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With two thirds left to continue through an impressive valley surrounded by virgin peaks, the terrain is becoming easier to handle, with immense lagoons and wide rivers until Rio Bachelor, which will lead them to the PC5. We expect them to arrive tomorrow before midday.
Finally at 8:00 pm team 4- 7° Grado Monterrey México arrived at PC4 Rancho Sutivan, too. Congratulations, guys – you made it!! According to their words the peat bog was the main reason of their delay!
| PC4 Sutivan - Km 398 |
| Place |
date/hour
(24 hrs) |
Team |
| 1st |
15/ 19:36 |
1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz |
 |
| 2nd |
16/ 17:20 |
11-Camelos on the Rocks |
 |
| 3rd |
17/ 20:00 |
4-7º Grado Monterrey México |
 |
| 4th |
Out of Rank |
7-DAP-Armada de Chile |
 |
PC5 Río Bachelor (0:55 am): 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz arrived pretty tired but very happy for having finished the Paso de Indio stage, and for finally getting some hours of sleep.
It’s already 3:20 in the morning and the Brazilian team 11-Camelos on the Rocks just arrived – obviously as exhausted as the French, after making every effort to outgrow the stage of the Paso de Indio!
After a short night, the French and the Brazilian team continue the kayaking section early in the morning, following the Rio Bachelor until its estuary mouth in the Magellan Strait, to where the Mexican team had been transported by motorboat. Against all expectations, the Magellan Strait is as calm as a cup of tea – a seldom phenomenon you cannot rely on – and the three teams can continue their way south-eastwards towards Carlos III Island, Chile’s first maritime park, named after Francisco Coloane. This is a small island located in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, not far from the most southern tip of the American continent. To get there, the teams have to cross the legendary Strait of Magellan and kayak no more than approximately 20km. This sounds little distance; however, the weather conditions can switch from one second to the other, turning the calm sea into an exceptionally wavy environment. There is quite some tension in the air; the support boats from Cruceros Australis, as well as the are in radio distance and the cameramen keep close to the kayaks, not only because of the possible weather changes but although because of the fact that this is a feeding water site where humpback whales (and occasionally minke whales) return every summer. The zone includes as well large sea lion’s colonies and important nesting areas for the Magellan penguin.
As proofed throughout the raid, 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz is ahead of the two other two teams and has crossed the Strait of Magellan in a strait line, going for the safest alternative and shortest distance rather than the more appetizing centre where they could have taken advantage of the following wind. In the shelter of the protected costal line, they are passing extremely close (less than 10m!!!) by a sea lion’s colony – including even some newborns. Not far, the humpback whales are welcoming the racers with spectacular shows, of in-&-outs of the water… they are incredibly close, they are just so close at hand! …it is beyond words… at less distance than the length of a kayak – maybe 4m – Domingo (all whales have been documented and named by the scientifics) is showing his enormous tale completely before he is going slowly deep underwater for about 15 minutes. The cameramen are shooting as would their lives depend on it… an unbelievable scene…
After reaching Carlos III Island, where the scientific base, called Whalesound, is located, the whole team gets invited to warm up and to have lunch in a large common tent, enjoying the sight on the Strait of Magellan and the continuous spectacle of the whales – this time from above.
However, the weather conditions could become a problem in the further passages of the section. That’s why the organization is evaluating the idea of suspending the continuation of the kayaking section, eventually progressing with mountain biking from Tierra del Fuego.
03:52pm Thanks to , we are informed about all happenings! Right now, teams are boarding the to continue the race safely.
Nevertheless, in the beginning of the day, the teams still left in the race (1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz, 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico and 11-Camelos on the Rocks) embarked on a short but exciting three-hour kayaking section in the Canal Gabriel, enclosed by high mountains and glaciers, guaranteeing a quiet and wind-free journey for the teams.
Nobody really liked the fact, but after three hours of paddling (approx. 10:30 am), the weather conditions just got worse, forcing the organization to get the teams out of the water again, and again appreciating the helpful support of the two patrol boats, Explorador and Tornado, supplied by Cruceros Australis, a local cruise line, as well as of the yacht of the Chilean Navy. This is due to the fact that there are winds coming up of about 40 knots further along the channel.
The ranked teams are transported towards Tierra del Fuego, to disembark in Puerto Yartou, a small fisher town, to then start the mountain bike track, just as planned on the original route.
4:35 pm: Thanks to , we got news from PC8 Puerto Yartou, where the teams just began the mountain bike section, passing on their bicycles through Tierra del Fuego, the pampas, crossing villages called Timaukel, Villa Cameron, Pampa Guanacos, and Vicuña and finally racing towards PC9 Lago Deseado, the end of this stage. There they will change into their trekking-boots again to go on the ultimate hike crossing the Cordillera Darwin (Darwin Range). This is a passage of about 200 kilometres that will prove the runners' physical and mental strength, dexterity and resistance.
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