Destination Ecuador

Rob Howard / 08.11.2014

The press invited to cover Huairasinchi (2014 ARWC) spent some time this morning with travel company Gulliver Expeditions to learn a little more about Ecuador as a travel and adventure sports destination, and to make plans for following the race.

Gulliver Expeditions have worked with Huairasinchi before and helped the Wild Racers team when they were filming here so they know the demands of the job ahead. They have also been helping teams in the lead up to the race, providing tailored and guided acclimatisation programmes out into the mountains to help teams best prepare for racing at altitude. (The guide who will be accompanying me was on a trip with Team adidas TERREX in the past couple of weeks.)

This is a service they often provide, as they have a full climbing, mountaineering and multisport tour programme among their brochure activities – and they have an amazingly varied and beautiful country to offer a huge range of outdoor activities.

Tourism in Ecuador is growing rapidly and in recent years the governments has invested heavily in its promotion and infrastructure, including sporting and outdoor activities. New MTB routes and rock climbs are being opened up regularly and a programme to refurbish all the main huts and refuges in the national parks is almost complete. There is also a new department specifically working to bring major sports events like ARWC to the country and it is the National Tourism Board which is funding the media programme of this race.

Outdoor activities are more popular and better known within Ecuador too, especially since the President made an ascent of Cotopaxi.  

Only one of the international press team has visited Ecuador before and the areas the race is visiting will be remote and often inaccessible. This is why we will all be accompanied and driven by Guides from Gulliver. Following the race, reporting it ... and finding a connection to post news is a challenging task (which is something I think keyboard bashing race followers at home don’t always appreciate), but rest assured, we are in good hands with Gulliver Expeditions and  our guides, and if it’s possible get reports and photos to you we will.

You can find out more about the company on their blog at http://blog.gulliver.com.ec/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GulliverExpeditions

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