Wild Racers - Ecuador

Episode one lands us on the shores of Quito, Ecuador. This majestic South American City is better known as the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. For this adventure our teams head inland to the high country where altitude and conditions are near life threatening. The Teams – We get introduced to some of the most hard core adventure racers on the planet and see what drives and motivates them to compete in such a gruelling journey. Exploring Quito & Acclimatisation– Teams are required to get acclimatised due to the extremes of altitude that they will experience in the coming days. As a challenge we set a course through the city, landmarks and outskirts of Quito. This is an enthralling prelude to the race ahead. Race Registration and Mandatory Equipment – Teams finally meet to have all their essential equipment checked after experiencing some of the wilderness that they will encounter during the race. It is a crucial time as teams then receive the course maps for the next day’s start and busily work through logistics that may gain them an edge.

The first 24hours of any Adventure Challenge on the World Stage is the most brutal, lead teams work hard to open a lead that they feel will be hard to close down over the coming days. As they say when its go time … suffer. Leg 1 Mountain Biking 27km – From the outset teams are faced with massive elevation gains and extremely steep grades. This is an epic start that takes the athletes well up into the clouds with some already feeling the strain. Leg 2 Trek/Canyon 20km – After hours of suffering on the Mountain Bikes our teams now face a brutal trek through the fabled Iliniza Mountains. This leg leaves no room for error or respite as teams head upwards non stop towards 5000mtrs where oxygen levels are under half of those at sea level. We see some of the lead teams struggling under the strain. Following on from the high altitudes the low cloud creates major concerns for navigation with world-class athletes forced to make crucial decisions. Given the extreme duration of this leg teams will be forced to endure even more debilitating conditions with snow then turning to misty rain. On finally emerging from the mist the technical rope and canyon section now makes the athletes wet and even colder as they push towards the end of this brutal day.

Teams now finally surviving the most brutal first day in Adventure Racing history are welcomed by horizontal rain and some epic stages that will cause some extreme moments and life threatening situations. Some of the world’s greatest athletes will be hit hard by the altitude and conditions. This is real life drama unfolding right before your eyes. Leg 3 Mountain Bike 90km – The human body is not designed for high-level performance with minimal oxygen. The next 90km of mountain biking takes team over a number of 3500mtr peaks in some extreme rain and cold that slowly destroys their bodies. Leg 4 Trek 23km – Surviving the brutal elevation of the mountain bike our teams now head even higher again on a trek that starts to destroy their body and mind in sequence. Only little respite is gained by the sight of one of the worlds most spectacular natural landscapes, Quilotoa Crater Lake. For some they are near breaking point and for others, especially the local teams it seems to be a walk in the park, or is it. Leg 5 Mountain Bike 32km – At this point one of the worlds leading teams is faced with a life or death decision. The course has been so brutal to this stage it has caught many by surprise. That said some of the front runners also dig deep and decide to go against their better judgement and fight for positions. This is one of the harsh realities of one of the world’s most challenging environments. Leg 6 Trek 47km – Following on from legs that have decimated the field our teams now face more than a marathon trek into one of the most remote canyons on earth. Once they enter there is only two options. Get to the end or turn back as once inside there is no possibility of rescue. It is here that yet again a drama unfolds as teams are now forced to fight a battle within their own ranks as if the environment wasn’t challenging enough.

From here on in the teams face an ever changing ecosystem as they head down from the dizzying heights and into he more tropical landscape that this regions is renowned for. The finish is in sight though all that seems to be on the minds of the leaders is pushing ahead to keep the gaps on the chasers. It is a true exploration in the mind, body and soul of each team. Leg 6 Trek 47km (cont’d) – Such an epic leg continues as our teams trek through the night and fight continued brutal weather with now the inclusion or impassable rivers and debilitating mud. Surviving on little or no sleep and very inadequate sustenance is really taking its toll though as dawn breaks there is some respite from the cold. Leg 7 Mountain Bike 140km – At last down at lower altitudes the teams now face an enormous 140km ride across some of the most remote regions in Ecuador together with some brutal tarmac sections and yet again extremely changeable climatic conditions. Navigation once again proves to be a crucial element to this race. Leg 8 Trek/Ropes 8km – At the conclusion of the mountain bike leg, with bodies extremely weary and minds faltering under sleep deprivation our teams now face an extremely challenging trek and rope section that is extremely difficult at this latter stage of the competition. Leg 9 Kayak 17km – The tropical region of Ecuador is as stunning as it is challenging. Our teams now face a brutal paddle along fast flowing rivers. When coupled with brutally tough portages with overloaded kayaks, this leg proves to be one of the most challenging of the race so far. Leg 10 Trek 5km – Completing a journey of such epic proportions is a feat in itself with almost three quarters of the starting teams falling short of the mark. The final 5km trek is the last piece of this complex puzzle where a victor is crowned and teams reflect on one of the most challenging journeys of a lifetime. This is Wild Racers and many will return next time. Stop number three on the adventure highway is Queenstown, New Zealand … Stay tuned.