American Scott Clark was the winner of the 2011 National Geographic Traveller (UK) Magazine Photo Competition, winning the opportunity to join racers as an official photographer at the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race. Here he recounts his time in Patagonia.
"It was an honor to win the National Geographic photo competition that sent me here. I think what I have enjoyed most about being at the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race was merely the fact of being here, in Patagonia. I got to see and step foot in places where few, if any, humans have ever been. Traveling on my own it is inconceivable that I would have seen these absolutely remote areas. I have also enjoyed meeting so many amazing people. These are friendships and connections that I will carry with me through life.
In an environment such as Patagonia, it seems to be hard to take a bad photo. I took thousands of shots throughout the race, so it is difficult to come up with one favorite image. I picked this photo (below) of team Dancing Pandas at PC7, just before a river crossing in which they had to swim. Because of their rush and some misinformation, they did not scout out the river and crossed in a spot that went over their heads. I selected this image because of what it took to take it.
Since I knew the basic route the team would take out of the checkpoint I was able to plan out my shots as they reached the river. Racer Masha Glanville had lost medication in the jungle, and the race officials promised to have more at the next checkpoint. So despite being past their physical exhaustion limits, the team saddled up, and in a split second decision said: "We are going now!"
Without complaining they swam across the river, and I followed their progression up the mountain by the trail of their headlamps.
Team Dancing Pandas trekking through night from PC7 in the 2011
Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race (Photo: Scott Clark)
