Race Concept

The PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE^® is a true expedition, taking teams of four through lands previously unknown to the human eye. Racers receive minimal assistance as they traverse through the pristine southern Patagonia by means of trekking, climbing and related rope work, kayaking, mountain biking, and backcountry navigation. They often cover hundreds of kilometers without seeing a soul.

Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race racers run toward the Darwin Cordillera in Tierra del Fuego

Imitating the journeys of our Indian forefathers, competitors advance over plains, mountains, glaciers, native forests, swampland, rivers, lakes and channels; guided only by mind and spirit but driven on by physical stamina and experience.

Every edition features a unique route. Past racers have found themselves in the Southern Continental Ice Field, the Strait of Magellan, Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego, the Beagle Channel and Cape Horn. The land is diverse, the challenge real, the adventure untamed.

Athletes from Australia, Canada, USA, México, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Japan, Russia, Spain, France, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile have already taken part in this experience. In nine races we have covered over 5600 kilometres.

More important than distance however, has been the adventure and exploration of one of the most untouched and isolated places in the world. We have been inspired by the magical landscapes and fauna, while being pushed to new heights by nature's obstacles and unpredictable weather. The PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE^® changes lives.

What is adventure racing?

Adventure racing combines adventure sport disciplines, usually including navigation, trekking, mountain biking, paddling, and climbing, in order to cover a variety of outdoor terrain. Generally, teams are comprised of four people and must include both men and women.

Expedition class races typically take between three and eleven days. Often there are no dark periods, meaning racers choose if or when to rest.

Teams are required to pass through mandatory check points along the way. If there is to be a change of discipline, such as mountain biking to kayaking, teams will change their equipment at these points, taking what is needed for the next leg and carrying it with them.

In the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE^® the route is kept secret, maps and route books containing general, landmark-oriented instructions being supplied in a meeting with teams just the night before the race commences.