Which Way Will the Wind Blow?

German Cuevas/AdvFeel Communication (Edited by Rob Howard) / 11.04.2015

Pucon, Chile. It’s a quiet place with very nice people. The first thing that attracts attention is the huge steaming volcano that dominates the town, some signs of evacuation and the danger level lights on Main Street, just to remind you how wild it is and could become this area. 

Talking to the locals is the best way to gather information and one word draws our attention: ‘Puelche’. It is the name given in the center-south of Chile to an east wind coming from the Andes and blowing into the valleys. It is a dry, warm and "nice" wind. 

The Mapuche (Chilean Highlanders) always assemble their houses with the door to the east, both to enjoy the sun in the morning (useful in these cold areas) and to avoid the cold westerly winds blowing in the afternoon while taking advantage of the Puelche. The name comes from Mapuzugun puelche in the Mapuche language and means "people of the East"

This is a subject which will come up in the race, as the wind direction will greatly affect the rowing section and the treks in the mountains.

A wind that often changes direction in the afternoon could cause some headache for more than one of the teams, some of which tested their sails this morning on the lake.

Today was day of checking and packing for the teams that arrived late yesterday or some local teams who could be sure to turn up just in time. As always, the obligation to have a Chilean telephone, is one of the issues that gives the teams headaches, and so does renting paddles and vests, knives, etc …

This afternoon was an afternoon of shopping and between 15-18.00h teams left their transitions bags in the hotel pickup point, but they can’t prepare their maps yet.  They will not be delivered until tomorrow morning, and then the teams will get only the first two maps.

Thanks to http://advfeel.info for the report.

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