[BBTC Info] Chupacabras 100km Mountain Bike Ride

Hi all at BBTC,
 
The Chupacabras 100km (actually 67 miles, not 62) mountain bike event in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico is coming up on October 11th.
 
It is a great ride - lots of challenge and even a bit of hike-a-bike, but very rewarding although the only thing awarded for finishing - and many riders do not - is a long sleeve T-shirt with an image af a Chupacabras (the name-sake mythical toothy goat eating beast that adequately describes the ride), an enamel "dog tag" looking thing they place around the neck, and the five rubber bands that the check stations place on the riders' wrists (no fancy electronic timers or such here on the frontier!), but the feeling of completion is worth the effort, and - shall I say? -  pain. If I am not still working here in October, I will drive or fly down from Salt Lake to participate - it is that good of a ride. Of course, if by slim chance I am assigned outside the Western Hemisphere by that time, I may need to miss it.
 
The website is chupacabras100km.com - the homepage has a button to click on for the English Language version. You will see by the website that it draws riders from all over the world. Last year's first place finisher was a 38 year old pro from Italy. It is quite well organized and supported but routes out into the Sonora Desert Mountains so riders must be capable of taking care of themselves and their equipment to a higher degree than a road ride (although there are SAG quads patrolling all but the most rugged stretches). Stark beauty abounds in the desert part of the route, and there is even a small, historic/iconic Catholic shrine in the middle of No and Where for those of us that need a little help from on high to finish! About two kilometers of the route is through suburban (but dirt road) Juarez - an American rider can get a sense of how fortunate we are while riding through this area. 
 
Last year I entered without knowing it is considered an "extreme" sport event more than a ride (I don't remember really seeing the website until after I rode). This year I know better and will be prepared to post a better time and have more fun in the process.
 
It would be great to have some BBTC riders show up. Juarez is about a sixteen hour drive, or two hour flight, from Salt Lake. Much of the ride is actually along the Rio Grande. The USA is visible from about 70 percent of the route, especially from on top of the hill called "El Escalones de King Kong" (King Kong's Stairs) and another called "Asfixia".
 
There are plenty of nice hotels here in Juarez. One is bike friendly and very near the start/finish at Parque Chamizal. There are also plenty in El Paso, and the authorities on both sides of the border allow riders to cross for the event with little delay (proper ID required, a passport is desirable to re-enter the USA but at this time not required - worldly folks like we at BBTC should all have passports anyway, right?)
 
If any of you are interested, let me know so we can get a BBTC thing together if you care to do so.
 
Good riding,
 
Greg Unck