines for trail running events during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The following procedures will be implemented in all Running Wild events during the 2022/23 season in order to provide a higher level of safety to participants, volunteers and supporters.

Runners will be asked to carefully review their fitness given that events take place in remote locations. Runners must consider carefully the distance that they choose to enter and their training/ability to complete their chosen distance safely. During the pandemic runners are urged to adopt a conservative approach in order to reduce potential calls on limited first aid/rescue resources.

Runners/Volunteers/Support Crew cannot attend the event if they have:

1. Had any signs or symptoms of Covid-19 in the past 7 days, such as a new continuous cough, fever, change/loss of taste/smell
2. Been in contact with anyone who is sick (symptomatic) in the past 7 days

Runners must ensure that any crew, supporters or others that they intend to bring to the event are also subject to these criteria.

High risk individuals should exercise caution in considering whether to attend the event.

High Risk individuals include:

1. Individuals with underlying medical conditions placing them at higher risk: moderate to severe asthmatics, diabetics, severe obesity (BMI > 40), any chronic liver, kidney or heart conditions and immunocompromised individuals or those who live with someone who is immune compromised
2. Individuals aged 70+ years or those with an underlying health condition like lung or heart disease, diabetes or immune compromised

At registration, briefings, start line and finish line all runners and support crew must maintain a physical distance of 1.5 m minimum.

Event Registration/Check in

1. At registration runners must wear a face mask.
2. Sterilise their hands using hand sanitiser.
3. When coughing, do so into your arm or a tissue/handkerchief and immediately sanitise your hands.

Volunteers

1. Must wear face masks when interacting with runners.
2. Must not handle runners packs and/or water bottles during the event.
3. Volunteers will be required to dispense food and water at aid stations.

Aid Stations

1. Runners are not to self serve food, volunteers will dispense food and water.
2. Bulk food will be replaced by individually wrapped packs of chips, chocolates, sweets.
3. Cut fruit will be replaced by individually pre-packaged fruit cups/spoons and where possible oranges, mandarins and bananas.
4. Where provided, hot soup will be served by volunteers.
5. Runners must dispose of rubbish in receptacles provided at checkpoints.

Runners

1. Runners are encouraged to maintain a physical distance of 10 m where possible out on trail if following on single track. When passing, yell out to the runner in front and request an opportunity to pass. Following too closely in someone's ‘slip stream’ increases the potential for droplet transmission. If running with a friend, running side by side will reduce potential for droplet transmission. Please watch this clip highlighting potential droplet transmission during exercise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTzjC5HATXg
2. Must not spit, blow, snot onto the course whilst running, runners must use paper tissues/handkerchief and carry them out in snap lock bags. If needing to clear the throat/nose, step off the track, look behind to make sure the track is clear and water droplets will not impact anyone following.
3. Must NOT touch food, food containers, water containers—volunteers will assist.

Snake Bite - Mandatory Safety Equipment

Please watch this video to familiarise yourself with the bandaging procedure.

With changes in treatment we are now recommending that all runners purchase a Pressure Snake Bandage as these allow you to apply the correct pressure (when the rectangle is stretched to become a square), when applying the bandage and hence slow the spread of the venom through your system. It can be purchased from Bogong Equipment by following this link - RRP 12.95 or from leading chemists.

This article was written by Rob Timmings who runs a medical/nursing education business teaching nurses, doctors and paramedics. 3000 bites are reported annually,  300-500 hospitalisations, 2-3 deaths.

Average time to death is 12 hours. The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish.

While not new, the management of snake bite (like a flood/fire evacuation plan or CPR) should be refreshed each season. Let’s start with a basic overview.
There are five genus of snakes that will harm us (seriously) - Browns, Blacks, Adders, Tigers and Taipans.
All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood). This venom cannot be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site. It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream).

Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood. Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm or knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc.
Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks) which are connected to veins at the base of the neck.

Back to the snake bite site—when bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues). The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten. Stay still!!! Venom can’t move if the victim doesn’t move. Stay still!!

Treatment - In the 1980s a technique called Pressure immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It completely stops venom /lymph transport toward the blood stream. A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (don’t wash the area).
Technique: Three steps: keep them still

• Step 1: Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10 cm above and below the bite.
• Step 2: Use another elastic roller bandage and apply a firm wrap from fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin. The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white. About the tension of a sprain bandage.
• Step 3: Splint the limb so the patient can’t walk or bend the limb. Keep still!

Do nots:

• Cut, incise or suck the venom.
• EVER use a tourniquet.
• Remove the shirt or pants—just bandage over the top of clothing.
• Remember movement (like wriggling out of a shirt or pants) causes venom movement.
• DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important.

In hospital we NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake. New Antivenom neutralises the venoms of all the 5 listed snake genus, so it doesn’t matter what snake bit the patient. Polyvalent is our one shot wonder, stocked in all hospitals, so most hospitals no longer stock specific Antivenins.

Australian snakes tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees.

1. Bleeding—internally and bruising.
2. Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, moving & breathing.
3. Pain, in some snakes severe muscle pain in the limb, and days later the bite site can break down forming a nasty wound.

Remember—stay still.
Rob Timmings
Kingston/Robe Health Advisor