NORCHA 2025: Endurance Racing and an Amazing Food & Wine Experience

Oct 8

Arrival

The 2025 edition of the expedition race, NORCHA brought adventure racing insider back to the mountains of northern Portugal for another epic journey. We followed teams of 4 across 500km of rugged and remote terrain through which they ran, biked, and paddled for four days straight.

This would be a bit of an extra challenge for me on the media side of things since I landed in Portugal just two days after breaking several ribs in a mountain bike crash. The pain was bearable but I was noticeably slower throughout the trip. While I wish I could have had more spring in my step, I’m still glad that my injuries weren’t severe enough to keep me from traveling.

Arriving first at Vila Real, I had a day to walk the city of roughly 40,000 inhabitants and try my hand at having authentic cultural experiences. I was not disappointed. Vila Real, and our hotel sit on the edge of the Corgo River which cuts a deep gorge through the land.

100% SABOR

After walking nearly all day, fawning over all the buildings, I decided to find some local wines from the region and popped my head into a small shop called 100% Sabor. With my rudimentary knowledge of the Portuguese language, I was able to strike up a conversation with the owner and a couple who were there sampling some wines. We talked about adventure racing - a lot. and the wine continued to flow. My new friends ordered another bottle for us to share and i couldn’t say no. The shop owner sat with us too, enthralled by the stories of adventure racing and celebrating new friendship. after we ran out of wine, she brought out a bottle of her personal reserve port wine (clearly homemade) for us to sample as well. it was delicious. Realizing that we were still there, well after closing time, the other patrons and I helped clean up a bit - taking in the folding chairs and tables from outside. Nearly an hour after closing time, the owner locked the door behind us as we took a selfie and Rogelio and his wife invited us all back to his home for dinner. Since I had a media team obligation, I sadly had to decline the invitation, but we would be back.

*First course: ox heart tomatoes, thinly sliced, fresh cheese from Azores, drizzled with local olive oil, with salt, pepper, fresh basil and dried herbs from the garden*

The next day I decided to head over to the start line with Aussie filmmaker, Anthony Gordon. We got lost. Eventually we made it back to a familiar area, but we didn’t find the start location. After 40 minutes of fruitless walking, and as we were nearing our hotel, I asked Anthony if he’d rather just drink wine. His answer was an immediate yes, so we walked the few hundred meters to the shop I had visited the night before. The owner greeted us like old friends. she asked if we “would like some cheese to eat?” we said yes and she hurried away. An American couple on vacation was at another table and we spoke to them at length about adventure racing. I’m always happy to extoll the virtues of AR to the uninitiated. After our first bottle of wine was nearly empty and a decent time had passed, out from the kitchen appeared the owner of the shop with a beautiful petiscos - sort of a Portuguese charcuterie plate. She explained each of the delicacies in detail, all of which were local products from the Douro region of Portugal. With a basket of bread, we ate it all. and we drank more wine. After 2 hours, we again closed the shop, this time a bit earlier so the owner and her family could watch their grandson play football. The next day we were back with another filmmaker Samuel Eloy in tow. after our first two experiences, Samuel had to see what Anthony and I were raving about.

*Our host with an ox heart tomato she grew*

*Portuguese Petiscos: a sampler of three different cured meats, four cheeses, figs, olives and local honeycomb.*

With an exuberant air of kindness, the owner guided us through all the different flavors on our plates and then had a seat at our table to enjoy a toast with us. It was a truly special experience and the race hadn’t even started.

That evening I walked into town again with team Adengear.com for the presentation of teams and an amazing opening ceremony with dancers, music and more.

A Quick Map Board Survey Before We Start

A slew of international adventure racing teams from across the globe were gathered at the start line the next day and spirits were high. During the check in, I had already been through all of the teams’ equipment to conduct a map board survey to see what the crowd here was using. The results were varied but a clear winner in terms of pure number of boards (6) was Nordenmark - one of the favorites of our test group. In second place, with 5 map boards in use was the Czech design by Miry. In a close third place, also with 5 map boards in use was some variation of DIY design. Some athletes had taken parts from off the shelf boards and refit them to match their needs and others had simply engineered their own designs. Notably I did also see 3 Geonaute map boards which were unavailable for my map board reviews. The remainder of teams were using either Kanpas (1), Autopilot (1), and the local Portuguese design, Orifix (1) Check out the reviews for detailed information on all these models and more: 2025 Map Board Reviews

A non-exhaustive sample of the map boards at the start line:

The Race Begins

After a brief orienteering sprint, teams would embark on a roughly 500 km journey of trekking, paddling with nearly 360km of mountain biking. The course gradually led the teams away from the city center and into the bucolic landscapes of the region Terras de Tras-os-monts - the lands beyond the mountains. Paved roads turned to cobblestone, cobblestone gave way to gravel, then dirt, and we soon found ourselves on what were nothing more than well worn paths from the local farmers tending to their fields in the same way, generation after generation. From early on in the race, the front runners of the race were on the move, putting time between themselves and the field. teams Aaros (DEN) team Repuesto-Ojea (ESP) were followed closely by Uruguay Ultrasport (URY) and Alpha Dental (ESP+FRA)

In the hot sun of the Portuguese countryside, many teams began to slow their pace. from a cloudless sky, the sun baked the landscape in a 91 degree heat. those who struggled with hydration would see their pace slow to a crawl at times.

