PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2007

February 20.

At 4:17 pm, after the French team's odometers marked over 240 kilometers covered, they arrived at PC9 Lago Fagnano (the organizers extended the last bike section to this point) claiming that they broke their own biking distance records.

They have crossed Tierra del Fuego by bicycle, on a road through exuberant and ever changing scenery, from west of Canal Whiteside with steppes and Patagonian forests, pedalling mostly uphill through muddy roads, crossing rivers, then continuing again through flat and monotonous steppes, entering the dense Patagonian forests consisting of Lengas (Nothofagus pumilio) and Ñirres (Nothofagus Antarctica) from the northern side of the Cordillera Darwin, from which they ascended, crossing two connecting ridges over 450 meters high to finally descend to Lago Fagnano.


The strength and discipline of this team is impressive in comparison to the others. They prepared for the trekking stage in fewer than two hours. The route will lead them through the Cordillera Darwin towards the Canal Beagle, where the final 100 kilometers of their 1,112km journey will continue...

9:53 pm: The Mexican team arrived at PC9 Lago Fagnano, also claiming that they broke their biking distance own records. Even though it was the toughest ever, they enjoyed it a lot!

The Brazilian team has lived through quite an odyssey to be able to get to PC9 Lago Fagnano, arriving just one hour after the Mexican team, at 10:58 pm. Here’s the story: Pietro Carlos's bike caused some serious trouble for the team, forcing them to use all their spare parts and creativity to fix it. They arrived at PC9 Lago Fagnano with a mended, patched, and STILL semi-destroyed bike! An incredible appearance! Completely out of breath, without the back brakes working, a destroyed pedal, they had to carry the consequences: one lost hour and a lot of extra energy!
Anyway: You did a great job, Camelos on the Rocks! The landscape of Tierra del Fuego witnessed your great discipline, good mood, and capability to reach your goals.

PC9 Lago Fagnano - Km 976
Place date/hour
 Team
1st 20/16:17 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz
2nd 20/ 21:53 4-7º Grado Monterrey México
3rd Out of Ranking 11-Camelos on the Rocks
4th Out of Ranking 7-DAP-Armada de Chile


February 21.

10:30 am: From PC9 Lago Fagnano, we received a satellite telephone call from Stjepan Pavicic, the race director and creator of the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE, reporting that the Brazilian team has decided to withdraw due to the fact that Larissa Rangel is having ankle pains. She was diagnosed with tendonitis in the medical check – realized right before the kayak section. Even if it doesn't appear to be a present risk, it could cause difficulties crossing the Cordillera Darwin and might be absolutely irresponsible. So the team was transported along with the organizers to the finish line at Puerto Williams. We're very sorry for them -- that's hard luck! Worst of all will be welcoming their competitors, teams 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz and 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico, who will finish the race – hopefully without any serious problems!



February 22.

9:00 am: Thanks to TESAM satellite telephone communication we received a report from one of our mountain support teams in the Cordillera Darwin telling us that 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz was passing the ropes section in that zone. Their estimated time of arrival to PC10 Bahia Yendegaia is set for the later hours of the evening. Perfect timing, as they made it to cover the distance – from the lagoons to this point – in exactly the estimated period.

7:45 pm: We were notified via satellite telephone that the French team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz arrived safely at PC10 Yendegaia. Their plan now is to rest all night, to be able to go on early tomorrow morning to complete the final kayaking section that awaits them through the historic Canal Beagle.

9:19 pm: Jacobo Magdub, captain of the Mexican team 4-7º Grado Monterrey Mexico, informed the support office in Punta Arenas via their TE.SA.M satellite phone that they are “sort of delayed" in their arrival due to some navigational trouble. Their position at this moment was the entrance into the Rio Condor. They planned to rest the night and to go on with the trekking in the early hours of the next morning. Depending on their ability to find back their way back to the route and accelerate their average walking speed, they might make it to PC10-Yendegaia in time, in order to tackle the last kayaking stage.

February 23.

“It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful morning – I’m coming home!
It’s a beautiful day, memories are calling – I’m coming home!”
7:30 am: Team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz, starts the final 30 kilometer kayak section. No wind and no waves at all! Fantastic, racers are crossing the legendary Canal Beagle the second time in the race’s history.

The Mexican team, 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico is about 10 hours behind the French team. Hopefully they will manage to get to PC10 Yendegaia towards evening or midnight. The Cordillera Darwin has turned out to be a real challenge, principally for the navigation skills of the teams...
Depending on the time of arrival of the Mexican team at PC10 Yendegaia, the organization will evaluate if it's possible for them to perform the final kayak section or if they have to be transported towards Puerto Navarino to continue with the last section and finish the race at the end of the day. This is definitely the longest expedition race at the end of the world!

13:03 am: Team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz arrived at PC 11 Puerto Navarino. Right now there’s only a minimal distance of 54 kilometers of cycling left for them to travel! The bicycles were provided by the Hotel Lakutaia--the same model for each athlete. No exceptions for anybody!
And still no news from the Mexican team 4-7º Grado Monterey Mexico.

6:07 pm: Team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz crossed the finish line winning the fourth edition of the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE - the adventure at the end of the world and, especially this year, the world's largest expedition race ever! CONGRATULATIONS!! Laurent Ardito, Cathy Ardito, Jerome Daille and Frederic Charles are warmly welcomed by the authorities of Puerto Williams, the press, the organization team and their former competitors from Brazil, Camelos on the Rocks, as well as from all the spectators assembled at the finish line.

