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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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
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….
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
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.
Team Helly Hansen-Prunesco are pleased to announce that the winning team from the 2009 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race will be returning to the “Land of Adventure Dreams”. Nicola Macleod has just been crowned World Adventure Racing Champion 2009, and will be joined by Mark Humphrey, Bruce Duncan and Andy Wilson to tackle the +600km race in February. Read More
This coming weekend 26th-27th September see’s the return of the MaXx Exposure South Downs Way Night Enduro event. This event will be run by Trail Break and supported by Exposure Lights. Exposure are long standing supporters of Team Helly Hansen, and their amazing lights have helped the teams through some difficult times racing during the night. This event has been set to push the limits of MTB Enduro at night! At sunset on Saturday 26th of September, riders will ride out from Beachy Head to tackle 75 miles of the South Downs Way to Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP) in time for sunrise.. There are 3 option to choose from, the MaxX end to end 80miles, The MaxX Loop 40miles and the MaxX Pub Loop 20 Miles. Not being a race more of a self challenge should make for a very interesting ride… and it “looks” like it’s going to be a dry night 
see you there Mark ….. Update: Unfortunately after having a stomach bug last week I am now fighting a full on cold so I will not be able to ride the MaxX event, very disapointed 
Dates for the 2010 Wenger Patagonian Adventure Race have been published running from the 6th-20th February.
“The Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race launches its eighth edition of the annual ‘adventure at the end of the world’.
The 2010 edition will be held on the island of Tierra del Fuego, one of Patagonia’s most southern and remote areas. The more than 600 km journey across the Land of the Fire will become the most southern race in the history of adventure racing, taking competitors through the majestic white-capped mountains of the Darwin Range and the freezing waters of legendary Beagle Channel”
To find out more about the event please visit the race site Patagonian Adventure Race 2010
An exhausting weekend of short sharp and steep events was planned by the IROC team. The planners created two fell/trail races, two orienteering races and two MTB races. For each style of racing there was one night and one day race… six different races in total, well over 20 ascents of the local hills and about 15 hours of racing on foot and bike. There were many tired legs and lungs late on the Saturday and into Sunday morning for the 4 hour bike enduro!. Read More
With the team back and rested after the Patagonian expedition race the coverage of their success has amazed the whole team, as it spreads around the world via the World Wide Web and magazine coverage. The interest has been generated from all the Patagonian organisation and the many reporters and photographers. The team are very much looking forward to even more photos becoming available and eagerly awaiting some video footage. Read More
