The Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race has a reputation for uncompromising courses in true wilderness and the 2009 race did not disappoint. If anything, that reputation was enhanced when the race finished with the racers temporarily stranded at the world’s most southerly continental point, and the last team on the course lost in the forest nearby for a couple of days. (More on that later, but for those of a nervous nature it turned out O.K. in the end.)

The adventure began by the docks in Punta Arenas, a long flight south from Santiago in the southern half of Chile. Punta Arenas is the principal town in the region and the jumping off point for Chilean Patagonia, the fabulous Torres del Paine National Park and Tierra del Fuego. The usual pre-race formalities were conducted in a hanger on the dockside, including a cold kayak roll in the waters of the Magellan Strait. In February it was still summer, but the forecast for the race was for Patagonia’s famed mix of chilling wet and windy weather.

The race began with a formal, staged start in the town square and some local entertainment. Then it was time to decamp for Torres del Paine, several hours drive away. The start would take place next morning on the waters of Grey Lake, and it was a nervous group of 9 teams who tried to rest and relax on the bus. Ahead of them lay almost 600km of racing over 7 days through the most remote and wild terrain any of them had ever encountered, expect perhaps those who had raced here before. Race Director Stjepan Pavicic had warned the teams to be fully prepared with enough food and clothing and to not underestimate the course. He also told me that he only expected 2 or 3 teams to finish the race.

It was late by the time teams reached camp (thanks to a puncture on thebus), but there was a lamb carcass roasting over an open fire when they got there to warm and feed them.
All too quickly the rainy night was over and dawn revealed brooding clouds which allowed only fleeting glimpses of the famous rock towers Torres del Paine is famed for. And it was windy. Very windy. The gale whipped up the waters of the lake and drove the rain horizontally as teams prepared their kayaks. Team Prunesco Helly Hansen from the UK were very glad of their decision to bring dry suits.

The plan had been to paddle out to a nearby shingle spit, beyond which floated a couple of icebergs, broken off the nearby Southern Patagonian ice field, but against the wind it was going to be impossible to even reach the spit. Getting off the shore was hard enough and US team Calleva had an early capsize as the small fleet turned onto the Grey River and set off downstream to paddle to the confluence of the Serrano River and continued to the ocean. The 90km paddle on
the fast flowing melt water was an exhilarating start, and Easy Implant……………

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