The Pioneer - 7 Days of Racing, 569kms of riding, 15,273m of climbing.

As with most of the volunteers for me the Pioneer came around purely by chance, Martin, who I had been staying with, mentioned he was involved in this huge MTB race on the South Island. I checked out the website, it looked right up my street and I hadn't found anything to keep me in Auckland. 7 days volunteering for free food and travel was by far a more exciting prospect than continuing the job hunt up North. I got in touch and snagged a last minute spot.

This sort of event attracts a variety of people and for various different reasons. Riders raced in pairs through some of the most beautiful and brutally rugged terrain in the world, on a course designed to drive individuals, friendships, marriages to their absolute limit. Once they were there, it asked a little bit more. Aside from the elite teams who came to win, or train for the season ahead, the majority of the field came to finish. We were treated to various inspirational stories after dinner each night and early on the respect that the competitors held for one and other was apparent. This spirit of personal endeavour combined with a total appreciation for being part of something very special while sharing in the agony endured to achieve a goal, summed up The Pioneer for me.
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​I've been pretty slack recently so since entries have now opened for next year's race I figured it was about time I shared some snaps...oh and a cheeky little video.

Basically I spent a week putting up a serious amount of tents, between us, roughly 400 a day. When I wasn't I was seeing parts of the country that very few people get to see, way out in the ranges. And the whole time was spent with a wicked group of people. A wee cog, and part of something great.

Do ex-volunteers get discounted entry for next year?

Click this for more info on the event and a whole TV episode in which I don't feature once! Gutted.