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Team Untamed New England Prepares for the 2010 Patagonian Expedition Race

Denise Rispolie / 13.01.2010

With the Patagonian Expedition Race (PER) about a month away, teams from various countries around the world are busy preparing their gear and getting in their final weeks of training. Among them is Team Untamed New England, who will be representing Canada at the race this year. The team, consisting of Harper Forbes and Denise Rispolie from the Toronto area, and Andrew Cameron and James Galipeau from Ottawa, is only the fourth Canadian team to race at PER since it began in 2004. They enter the 2010 edition in the hope of continuing the strong showing by Canadian teams, including second place finishes by The King’s Own Calgary Regiment in 2005, and Alberta Adventure Racing in 2006, as well as a third place finish at last year’s race by Team Spirit.

On top of the incredible challenge and beautiful terrain that is standard in all PER editions, this year’s race offers teams a very unique opportunity. “The 2010 edition will be held on the island of Tierra del Fuego, one of Patagonia’s most southern and remote areas. The more than 600 km journey across the Land of the Fire will become the most southern race in the history of adventure racing, taking competitors through the majestic white-capped mountains of the Darwin Range and the freezing waters of legendary Beagle Channel.�

Back home in Canada, Team Untamed New England has been focusing on the daunting task of preparing all of their gear for the race. The race distance and remoteness, combined with the unpredictability of the weather, present some unique challenges that require careful planning and the proper equipment. In this regard, the team acknowledges the tremendous support from their sponsors in outfitting them with the highest quality gear and supplies for this race, which has made the preparation phase much easier. In particular, the team would like to thank Princeton Tec, Icebreaker, Hilleberg, Fox River, Aquatabs, Meal Kit Supply Canada, Running Free, Phat Moose Cycles and Rohloff, and Salomon for their generosity.

This will be the longest adventure race for all of the members of Team Untamed New England, however, they enter the race with a wealth of AR experience spanning the last 7 years. Some recent AR highlights include team members participating in international races such as ARWC 2009, Transmarocaine 2009, Raid the North Extreme 2007 and Untamed New England 2008 and 2009. The team also competes regularly in many local adventure races and in 2009 were winners at the 24-hour Angry Seagull AR, the Spring Frontier Adventure Challenge and the Fall Canadian Championship race. Outside of adventure racing, each team member has competed in some of the most challenging races in the world. This includes ultra-distance events such as ultrarunning (UTMB, Leadville 100, Hellgate 100, Rock and Ice Ultra), endurance mountain biking (Tour d'Afrique, TransRockies, 24-hour solo), triathlon (Ironman, XTERRA Championship) and the Canadian Ski Marathon.
While the team is confident in its skills, fitness, and team chemistry, it is quick to acknowledge that with such a long race in a very remote and potentially harsh environment, careful planning, a focus on safety, and a bit of good fortune will be equally as important in order to have a good race. While the team’s goal at PER is to push their mental and physical limits and race as hard as they can, ultimately, it’s also to arrive back home safely and to have had a memorable experience in the incredible Patagonian wilderness.

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