THE WEST GOES WILD
 
Ireland West Tourism, in association with Failte Ireland, recently launched the Formula One of extreme sports in Westport, Co. Mayo with the staging of Ireland’s first ever Adventure Festival. Gael Force West will take place from a base in Westport on 02nd, 3rd and 04th of September this year and is centred on the sport of “Adventure Racing” – a new concept in multi-discipline extreme sports, testing competitors’ mental and physical limits not found in more traditional sports.

The organisers strive to attract adventurous individuals who are eager to escape their ordinary ventures through bold and daring endurance competitions staged in some of the wildest and most beautiful places on Earth.

Two separate competitions will run in tandem from an “adventure base” at Westport. Gael Force 6 will be for novice racers or “armchair adventurers” and will see competitors complete a six hour course involving mountain biking, trekking and kayaking.

 Gael Force 12 will see mixed teams of four embarking on an expedition-style course which includes 4 gruelling 12-hour stages covering 250km set over a 72 hours. Disciplines will include mountain biking, mountain climbing, abseiling, canoeing and navigation. Sleep is optional!

 A full-scale Adventure festival is planned to complement the two adventure race challenges and this will centre on Westport as the hub for activities over the weekend. This is where members of the public can get adventurous too as they try their hand at abseiling, bungee jumping, kitesurfing, paragliding, rib racing, canoeing and a host of other extreme sports and activities at the Adventure village, while the evenings will see the town transformed into a huge street party with live music, BBQ competitions and fireworks

 Mayo is a stunning county and the area in which the event will take place contains one of the top ten drives in the world, as voted by readers of AA Magazine in 2001.

A closely guarded secret, the course of Gael Force 12 will not be revealed to competitors until the eve of the event, however the event will give competitors the most unique way to see this rugged and mythical terrain which includes Killary Harbour– Ireland’s only Fjord - voted one of the top 40 places to see in the world by Steve Davy (BBC Books). Other geographical superlatives include Mweelrea, the highest mountain in Connaught and Clew bay, which contains the highest density of Drumlins in Western Europe. The highest sea cliffs in Europe - Achill lie to the north and Westport itself presents a unique coastal heritage as well as its aesthetic appeal - multiple winner of the Tidy Towns Competition

 The event will be televised and shown worldwide on ESPN Europe, Sports News Network, Foxtel Aus/New Zealand, UK Channel 4 and Transworld Sport International

 The event will also be supported by Fighting Blindness and racers will have the opportunity to enter and raise funds for the well-known Irish based charity, as well as local causes.

 Adventure racing is widely reported to be one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. Gael Force West will be an annual event and the organisers hope that in subsequent years the race will become part of the Adventure Race World Championships. The festival is for those who love the outdoors and adventure from gentle hillwalking to the more extreme Skydiving – a celebration of our magnificent scenery and infamous Irish craic – Get your boots and start walking!

For full information check out the website at www.gaelforcewest.ie or Tel 091 537700