Day 5: Annecy (Lunch & Raft Building)

Our next stop was a restaurant right by the beach. Ari treated us all to lunch and we had a lovely time resting up for the afternoon challenge. 

After lunch it was time to get dressed for the next challenge where we promised we might get wet (and dirty). 

We were divided up into 3 groups of 4, 4, and 6. Fortunately we were in the group of 6, so it wasn't bad that I sat out most of the challenge. 

What was the challenge?  Raft Building!  First we had to do a bunch of short challenges, ring toss, build a tower out of Jenga blocks, etc. The results of those challenges gave us one of three raft kits. The best kit (the Red Team - us - had all you needed - and more). The second kit (Yellow Team) had fewer construction elements and the final kit (Blue Team) had a minimal set. 

We then had 30 minutes to assemble a raft that was seaworthy and then to paddle it out in the water in two races. I opted out of the paddling. Which turned into a bit of a problem when one of our teammates slipped on the algae-covered boat ramp and went down hard. She was padded by her life vest and hair bun, but just to be certain, Steve escorted her off to urgent care (she was fine) but we were down a paddler. 

Did I volunteer to help out?  No I did not.  So Ari stepped up to help out for the second race for our team.  In the first round Blue Team's raft disintegrated but the lake was pretty shallow so they just took two pontoons and lashed them together with a pole and walked/swam it through the course. 

I think Ari took a dive for us, because somehow we came in behind the pontoon pair.Read more