Updates, new images and racer quotes will be uploaded to this site as quickly as possible from the race course – but as this wilderness region of Chile is so remote please bear in mind that regular communication may not always be possible.
Helly Hansen-Prunesco are closing in on victory in the 2010 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race after arriving on the Isla Navarino in the early afternoon and trekking into the night towards the finish line on the shores of the Beagle Channel in Chilean Patagonia.
The British team made quick passage across the channel after setting off at around 8am on the morning of day six. They completed the 46km to Wulaia Bay in around six-and-a-half hours – quicker than expected after conditions improved – and continued on to climb Mount King Scott before heading towards the finish.
Behind them, Air Europa Bimont are in a comfortable second place after arriving at checkpoint 15 almost two-and-a-half hours after Helly Hansen-Prunesco but some eight hours ahead of third placed team Switzerland, despite female member Uxue Fraile suffering from a small leg problem during the trek.
If places one and two look all but confirmed, the battle for third is still raging and could go to one of three teams in the final portion of the race after Switzerland reached PC15 at 5:50pm, Germans Herbertz arrived one-and-a-half hours behind and GearJunkie.com an hour further back.
GearJunkie.com captain Steven Reginold was delighted to make it to the checkpoint and the team ran down the beach cheering. “We woke up in a snowstorm and ended on the beach,” he said later. “It’s been a long journey today but we’ve been sleeping more than we anticipated in the race and it seems to be working.
“This morning at PC12 we woke up to two inches of snow and big winds. I was really afraid of frostbite this morning and hiking out into the snow, up the pass through a blizzard and then into semi-frozen turba swamp was a low point. We went about 50km today and ran probably 25km of that – so it was great to get here.”
Untamed New England arrived after dark and with five teams out – Fast and Light, Eddie Bauer, Terra Mundo Lontra, Almas Patagonicas and BOE Ejercito de Chile – there are three left battling rainy conditions on the mountain with Japan’s East Wind, Americans Almost Famous and Scandinavians Nord Water all yet to arrive at PC15.
PC15
1. 1 Helly Hansen-Prunesco UK Arr 7:35pm Feb 13 Dep 7:25am Feb 14
2. 16 Air Europa Bimont ESP Arr 9:40am* Feb 14 Will dep Feb 15
3. 4 Switzerland SUI Arr 5:50pm* Feb 14 Will dep Feb 15
5. 9 Herbertz DE Arr 7:17pm* Feb 14 Will dep Feb 15
6. 7 GearJunkie.com USA Arr 8:27pm* Feb 14 Will dep Feb 15
7. 5 Untamed New England CDN Arr 9:49pm* Feb 14 Will dep Feb 15
* clock stops for dark zone, restarts at 6am Feb 15
