Seyon Asia Limited

Organized by:
Seyon Asia Limited
Check out all the details about The North Face Asia Challenge Series - Yangshuo.

Main Menu:

  • Main
  • Race Format & Safety
  • Requirements
  • Outline of Race Itinerary
  • Cost to Participants
  • Bike Shipping & Rental
  • Course Description
  • Course Rules
  • Kit list & helpful hints
  • Participating Teams
  • Feedback form

  • Registration form


    Registration form in chinese



    General

    • The Race Director has complete discretion with regard to formulating rules and applying penalties. Time penalties or disqualification may be imposed for violations of the Race Rules or actions contrary to the best interests of the Race.

    • The Race course may be modified or cancelled at any time for inclement weather, safety hazards, darkness or any other events occur that would, in the sole judgment of the Race Director, increase the risk of injury to competitors, marshals, or spectators.

    • Any action of a team or combination of teams which results in either an unfair advantage to the acting team or in an unfair disadvantage to another team will result in a penalty.

    • The results of each Race stage will be determined by the fastest times for that stage, subject to adjustments for time penalties accrued during the course of that stage. The official Race clock will run continuously from the start of each stage and stopping (for each team) when the last member of each team crosses the stage finishing line.

    • Teams must start and finish each stage together and exit checkpoints together.

    • Race stage 1 will be a mass start, while stage 2 will employ a staggered or interval start with the start order or interval between teams to be determined by the Race Director.

    • Failure of any team member or a team to immediately and respectfully comply with a direction or decision of a Race official will result in the disqualification of the team.

    • The Race is a team competition and all forms of teamwork, including pushing, pulling and carrying team members will be allowed. Teams may use any self-propelled means to traverse the Race course.

    • Teams may show good sportsmanship and help other teams in any manner that does not help the other team with forward progress in the race. For example, helping another team to fix a flat tire is allowed, while towing another team along a trail is not.

    • No outside support is allowed between the start and finish lines of any Race stage. Teams must be self-contained except for official support offered from official aid stations at transition areas and checkpoints.

    • Performance enhancing drugs are seriously frowned upon, but no drug testing will be carried out. Competitors must live with their own conscience if they choose to cheat.

    • Cut off times at various points along all stages of the Race will be adhered to. Where possible, cut off teams will be allowed to continue the Race further along the course with a time penalty assigned by the Race Director.

    Individual Sport Rules

    Mountain Biking - Teams may use any type of non-mechanized mountain bike they choose. Competitors must dismount and push their mountain bikes in transition areas and must have their safety helmets securely fastened to their heads whenever they are on their bikes. There are thorn bushes along the trail and flat tires are a reality of racing. Hand pumps of all sizes, compressed air cartridges, patches and spare inner tubes are all allowed, provided that they are carried by the competitors themselves during the Race. Mandatory dismount signs may be placed along sections of the trail deemed to be dangerous. Failure to dismount may result in disqualification from the Race.

    Trail Running - Runners may run, walk, or crawl.

    Caving - Each competitor must wear a safety helmet and have a working flashlight or headlamp while in any of the caves. There are 3 cave sections on Stage 2. Two of them are pass through caves while one is an out and back.

    Orienteering/Navigation Skills - Each team will need one compass at minimum. Stage 1 orienteering involves following an orienteering map to locate various control points. Competitors will be given a "chip" at each control point which must be handed in at the last control point to retrieve personal climbing gear which is necessary for completion of the adventure skills section of the course. Stage-2 orienteering involves route finding while mountain biking. Appropriate compass bearings will be prominently displayed in one of the caves through which competitors will travel during stage 2 of the race..

    Native Craft Paddling - Team members may paddle or steer the designated team craft in any fashion and must wear life jackets and safety helmets while on the water in the native boats. Native boats and paddles will be assigned to competitors randomly and variations in equipment are not grounds for protest.

