Thinking back on this years Huairasinchi AR world series race I am reminded why I love the sport of adventure racing. The thought of athletes finding their way through unfamiliar terrain on human-powered means for days on end and the unpredictability of racing through remote wilderness are enough to get a heart pumping.

Those I followed, photographed, and interviewed over the course of the competition are easily some of the most well-rounded and focused athletes the world has to offer. In most sports there is but one discipline. Athletes train and hone their skills on this discipline day-in and day-out. With adventure racing however an athlete must master multiple sports and even be prepared to take a new one on from time to time. Endurance is certainly the stand-out quality for adventure racers, but versatility and adaptation are surely tied for second. I saw the results of the teams training as they would blast through checkpoints with 12, 24, and even 72 hours of racing behind them.

Team Ecuador Chevrolet was the winner of this year’s Huairasinchi, and deservedly so. They were fast, strong, and worked well as a unit. Once Buff Thermocool was taken out by a broken collarbone injury Ecuador Chevrolet sailed into an impressive lead. Buff Thermocool was the race favorite and were looking strong on day one. In fact, at the end of that first day they held a four hour lead over their competitors. Day two found teams rappelling from rickety bridges over whitewater and bombing down dusty single track. Most teams endured the frustrations of being lost on the course the second night but emerged the following day on track and focused on the finish. In the end teams paddled, biked, hiked, ran, and rappelled through some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on the planet.

Huairasinchi means “force of the wind” in Kichwa. Once you enter the high Andes you understand why this name has endured. Racers would round a bend in the trail and find themselves exposed to the powerful forces of the Andean winds. I nearly lost my hat several times while chasing teams through the river valleys and steep mountainsides of northern Ecuador. Wind wasn’t the only natural force working against the racers as they battled their way through the route. Temperatures could be quite chilly in the higher altitudes and downright scorching in the lowland valleys.

After spending a full week in Ecuador I began to feel as if the country was designed especially for adventure sports. Roughly the size of the US state of Colorado it hosts the Andes mountains. The Andes drain into powerful whitewater rivers and have eroded massive gorges through the land. Volcanoes pepper the landscape so that an adventurer always has a high peak for a backdrop. Those volcanoes also supply some of the best climbing in the world for those with a few days, an ice axe, and a pack.  A long coastline on the Pacific provides ample surfing and sailing opportunities and the Amazon rain forest awaits those who venture into the eastern half of the country.

With a landscape perfectly tuned for adventure sports Ecuador and Huairasinchi have secured their place on the adventure racing circuit for some time. Personally I can’t wait to get back for next year’s race to see how race directors will change the course and continue to utilize Ecuador’s mother load of adventure for their own racing playground.