TheDogTeam.com/Catskills - The Mountaineering Adventures Of Cave Dog & The Dog Team

Preface

No organizing body regulates, promotes, or records this record. It is up to the individual challenger and his support crew to hold up to the ideals of the Crazed Catskills Ultramarathon(C²) as they have been passed down through heritage and tradition. It is a natural tendency of competitors to try to trim the effort required to break a record. As a record becomes more finetuned, there is inevitable disagreement between challengers as to when it is acceptable to cut corners. No one has written down the rules of the game for this informal record. This piece has been written in an effort to explain some of the idiosyncrasies of this record to the public and to reduce any confusion between future challengers about what it takes to set a new record.

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Objective

    To climb all of the Catskill High Peaks in one footpath in the least amount of time.

Rules

1. The Route

    There is no set route except that all of the Catskill High Peaks must be summited in one continuous footpath.

Each of the Catskill High Peaks must be scaled in a fashion suitable to the mountaineering ethic. However, there is no set of trails or order of mountains required. The route choosen by each challenger must be one unbroken foot path.

2. Provisions

    Provisions may be given at any point during the challenge.

3. Vehicles:

    One cannot use any form of mechanical or biological devices for propulsion.

No vehicles can be used for propulsion at any time during the course of the C². A vehicle is any mechanical device such as cars, trucks, ATV's, bicycles, helicopters, etc., and/or any animals such as horses, mules, people, etc. If one uses a vehicle, they must go back to the point of departure from the route before starting again. The route cannot be done in sections, out of sequence. The route most be traversed by foot in the same direction in the same order as one continuous footpath. This is a record set by the skills and power of the individual mountaineer not through the use of mechanical or biological aid.

4. The Clock:

    The c lock starts at the summit of the first peak climbed and stops at the summit of the last peak.

The clock never stops until all mountains have been climbed in accordance to the rules. However, the ascent of the first mountain and the descent of the last mountain are not included.

5. Do as Much or More as the Last Record Holder:

At a minimum, to set a new record, one must do as much or more, as the current record holder, in less time.

The Crazed Catskills Ultramarathon has evolved over the years to meet the expectations of the Catskills mountaineering community. This evolution has occurred by one record at a time. For example, if the record was established when 34 peaks were recognized as High Peaks, it is up to the challenger to up the ante to 35 peaks, if that is the convention of that time. This is true for all of the rules. Essentially, no additional or more restrictive rules can be established except by the person that makes the next record by following the existing rules and their new rules. One must do at least as much as the last record holder to be considered the new record holder. In addition, one must do the challenge in less time. One cannot break the record by adding more requirements and take longer to do the course. If one does add more to the effort with a longer time span, then they can claim a different record for a different game that goes by a different name. For example, one could climb all of the Catskill High Peaks without support or without motorized vehicles. It is up to the Catskills mountaineering community to decide if such a distinction is worth noting as a new type of record. In the end, for this record, if one does as much and more, in less time, they have set the new standard by which all future challengers must adhere.

6. Notification

Notify the current record holder of intentions to challenge the record before the attempt.

A challeger, out of respect, should make an effort to give the current record holder a couresty call before an attempt. In doing this, the attempt is tied to the history of the event. It also makes for an easier acceptance of a new record.

7. The Honor System:

The Crazed Catskills Ultramarathon rules are informal and essentially voluntary.

In fact, in the attempt all is essentially informal and voluntary. The 35 peaks must be climbed; however, there is no one set course, there are no officials to record the times, no competitors alongside to provide a gauge of reference. There is only you, the 35 inanimate peaks, the currently recognized record, and your word of honor that you have actually done what you report to have done.