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Start/Finish
Here you will find everything you need to know about the Start and Finish of WildEndurance and the three support crew accessible Checkpoints around the course.
There will also be three other manned stations on the course where we will log your progress but which will not be accessible for your support crews as they do not have road access.
Please note - It is essential that you check-in when you arrive at each Checkpoint AND check-out when you leave. This enables us to keep an accurate record of where you are on the course.
The 50km course covers the first 2 legs of the 100km course plus an additional 2km on leg 1. 50km teams finish at checkpoint 2, Queen Victoria Hospital.
If there is anything we haven't covered here that you need to know then please email us or call on 02 9282 9553.
THE START - Dunphy's Camp, Megalong Valley Road nr Blackheath
WildEndurance starts at 8am (and 8:30 for the second wave start) on Saturday 4th May at Dunphy's Camp at the end of the Megalong Valley Road, about 75 minutes drive from Katoomba.
The Megalong Valley Road is accessed from Blackheath which is about 10kms beyond Katoomba on the Great Western Highway. At the traffic lights in the centre of Blackheath turn west (that is left if you are travelling from Katoomba) across the railway tracks and then immediately left again. After 500m the road turns sharp right and you need to turn left at the junction after another 900m. The Megalong Valley Road is tar sealed for about 11 km. When the tar seal ends you have 8km to go to get to Dunphy's. After passing through the second gate, drive directly up the hill to the junction where traffic marshalls will direct you to a suitable parking spot.
WildEndurance will start at 8am on Saturday morning - you will need to be at Dunphy's Camp by 6.30am at the very latest.
If you are staying at The Carrington Hotel in Katoomba, please allow 90 minutes for the drive to Dunphy's Camp on Saturday morning.
Dunphy's Camp is a wide open space with plenty of car parking and comfy grass for camping on. Dunphy's Camp is not suitable for caravans, however. There are also picnic benches, a compost toilet and small rainwater barrel. If you want to camp on the Friday night then Dunphy's is an excellent spot for you and your support crew to set up your tents, kick back and rest before the start.
The closest shops and petrol station are in Blackheath itself (about 20km from the camp). Water taps are available at Megalong Sports Ground, signposted on Megalong Valley Road about 9km north of Dunphy's.
The Parking at the Start is very limited. We recommend you either book onto the bus or car pool where you can. No parking is permitted next to the Start, so support crews will be asked to drop teams off. If they want to stay to cheer you on your way, they will need to park at least a 10 minute walk away.
There will be a bus that can pick participants up from Katoomba YHA (5:30am), The Carrington Hotel (near Katoomba Station, 5:30am), and then Blackheath Station (5:45am) if requested. The cost is $20 per head, payable in cash on the bus, make sure you have the correct fare ready! Please click here, fill in your full name (first name and last name) and your pick up location to book your spot before 26th April 2013.
CHECKPOINT ONE - Katoomba Oval, Cliff Drive, Katoomba
The first Checkpoint will be at Katoomba Oval on Cliff Drive in Katoomba (very close to Scenic World).
CheckPoint 1 has very limited parking and Council requires us to tightly manage this area. Each team will be issued with a Parking Permit for the use of their Support Crew at Checkpoint 1 (Katoomba Oval).
The permit allows one support crew vehicle per team onsite at the Katoomba Oval
Carpark for 1 hour only. There will be signage
on the course to remind teams to call you as they approach the oval. Plan to
have enough time to park at Checkpoint 1 and setup your supplies.
Parking marshals will manage all
vehicles to avoid congestion and to ensure everyone has equal access to the
oval. Please follow any directions given.
Public toilet facilities and mains water are available beside the Oval. There is a cafe across the road which is open from 9am until 5pm - but the cafe is small, so your support crew should plan to provide you with all your food and other supplies.
As the Finish will also be at Katoomba Oval you might like to site your caravan at the council-owned Katoomba Falls Caravan Park alongside the Oval. They also have some basic cabins available for rent, but they do sell out quickly so get in early if you are interested. The Caravan Park number is (02) 4782 1835. The Oval is 1.2km from Katoomba YHA and from there it's a very short walk into Katoomba town centre where there are many hotels and guest houses to choose from.
Competitors must checkout from Checkpoint One no later than 5:30pm Saturday.
CHECKPOINT TWO - Queen Victoria Hospital, Wentworth Falls
Checkpoint Two will be at the old Queen Victoria Hospital on Tableland Road, Wentworth Falls.
This is the halfway mark for 100km teams, the swap over point for relay teams and the finish for 50km teams.
From Katoomba, drive east towards Sydney on the Great Western Highway (which runs east/west through the Blue Mountains). Once you reach the small town of Wentworth Falls, travel another 1.85km east and you will see Tableland Road on the right. The prominent 'Wentworth Pots' is on the corner of Tableland Road and the Great Western Highway. Turn right into Tableland Road and travel 4.1kms to Queen Victoria Hospital and Checkpoint 2.
When driving up and down Tableland Road please exercise extreme caution as there could be competitors crossing the road.
