Patagonia Expedition Race

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Racing Off the Map

Jacqueline Windh / 12.02.2005

Eleven teams are set to head north from Punta Arenas in just a few hours, for the starting point of Patagonia Expedition Race.

Things are hectic here – many teams only arrived here barely in time to complete the ropes and kayak rescue tests yesterday.

Last night, Race Director Stjepan Pavicic met with the team captains and gave them the race information and maps. Today all joined together – racers, organizers and press – for a final lunch before all the action begins. Stjepan is pleased with the teams. “It is a different kind of group this year, not here looking for prizes but rather here just for the adventure, and all are very easy to get along with and pleasant�. (This year the race offers free registration, but there is no prize money).

The race starts at Cerro Guido, a remote spot to the northwest of Torres del Paine National Park (and UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve). Teams will travel by bus, a four hour journey, from Punta Arenas tonight, to arrive at the starting point in the wee hours of the morning. The start is at 4:00 a.m.

They are provided with a set of 1:100,000 colour satellite images, with topography overlain, that have been prepared by the race organizers. Maps at that scale do not provide a lot of information for navigating while on the ground, but they are a vast improvement over what is publicly available. Much of this area has barely been mapped, and in some parts of the region the only published maps are at a scale of one to one million!

To accompany the maps the organizers have prepared a route guide book. Race Director Stjepan Pavicic has personally reconned the entire course. The book gives critical information that makes up for what the maps lack – when to follow a ridge or to stay below, or where there are cliffs that must be avoided. For the long and arduous trekking sections, this information will be the key for navigation.See All Event Posts