It is already several weeks since the event is done. However it is not caused by our recation time equal the slowes chess players. It took us some time to get some vital information from the masterminds of this notable march - Gunfire.pl. Besides, we wanted to wait for the outcome of Expedition Amundsen 2015, where participated our countrymen from Formacja Śląsk(Formation Silesia), who won the current GF Point edition. Why? Because both here and there they did pretty good job. That's all for introductions. Time to go to the point.
GF Point is organized by Gladius foundation supported by Gunfire with cooperation of Selenge company responsible for logistic part of the enterprise. If you dare to check WMASG archives you can come up to the report from the very first GF Point. It is clearly visible, that it isn't just a leap they have done for all these years. It is hyperspace jump. This year 272 people was seen at the start line. They have been divided into 3 categories (89 in BASIC category, 83 in PROFESSIONAL and 25 teams of four in the TEAM category). Participants were supported by approx. 100 volunteers. Real crowd. Or even the multitude.
It was really close for me not to be there. I was getting some training for - oh irony - to the GF Point, when it occured my knee can't take it anymore and 2 weeks before the march I had enormous toruble with going up and down stairs. It would be rather difficult to ignore during the event, when chages of attitude are somehow all-inclusive. Luckily I overcame this one and few smaller obstacles to report myself at Friday evening in well-known base of the march in Góry Sowie (Owl Monuntains) at Center of Sport and Recreation in Walim, small town at the southern outskirts of Poland. I was accompanied by my good fellow Yogi, who more or less healed his back injury. The rest of our traditional squad was captured by everyday life obligations.
Before getting registered we made it for TEAM category briefing. Guys didn't have an easy ride - their route was longer, more tasks was waiting for them and they were beginning at 10:00 PM, just to finish as everyone else - at 5:00 PM the next day. Their load was obviously the same weight as in PROFESSIONAL category (10 kgs for rucksack, 2,5 kgs for replica and 2 kgs for webbing). As far as I found out from my chats with organizers a lot of teams gave up during the first night. So even more respect should be granted to the folks who made it till the end.
To put it in exact numbers, after the first night 6 teams withdrawn due to injuries and overestimation of their physical capabilities. One group decided to keep going despite losing a member. 18 squads made it according to the plan. One participant twisted his ankle in so incredibly slippery location, that the only vehicle, that could have taken him down to the valley belonged to local GOPR (Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue) station. Night tasks were completed in very different times - the fastest team reported it done after 59 minutes, while the slowest needed 2 hrs 23 minutes to complete it. When co called "Prologue" was done, teams were told to one of the numerous hostels in the town to catch some sleep and proceed their struggle from 08:00 AM the next day with the rest of participants. As you can see - a lot have already happened and the actual part hasn't even begun yet.
We weren't involved in all of this. When teams vanished into evening thin air, we took all of our mess to the registration point. It is hard to expect miracles during weighing procedure. The only thing that surprised us was Yogi's replica. According to the scale it was 2,3 kgs heavy. Strange, as this model should weight at least 2,8 kgs. After attaching the magazine to it, the scale shown us... 3,3 kgs. Apart from that, everything was fine. Our loads were similar to each other. This year I overloaded myself with additional 8-9 kgs (rucksack with 15-16 kgs inside, replica and webbing approx. 4 kgs each). I knew I am only making it even harder for myself, but I used to carry the equipment I would took for 24 hrs in the woods for such a trips. OK, I didn't take enough food, sleeping pad, grenades or sidearm, but the weight of the rest of the stuf I packed made their job.
In the morning we met some folks from PMC Poznań. Someone even came up with an idea of cooperation on the way and at the group photo we still can be seen together. Unfortunatley in the chaos caused by beginning of the race we lost them somewhere. Pity. We decided to head south. When the majority of participants boldly attacked the terrible slope to checkpoint 6 or started to climb uphill like mountain goats using all limbs available when reported to checkpoint 7, me and Yogi stuck to our plan of reaching checkpoint 4, located about 5 kms from the march base.
One more word about the briefing - since the last year nothing had changed apart from location of certain checkpoints. Still the order of getting your card perforated was totally up to you. It was still 12 checkpoints for PROFESSIONAL. However, I couldn't have let one thing slip unnoticed. This year after reporting at checkpoint 9, you were "obliged" to head towards chekcpoint 10. I can see the organizers have read my last year report and spotted my adventures. Very nice of you, lads. Very nice.
OK, let's proceed with our story without further interruptions - our tactics had one huge advantage. We were approaching Wielka Sowa (The Great Owl mountain) from a lot more gentle side, what seemed to be badly desired in our a bit overwhelmed health condition. Besides, we were skipping queues at closer checkpoints. Climbing up the more "popular" side looked not very interesting even on the map and I knew this way from autopsy. I know it wasn't fair for other participants, who were debutant here, but that's why the event is moved to another location every two years.
We made it to checkpoint 4 (bar Riese) as the first participants after around 45 minutes of constant walk along the town. There was a task waiting 4 us. We were told to find a piece of paper with three digit number written on it (5 variations), remembering it and coming back to the checkpoint within 10 minutes. The job was simple as a pop song. We got GPS showing us way in the straight line. In my case it was 130 meters. We made it. We were rewarded with buffs of Tropiciel (Pathfinder) walk/run. Little, but useful gift. We were even proposed a tea, but we didn;t want to wast time waiting. It won't walk uphill itself.
So, here we are climbing up to the shelter Sowa. Somewhere in the half way to the Great Owl. We made it there after 30 minutes. Another task was expecting us. This time it was the test about mountain infantry. I always have had a feeling I don't know very much about it. Test only confirmed I was right. I have heard once they were the only unit before 1989, that was equipped with real chocolate, but it was pretty much it.
