On the 21st of June 2006 , at dawn on the shortest day of the year, we will start a new annual cycle of races: the winter edition of PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE, an international sporting event that will be a landmark during the southern hemisphere's winter. There will be six days of racing, six days travelling through the extreme south of Patagonia, including race stages in the regions of Torres del Paine and the island of Tierra del Fuego.

We will discover the dark side of southernmost Patagonia, the winter, the season that is not known by many, yet in many ways is our most impressive. This is the time of year when the winds take a break, so they can get ready to blow with more force in the spring, and it is that magic period when the mountains are covered in white and the lakes turn into giant mirrors. This will be a unique and unforgettable experience.

FORMAT OF 2006 WINTER EDITION

Each day will be a new stage of the race, and each stage may include one or more disciplines and will be between 7 and 12 hours in length. The final time of each team will be a sum of their times per stage over the six days of the race, and the team that finishes all stages in the shortest amount of accumulated time will be declared the winner.

The teams must be composed of two people, and will be classified in three categories: mixed pairs, male pairs and female pairs. The three categories must all complete the same course.

Throughout the duration of the race, each night we will jopin together in a large camp where we will rest, share experiences, and prepare ourselves for the following day. In general, the camps will be located alongside tourist facilities, which will give us access to eating areas, meeting rooms, bathrooms, etc...

ONLY 40 teams may enter this race. We invite you to experience the magic of the Patagonian winter, we invite you to live a new experience with the spirit that has characterized PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE right from its begining.

The PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE winter edition 2006 disciplines have been organized considering the natural terrain of the land there will be no forced or artificial testing. Therefore, the teams will race using navigation skills, trekking, mountain biking, sea kayaking, rope handling, and of course a good team strategies. In each discipline the apropriate equipment, according to the metrological conditions of the winter in Southern Patagonia, will be chosen.

Navigation:
Good navigation will be essential in obtaining the best results in the other disciplines. The geographic location of the course forces the competitors to work in areas where it is very difficult to establish reference points. In order to advance correctly the team will use compasses and altimeters, in addition to the route book and the maps provided by the organization.

Trekking:
The race course includes several trekking sections. The competitors will have to face diverse geomorphologic and climatic conditions. Also, they will experience different in the types of vegetation, from areas with few trees and a little grass to the southernmost forests in the world, sub-Antarctic vegetation. In the trekking sections, the competitors will have to carry and/or use snow-raquettes. The usage of any type of ski or any other equipement to slide on the snow is prohibited. For more details, please check the mandatory equipment list of this discipline.

Mountain bike:
Throughout the race the teams will have to ride long distances on mountain bike. Each section presents a different geographic landscape, remarkably different, testing the competitors and giving them varying degrees of difficulty. In the mountain bike sections, the mountain bikes will have to be equiped with winter tires for usage on snow and ice. For more details, please check the mandatory equipment list of this discipline.

Sea kayak:
Double kayaks will be used to sail on fjords, lakes, rivers and/or channels. They will be provided by the organization. All the competitors must have the necessary experience to use this type of kayak. A certificate is needed to prove basic skills and maneuvers, especially rescue tecniques, which will be evaluated in practice during the days before the race. For more details, please check the mandatory equipment list of this discipline.

Fixed Ropes:
The competitors will have to work with ropes. This discipline is not a game it must be a safe way for competitors to continue on over the natural obstacles as they appear throughout the race. A certificate is needed to prove the competitor’s skills in ascent, rappelling, Tyrolese and fixed ropes. For more details, please check the mandatory equipment list of this discipline.

Course Strategy:
Throughout the race course, the competitors will have to make decisions. Therefore, intelligent judgment is needed when dealing with a situation and choosing the best alternative at a given moment will be a fundamental factor for the team’s performance.

The cost per team will be US $930. Teams who register before May 1 will receive a discount of 25%. Teams who placed in the top three in the official ranking in any of the previous editions of PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE will have a free registration.

The registration fee includes:
- Three nights lodging in Punta Arenas.
- Transport during the event, including travel to the departure point in the area of Torres del Paine, transport to Tierra del Fuego, and travel back to Punta Arenas. The travel will be by land, boat and/or air.
- Assistence during the race.
- Use of a sea-kayak during the race (Necky Amaruk double).
- Preparation of the camps.
- Technical evaluation and safety talks.

PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE will not provide any cash prizes. The athletes who participate will have the privilege of being a part of one of the most impressive races in the world, where the motivation to compete, and to move ahead each day, is not the search for a financial reward, but the desire to push one's own limits, to face an unconquered landscape, to explore and discover one of the most isolated regions in the world. The winners will have the honour of having been the best in a race that will take them to the ends of the earth.

Contact us for specific questions in info@patagoniaexpeditionrace.com