Notes on the South Western Talkeetnas
The Talkeetna mountains are gems of south central Alaska and are beloved by outdoor enthusiasts far and wide. The terrain is as rugged as it is beautiful. The peaks stand 4000-8000ft tall, often times with snowfields and glaciers on their flanks. For this Event there is only 1 main road that ventures into the area and many of the waypoints will take you far from it. Cell service is fairly limited and cannot be relied on. The rivers and streams can be swift and hazardous to ford alone, don’t underestimate them. Mountain passes will likely still have plenty of snow and some have small glaciers on their northern sides, take your time with route finding. You will find drainages below 2000ft to be full of treacherous bushwhacking and are best to be avoided if possible. Expect temperatures to be cool in the air. Bears are around, be particularly aware when you’re in low visibility bushy areas, you may find bear spray or other deterrents bring you some peace of mind. Water sources are abundant here and are usually pretty clean, but it’s always prudent to have a small filter when in doubt. Established hiking trails are common around the yellow and teal waypoints, but non existent around the pink, green, and red waypoints. As with all mountain environments, the weather can change drastically making flying impossible and walking challenging. You will be traveling in a truly wild place and you’re only one ridgeline away from an epic suffer fest. Have fun and make memories.
Pilot Requirements
While this Event only requires a P2 or higher rating there are skills required beyond that. The Event is not your standard XC competition and requires far more than just flying skills. This list is not exhaustive, but intended to give an idea of the necessary skills to be prepared for this experience.
- Experience with hike and fly is essential. The pilot should be comfortable selecting launches and landings in locations they’ve never flown before.
- Backcountry navigation and travel skills where there are no roads or trails.
- Extensive backcountry shelter, first aid, food, and clothing experience. An understanding of weather analysis in mountainous terrain. Be able to identify valley flows and overdevelopment.
- Have the physical conditioning to be able to hike out of difficult mountainous terrain. If pursuing further waypoints, it can easily be a 1-2 day hike out.
- Must be able to independently make decisions in a wilderness environment. There is no help in the wilderness.
- Must be familiar with the InReach device and how to use it to contact help if needed.
- Be familiar with obtaining water sources in the mountains.
General
1.1
The Hatcher Hike & Fly (“Event”) is an adventure competition for hike & fly enthusiasts, open to qualified paragliding pilots who are members of USHPA and Arctic Air Walkers (AAW). 30 day AAW membership can be obtained here: https://arcticairwalkers.com/membership
1.2
The “Event Committee” is represented by Event Director, Score Keeper, and Safety Director.
1.3
The event is organized as a nonprofit event, the entry fees cover the costs of the event, shirts, prizes etc. Any means left after the event will be allocated for the next edition.
1.4
All decisions regarding the organization and running of the Event are made by the Event Committee.
1.5
The Event, or parts of, can only be cancelled by the Event Committee.
1.6
The Event Committee has the right to change any rules and specifications at any time without notice
1.7
All participating Pilots must accept the Terms of Participation at their application.
1.8
The number of participants for the Event is limited to a maximum of 35 Pilots. First come, first serve. If more than 35 Pilots register, the overflow Pilots will be put on a waitlist to fill vacancies in case of dropouts. Overflow Pilots are welcome to still attend but will not be supported by the Event.
1.9
The equipment and piloting certification of Pilots will be checked by the Event Committee prior to the Event.
1.10
All race briefings are mandatory for Pilots.
1.11
During the Event, the Pilot has to pass waypoints from the List of Waypoints determined by the Event Committee. See the Waypoints tab.
1.12
During the Event, the Pilot must fly their paraglider, hike, and carry the Mandatory Equipment (see section “Equipment”) without any form of physical assistance at any time. Any other transportation assistance, including any kind of motorized flying vehicles, from any third parties is strictly prohibited.
1.13
Pilots are obligated to check the potential risk of avalanche danger, glacial crevasse danger, and sliding danger before they enter snow covered areas as a responsibility to one’s self.
1.14
The Pilot is responsible that their inReach and GPS Logger, as listed in the section “Equipment”, are always properly maintained, charged, and switched on during the mandatory time frames during the Event.
1.15
Any Pilot can quit the Event at any time, after informing the Safety Director.
1.16
In addition to the official rules of the Event, all Pilots are responsible for abiding local, regional, and national laws and regulations as defined by Hatcher Pass Recreational Use Area, local authorities, and government organizations. Those who do not abide to the relevant regulations will be personally liable for any fines, punishments, or repercussions of any form which may result from their actions.
Competition/Scoring
2.0
The Pilots gather points by entering (tagging) waypoint cylinders from the official waypoints list. The Pilots can freely decide which waypoints and in which order they are tagged.
2.1
The Pilots must take a rest stop from 23:00 until 06:00 each day (“Rest Period”).
2.2
The Pilots have to check in at the end of each day, no later than 23:30 AKT on the 1st and 2nd day, and 18:00 AKT on 3rd day, via inReach with the message. The message must contain Pilot’s full name and ‘SAFE’ and be sent to the Event Safety Director. It’s the Pilot’s responsibility to receive the confirmation from the Safety Director.
2.3
During Rest Periods the Pilot is permitted to move away from the position where the Rest Period began, but in the morning the Pilot has to restart the race from the same position where the Rest period began (within 200m).
2.4
The inReach and GPS Logger can be switched off during the Rest Period and should be charged sufficiently for the next day. Switching off the Tracking Devices during non rest hours (ie trackers must be on from 06:00 – 23:00) will be penalized. See section “Tracking”.
2.5
A Pilot is seen as having completed the Event as soon as the Event is finished (17:30 on third day) and ranked accordingly to the number of points at this moment. A Pilot with more points is ranked higher.
