Description
The Patagonian Expedition Race takes place in February each year and involves a maximum of 20 four-person co-ed teams, limited to minimize the impact on the environment. Created by geologist Stjepan Pavicic, a pioneer of Chilean Patagonia, the first race was run in 2004 and since then athletes from 26 different nations have taken part. It is the only adventure race worldwide that has been granted an official partnership by an Olympic Committee.
Each edition takes place on a different course through the most remote and untouched regions of Chilean Patagonia. The terrain in this region is incredibly diverse and includes the mountains of Torres del Paine and the Cordillera Darwin, the flat plains and rolling hills of Tierra del Fuego and Isla Riesco, and the icy waterways of the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel.
The combination of rugged terrain, long distances and unpredictable climatic conditions creates a great challenge, with the rate of team completion averaging between 35 and 50 percent. There is usually only a summer edition (February), but in 2006 a winter edition was organized, which took place in June.
The 26 nations that have competed, up to and including the 2011 edition, are: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay and USA. The race is organized by NIGSA (Nómadas International Group S.A.), formerly known as, Nómadas Outdoor Services Ltda., an organization located in Punta Arenas, working for the goals of environmental protection and the advancement of eco-tourism in the region of Chilean Patagonia.
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