Patagonian Expedition Race
Interview with Nick Gracie of Team adidas TERREX/Prunesco
Will Gray (PER) / 13.02.2012
British adventurer Nick Gracie is in Chilean Patagonia now to defend his team’s title in an event known as the ‘Last Wild Race’ – an epic 360-mile race on bikes, kayaks and foot, through one of the last remaining true wilderness regions on Earth.
The Patagonian Expedition Race begins on February 14 and here Gracie explains what it’s like to compete, why Chile’s the best place on the planet – and how the race can help protect the wilderness…
Q: Why are you going back?
NICK GRACIE: “The main reason to go back is to try to retain the title, because if I win a race I want to go back and win it again! But we’re also going to a different part of Patagonia this year and it’s an amazing place, so I want to see more of it. We went north of Punta Arenas last year and that was really pretty. This year we’re going south, and it will be nice to go to the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego.
Q: So what was your best memory from last year’s race?
NG: “There was a place during a trek where we stopped briefly beside a massive waterfall with a big lake, a big glacier and a big snowy mountain behind. That’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve been in my life. I’ve no idea what it’s called – in fact, it was so remote it probably hasn’t got a name!”
Q: And what was the bit you’d like to forget?
NG: “We did a lot of river crossings and when it starts to rain the rivers get quite big so that can be pretty scary. Also, in this race you can’t just stop and escape to one of the nice hotels around there – we’ve got to keep going. So when you get wet, you stay wet, and you get quite cold.”
Q: What are you expecting this year?
NG: “We’re going far south so I think this year it will probably be colder and it can snow down there quite a lot too, so that can be quite challenging. It adds another dimension when you’ve got snow because it’s harder to see where you’re putting your foot down.”
Q: So the UK’s cold snap’s been good preparation for you then…
NG: “Ha, yep the weather in the UK in last two weeks has been pretty cold and snowy so that’s been perfect for me because I’ve been able to get out there in really quite cold and tough conditions. That’s ideal training!”
Q: So how do you think you’ll do?
NG: “Well, there are usually a lot of long foot sections, and that actually suits us because we’re really strong on foot, it plays to our strengths. I think there are other teams who are stronger at biking than us, but this year we’ve also got a really strong paddling team. We’ve probably got the strongest team that’s been to Patagonia, so I think we’ll take a lot of beating. We don’t know who the competition will be, though, so it depends what other teams turn up.”
Q: The race is all about conserving Patagonia…
NG: “Yeah, and it’s a great event to do that because those who race in it and those who watch the TV show, see the photos and read the stories really get to understand what a majorly pristine place Chilean Patagonia is – and places like that should stay unspoiled.”
Q: So how special is it – how does it rate amongst your top places to race?
NG: “People always ask me where’s the best place to go, and I would say without a shadow of a doubt Chilean Patagonia is the most beautiful place I’ve raced. In fact, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been on the planet. It’s pretty special. It’s just so, so big, so epic, it’s awesome. And there aren’t many people there, so that makes it a very special experience. You can go to some beautiful parts of Scotland, but there’s always going to be quite a few people around. Down there, you go to some places where you think, my God, I might actually be the first person to ever put my foot down in this valley. It’s a real feeling of exploration.”
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