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Huaira
Sinchi III Edition
(page 2 of 2)
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We caught up with the racers again at Quilotoa Lake. We waited for them on a flat patch of land that functions as a sport field for a school in the community of Guangaje. The indigenous community received us with music. Some townspeople were selling handicraft and food. A giddy, carnival-like atmosphere hung in the air. The cold was intense and a dense fog began to descend on the town. It was commented that after this leg, the next stretch was going to be more difficult--the competitors would be traveling at night and would not rest until dawn.
As night fell, we found ourselves at the edge of Toachi canyon. We felt like we were in the middle of nowhere or the hidden Ecuador as we call it, surrounded only by mountains, paramo and baaaing sheep.
The place where the competitors would cross the canyon was completely dark. To help with visibility, the support staff turned on all of the car lights and directed them over the precipice. The competitors arrived in pairs and crossed the 40 meter canyon on parallel ropes with great ability and skill. Once on the other side they were lost from our view. Due to the technical difficulty of continuing coverage, the press returned to Quito at 8:30 to return on Sunday and cover the last leg of the competition.
Saturday, September 25
The competitors, we were informed later, continued through the night navigating only by map, compass and altimeter. The teams had to pass through trenches and narrow dirt paths all the while accompanied by a profound darkness. As the sun rose on Saturday, the teams that made it through the night passed through the towns of Pilaló, where supplies were waiting. In the town of San Pedro the competitors could at last rest after 24 hours navigating the highlands. Having already crossed the highest point of the competition, from here on the race was downhill towards the Pacific Ocean.
Sunday, September 26
The surviving teams that descended from the highlands faced a brusque change in scenery and climate--chilly paramo grasslands and cloud forests turned to warm and humid banana plantations. La Maná was the first point to be reached near the town of Montoya in Ecuador's littoral.
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The province of los Ríos welcomed the teams with great spirit, rewarding the efforts of the competitors. In Quevedo, the racers had to go to a point called "El Cruce" beach, located on the banks of the Quevedo River. A group of local fishermen awaited. The fishermen had built 35 wooden canoes that the competitors would now use to cross the river (the canoes would later become property of these artisan fishermen). After crossing the river, the competitors were only a few steps from the finish line.
Although it seemed easy, crossing the Quevedo River on the narrow canoes was strenuous. The burden of 2 intense days out in the wild was noted on the faces of everyone. The first team to finish the race was the same team that won last year's event--the team sponsored by Accel-Tventas and formed by Santiago Miño, Edison Rivera, Federico García, Gabriela Basantes, Carlos Basantes and Leopoldo Najera..
After approximately 25 minutes, the Tecnica LandRover team arrived. Of the 35 teams, only 13 completed the route.
The most impressive parts of the route were the new landscapes discovered, the extensive kilometers covered, the nonstop manner that tested the resistance of many and the change in altitude. Starting at above 3000 meters, they reached a maximum point of 4100 meters in the paramo of Quilotoa and then began their descent to Mana to end with the river crossing at 200 meters above sea level.
A bottle of champagne, trophies and fraternal hugs exemplified what this competition tries to be year after year: "You don't need to be super-heroes or super sportsmen. With training, preparation and friendship, you can enjoy and see incredible places in Ecuador. It's tourism while being involved in a sport," said Pancho Navarro, an organizer of the event.
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