2.6
A final results table will be put together as soon as the Event is over. Pilots are judged according to the number of points they gathered by correctly passing waypoints from the official waypoints list. Each waypoint only counts once.
2.7
Each waypoint is worth 1 point (yellow), 2 points (teal), 3 points (pink), 4 points (green), 5 points (red) depending on it’s difficulty. A waypoint only counts once.
2.8
Camping Waypoints: There are 2 camping waypoints with 200m cylinders. Each camping waypoint can be used once and are worth 3 points per night. These waypoints have no value if not used overnight.
Bivvy Bonus: Pilots can get 1 bonus point per night for camping in the mountains, and another extra point for camping with another pilot participating in the race. A campsite can only be used once. For example, if a Pilot spends two nights in two different spots alone, they will get 2 extra points. If they spend two nights in two different spots with another pilot/pilots, they will get a 4 points bonus.
To qualify as camping in the mountains the Pilot must camp further than 200m (1/4 mile) from paved roads ie away from Palmer Fishook Rd. Campers, RV’s, vans, cars, etc. on dirt roads do not count as camping in the mountains. Keep to the spirit of vol-biv!
2.9
There is a 10 point penalty for not making it to the Finish cylinder before the official finish of the race.
2.10
Start/Finish has a 100m radius. All other waypoints have 400m radius.
2.11
All Pilots with the same amount of points are ranked according to their time at the finish cylinder (one who entered earlier is ranked higher).
2.12
At the end of the Event pilots must submit their IGC track logs on XC Demon for official scoring. Remember that these logs must contain air and ground movements. This is critical for fair and accurate scoring. Please contain all the track logs in one submission to make the scorekeepers life easier.
Equipment
3.1
All flying equipment has to be certified and fulfill the latest edition of the following certification standards:
- Paraglider: EN 926-2 and 926-1 or LTF 91/09
- Harness: EN 1651 with certified protection or LTF 91/09
- Rescue system: EN 12491 or LTF 91/09
For their own safety all the Pilots must ensure that their equipment is in correct state.
3.2
The use of paragliders with 16m² (laid out surface) or less, or of a surface loading exceeding 6kg/m², (so called speed gliders) are prohibited.
3.3
Mandatory equipment to be supplied and carried by the Pilot (“Personal Equipment”)
- paraglider
- harness including a back protector
- reserve parachute
- helmet
- inReach satellite tracker with 2min tracking
- smartphone
- 10,000mah power bank or multiple smaller banks with a sum of 10,000mah to keep all the electronics working during the race.
- A GPS device recording all movements of the athlete on ground and in the air is mandatory. GPS watch, smartphone with tracking app, etc. IGC tracks only.
- Sufficient warm clothing, rain gear, food, and water
3.4
It is highly recommended that Pilots take the following equipment (even if not planning on vol biv) on all trails or flights that lead into high alpine areas and away from official roads: Wind- and waterproof jacket and pants, hat, gloves, sufficient warm layers (top and bottom), enough food & water, headlamp, spare batteries and/or battery pack, whistle, silver blanket, first aid kit, trekking poles.
Camping/Vol Biv
4.0
Camping/vol biv gear is highly encouraged but not mandatory. Pilots are allowed to make whatever sleeping arrangements they see fit so long as they satisfy the parameters in section 2.3. This includes the use of cabins, huts, RV’s, tents, etc. If Pilots are not carrying vol biv gear with them then they must be mindful of making it back to their gear cache/camp site/camper, etc.
Flight Rules
5.1
Pilots are not allowed to fly between sunset and sunrise AKT.
5.2
The route flown has to be tracked by the inReach and the IGC track log device. See section 6 “Tracking”.
5.3
Pilots are obliged to respect VFR (Visual Flight Rules) regulations. Any Pilot violating VFR rules takes full responsibility for the legal consequences.
5.4
Pilots must respect airspace. 18,000ft msl ceiling, no other restrictions are present in the waypoint areas.
5.5
Takeoff weight has to be within the certified maximum loading of the used paragliders and reserve system.
5.6
Alcohol and drugs are prohibited during flying and within the 8 hours before potential flying.
Tracking
6.1
Every Pilot needs to have an inReach with 2 min tracking enabled that will be publicly shared for the Event. This will be the primary resource for safety and preliminary scoring. No other devices will be allowed as a substitute.
6.2
Each Pilot has to create an account on the XC Demon platform. The inReach sends information to the website, where the Pilot’s current position will be displayed.
6.3
The GPS Track Logger (pg instrument, phone with suitable application on etc.) records the Pilot’s movement. IGC files only. The GPS Track Logger is for track verification.
Athletes should take into account that the recording must also be done during the ground phases as well.
6.4
Every Athlete is strongly advised to practice using their devices under hike and fly conditions before the Event commences in order to avoid any technical issues or difficulties during the event itself. Practice, practice, practice making IGC track logs that cover ground and air movements. Seek help at hatcherhikeandfly@gmail.com if there are any questions.
Penalties
7.1
Pilots who fail to comply with any of these rules will be subject to a penalty, as assessed by and at the discretion of the Event Committee.
7.2
Penalties shall range from a minimum of 1 point to a maximum of no points for the event, with disqualification being an option.
7.3
Tracking via inReach is of upmost importance. This is a remote region with very limited cell service meaning the Pilot’s inReach will often be the only form of communication. Not turning on the inReach and enabling tracking can result in a severe penalty or disqualification.
7.4
Penalties are subject to a final decision by the Event Committee.
7.5
The Event Committee reserves the right to give penalties and disqualify an Athlete who acts irresponsibly towards their own safety or towards others
Hatcher Hike and Fly 