Patagonia Expedition Race
A lovely day on the river
Jacqueline Windh / 23.06.2006
The air was crisp, and the snow sparkled on the ground. I followed the kayaks in a zodiac, and every meander of the river led to another breath-taking view of a frosty castellated mountain peak.Our start was a bit delayed this morning, as we bussed from Lago Grey down to the junction of the Grey and Serrano Rivers. Icy mountain peaks surrounded us, and the sunrise had them glowing shades of pink and mango. I busied myself taking photos while the racers worked with their paddles to scrape the ice out of the kayaks.
As the sun rose, mist started to rise off the river. The kayaks put in a few minutes before 10:00am, in an ethereal glowing light. We hopped into the zodiac and followed. Some might think that we had it easier, but I tell you... being a race reporter is actually tougher than being a racer! (OK, at times anyway...) While the kayaks cruised down the river and over the shallows, the zodiacs were slow, frequently hitting the rocky bottom with the propellers. The first kayaks down to the rivermouth took three and a half hours, while we took five – not paddling, forced to sit still, shivering in the chill wind.
But the scenery was just incredible – indescribable – so please have a look at my photos! As we left the start, I noticed a group of white geese in the water at the shore, their plumage painted pink from the rising sun... and then, as we got closer, I realized that they were flamingos, stranding in the freezing water!
There was one short but steep portage around a small waterfalls on the way down. The kayaks were quick getting over, sliding like sleds over the snow. Getting the three zodiacs over was another story – we were well over an hour at the portage.
The end-point of today’s stage was Estancia Monte Balmaceda – Mount Balmaceda Ranch, where the Serrano River empties into Ultima Esperanza Sound. Teams were told that the section would be about 35 km of paddling, and that a zodiac would be waiting at the end-point (this “flexible� end-point was designed so that race organizers could modify it according to weather and river conditions). However, since the zodiacs were slow, no boat was waiting for the teams.
The two leading teams, AL AIRE LIBRE/URUGUAY and TURISMO ROCKFORD RUNNER saw no boat waiting for them, so they continued out into the Sound. Veronica and Ruben later described to me the big waves that were hitting them broadside. The Chilean navy support boat encountered them about 7 km out, and brought them back to Balmaceda. The third team down, GNC, knew this area and knew to pull over here. They recorded their own arrival time and the times of all the later teams, and the first three teams and organizers all easily agreed upon how much of an advantage that the first two teams had, so everyone is satisfied with how the official times have been calculated.
Adding up times for both days, the top three teams so far are:
1. AL AIRE LIBRE/URUGUAY (Ruben Madure, Veronica Bravo) 7:30:50
2. TURISMO ROCKFORD RUNNER (Juan Carlos Valdes, Manuel Mena) 7:33:29
3. GNC (Victor González, Diego Banfi del RÃo) 7:50:19
Only two and a half minutes separate the two leaders.
Tomorrow’s route is paddling about 35 km down Ultima Esperanza Sound (ocean, sheltered from ocean swell but exposed to wind, and site of last year’s big kayak rescue) to Perales Ranch. It is true, the wind is much calmer here in winter than in summer– it was calm and clear for most of today, with a bit of wind and snow flurries in the afternoon. Tomorrow’s start is at 8:30 am – half an hour before sunrise – and we expect it to be calm during the paddle.
We are all very comfortable here at Estancia Monte Balmaceda. There is a big common room with fireplaces and electricity, and they have wined and dined us well. A big thank you to all of them! I am off to my tent now – first night outside so far, and a good test for my sleeping bag. Tomorrow afternoon is our big transport – all the way to the remote southern part of the isle of Tierra del Fuego. Our internet connection will be iffy from now on – I will upload daily when I am able to, but it is possible that my next report will not be until race-end, June 26th.
So... chao for now!See All Event Posts
