Day Two of the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race was full of excitement, perfect weather and beautiful scenery surrounded teams as they pushed themselves to the limit trekking through dense forest, wetlands, peat bog, and across stunning mountain passes.
Sadly, however, it wasn’t enough for the racers from Dap Antartica (Chile) or Xinghu (Argentina and Brazil), who failed to cover the 19 kilometres to PC3 by the 6pm cut-off and were withdrawn from the race.
The remaining 12 teams are now spread out along the course between PC3 and PC 8, a 73 kilometre trekking leg, which has taken them past spectacular views of the Southern Ice Field and its surrounding mountains, lakes, and forests basked in sunshine.
Reigning champions, Adidas TERREX from Britain, are looking strong and their decision to push through the night without resting has proved advantageous. Race organiser, Nomadas Outdoor Services, is expecting the team to maintain its lead and reach PC8 at around midnight tonight. The last official update placed them at PC6 at 18:20.
Race creator, Stjepan Pavicic, said that the favourable weather conditions with little wind were enabling teams to move faster than predicted. “The racers are travelling on or faster than the best times we predicted. Yesterday’s conditions were good for fast racing,” he said.
Racers were also believed to be moving fast in the hope of reaching PC8 and the start of the second kayaking stage before nightfall.
Last night, all teams, except Adidas TERREX, chose to rest overnight in preparation for tackling the forest, which was expected to be a tough navigational challenge.
"The toughest part was going all night through the forest. There were lots of branches and thorns to the face. The peat bog is so unpredictable too. It may look sturdy, but you can end up waist deep," said Peter Spagnoli from Dancing Pandas when he reached Checkpoint 4.
“The bushwalking section was hell. Spending all night in a forest isn’t easy. All you can do is follow your compass,” said Peter Jolles from Perdido en el Turbal, en route between PC3 and PC4.
By 6pm, 10 teams had reached PC4, many separated by just a few minutes. Gear Junkie, who arrived at PC4 second at 12:50, took just 15 minutes to regroup before heading off again. Roadrunners, Vaucluse Adventure Evasions, Perdido en el Turbal, Dancing Pandas, East Winds, Ad Natura, Todo Aventura – La Segunda and Selva Kailash all chose to rest at the picturesque beachside checkpoint situated at the mouth of the river connecting Lago Azul and the Fiordo Ultima Esperanza.
With PC8 due to close at 8am on Thursday 11 February, teams must now decide on the best way to cover the remaining 45 kilometres of trekking from PC4 to Glaciar Bernar past PC8 where the second kayaking stage begins.
Teams that reach the kayaking leg tonight will be forced to stop and rest until daybreak (due to safety reasons) when they will be able to hit the water refreshed and ready for the 58 kilometre paddle.
Make sure to check out the photo galleries and testimonials on our website to see all the day’s highlights…
