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.