Fatal Path

Barger, who has set 198 courses over 22 years, insists that competitors must be held accountable for their decisions during a race. A majority of competitors agree that one of the attractions of expedition racing is the chance to take calculated risks. "There were two ways up and down that mountain that were reasonable options. They put six people in a dangerous gully and broke just about every rule of backcountry travel," Barger said in a phone interview after the race. "They chose to go in a really bad spot. They were racing for the lead. They were trying to rush.... Those guys walked in front of the truck. If you're standing on a street corner, you don't step out in front of the truck."

The surviving members of the AROC and Montrail teams argue that they would not have been in a bad spot in the first place had Barger not put them there. "That checkpoint should have never been there. It didn't provide any kind of basic safety.... It was totally ridiculous," McMaster says. "I don't think [Barger] understands the difference between dangerous and difficult. I truly don't believe it was our fault. Perhaps we were a bit hasty, but there's no blame anywhere with our team. I don't believe we did something stupid under the circumstances."