Aventura San Lorenzo – Off the Beaten Track Adventures in Patagonia
Wladimir Togumi (Edited by Rob Howard) / 09.04.2015
Over the Easter holiday Chilean adventure racers met for the second edition of the Aventura San Lorenzo, an adventure race over a 200Km course in Cochrane, Aysen Region, Chile.
The event was part of the anniversary celebration activities of a young commune which completes in 2015 its 61st anniversary.
Participants traveled over roads, trails, forest and lakes in the vicinity of Mount San Lorenzo, an imposing mountain with 3706 meters of altitude (the second highest in the region, second only to Mount San Valentin) on the border with Argentina.
From the town it was possible to have a beautiful view of the region, with the city in the foreground and mountains with snowy peaks in the background.
The pre-race activities began on April 2nd at the Municipal Market Tamango, with the reception of athletes, equipment checks and the expected briefing. With the scheduled start at 07:00 on the bridge San Lorenzo next day, about an hour from the city, the night was short for everyone involved in the race.
It was still dark when the bikes crossed the bridge towards the Calluqueo lake shore, formed by melt from the glacier of the same name which extends from the top of Mount San Lorenzo.
In this first transition the two categories - Avanzado and Intermedio - divided, with the first leaving for trekking and others, for a kayak stage to the glacier.
This was a turning point for the race, with competitors taking much longer than expected to get the trekking checkpoints.
The view at this point was breathtaking. From the road you could see almost the entire length of the lake, the glacier in the distance up the slope of San Lorenzo and its peak, which is virtually divided with the neighboring country.
The lake waters are calm, but at certain times of the day the strong cold wind blew against the kayaks, requiring more effort from competitors. But the reward to approach the glacier was great with the checkpoint placed ahead of its big "mouth".
It was dark when most teams arrived at the camp to eat and rest for the next day of the race. Some finished the first day of the event only at dawn, which incidentally, was quite cold. Puddles were frozen and a thin white layer of ice was seen everywhere, including over bikes and equipment outside the tents.
On the second day of competition the category Intermedio began again at 7:00 a.m. It was still dark when a few meters from the start they had to cross the freezing river Tranquilo with their bikes.
Indeed, in this race it was hard to keep feet dry. On the first day the competitors also had to cross a river early in the race to get to the kayaks. But that did not seem to hinder the athletes - although there is no other option but to take a deep breath and move on, enduring the pain caused by cold water.
Due to the pace of the race, a beautiful trekking in the mountains near the city was canceled and later the organization reported that there were at least 20 cm of snow in this section.
The arrival was set up in the Plaza de Armas of Cochrane, where participants were greeted by friends and family. In the evening, participants met again in the Municipal Market for the award ceremony and later an asado (BBQ) offered by the Municipality.
To Patricio Ulloa, the Mayour of Cochrane, "The idea is to promote the natural beauty we have in Cochrane as Mount San Lorenzo and the Calluqueo glacier and position ourselves in Chile and the rest of the world so that people can come to join this adventure and see the natural beauty we have in the region of Aysen and Cochrane."
The winners - mixed and male - won in addition to their trophy and gifts from sponsors, Sky airline's flights to Brazil.
Winners:
Avanzado Mixed: Chiloé
Avanzado Male: Trail
Intermediate Mixed: Amanecer
Intermediate Male: Manque Weichafe
About Cochrane
For those seeking different and quiet places in Chilean Patagonia, Cochrane is a great option. The peaks of some mountains resemble a bit of Torres del Paine, without all the movement of tourists. To get there fly to Balmaceda and it is then about 5 hours drive by asphalt and gravel road.
For more information on the commune see www.cochranepatagonia.cl
Thanks to Javier Muñoz, representing the entire organization Adventure San Lorenzo; SERNATUR - Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism of Chile; Coffee Martica Restaurant.
