When team Switzerland entered the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race, their expectations went out the window. Only team captain Bernard Hug had experienced long-distance races before, but even he admitted this one was in a league of its own. There were moments when they almost gave up – but eventually they came home in an impressive third place. Here’s what they had to say after they completed the race…
Q: Tell us about your first participation at the WPER!
Alex Gisler: “It was cold and very windy. Often we didn’t know if we would reach the finish line. There were a lot of up and downs, but we’re glad we finished.” Bernhard Hug: “It was fantastic, indescribable, and I had so many experiences that I will never forget.”
Andrea Huser: “For me the best things have been the fires!”
Q: What expectations did you have before you got here?
BH: “We hardly had any expectations. Expectations are thrown away if you go to a place like this. I did expect a lot of wind and a lot of cold, but not in these dimensions – you got double the amount of everything! At least it didn’t rain that much, compared to last year!”
Q: Were there moments during the race where you were thinking of giving up?
AG: “After the Tyrolean we got so wet, everything was wet. Apart from this we didn’t have much food, so we we’re thinking: can we continue like this? But finally we decided together to carry on.”
BH: “At the Tyrolean, as the team captain, I assumed the responsibility and did it first and I got stuck in the freezing cold water. It took five to ten minutes to get out of there. I got so cold that I wasn’t able to think or act for half an hour and I couldn’t help my teammates. But everything passes by.”
Q: Any other tough moments?
BH: “I fell 10 meters down an inclination and rolled around three or four times. Fortunately I didn’t hit my head, I don’t know what would have happened if I had. But these things happen in adventure races, you can’t do anything about it. For me the best moments were when we crossed the tree line and left the forests.”
Q: How was the navigating?
BH: “In the thick forests you never know exactly where you are. And we had problems with the maps, so you need a lot of luck when you’re navigating. On the last day we had a strong lead on that section but we made two or three little mistakes and lost two hours. If you get lost, you get really lost. It’s not like at adventure racers in Europe where you can go back and you lose perhaps 15 minutes. Here you lose two or three hours.”
Q: How much sleep did you get during the race?
BH: “We didn’t really sleep more than two hours per day because of the cold. Even though we had a longer rest at some places.”
Q: How were the relationships within the team?
AG: “I have known Bernhard for a couple of years, the others I just know for a few months. You don’t get to know the others very well during the race, as you don’t talk that much. You work together and help each other, but there are hardly any personal conversations - you just discuss with the others what to do next.”
AH: “The relationship between the team members was good. We didn’t have any arguments.”
Q: Which section was the most difficult one?
AG: “For me the most difficult section was the mountain bike. We had a broken seat post, so we had to change bikes. And I prefer cycling in the mountains.”
Q: Have you ever experienced long-distance adventure races before?
AG: “Only Bernhard had some experience. The others had participated in races of several days duration but without sleep deprivation.
Q: Given what you experienced, what would you change next time?
BH: “We would carry more food and a warmer sleeping bag. I think in general we would bring warmer clothes.”
Q: What do you think about the performance of Helly Hansen-Prunesco?
BH: “They deserved the title. Compared to other teams they had more experience, were more organised and didn’t make so many errors in navigating. They worked with a strict timetable and didn’t loose time at fires like we did. We just wanted to reach the finish line, that’s why we didn’t push it that hard. But coming to the finish was fantastic, we’re proud we did it.”
Q: Would you come back again next year?
BH: There are a lot of races where you cross the finish line and know you’re going to participate again, but for me this race was different. The race was incredible, an amazing experience – but I’m not sure if I could suffer again (like that) for several days! So, at the moment, no - but ask me again in a few weeks...!”
