Women Get Down and Dirty in Whistler: Mudderella Survival Guide

Update: Whistler no longer hosts Mudderella, but there plenty more fantastic adventure events that will get you out of your comfort zone!

Guest Author: Dee Raffo

A day out with the ladies might conjure up images of Sex in the City’s Carrie Bradshaw booking the hottest restaurant in town after a full day of shopping and pampering, however the way it’s done in Whistler is a little different. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a mud bath and some ridiculous outfits plus plenty of chances to shop and spa, but this isn’t New York. In the mountains we have a name for the day the ladies come out to play – Mudderella.

The start of the 2015 Mudderella Whistler event – crowd is pumped and mud-free. PHOTO Justa Jeskova

Although the organizers of Mudderella dubbed it as an easier “gateway event” to the longer Tough Mudder course, trust someone who’s been there and done it last year – when you place an eight-kilometre course with 12 obstacles on the steep sides of Blackcomb Mountain it’s one hell of a workout.

The only way to do it properly is with a fully trained sense of humour and a group of your besties. My team in 2015 consisted of a strong group who hate the cold, heights, water in the face, and exercise in general – in short, we were born to do this. We called our team “Legs Eleven” although between the five of us we had ten legs – in all honesty we might have had some wine the evening we came up with the name and miscounted.

Although some of the obstacle details are a bit of a blur I do remember the last one, the “Hat Trick”, very clearly. It was a three-part obstacle involving a very steep rope-ladder climb to an elevated platform with a 35-foot slide at a 40-degree angle, ending in an icy pool that you had to swim across to get out. I’d been pretty gung-ho about the whole thing up until that point but when I looked down the black slide towards the water my confidence simply disappeared. Then I heard a blood-curdling scream from my fellow teammate as she went for it, fist pumping the air as she slid. Well, I couldn’t let her go alone, could I?

Legs Eleven show ’em how it’s done – war cries, fist pumping and massive smiles. Author second from right of group. PHOTO David Raffo

But don’t worry, that’s not what they’ve got in store for you, no no. Not ones to repeat themselves, the Mudderella crew have some lovely new obstacles lined up for 2016. From the description the “Triple Threat” sounds the most familiar so here’s what’s in store for you as per the Mudderella instructions – note the “graceful” part, which seems at complete odds with words like slippery, clamber, and dunk:

“Get ready for a triple shot of mud. Using a rope, you’ll scramble up a slippery slope and climb into a muddy tube. Climbing down through the tube, you’ll emerge into a pit of muddy water. With the help of your teammates, clamber out of the mud bath onto a muddy embankment and slide gracefully into the second pit, where you’ll dunk under a wall to reach the exit.”

Now that’s a challenge!

Preparation is Key: A First Timer’s Thoughts

Gail Wynia from North Vancouver is attempting the Mudderella for the first time this year. She works for Canada Post, is the mother of three, and grandmother of one. Gail is one of those people that seems to have the knack of making things sound like a lot of fun. I know this because she’s managed to turn her initial two-woman team into an army of 22, all on team Dirty M*&^%s (use your imagination). A way better name than Legs Eleven.

Along with her friend, Miriam Pulsifer, she’s been working on her strength training for any monkey bar antics, and also doing the Grouse Grind on a regular basis to keep her cardio up. Much like Gail, I’d envisaged myself swinging like Jane across the monkey bars – I was unbeatable when I was five. Alas, time and a lot more body weight has made my Tarzan chasing days a thing of the past – Gail is wise to focus on those bicep reps.

“O.M.G. I am so excited about doing the Mudderella.” Says Gail via email. “I chose to do it this year because a friend and I wanted a goal to prepare for and we thought Mudderella would be fun because of its female empowerment angle. The thing that I am looking forward to the most is holding hands with my girls and crossing that finish line, and of course the beer consumption afterwards!”

Mud? Check. Fun? Check. Competitors have a blast at Mudderella Whistler 2015. PHOTO Justa Jeskova

Dee’s Final Words of Wisdom

Last year I remember looking around at the racers, many in full make-up and crazy costumes, and thinking how amazing it was to just be outside, having fun, surrounded by incredible women, and simply living in the moment. For those embarking on this year’s Mudderella on September 24, here are my sagely words of wisdom…

“Just like any night with the ladies – you start together, you finish together.”

You can keep up with Dee Raffo’s Whistler adventures on her website or on Twitter. Head here for info on registration, accommodation and plenty of ideas for the ultimate ladies weekend away.