Sunday, March 13, 2016

The Amazing Race - March 10/16 Episode Recap

We're Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today

The title of this episode was never more aptly put - because this was the leg to torture all acrophobics - those with a fear of heights were screwed.

Chamonix, France
The day started like Christmas morning with everyone getting new snow appropriate clothing - and this group of hams gave us a show of course, trying it on and goofing for the camera.

First thing they had to do was find a car and drive themselves up Mont Blanc to the gondola.  At the gondola they had to choose a mountain guide and pick up climbing equipment (including a baguette) and take the gondola up to the top of the mountain.
-Everyone was really close together since they had all been on the mat at the same time on the last leg but only two teams could go up at a time.  This was not a good day for Sheri & Cole as they are both afraid of heights, though mom was determined to step up.  And redhead Erin started the day by wiping out on a patch of ice before even getting up the mountain... that didn't bode well.

Once at the top, they find out the clue is on an outcropping of rocks, across a huge chasm, one person will have to pull themselves across ropes while suspended from a harness, grab the clue and then be pulled back by their partner.  It's not far, but absolutely terrifying.
Everyone does it without incident except Ashley who drops her clue and has to do it twice and poor Sheri who cries and whimpers the whole time, while Cole is hiding so he doesn't have to watch because he's terrified just being there.

The clue is to the DETOUR: Dynamite or Campsite
-In Dynamite, they have to traverse the mountain top and deliver a couple charges or dynamite and lunch (the baguette) to the ski patrol safety teams that set off the charges to prevent over accumulation of snow and deadly avalanches - once the dynamite is detonated, they'll get their next clue.
-In Campsite, they have to set up camp exactly the way the example camp is set to get the next clue. (This includes digging out and making a snow wall around the tent... harder than it looks.)  Burnie &
Ashley are the only team that choose Campsite figuring this will give them a leg up somehow, but it's just less scary and it takes way longer - they lose quite a few places here.

Everyone else chooses Dynamite which doesn't sound so bad, I mean who doesn't want to blow stuff up?  Until you realize you're walking a thin trail on the side of a huge mountain... absolutely breathtaking views, but it feels like you could fall and die at any moment.
-Dana made me dislike her again when the whole time she was yelling at Matt that she was scared and apparently he wasn't coddling her enough - he used to be a snowboarder so this was no big deal to him, and he has the patience of a saint because I would have been tempted to cut her line just to shut her up.
-Blair messed with Erin & Joselyn on this task when she off-handedly told them not to forget to pick up lunch with the dynamite - which sent the girls off looking for food, not realizing the baguette was the lunch... and in the thin air, not easy running up and down stairs - they finally figured it out but wasted some time and stole some poor mountain guide's lunch in the process.
-The Detour decision was a hard one for Sheri & Cole because of his extreme fear he wanted to do campsite but Sheri knew it would take too long and they were in last place - so, fully disclaiming that he was going to cry the whole time, Cole agreed to do dynamite.
Kurt & Brodie and Tyler & Korey were one and two the whole day - the clue they got after the Detour told them to drive to another gondola station and search for the next clue... which turned out to be the ROADBLOCK: Who feels the wind beneath their wings?  Launching from over 7000ft, they will tandem paraglide with an experienced pilot and have to look for the yeti on the way down and tell the guy at the bottom what he was doing to get the next clue. (The yeti was a guy in a Big Foot costume (I thought Yeti's were white?) waving a French flag.)
Brodie and Korey are doing this one and super athlete Brodie, going first, makes a serious error, instead of concentrating on the take off, he's concentrating on filming himself with the go-pro on a stick and he falls in the deep snow and they don't take off.  Now they have to wait for Korey to go before he can try again... It was a shocking upset... but he shouldn't feel bad because that take off was challenging and when the wind started to change later in the day, it messed up Rachel, Ashley, and Erin - repeatedly.  This was definitely not Erin's leg, she got passed by everyone, not being able to take off.

Once they could successfully take off though, the view was incredible!  Everyone who got to do this Roadblock agreed that experiences like that are why you go on the Amazing Race - flying through the Alps, breathtaking!
Tyler & Korey got the clue to the PIT STOP - Statue of Dr. Michel Paccard, first man to conquer Mont Blanc.  Last team to check in here MAY be eliminated (Ohhh?? Is it a non-elimination round?)

Here's How They Finished:
1) Tyler & Korey - won a trip for two to a resort in the Philippines.
2) Brodie & Kurt - Kurt was not very happy with Brodie losing them the lead.
3) Matt & Dana - He would have hated to go home before he got to experience this leg - it's something he'll never forget for sure.
4) Scott & Blair - Phil asks Blair what her favourite team on the race is (even Phil is playing up the Blodie factor), she plays coy though and asks Phil who is his favourite team, he says he loves them all equally (yeah, right.)
5) Rachel & Zach - I still really like these two, though they have been kind of low key, better step it up.
6) Burnie & Ashley - They were able to get out of last place because Erin can't run in snow (and they some how passed Sheri & Cole to the mat.)
7) Sheri & Cole - She was super mom this episode, doing all the heights things because Cole was so scared, even though she was terrified as well.  He acknowledged she woman-ed up and got them through.
8) Erin & Joselyn - *** ELIMINATED *** Erin said she felt so blessed to be able to experience the paragliding and blessed to be on the Race.  Joselyn was conspicuously silent, I think she wasn't feeling so blessed to be saddled with Erin this leg... her final thought, "Re-Do?" (No, you're out - b'bye.)

And with Erin & Joselyn being eliminated, that takes Shane B., Sandie G., Nenad M., Hardeep G., and Kevin R. out of the pool.

They showed a compilation preview of what's ahead on the Amazing Race  - as the next episode will be on April 1st (What? 2 wks without TAR?)

Hope you have a great week everyone,

Coleen
 

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