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Published on February 2, 2008

Deep woods, slippery waterfalls and uncharted caves in Kanchanaburi will again become a playground for weekend warriors next month, as the adventure race known as the "North Face River Kwai Trophy" once again gets underway in the western province.

This year's extreme race, say the organisers at Active Management Asia, will be even tougher and sweatier. Scheduled for March 1, this three- to eight-hour wilderness adventure will take teams of two through a 40- to 50-kilometre unmarked course of running, mountain biking, swimming and paddling.

The course is very exciting as the route travels along scenic trails that explore the mountains and farmlands of western Thailand and the magnificent Kwai valley.

"The River Kwai valley in Sai Yok district is an ideal location for this type of adventure event," says Serge Henkens, Amazing Thailand Adventure Race series manager. "The perfect recipe for a great Race can be found there: the River Kwai of course but also thick walls of jungle, steep mountains, lakes, caves and picturesque trails. The course is very scenic and challenging.

An adventure race might not an ideal way of spending a weekend for the average urban couch potato, but it's been gaining popularity among mountain bikers, trail runners, rock climber and kayakers. This particular race is a non-stop expedition during which teams ranging in size from two to five competitors must complete a course from checkpoint to checkpoint as a group.

The North Face River Kwai Trophy 2008 is organised by The North Face, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Active Management Asia. It's the third edition so far, and the race is becoming popular with local foreign racing enthusiasts.

The organiser expects expect 100 teams will complete the adventure races in Kanchanaburi next month.

"Anyone can do it as we are proposing two different divisions," says Henkens. "Adventure level is accessible to anyone with a minimum of fitness. But beware, Adventure racing is the most addictive sport you will ever try, and once you get sucked in, there's no going back."

The racers, in teams of two, have to complete five different tasks - mountain biking, kayaking, jungle running and river swimming plus climbing the cascades. Like an expedition with a stopwatch, adventure racing requires teamwork, perseverance and strong navigation and wilderness survival skills.

Last year's winner in the Extreme Level took almost six hours to knock off the series, while the last pair who made to the final line spent almost 10 hours in the woods and water.