    Adventure Skills - Helmets, climbing harnesses, 2 locking karabiners, 1 abseil device and 2 commercially-sewn climbing sling must be worn by any competitor prior to entering any rope skills section of the Race course. Stage 1 contains a Tyrolean traverse and an abseil while Stage 2 includes a zip line. In the advent of any bottlenecks, competitors waiting time will be noted and subtracted from their total team racing time.

    Swimming - Life jackets must be worn during the swimming sections.

    Test of Fortitude - Mystery test of faith and courage.

    Awareness Skills Test - During Stage 1, competitors/teams will be instructed a various points along the course to memorize prominent karst formations or unique scenery. At the end of stage 1, teams will be shown a series of pictures and must correctly identify which pictures contained the views they were instructed to memorize. (Note that this test will be cancelled in the event of bad visibility on the race day.)


    Time Penalties

    The following fixed penalties have been set for failure to complete certain disciplines during the race:

    • Failure to find any of the controls during the Stage 1 orienteering - 10 minutes per team per missed control.

    • Failure to take part in the Stage 1 or Stage 2 rope skills sections- 15 minutes per team member per stage.

    • Failure to take part in the Stage 1or Stage 2 swimming sections - 10 minutes per team member per stage.

    • Awareness Skills Test - 10 minutes penalty per team for each wrongly identified picture up to30minutes maximum minutes penalty per team.

    • Test of Fortitude - 10 minutes time penalty per team member skipping this test.

    • 10 minutes per team member per cave for those who choose to skip any of the caving sections.

    Withdrawal from the Race

    • Teams must immediately notify Race officials at the nearest checkpoint of withdrawal from the race by any team member or the entire team. Team members of a withdrawn competitor are responsible for assisting the withdrawing team member to a checkpoint area where transportation of the course will be arranged. The remaining team member will be allowed to join with another team to complete the Race.

    • In the event of a medical emergency or other request for help, the entire team must stop until appropriate effective assistance arrives at the scene. Where possible, other teams should be notified of the emergency and asked to contact the next Race course marshal with details of the nature of the emergency and the location.

    Protests

    Protests must be filed with the Race Director within 1 hour of a team's finish of any Stage. Protests may be made orally but must be made discretely and respectfully. Any protest made in bad faith or in retaliation for previous protests will result in disqualification for the protesting team. The decision of the Race Director shall be final.


    The Competitors

    • Registration is done by teams consisting of exactly 2 persons. Substitution of team members will be considered up until the night of 20 September 2002.

    • Competitors are solely responsible for knowing and complying with all laws of the host country, including obtaining appropriate entry visas.

    • Race officials reserve the right to prohibit a competitor starting or finishing any segment of the Race for medical reasons.

    • Competitors must be at least 18 years of age on the first day of the Race.

    • By starting the Race or any Race stage, each competitor certifies that he/she is a competent swimmer, possesses sufficient skills and training to safely and successfully complete the Race course, is in a physical condition to safely finish the Race, and does not suffer from any medical condition which is likely to prevent the competitor from finishing the Race.

    Branding

    • Official Race vests must be worn as the outer layer of clothing at all times when on the Race course, including over life jackets and camelbaks.

    • Athlete's sponsorship logos may appear anywhere except on the Race vest. Any logos or other written words must conform to the principle of decency.

    • Race numbers and vests may not be defaced.

    The Race Course

    • Teams must stay on the marked course. Any team inadvertently leaving the marked course will be time penalized unless it reenters the course at the exact place that it left the course. Teams intentionally leaving the marked course will be time penalized or disqualified.

    • The littering or leaving of any trash, garbage or equipment on the Race course will result in not less than 15 minutes penalty. Any water and food obtained from an aid station must be deposited in trash containers or carried on the Race course until the can be deposited in trash containers.

    • Racers will respect all private property they may cross or encounter during the Race. In particular, Racers should avoid causing damage to crops or livestock.