Onto Cry Baby which is 12km into the race. This one is where you go through an irritating gas that you can't see through. You start off having to completely submerge under water to get into the chamber with the gas. The water helps contain the gas within the chamber. I hate that submerging into water to get under something as I'm scared I will come up underneath it, like in the enema, but I was fine. Once you are in you get back onto solid ground, but there are things you climbed over, and drop off you had to deal with inside the chamber. Since I couldn't see I accidentally did a lot of groping of the people in front of me as I tried to feel my way around! The gas wasn't terribly irritating, certainly not real tear gas or anything, but a little stingy on the eyes.
[video=youtube;Wlrvp7iKftY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlrvp7iKftY[/video]
The next obstacle was either not completed or something because it too was not functional. It was supposed to be 'walk the plank' where you climbed up onto a platform then leapt into a pit of water. Instead you just climbed into and out of the empty pit.
Next was the Berlin Walls, which was just a big wall. Again, some guys helped me out with a leg up to get over it. I fell on the landing side since it was a pretty good drop! But they had straw down which softened the fall! After this obstacle I noticed my safety pin on my bib had opened up. It took me like 5 mins to fix it because my hands were too cold (though they didn't generally feel cold) to function properly!
Then onto the Mud Slide, which was just a steepish hill of mud that you kinda slid down. Not REALLY an obstacle again in my opinion, but fun enough.
Next was Warrior Carry, where you were supposed to try to carry a fellow mudder across a distance. Since I was doing this on my own I wasn't sure what to do. So I kinda just walked part of the section till the halfway point where you were supposed to switch. Since I said I wanted to try all obstacles I finally found a girl willing to let me try. Unfortunately she wasn't the smallest girl and I had knelt down too far so she could get on, that I couldn't stand back up again. But I did try, though was a bit disappointed in my inability to 'squat' that girl's weight.
Funky Monkey... those stupid uber slippery monkey bars did me in again. I honestly don't know how any body ever made it close to finishing that! I didn't see anyone get close while I went, most didn't make it past the first bar or 2, in fact, a lot didn't even attempt it and just went around. I tried it but slipped off on pretty much the first bar. You then plunge into a 'pool' of water and have to wade or swim out.
Swamp Stomp is just how it sound. Wading through a seaweed filled stinky swamp that's about waist high.
Balls to the Wall. Now THIS was the obstacle I was probably most happy with. It was a stinking TOUGH obstacle. The tallest wall on course by a long shot you had to use roped to get up this wall (and again the knots in the rope were just too far away from each other to truly be useful!). I made it probably close to 2/3rds of the way up a couple times but just needed just a few more inches to get to the next little 2x4 step. Most people attempted it one or twice then just moved on but I really wanted to do it. FInally a guy offered to lend me a hand. Once I got to as high as I could go he pushed my feet up which gave me just enough to get the next step and I was able to make it to the top then use the ropes to get down the other side. I was so happy to have made it because so few people even made half hearted attempts to do it! Wish I had gotten it on video but the photographer was there so hopefully got at least a couple good pics!
Next was Everest, which was a huge warped wall. It did have knotted ropes up at the top but as I was waiting and watching not a single person made it to the top. Even the really strong guys that could make it TO the ropes never made it to the top because it was just too awkward and slippery and the volunteer helpers at the top just weren't strong enough to truly help. I attempted it, like I said I would all obstacles, but when I couldn't even come close to reaching the rope I did move on.