Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2010
Patagonia Casts its Spell on the Teams
Will Gray / 21.02.2010
As teams slowly filter their way through Punta Arenas airport and had back to their separate corners of the globe, there is a real buzz about the departing teams who have taken part in this incredible 2010 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race – it’s not 'adios', it’s 'hasta el próximo año'.
Last night’s closing ceremony was intense with emotion.
Gathered like a large happy family, the racers who finished had spent 32 smile-filled hours sailing back to Punta Arenas on a Navy ship through some of the world’s most spectacular coastal scenery, arriving in the port at 3am the night before the ceremony.
Now they were reunited with those who didn’t make it across the formidable Darwin Range, all there to receive the intricately carved wooden medals that represent their incredible efforts to race through the virgin wilderness of Chilean Patagonia, no matter where their dream journey came to an end.
After a traditional Magellanic lamb barbeque buffet, the teams were called up one by one to healthy applause, and final finishers East Wind were given a standing ovation as the first team from the Far East to make the journey over here – and the first to make it to the finish.
Helly Hansen-Prunesco had everyone in the room on their feet again when they got hold of the coveted Wenger trophy for the second year in succession and, as promised in 2009, team captain Nicola MacLeod duly spoke her words of thanks in both English and Spanish. A class act to the finish and beyond.
Praise also went to the loyal team at Nomadas for their ability to put this event on. There may have been a few challenging moments, but the team’s tireless work on the logistics for this year’s route – made particularly difficult due to the seriously remote nature of Chilean Tierra del Fuego and the fact that the cancelled ferry on day one left the island with precious little fuel and the organisation without four of their required vehicles – was the reason all this was possible.
This race gives out so many special emotions to everyone involved, but there was one moment during the ceremony that will live in the memory of all who were there. “We went through a lot together on this trek,� said Jasson Magness after taking the microphone once his GearJunkie.com team had received their wooden medals. Turning to his girlfriend Chelsey Gribbon, he continued: “Doing it with my life partner has made me realise I would not want to do it with anyone else ...� Then he went down on one knee.
The answer was yes. And the room erupted.
Everyone has their own special moment to remember, too. On the boat, speaking to all the different racers, it was amazing the different emotional moments they picked as their most memorable – from tough slogs like the trek through iced turba or the bike ride into the powerful Patagonian wind to the joy of reaching the beach at PC15 or the wonder of the stars twinkling overhead at PC12.
The overwhelming emotion was of the immense nature and the incredible environment of Chilean Patagonia; of living life, albeit briefly, in the wild.
“It took us 30 seconds after we crossed the line to say we will be back next year – if they have us,� said Magness. It was the same story for other teams, whether they finished or not. Helly Hansen-Prunesco, Air Europa Bimont, Tom Thomas of Almost Famous, Druce Finlay and Valentin Chapa of Eddie Bauer, were all people I spoke to who indicated their immediate desire to return for another adventure.
But with just 15 spaces available, the race of a lifetime could be selling out fast for 2011…
From Chilean Patagonia, it’s been a pleasure.
SleepMonsters
