HUAIRA SINCHI
High on Adventure at a Nerve Jangling Huairasinchi
Press Release / 24.07.2018
Day 2 of HuairasinchiMovistar ARWS 2018 started with teams finishing a long bike leg #4, and arriving in trekking to CP8, Parque La Familia and Parque de Aventura San Martin in Baños for the rope system. This imposing rope system paralyzed more than one due to its height, the rock/lava canyon, the Pastaza river running turbulent below them, and the vertigo during the complex rappel, via ferrata and canopy that teams traversed.
Adventure teams started the day early, 6h30am at Rio Verde in a trekking that took them to CP8, completing the same route as the Elite category, and of course, the amazing rope system. The first Elite team to arrive to Parque de Aventura San Martin was team Movistar Ecuador, followed by Movistar Terra Aventura, the two teams that have been leading the race since the beginning. Some team members, such as Amanda from team 10 LifeAdventureteam, felt too much vertigo on the rope system and did not complete this rope system.
A nice coincidence happened today, Santi, Fofo, Ana y Pancho, the original team of Proyecto Aventura, met for a few moments today at Fofo’s place in Hacienda Manteles. 15 years later, after Huairasinchi and Proyecto Aventura started, this great group of friends took some minutes out of the busy race to celebrate the 15 editions of Huairasinchi. However, they are no longer only 4 friends. All of them married, 2 of them married among them, Ana y Pancho thanks to Huairasinchi and Proyecto Aventura, and a crowd of 7 kids and babies running around. Almost 2 complete teams of future Huairasinchis (2 girls, 5 boys), are the consequence of these 15 years. Congratulations Proyecto Aventura!
Near Manteles, at TA4 San Jorge, Elite teams have to complete the 41km loop of Manteles-Llanganates, a trekking with an important altimetry. The Elite teams entered this trekking in the following order, first Movistar Terra Aventura #1, followed by Movistar Ecuador #9, Life AdventureTeam/Imptek #10 and New Zealand #8.
On the other hand, Adventure teams have to complete the trekking, the rope system and 22km of biking to San Jorge TA4, where they will have their second camping night. The Adventure teams leading the race are Aring Trotamundos #22, followed by Yanukuri #28 and Nortrailer #26.
The constant ups and downs of the race and the gaining altitude are starting to hurt the teams. Some have retired due to mechanical problems, exhaustion or minor injuries. That is the case for the following teams who have abandoned the race: Paradofobia #16, Las Guambras #6, Winavena Andes6000 #12, Fedeme BGR #7, Taga Wari #15 y Haku Ar #11. All Adventure teams are still on the race, with the exception of Pronaca .DWG that is out of ranking with only 3 members.
The night goes by with Elite teams completing the hard loop Manteles-Llanganates, a trail full of tales and histories where legends say the Inca’s treasure is buried. Day 3 awaits with a bike leg and the ascension to the imposing Tungurahua Volcano. Now calm, Tungurahua’s latest eruption was February 28th, 2016, so teams will be climbing a very active volcano and passing by over very recent lava.
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