By the way - it seems to be obvious, but another time it occured people tend to forget about such a cliche element as usual pen. At GF Point lack of such a tool is rewarded with additional set of excercise for absent minders. Obviously it is repeated at every single checkpoint, cause pen needs to be returned with fulfilled test. Hurts? Should.
After collecting the set of penalty minutes for our ignorance about traditions of some batallion, we were heading to checkpoint 12. In the meantime, we spotted The Great Absent of this year's winter - the snow. It was reaching above our ankles. It was one of the times, when my gaiters and gore-tex got useful. They are called accordingly "gay-ters" and "gay-tex" by my mean friends. But I don't care. After several winters I got fed up with being cold in cold and frozen clothes. I simply can't see any point in decreasing my fight ability in the name of improbable and abstract "higher values". I still remember as pathetetic I looked at GF Point 2013, when I got my smock totally soaked. It was anti-cool. This year weather conditions were similar (temperature around 0 C. degrees, fog, snowing wet), but I was better prepared and equipped for it. I didn't even spot, when the weather got nasty. Yogi on the other hand soaked literally everything - his boots, pants, smock and jacket were totally wet. Despite that he was rushing hard. Although all of his good mood evaporated as the dry parts of his unifom were disappearing.
From checkpoint 12 we were heading up to the Great Owl, where ont the top of the tower built there, our backpacks were to be weighed. On the way, we met guys from Formacja Śląsk, struggling within TEAM category. To the peak we were keeping their speed and chat a bit. Later it occured they finished the march at 04:15 PM, collecting all the checkpoints and getting the 1st place, what have became tradition of some sort. Well, during Expedition Amundsen 2015 they made it at 49th position, but you need to know three things - they were novices, two days in the polar ring are not the walk in the mountains and last, but not least - other not-Norwegian teams didn't make it event to the finish.
After succeeding the weighing we set our way to checkpoint 6. By the way - do you know, how many kgs the record-breaker brought to the Great Owl? 24. Twenty-four. That was heavy. I was sure our backpacks are burden. Anyway - people coming to the peak from checkpoint 6 had rather bad time. Add some treacherous ice hiding under the thin layer of snow to the slope approach. Just one false step - you are on the ground. Two false steps - your ankle is twisted or your teeth stay on the path forever. Both of us collected one meeting with the dirt, but reached checkpoint six without any further problems. There was another test waiting for us. This time - first aid. It was supervised by my WMASG Team colleague - Sharf. Apart from him the event was covered with Regdorn and his friends, so each photo visible around belongs to them.
After completing the last task on this sie of the map, we got mature to made hard decision, whether we prefer to collect checkpoints 3, 9 and 10 located very close to each other or to go down to Walim and ehad towards checkpoint 1, divided for 7 subpoints, spread underground in post-German WW2 Riese complex. Last year this chekcpoint had the highest funfactor, so we sacrifised better outcome in the chart for pure entertainment. Besides, I didn't want to push my knee harder than it was necessary. My physician would force me to do some humilitading examination if he finds out I was there. So it's better he wouldn't find out.
Finally we lumbered to the complex. After short rest for building up our morale, we began to conquer. Shooting range was first in the line. Hitting three targets from 5 meters distance. Piece of cake even for someone with eyes closed and with hands tied up. Just right next to it there was a cord ladder climbing. The line was longer than deputees speech, so we let it go and walked underground.
Underground there were some fun either. However less than a year ago. Just on the left from the entrance, there was AK-47 assault rifle dissasembly. After closer look up it occured to be just training version, with bolt and gas tube sealed to the body. Considering that, time for disassembling the gun (30 seconds) seemed to be a joke. When the job was done, checkpoint service told us we were ones of the very few, who made it. Majority of people who tried failed because of the magazine. They were unable of removing it from the weapon. I leave it wothout further commentary. I bet they still feel ashamed. I would.
The next underground tasks were revolving around seraching for lost subpoint and filling another test. Now mainly about konwledge about the complex itself. When we were done underground, the only worth-mentioning task was pulling up the huge rock out of the well. This year we haven't stolen the boat to sail in flooded corridors. We could, but we didn't.
When everything was done, we decided to get back to the base. Probably we would make it to get at least one more point, cause still had over an hour till the deadline, but we decided to let it go. We wanted to be home before midnight. The last 100 meters was flat run just for fun. It's not the thing I am proud or something, but I made it first. After that, we just ordered our stuff, took a quick shower and ate a provided dinner. Unfortunately this year portions were a lot smaller than I could have remembered. After that we had gone home and skipped official close up. No chance for a prize anyway.
Afterward I found out, the first participant of BASIC finished the march at 01:53 PM. He was 3rd in the chart. The fastest of PROFESSIONAL landed there 3 minutes later. Finally he was 11th. TEAM shown no surprises - Formacja Śląsk was the fastest and the 1st in general.
This year's event was really cool. A bit more difficult than the previous one, but mostly because of the weather conditions. I had a lot of fun and for sure I will have a lot of great stories to tell. As usual. Actually, I feel somehow bad I haven't pushed myself harder, but I think my outcome is not that bad, as for a guy who considered getting to the 1st floor as personal success. Anyway, expect me again. Especially, that GF Point will be moved westward, somewhere around Karpacz. I found no drawbacks, despite the fact that we got like 1/3 of lukewarm peasoup. And the fact I haven't won it. Again. Well, taking everything into account - event was splendid. You can regret it, couch potatoes.
During IWA 2015 exhibition in Nuremberg at Airsoft Meetup, there was screened a video presenting GF Point 2015.
WEBSITE: http://www.gfpoint.pl
