This year the official team registration for the PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE 2007 took place in Punta Arenas, the town that served as home base.
On February 9th the organizers and founders of Nómadas Turísmo y Deportes de Aventura Ltda., the company that also raised PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE, carried out the official Opening Ceremony at the prestigious , invited by the mayor of Punta Arenas, all key authorities, press and enthusiasts were present. Also the first and most important technical meeting took place at the , with four teams participating this year: TSL Outdoors La Clusaz from France, 7º Grado Monterrey Mexico from Mexico, Camelos On The Rocks from Brazil, and DAP-Armada de Chile from Chile. During the meeting the team-mates got introduced to the route, the general characteristics of the ground, distances, support logistics and the different disciplines on each stage of the race.
It is worth mentioning the initial inscription of more than ten teams. Unfortunately not all of them could be present at the event. Most common problems and/or reasons were: sickness, no flexibilities in their working schedule or accidents of some of their members that made it impossible to participate. The organization felt very sorry about that, but nevertheless also with just four teams it will definitely become a thrilling race! At the same time, the teams hope they will recover soon and be able to make it to take part at PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE 2008. We the organization, even without a main sponsor, are still persisting! Ready to continuously keep offering The Adventure at the End of the World for all those who love nature and the thrill!
This year’s event, PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE 2007, will last a maximum of 14 days, what is not quite much to cover the 1,112 kilometres planed, spitted into: 266 km of trekking; 340km of sea kayaking, 506 km of mountain biking and more than 200m of rope work¸ which will be necessary to pass natural boundaries.
Overnight accommodations will be provided by local inns like the , , Hostal Bustamente and . Very early the next morning the teams were roaming through Punta Arenas doing their last shopping, to fill up their equipment or foodstuff, if needed, as well as hatching up their strategies to follow during the race. Food and equipment bags must be delivered to the organizers until midday, divided into the different disciplines: one bag exclusively for the mountain bike equipment; one bag solely for the sea kayaking gear, and one bag for rope bits and pieces (camping and trekking equipment is mandatory at all times during the race), as well as one final bag and the additional five food bags for the entire race. All these will be transported to each designated point by the organisation.
It is passing noon and the teams are coming in to meet at the centre of operations of the PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE 2007 with their bicycles and backpacks filled with everything they require from the start of the race to the first checkpoint.
From the headquarters the racers left at 4:00 pm. Organizers and press accompanying the teams took their way in vans supplied by and vehicles from the organization with destination to the ‘Torres del Paine’ National Park – declared Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978. Having arrived there, the teams will spend their last night before the race starts in a comfortable camping site – compared to what will expect them in the free and wild nature! – , located in the southern part of the park.
After the wake-up call at 6:00 am, the racers prepared for the start. At 7:40 the longest expedition race in the world began…1,112 km - meaningful numbers! And not in vain it’s often referred to as the hardest expedition race on earth! It’s already started: PER 2007! Welcome!
The teams that are set for everything to expect them are: TSL Outdoors La Clusaz from France, 7° Grado Monterrey Mexico from Mexico, DAP- Armada de Chile from Chile and Camelos on the Rocks from Brazil. Riding their bicycles under the magnificence of the ‘Torres del Paine’ mountains, which leave a picture that has to impress just everybody: without any wind blowing or any cloud cover. They started their first 148 km of the race along a beautiful gravel-stoned road – easy to ride – , which connects the national park with the town of Puerto Natales and currently is still under construction, i.e. closed to vehicles.
It’s worth mentioning the incredibly fast start of the French team, 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz, that moved away from the rest of their competitors, just 4-7º Grado Monterrey México and 11-Camelos on the Rocks, kept up with them, fighting for the second position. Last 7-DAP-Armada de Chile with Luis Castañeda suffering cramps and Natalia Armijo being towed by Luis Covarrubias.
Results of the first period:
Reaching the first PC, all teams leave for a 83 km distance of trekking, along the coast of the Seno Obstrucción, which leads through isolated fishing and silviculture villages. This coast trail is easy to walk, only sometimes interrupted by wide but not deep watercourses.
Once passed the first fifth of this trekking section through Patagonia, the path starts to lead away from the coast into a long peat bog…
Peat Bog: Is an organic spongy mass with high content of carbon (it is one of the stages of the carbon formation). This surface is extremely soft, just like walking over a big mattress filled with water, and weak, what could make you sink even up to your waist. Just a few meters will do to get used to the soil you walk on for not sinking too deep down. There are also some dense zones, where it’s a hard job to cross them. But take courage! There’s always a way and nothing is impossible! |
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