There are plenty of car parking spaces at the Queen Victoria Hospital as well as open ground where you and your support crew can set up a camp kitchen for hot food and warm drinks. This is also a great place for support crews to camp overnight as it is the halfway point in the event, and is also where the relay teams will do their handover.
Temporary toilet facilities will be available. There will also be some water available in drums so you can top-up your bottles or camel packs if you need to - but support crews should bring enough water (and food) for themselves and their team.
The closest shops, accommodation, mains water taps and petrol station are in Wentworth Falls itself (about 6km from Queen Victoria Hospital)
Competitors must checkout from Checkpoint Two no later than 3:15am Sunday.
CHECKPOINT THREE - Wentworth Falls Public, Falls Road, Wentworth Falls
Checkpoint Three will be at Wentworth Falls Public School on Falls Road in Wentworth Falls.
While it is not a huge carpark, there are ample car parking spaces available on Falls Road. There is no camping available at this Checkpoint. Therefore it is recommended that support crews do not arrive at this checkpoint too early. Support crews are better to get some sleep at Queen Victoria Hospital or at their accommodation while their teams are between Checkpoints Two and Three. The fastest team will take at least 3.5 hours to complete the leg from Checkpoint Two to Checkpoint Three. The slowest teams may take around 9.5 hours. So it would be a good idea for teams to phone their support crews when they reach the first section of bitumen road, Queen Elizabeth Drive. From there teams still have 4.5km to go to Checkpoint Three.
Public toilet facilities and mains water are available at the school. There are no shops in the vicinity so support crews need to bring in all of their team's food. The closest shops, accommodation and petrol station are in Wentworth Falls itself (2.5km from the Picnic Area).
Competitors must checkout from Checkpoint Three no later than 2:30pm Sunday.
THE FINISH - Katoomba Oval, Cliff Drive, Katoomba
The finish line at the end of the WildEndurance course will be at Katoomba Oval on Cliff Drive in Katoomba (very close to Scenic World). This is the same location as Checkpoint One.
Car parking is available at the Oval and at a number of places close by on Cliff Drive. Public toilet facilities will be available beside the Oval and the small cafe opposite will be open from 9am until 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The closest accommodation is at the council-owned caravan park beside the Oval, and the Oval is 1.2km from the Katoomba YHA and Katoomba town centre and there are plenty of hotels and guest houses in the area (see Checkpoint One for more details on all of these facilities).
Competitors must arrive at the Finish no later than 8:30pm Sunday.
Intermediate timing stations
Your progress around the course will also be monitored and recorded at three intermediate stations which will be located at Tarros Ladders (9.5km mark), at the old Sewerage Treatment Plant at the bottom of the Jamison Valley (35km) and at the junction of the Anderson's and Ingar fire trails (69km).
Summary of checkpoint facilities
|
|
Start
Dunphy's Campground |
CP1 & Finish Katoomba
Oval |
CP2
|
CP3 |
|
CAMPING |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
DO YOU NEED TO BOOK? |
NO - but please let us know
if you are inteding to camp on the Friday prior to the event wildendurance@wilderness.org.au |
YES Katoomba
Falls Caravan Park
www.katoomba-nsw.com |
NO - but please indicate if
you or your support crew intend to camp here
wildendurance@wildernes.org.au |
N/A |
|
CAMPING CAPACITY |
Approx 20 sites |
Cabins (up to 56 beds) 31 powered sites and 16 unpowered |
Lots of space |
N/A |
|
CAN I HAVE A |
Communal Fire |
NO |
Communal Fire |
NO |
|
TOILETS |
Portaloos |
YES |
Portaloos |
YES |
|
WATER |
Limited |
YES |
Limited |
YES |
|
BBQ |
1 |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
COFFEE CART |
7am to 9am Sat |
11am to 5pm Sat |
6pm tp 9pm Sat |
9am to 2pm Sun |
|
MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
PARKING |
Limited - book a seat on our
bus or car pool |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Camping information
START Dunphy's Camp
This is the very convenient for the Start, as it's right next to it! The camping is available alongside the car parking areas - capacity for approximately 20 camp sites, but quite open and exposed. Please let us know if you are intending to camp on the Friday prior to the event. This is good if the weather is kind, but a bit of wind and it gets quite a battering as it's on a ridge. It is worth car pooling for the start as parking will be limited.
CP1 & Finish KATOOMBA OVAL
Katoomba Falls Caravan Park has reasonable capacity, see contacts in the table above. It has the advantage of being geographically the most central point in terms of checkpoints.
CP2 QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL
The halfway point. There is plenty of space here and it's in among trees, so quite sheltered. This is a good place for your Support Crew to be situated, as it's very close to Checkpoint Three, and also only 20-30mins from Katoomba. It also has the benefit of being a good point along the route for teams to stop and rest for a few hours if that's your 'game plan'. Please let us knowif you are intending to camp at checkpoint 2.
NB:If you camp here on Friday night, you will need to allow for a 90-minute drive (absolute minimum) to get to the Start on Saturday morning. At that time of the morning the main roads are pretty quiet - you'll hit the traffic jam as you head along Megalong Valley Road with all the other participants' cars!
CP3 WENTWORTH FALLS PUBLIC SCHOOL
No camping available at Checkpoint Three.