8:00 pm. Meeting at Hotel Lakutaia, the authorities of Puerto Williams, the press, the organizers and all present team members celebrated a deluxe closing dinner together with the winning team 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz - all kindly sponsored by the luxurious and comfortable Hotel Lakutaia, where the whole group was invited to stay overnight.

On the other hand, there is still no news from the Mexican team. The mountain support team is still on alert, and already preparing themselves to go on search. Even if the team is moving slowly, enough time has passed for the support team to be concerned.

8:38 pm: Finally, after hours of anxious waiting for any signal, team 4-7º Grado Monterrey Mexico ‘s captain called over TE.SA.M Satellite Communication to inform us that they are lost. Their good mood has not yet faded, but they're a bit short of food, Armando Dattoli gave their geographical location indicated by the GPS they carried in the emergency kit (Mandatory Equipment provided by the organization), so they could be found more easily by the mountain rescue team and taken care of.

Final Results
PC12 Pto.Williams META - Km 1.112
Place Days/hours
Team
1º 12/10:37 1-TSL Outdoors La Clusaz
2º Finish at PC10 / KM 997 4-7º Grado Monterrey México
3º Finish at PC9 / KM 936 11-Camelos on the Rocks
4º Finish at PC3 / KM 335 7-DAP-Armada de Chile

Given the team's coordinates, the mountain instructor, who is located quite near them, moved to their direction to get them back on the route that will definitely lead to Yendegaia. Waiting for the rescue crew to come, the team pitched their tents to spend one more night in the outback.

Around midnight, we were told thanks to TE.SA.M Satellite Communication that the team has been found and first of all were provided with food. In the early hours of the morning they got all settled ready to head for Yendegaia.

February 23.

The team 4-7º Grado Monterrey Mexico moved on quickly towards Bahía Yendegaia. They are in good condition, but exhausted from the rough journey they've experienced the last few days.
5:57 pm: After this debilitating passage getting down from the Cordillera Darwin towards Bahia Yendegaia, the Mexican team 4-7º Grado Monterrey Mexico is already being expected by the other teams and the organizers – on board of the Transbordadora Austral Broom's Ferry Bahia Azul.


It's been a race within a race: against time, against competitors and themselves. In order to reach the ferry meeting point, the team had to get down from the Cordillera Darwin very quickly. Carabineros of Yendegaia have helped once again, loading their horses with the runners' bags and equipment to lower the weight on their shoulders. Welcome 7º Grado Monterrey Mexico! No more peat bog, no more impenetrable forests, and the best of all, there is hot food waiting for you!

Now it will only be a long cruise all the way back to Punta Arenas harbor. Good luck!

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Previous days

February 10, 2007. This year the official team registration for the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2007 took place in Punta Arenas, the town that served as home base.
On February 9th the organizers and founders of Nómadas Turísmo y Deportes de Aventura Ltda., the company that also organizes the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE, held the official Opening Ceremony at the prestigious Hotel Jose Nogueira. Guests included the mayor of Punta Arenas, all key authorities, journalists and enthusiastic supporters of the race. In addition to the official ceremony the organization held the first and most important technical meeting with the four teams participating this year: TSL Outdoors La Clusaz from France, 7º Grado Monterrey Mexico from Mexico, Camelos On The Rocks from Brazil, and DAP-Armada de Chile from Chile. During the meeting the race director unveiled the route, the general characteristics of the terrain, distances, support logistics and the different disciplines on each stage of the race.

It is worth mentioning the initial inscription of more than ten teams. Unfortunately not all of them could be present at the race. Most common problems and/or reasons were: illness, inflexibile work schedule or accidents of some of their members that made it impossible to participate. The organization felt very sorry about that, but nevertheless also with just four teams it will definitely become a thrilling race! At the same time, the teams hope they will recover soon and be able to make it to take part at PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2008. We the organization, even without a main sponsor, are still persisting! Ready to continuously keep offering The Adventure at the End of the World for all those ready to take on the challenge of nature!

This year’s event, PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2007, will last a maximum of 14 days, which is not much time to cover the route's impressive 1,112 kilometers spit between: 266 km of trekking; 340km of sea kayaking, 506 km of mountain biking and more than 200m of rope work¸ which will be necessary to pass natural boundaries.

Overnight accommodations will be provided by local inns such as the Calafate Hostal, Hostal Ovejero, Hostal Bustamente and Hostal del Centro. Very early the next morning the teams were roaming through Punta Arenas doing their last shopping of equipment and food supplies, as well as finalizing their strategies to follow during the race. Food and equipment bags must be delivered to the organizers by midday, divided into the different disciplines: one bag exclusively for the mountain bike equipment; one bag solely for the sea kayaking gear, and one bag for rope bits and pieces (camping and trekking equipment is mandatory at all times during the race), as well as one final bag and the additional five food bags for the entire race. All these will be transported to each designated point by the organization.

It is passing noon and the teams are coming in to meet at the center of operations of the PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE 2007 with their bicycles and backpacks filled with everything they require from the start of the race to the first checkpoint.

At 4:00pm the racers, organization and press left the headquarters, heading for vans supplied by Via-Terra and vehicles from the organization with destination to the ‘Torres del Paine’ National Park – declared Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978. once there, the teams will spend their last night before the race starts in a comfortable camping site – compared to what will await them in the free and wild nature! – Camping Rio Serrano of the CAJA de COMPENSACION Los Andes, located in the southern part of the park.


Sponsors 2007

Costaustralis
Hotel Lakutaia Buff
Lippi
Via Terra

Partners

I. Municipalidad de:
Punta Arenas, Cabo de Hornos
Río Verde, Timaukel

Carabineros de Chile
 Gobernacion Maritima
de Punta Arenas