Racers couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather at the starting line. Teams gathered in the central square of Cotocachi just before dawn. Teams set out at 6:45 AM under partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures in the upper 60s.

The first discipline on tap was mountain biking. The race started and everyone was out of town fast until a slow 12 km climb to Culcocha where a stunning crater lake with a large island in the middle awaited. Teams then took to the water in tandem sit-on-top kayaks to find checkpoints placed around the lake. Some struggled to find their treasures but the lead teams had no problem and were out of the water long before the rest of the pack. Buff Thermocool took the early lead with Equipo Ecuador Chevrolet close behind as expected. There was a short lag, then other teams began to come in and make quick transition to bike. Wenger-Sigg and untamed New England were among the first to make the transition after the leaders.

Wenger-Sigg prepares for another long bike

The next section sent teams by bike up steep gravel roads to reach CP3. Then on to CP4 where they transitioned to foot for a 32.5 km trek. Locals in the tiny Andean hamlet of Apuela watched the teams emerge from the cloud forest in amazement. The influx of 44 off road vehicles and racers in funny clothing was something new for this town with three cobblestone streets.

Buff Thermocool cruised through Apuela and kept a comfortable lead of at least 20-30 minutes. The next transition was again to bike and on to the Tyrolean Traverse. Most support crews and journalists didn’t have a beefy enough 4×4 for the trip to the traverse. Road conditions were less than ideal. It is uncertain who emerge as the leader in the morning, but anything can happen in these lonely mountains after the sun drops. Each team is outfitted with a GPS transmitter in case of emergency. After driving 2 hours into these remote mountains, it is obvious the Andes are no place to get lost or injured.

Team Ecuador Chevrolet leaves the lake with good 2nd place positioning