Building on success

Team Helly Hansen Prunesco have enjoyed unprecedented success this year. A strong squad and brilliant support from our partners and British Adventure Racing friends have driven us to home successes, a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WIN and consecutive wins in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race. We can still hardly believe it but it just goes to show that perseverance, fitness, skill development and the right team can do ANYTHING.

What’s on the cards next?
We all work and fit this around life, family and friends so for 2010 we’re looking at races which offer excitement, journey, competition and fun. Obviously defence of the World Championships in Spain features on the calendar. We’re looking at Sweden, New England and, of course, the Adidas Terrex, which takes place on home soil. We’ll be at many of the shorter races across the UK and will continue to race individually in orienteering, running, mountain biking and kayaking races…… Mark even mentioned a roller blading race to try and regain equal footing with the Scandinavians in this alien event!!

Race report on the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2010

After such a short notice period for last years race, this year we decided in September to head back with the same team to defend our title.  We all thought we would never go back, but the draw of crossing Tierra Del Fuego was too much for all of us, not many people get the chance to go there, let alone race through the remotest parts.…

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Race Photos From The Team’s Eyes…..

The team are back at home recovering from another special race in Patagonia. Last year we decided to capture as much of the race as possible through from our perspective. Below are links to some of the sections of the race…. enjoy!

Pre – Race Photos
Getting to the start line….
Stage 3 – Trekking
Stage 4 – Mountain Bike
Stage 5 – Trekking
Stage 6 – Paddling
Stage 7 – Trek
Journey to Punta Arenas – 36hrs on a Chillian Naval Vessel

Video Clips:

The teams first swim location…Click Here to view

Nicola and Bruce lead the way on the second swim… Click Here to view

Kari-Tek support team Helly Hansen Prunesco

Since our birth as a team for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Scotland in 2007, Kari-Tek, of kayaking fame, have been a pleasure to work with. They’re an ayrshire based company who are passionate about paddling and have sorted us out with kayak steering systems, towing and portage systems, an easy load roofrack and other bits and pieces when we’ve been short.

This year we’re returning to Patagonia and with days to go Anne has provided a few more portage straps which make all the difference to moving with a double sea kayak out of the water! Judging by last year’s epic portage they may be very useful.

Thanks for your support http://www.karitek.co.uk

7 Days to go….

With only 7 days to go until the team leave the UK and head to Patagonia, Nicola comments on the 2009 and 2010 event..Click Here to read.

Helly Hansen Prunesco Prepare For WPER 2010…..

Team Helly Hansen Prunesco are heading off to their first big race of 2010. The same team of Nicola MacLeod, Mark Humphrey, Andy Wilson and Bruce Duncan are going back to Patagonia to take on the 2010 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race.

This is a huge race, it is Chile’s bi centenary year, and as such Stjepan Pavicic, the racxe director, has planned a monster of a race, set to cross almost the whole of Tierra Del Fuego, and the Beagle Channel. (see a wee interview here with him Gearjunkie)

As defending champions and also current World Champions, there will be a fair amount of pressure on the team, but they are hoping to have a steady race, they know the conditions that will face them, and are hoping that it will be tough with poor weather, which will suit the British racers fine. ‘We are used to training in rubbish weather, we know how to cope with it, and to just get our heads down an get on with it’ said Mark Humphrey, out training in the snow, ice and now mud of the UK winter.

The team have been training hard over the last few months, running and biking in some pretty harsh conditions, as well as some good tough gym sessions, and with knowing more than 2 weeks in advance unlike last year, they should be more prepared.

Bruce has had an indoor kayak trainer set up in his barn, as the lakes have all been frozen. Mark has been out pushing his wee lad around as resistance training, Nicola has been altitude training, (well, skiing in the Alps at least), and Andy has been eating lots to ensure he has enough on his body to keep warm this time.

There are some good teams heading out this year, the full list and number of teams has not been released, but there are known to be teams from Finland, Switzerland, USA, Canada and 2 teams from the UK. Fast and Light, headed up by Simon Fisher has been onto Helly Hansen Prunesco for advice and tips on how to race, and they are keen to help each other out to ensure both teams finish, and finish well.

With only 12 days to go till the race starts, the team are rushing around trying to get all the kit from all our sponsors, and to make sure it all fits into our bags! We have had some great help from sponsors over the past year, and hope this year to be able to get them even more coverage.

I will try and post another update before we head off to Chile, but remember to keep tabs on us during the race from the race website
www.patagonianexpeditionrace.com

Team Helly Hansen Prunesco
www.teamhellyhansenuk.com

Also follow us on Twitter: @bikingbruce, @mark_humphrey, @teamhellyhansen

Photos From The 2009 Event….

Helly Hansen Prunseco World Champ’s on TV…..

If you missed the screening of the world championships from Portugal earlier today, you can watch again by clicking on this link World Champs 2009

First insight into the WPER 2010 course…

Back from a two-week scouting expedition to the wilds of Tierra del Fuego, Chile, Race Director Stjepan Pavicic, Ann Meidinger, and other members of the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race team have completed the planning and layout for much of the 2010 course. This interview with Pavicic is a trip report and a sneak peek on some details of the upcoming race, which kicks off on February 9. Click Here for report

Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2010………

With the start of the New Year team Helly Hansen – Prunesco are already preparing for the first expedition race of the year….

It only feels like yesterday that the winning team of the 2009 WPER were discussing the feasibility of heading back to Chile to have another crack at this amazing wilderness race. Now with less than four weeks to the start behind the scenes the team members Mark, Nic, Andy and Bruce are starting to prepare.

The journey to Punta Arenas will entail three different flight connections and 15 hours of flying. When travelling to these far out destinations there are a number of challenges which must be faced, before the race has even begun. Packing the right kit will be essential, as although it is technically summer time, the conditions will be very wet and extremely cold especially at night. However with all airlines operating a very strict weight allowance for luggage you have to hope for a kind check in person to sneak those extra kilos through.

The email traffic between the team members and race organisation is gradually increasing to ensure that the team arrives with all the correct insurances and the specific equipment required for safe racing. Due to the wilderness location there will be no opportunity for buying extra gear if something is forgotten! They are also in close contact with the other team sponsors to ensure everything is despatched in time for packing.
With only 4 weeks remaining, the team members have been making good use of the current snow conditions in the UK, spending most of their time on their feet. Unfortunately the cold snap doesn’t help with the paddling, especially when your local training canal is completely frozen.

The team members are all very excited about returning to compete in another epic expedition race in a truly stunning country, and look forward to seeing the race organisation and other fellow competitors. Once again you can follow all the teams live during the event via the WPER website and follow our build up on Twitter with pre and post race photos and comments from the team.

The Helly Hansen boys win at Hawley

Fresh from World Championships victory Tom Gibbs, racing with Bruce Duncan and Paul Pickering (a kind, and fast, last minute replacement) managed to seize a win over VO2 in Hawley. Tom’s Portugal race had been strategic and lasted 6 days and 900km. Sunday’s was a marked route over about 2.5 hours including wet and technical mountain biking, wet and technical running and wet but not very technical kayaking. A different experience entirely! Read More