FL-1000: Tunheim eager to head out

- I have to get out of this place, said Harald Tunheim with a smile when asked about his immediate strategy for catching up with Sigrid Ekran, who has maintained the lead in the race heading out of Neiden 2.

Photo: Dmitry Sharomov

Harald arrived at the previous check-points with one dog in the sled, and has dropped dogs in Kirkenes, Ellentjern as well as Neiden 2. Following this, he left the check-point with ten dogs.

- Unfortunately, I have not earned as much as hoped on holding off with the mandatory 16-hour rest until Kirkenes, says Harald, who was the first musher to arrive at the trail’s eastern most check-point.

But his strategy did not have the intended effect.

– When you work with animals, you have to pay attention to how they respond, and act accordingly.

Fresh team
If Harald was keen on moving on toward Varangerbotn, it was Steinar Kristensen who had the freshest team. He left the check-point as number two, just in front of before Harald. The two mushers thus are reported as having left at the same time, and are one hour and 15 minutes behind Sigrid. Like Sigrid, they rested just slightly more than four hours

- This is when it begins
Birgitte Næss Wærner was the forth musher to leave Neiden 2. She thinks less resting time is an important factor in order to minimize the head start Sigrid Ekran has gained. – I probably have to reduce the resting times a bit more than I would like, but this goes for everyone.

This far in the race, she has rested slightly more than Sigrid, and has maintained a bit higher speed in the tracks. – This provides a balance between speed and rest, she says, thus repeating a typical long distance strategy.

She closes with another phrase others have uttered, and many more probably thought to themselves, at this stage in the race:

- This is when it begins.

 

Birgitte Næss Wærner at Ellentjern last night. Photo: Dmitry Sharomov