Looking past the mammoth task that is the Viking Way ( www.virginmoneygiving.com ) I have lined up a few other ultras in the following months. I am enjoying not having to schedule all my races around the possiblilty of fitting a sea swim in.
The big race I am looking forward to is Indo Ultra...a 5 day self sufficient race through the Indonesian Jungle. I set out to do it in 2010 but got pulled out due to heat exhaustion so I want to go back and put some demons to rest. Last time it took place on Lombok and was stunning. This time it has been moved to Java and looks set to be even more spectacular. Have a read of the following piece about the area website and decide for yourself
Taken from www.indoultra.com
Indonesia Information
The IndoUltra will give the opportunity to experience the culture, people and terrain of this beautiful but remote part of the world whilst testing physical and mental endurance to the limit.
Indonesia is a vast equatorial archipelago of 17,000 islands extending 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) east to west, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in Southeast Asia. The largest islands are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), Sulawesi, and the Indonesian part of New Guinea (known as Papua or Irian Jaya).
The venue for Indo Ultra 2012 will be the United Nations designated World Heritage site of Ujung Kulon National Park, on the island of Java.This national park, located in the extreme south-western tip of Java on the Sunda shelf, includes the Ujung Kulon peninsula and several offshore islands and encompasses the natural reserve of Krakatoa. In addition to its natural beauty and geological interest – particularly for the study of inland volcanoes – it contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests jungles in the Java plain with pristine beaches. Several species of endangered plants and animals can be found there, the Javan rhinoceros being the most seriously under threat. For further information about the spectacular location visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/608
Ujung Kulon National Park lies on the extreme south-western tip of Java within the administrative province of Java Barat (West Java) and the Kebupaten of Pandeglang.
Ujung Kulon is a triangular peninsula protruding from the south-west extremity of mainland Java, to which it is joined by a low isthmus some 1-2 km wide. The topography is dominated in the south-west by the three north-south aligned ridges of the Gunung Payung massif, with the peaks of Gunung Payung, Gunung Guhabendang and Gunung Cikuja forming the highest points on the peninsula. To the north-east, the relief attenuates to the low rolling hills and plains of the Telanca Plateau, and ultimately to the low-lying swamps in the region of the isthmus. To the east, the Gunung Honje massif forms the mainland component of the park. Coastal formations include a number of raised coral islands and their associated fringing reefs which lie off the northern coast of the peninsula, the largest of these being Pulau Handeuleum. To the south, the coastline is characterized by sand dune formations, areas of raised coral reef, and further west a long stretch of undermined and shattered sandstone slabs. Extensive coral reefs and spectacular volcanic formations occur along the exposed and broken west coast.
Geologically, Ujung Kulon, Gunung Honje and Pulau Panaitan are part of a young Tertiary mountain system, which overlies the pre-Tertiary strata of the Sunda Shelf. Lying on the edge of the tectonically active Sunda Shelf, Krakatau Nature Reserve comprises the central island of Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatau), and the peripheral islands of Rakata, Payang and Sertung with their surrounding coral reefs. These peripheral islands form the remnants of a single volcano ('Ancient Krakatau') which exploded and collapsed some 1,500 years ago leaving three remnant cones.
A tall closed canopy forest occurs on Gunung Payung, on Pulau Peucang; vegetation of the Telanca Plateau and central lowlands is a more open secondary forest. Occurring along the northern promontory of Ujung Kulon near Tanjung, alang-alang is a seasonally inundated freshwater swamp forest. Mangrove forest occurs in a broad belt along the northern side of the isthmus, extending northwards as far as the Cikalong River, as well as to the north of Pulau Handeuleum and on the north-east coast of Pulau Panaitan. Beach forest occurs on nutrient-poor sandy ridges on the north and north-west coasts of Ujung Kulon.
Ujung Kulon is the last remaining viable natural refuge for Javan rhinoceros; Other notable mammals include carnivores, such as leopard, wild dog (dhole), leopard cat, fishing cat, Javan mongoose and several civets. Of the primates, the endemic species Javan gibbon and Javan leaf monkey occur locally along with the endemic silvered leaf monkey, while crab-eating macaque is found throughout the park. Several ungulates range within the park, of which the largest and most abundant is banteng. A rich avifauna is present with over 270 species recorded. Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians include two species of python, as well as two crocodiles and numerous frogs and toads. Green turtle is known to nest within the park.
The rich coral reefs of the Ujung Kulon coast are dominated by a small number of species that make up some 90% of the coral mass; the marine areas of Ujung Kulon support some of the richest fish fauna in the archipelago, with both deep water and reef species well represented visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/608
Sounds like it will be a fantastic race through some stunning locations and an opportunity not to pass up so hopefully I will see some of you there. It will certainly be one challenge I am looking forward to taking on post Viking Way
The trip is held 1-9th October 2012
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