Portugal isn’t particularly elevated - it tops out at just under 2,000 meters at it’s highest point - but the area of the Douro river valley is filled with vertical features and plenty of elevation to gain. Erosion and weathering of the crumbling schist and granite surface rock has formed a sometimes severe landscape of sheer cliffs and jagged peaks.

Typical views of the rolling Portuguese countryside

Appearing as a sawtooth on an elevation profile, teams traversing this landscape must repeatedly climb and descend roughly 1,000 meters at a time. there is no one big climb on the course, just the satisfaction of visiting every high point on the way home.

Into the second day, the teams were beginning to spread out even more. it is often the case that the first overnight section of an expedition race will blow the field apart and NORCHA was no different. While some teams struggled with the heat and elevation, the two strongest contenders for the overall win started to light a fire. Team Rrepuesto Ojea (ESP) and team Aaros (DEN) locked in and launched out front. Only slightly faster on course, the Danish team’s shorter transition times added up, garnering over an hour advantage over the second place team by the end of the race.

MORE PHOTOS, INCLUDING THE SMALLEST ELEVATOR IN EUROPE:

The Race Continues, Media Team Continues to Eat

*Ponto de Encontro: Wine and Food stop #2*

While some teams were running all gas no brakes on the course, others, including our media team, were happy to take some extra time to experience the land and the culture of the Douro River Valley. After our first experience at the shop in Vila Real, we were looking forward to what new culinary adventures we could have while in this remote and bountiful region. First of all, fruit is everywhere. grapes. apples, pears, figs, even kiwifruit. pro tip: ripe port wine grapes make an excellent adventure race snack in a pinch Our first stop was at a small shop on the side of the Duoro River in Mesao Frio called Salma. There the owner showed us amazing hospitality, bringing us lots of samples of the specialty products they sell from the region. For a more structured meal experience, our first stop was the Ponte de Encontro (Meeting Place.)

Finding ourselves at the only establishment for miles, tucked in a small village at the bend of a mountain road, we entered what felt like a family home. The only other party in the restaurant was a birthday party and we sung along with them while we waited for food. Then the food came. slowly at first with a plate of presunto (cured ham), figs and walnuts from the farms surrounding the village. We then picked our way through another plate of petiscos - a variety of meats, cheeses and sauces, as well as a loaf of bread Another treat was their local ox heart tomatoes which were perfectly in season for our meal. the heirloom ox heart is a massive tomato that grows incredibly dense flesh. It has a concentrated, rich flavor that stands on its own but pairs well with a light cheese, olive oil and some fresh herbs.

You must eat it all. it’s rude not to. so we did.

And just when I was ready to burst, the main courses came out: two enormous salmon steaks, a huge bowl of butter roasted potatoes, stewed cabbage, four 8 oz beef steaks and a mountain of french fries. I had to draw on something deep within myself to get through this challenge. it was a true test of endurance and the three of us ate 99% of the absolutely amazing meal that this wonderful family had made for us.

The next evening we found ourselves even further into the countryside, walking up a dirt path to a farmhouse with a tiny “restaurant” sign. The family running the restaurant appeared a bit shocked to see us walk in, but they made room for us and proceeded to feed us from their stores. Meat was curing, hung from the rafters in the dining room and we ate our fill of bread and sausages in a room with no more than 15 seats. After some time, we were served an enormous pot of stewed rice and beans, cabbage, potatoes and no fewer than eight beef steaks that had been grilled outside on an open fire. We drank wine and watched football on a tiny old television set in the corner of the room while the family’s children helped to clean up. Nearly everywhere we stopped during this trip, we found something interesting to see, do, or eat - but mostly eat. This was a challenging trip for me in a lot of ways, and stuffing myself full of fresh, farm to table meals every day while dealing with broken ribs was not easy. Not as hard as what the teams were going through for sure, but it was a difficult in its own way. Luckily I had our car crew of filmmaker Anthony Gordon and stunt driver Jose Pires to help me along the way, even with a bit of car sickness.

The End Game

Even after serving a 15 minute penalty for leaving a piece of gear at an earlier transition area, team Aaros was in good spirits heading into the last day, finishing one final big trek from the town of Sendim. By that time they had a comfortable lead over team Repuesto Ojea with the finish line in their sights. Although they dealt with one puncture on the mountain bike, their race was otherwise clear of mechanical issues. With penalty served, they sprinted back out onto the course for the final push. And while team Aaros was cruising into the finish line of NORCHA, the festival of Nossa Senhora dos Rremédios (Festivites of Our Lady of Remedies) in Lamego was just getting warmed up for the night. 50,000 people from all across the region were here in Lamego for the festivities. Traveling through the crowds, teams made their way to the finish throughout the night, to choruses of drums, accordions and fireworks.

In spectacular fashion, team Aaros took the overall win at the 2025 edition of NORCHA. Their quick pace and efficient transitions sealed the win over second place team Repuesto -Ojea. As this was a demonstration race, no world championship bids were at stake, however Team Aaros had already punched their ticket to the 2025 AR World Championship race earlier this year with a win at Rajd Beskidy.