Huairasinchi

Huairasinchi Celebrates 20 years of Adventure in Ecuador

Press Release / 25.07.2023

The 2023 Huairasinchi adventure race is a significant milestone for the team at Proyecto Aventura, who organize the Adventure Racing World Series event in Ecuador.  This year’s race will be the 20th edition of one of the oldest and most respected events in the world adventure racing calendar.

Speaking about the anniversary race, Race Director Santiago López said, “We are super excited to reach 20 years of this special race and have been able to do so thanks to the great adventure racing  community in Ecuador, who want to explore our wonderful country every year with us.  It is also thanks to the international teams who travel here to discover Ecuador and tell others about our amazing destination and what a fantastic experience it is to race here.”

Over the past 19 years of competition a total of 665 teams from 29 different countries have taken part in Huairasinchi and ridden, paddled and trekked more 7000km through Ecuador!

Adventure Racing World Series CEO Heidi Muller gave her congratulations on the 20th anniversary.  “Organising any expedition adventure race is a huge undertaking,” she said, “and every one requires total commitment and a great team working together to make it a success.  To organize a race for 20 years shows an incredible passion for the sport and a close bond with the athletes and teams who support the race every year.  We are proud to have Huairasinchi in the Adventure Racing World Series and know they will always provide a beautiful and challenging course and a memorable race experience.”

That experience can be different each year at Huairasinchi as Ecuador has so many regions, landscapes and cultures within its borders. This year the race will be based in the megadiverse area known as the “Chocó Andino”.

López explained, “This beautiful region covers a huge area from South Panama to the North of Ecuador and is of international importance as the home for thousands of species of birds, reptiles, plants and some wonderful mammals.  This area is recognized as a Biosphere Reserve and we are happy to have the race there and show the region to the world.

“The town of Mindo will be the HQ for the race and it’s a great place for adventure tourism.  It’s known for its cloud forest, many waterfalls, and the pristine rivers crossing the region. Racers will love this playground.”

This year racers will be taking part in two Huairasinchi events, the expedition length ARWS qualifier, and a shorter adventure course, which is part of the ARWS South America regional series.  The 170km adventure course is designed to help new teams and generations discover adventure racing and the winner will represent Ecuador in the ARWS South America Championships in Brasil in December.

As an ARWS Qualifier the winners of the Huairasinchi expedition course will claim a coveted place in the Adventure Racing World Championship in South Africa in October.  It’s a big incentive for the 22 Ecuadorian and international teams taking part, and among the most experienced are Life Adventure, Andes Racing and Papacara from Ecuador, Gym City AR (Poland) and Black Mamba (Brazil).  Other strong teams who could push for the podium are Team Ozark (USA), QualificarLexalia, 4 Vientos and Packraft Ecuador.

It’s going to be a highly competitive race but the teams know that just completing Huairasinchi is the first challenge, and some try for many years to complete the full course.

This year the race will be between 500 to 3000 meters in elevation, so altitude will not be a key factor, however, the humidity in the dense forest will be difficult for the teams.

The course will have 7 stages: 4 mountain biking, 2 trekking and 1 packraft section.  There is also a big rope system waiting for teams in one of the most magnificent waterfalls in the region.

The Race Director predicts teams will move quickly on the bike sections, and that the terrain in the trekking sections will be tough. This year, for the first time, the Huairasinchi course has been designed by the professional team of adventure racers and map lovers, Vanessa Garzón and Andrés Salvador, whose aim is to deliver an amazing route with very clear and precise maps. The whole route will cover 400 kilometers with 12,000 meters of elevation gain.

The teams will assemble in Quito on July 27th and transfer to the race HQ the next day to get ready for the start at 4am on the 30th.

More details about the race can be found on the race website at https://www.proyectoaventura.com/ and there will be live satellite tracking using Garmin Inreach Mini 2 transmitters. During the race there will also be regular updates on both the Huairasinchi and AR World Series social media channels.

Huairasinchi has already been announced as the host for the 2024 Adventure Racing World Championship, when the race will be held in Southern Ecuador at low altitudes on a 700km course. More details are available at; https://www.proyectoaventura.com/site/2/arwc2024