Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2010
Helly On the Home Strait as 4 More Teams Drop Out
News Release / 14.02.2010
Helly Hansen-Prunesco took two-and-a-half days to cross through the towering snow-capped mountain to reach the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego, where their race clock was stopped overnight before restarting in the morning to begin a sea kayaking leg on the Beagle Channel and a short final trek to the finish.
The team, which won the race last year, admitted the trek was one of the toughest and most spectacular they had done and Bruce Duncan said: “The relentless up and down was hard work and we were going as hard as we could but we got to the top and you had a stunning vista – so you wouldn’t feel the pain.
“This big wall of mountains was just stunning, bit the big thing was that mentally we knew what was coming. That was the real big part of the battle. We knew what did work and what didn’t, we’ve tried to move as fast as we could but we had better sleeping bags, a better tent, better clothes. And the big thing is better weather.�
It was not so enjoyable for some of the teams at the back of the pack, with the two local teams BOE Ejercito de Chile and Almas Patagonicas having to retire after missing the time cut-off at PC9 and PC10, in the foothills of the Darwin Range, while Brazil reached PC10 in time but were simply too tired to continue.
American team Eddie Bauer, which includes two members of the Calleva team that got lost for four days in the mountains last year, had taken a slow approach to the early part of the race to concentrate on the final trek – but they missed the cut-off and were forced to retire.
The remaining teams are still in the mountains, facing bitterly cold winds, sleet and rain as the weather deteriorated during the fifth day of the race. Spain are currently lying second and are expected to arrive during the night, while Canada, Finland and Germany are all progressing through the challenging terrain.
Early leaders Switzerland, however, are struggling after getting lost before checkpoint 13, which they were unable to find. They used their satellite telephone to call the race headquarters – a move that is allowed in the rules – and they admitted they were very tired and without food.
Tough conditions will make it difficult in the mountains and Helly Hansen-Prunesco captain Nicola MacLeod, speaking at checkpoint 15, said: “Now it’s raining, hailing even, and it worries me that other teams are out in that, because it’s horrible. You really feel for the ones who are going to have to sleep out there.�
Helly Hansen-Prunesco are now favourites to take victory when this year’s race, which has been incredibly tight until the final trek, continues on day six with any teams that reach checkpoint 15 before 6am able to head out on a 46km kayak and a 35km trek, which will include summiting Mount King Scott, to reach the finish.
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