UnCivilThighzed is stage one of a two-part "stage race" style challenge called the Redoubt Raid. The intent of this adventure is to set up a campsite at Newport News Park, drive to the Harwood's Mill parking lot and do Stage 1 (UnCivilThighzed) for up to 10 hours, get back to camp for the night and do stage 2 (Washington's Washout) the next day for up to 10 hours. However, feel free to complete this stage only. The complete course will take participants through many Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields and encampments.

 

For full details of The Redoubt Raid, visit the event page HERE.

For more info about Stage 2 - Washington's Washout, click HERE.

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Stage 1 - UnCivilThighzed

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Harwood's Mill Reservoir is a true gem of the Virginia Peninsula. In Coastal Virginia, it is quite a challenge to find enough trails to have 8+ hours of mountain biking, trekking and paddling without going on main roads or congested areas, but we've done it! The info that is unknown to many visitors to Harwood's Mill is that the area was a Civil War battlefield. There are remnants of many redoubts, trenches and even grave sites dating back to the 1860s. The highlight of stage 1 is paddling through the shallow waters of the north reservoir. Most of the year, the green pond algae is like paddling through pea soup. There are also thousands of turtles chilling out on anything protruding from the water and swimming just under the surface. Quite a unique and beautiful experience!  

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This Virtual Adventure Challenge is up to 10 hours of legit navigation, transitions and physical exertion specifically designed to give options for athletes new to Adventure Racing (AR) as well as the most experienced racers. Our course design has three types of virtual checkpoints. Enduro points are designed for athletes who want an adventure challenge without tough navigation. All Enduro points are on trails and no bush/bikewhacking required.   Adventure points are for the typical adventure racer who is comfortable going off trail for checkpoints but is still learning advanced navigational skills.  Pro points are designed to challenge the most experienced navigators that are comfortable with putting in the extra miles, plotting their own points, choosing which points to give up and using advanced ar tools such as pace counting, bike computers and UTM plotters.

 

For information pertinent to all of our VACs, it's important to go here to learn all the details about this challenge, rules, mandatory gear, scoring, etc.

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thisABILITY Adventures does not supply any equipment for our VACs including boats. We recommend a flatwater kayak for both stages of The Redoubt Raid. While boats can usually be rented at Harwood's Mill Reservoir, they currently are not available due to COVID. In addition, while we have never been asked to provide proof of purchase, a boating permit is required and can be purchased at the Newport News Park Office. The fee to launch a private boat is $5/day and is not included in the challenge registration price. For more information, click here.

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