Trans Andes Challenge 2014

Hola Amigos!  Saludos de Chile!!

A 200 mile off road race together with 27,900 feet of climbing in 5 stages, 17.5 hours - An incredible and demanding experience!

Just made the drive back north to our tiny rental "cabana"  in Pichilemu where we are happy to have some time to recover and catch up after racing The Trans Andes Challenge over the course of the last week.  Happy to report that this year's edition of the epic 6 day stage race in Chilean Patagonia was another success for Mike and I!  We were able to ride together as a team with precision and patience to take our fifth overall victory in the Mixed Open Category in as many years attending the event!  Even though we have experience racing and living in Chile, this edition challenged us with more than the always tough riding in the beautiful lakes region.  

Just getting here was a challenge!  Made it 800 km south of Santiago to the race start.  

We approached the event with an intense focus and dug deep to ensure that we were able to come away from each stage with a victory and a feeling of pushing our personal boundaries.  This approach was not for everyone but it was the only option for us and it made for an intense week of riding together!   Mike was a great support and this allowed me complete each stage faster that I could have alone.  It is amazing how in tune he could be and how fast we could ride together.  Our riding styles/speeds were balanced out by him carrying our gear, taking the front and assisting me when it was possible to do so.  It was great that we were able to rely on our years of knowledge, riding and training together to make the most of the advantage of riding as a team.   It was an overall radical MTB experience and the sensation of completing an event like this, which pushes you way beyond your normal comfort zones, is truly amazing!

getting it done at the TAC 2014...

The TAC is gaining popularity, this year there were 350 competitors from 31 countries!  It was a sight to behold the rows of tents upon our arrival to the beautiful Huilo-Huilo Nature reserve on the first day.  

Since we had to travel so far and wide to get there Mike and I were really glad to have come down to Chile a few weeks early to acclimate to the hot and dry summer conditions.   From past experience, we knew it was going to be a huge and grueling effort - and we wanted to be prepared in every way. 

Mechanico Mike working overtime... as usual

tent village in the sun...

Fond memories of the beautiful native forests we got to ride through!  These are giant Aracaurias.

Happy to report, all of the stages went really well.  We had a few minor mechanical issues that are all but inevitable in such gnarly back country conditions but nothing slowed us down worse than the cramping I suffered on the first day.  Luckily the views and rad single track trails helped distract me from my pain as Mike found a way to assist/run and push me over the precipice of some final bumps while I was literally seizing up standing on my bike … :-0

Epic rain storms!!!  I surely did not mind the surprise "rest day" after the demanding first 2 stages.

There is a chance we have seen rain like we did last week but not for the two days straight that it hammered down on the race village!  The promoters ended up being forced to cancel the 3rd stage and abbreviated the 4th stage to a Time Trial out of respect for life and limb.  Unfortunate, but likely a good call as there was clearly a chance for a mass case of hypothermia for those who did not have their epic cold rain gear.  For the record we were riding the right gear and packing everything that we would have needed to get through even this... but it was nice to NOT have to destroy ourselves completely in the middle of a six day race.

The  logistics of the race got sort of screwed up because the transport of the entire camp relied on riding the stage that did not happen on the 3rd day.  Carnage set in for a bit as booked accommodations fell to the way side, or not, and we all went into damage control, figuring our options out.  Bottom line - we were all challenged in more ways than one and it was looking a bit rough for all during the rains.    This type of event surely reminds you of the type of person you are deep down on the inside when confronted with a little adversity. Hopefully most everyone has kept a good perspective on the situation and can now smile at the past challenges.

The event organizers made the best out of the situation by holding the event the following day but were still forced to altering the route to a less than epic out and back time trial.  This format served to keep the race feel alive and though it was far from epic it made things all the more interesting for those who were racing in tightly contested categories. 

On the 5th day the sun shone fully out of bluer than possible skies as we racers made the classic trek up and over the stunning Villarrica National Park.  The lack of the typical dust allowed unparalleled views of the surrounding landscapes and featured the incredible fresh snow on the local smoking volcanoes.   The LONG climb up and over the highest point of the race was a grueling (and unfortunately repaired) jeep road that was quickly forgotten as we descended into the next valley through the beautiful Aracauria Forests swooping down a washed out rutted technical jeep roads.

Woke up to crisp clear skies on our 5th day at the TAC.  View from our 2.5 hour bus shuttle to the race start.

The final stage was augmented to include the best sections of the originally planned final 2 stages and It turned out to be an awesome ride!  Even though the most memorable single feature in my mind would have to be the most epic "hike a bike" UP a gnarly rutted wash to the summit above beautiful native forests.  At the summit we again quickly forgave the race staff for the suffering that they put us through as we soaked in incredible views of 3 different freshly snow capped Volcanos while scorching the next tremendous descent!    It was inspirational to descended on the perfectly primed volcanic soil and feel like we were really getting to see a big piece of this remote land.   This positive vibe set the stage for the final hours of the day of drafting closely and digging deep to keep up our pace and finish the race safe.  I felt like I grew my fitness and in my riding skills this week - It was truly a special moment crossing the line with Mike, knowing we accomplished what we set our to do!

Here we are just after the final stage - Phew!!!  A beautiful day indeed.

Celebrating with Chilean friends, Claus and ChiChi (LT) and new friends from Tanzania (RT) on the podium.

Our equipment was fantastic and set up perfectly to manage the rigors of the week.  We chose to bring our trusty Seven Cycles custom titanium "Sola" 29ers.  Though these frames are not the latest vintage there pedigree is obvious and  they were everything we hoped for, needed and relied upon.  When set up with Stan'sNoTubes new carbon "Valor" wheels  hosting  our choice of Kenda tires they were exquisite!   I chose to run KENDA's "Karma" Tires, for the well balanced light weight / hook up in anything character while Mike rode the Small Block 8's - as he prefers a bit more volume and the fast rolling feel as he was charged with setting the pace up front.  There is an obvious symbiotic relationship going on with  Stan's NoTubes Valors wheels and the tires that KENDA is producing.   Having been working with both companies for over a decade we are happy to see what is a "Best Yet" in performance and safety combining these great companies' products.

Our steeds, primed and ready for Stage 4.

HUGE thanks to ALL our amazing Partners, families and friends who have stood by us and continue to make this journey possible!  We are honored and proud to represent!!!  MUCHAS Gracias to our friend Juan Pablo of Santiagos Productions for having us at the race again this year and for dreaming up such an incredible event and sharing this special part of Chile with us all!  And to all the great staff members and volunteers who have once again given a tremendous effort in putting on what was once again another epic edition!!!  You all did an amazing job of handling a difficult situation and the challenges that were presented were handled with professionalism we know we can expect!  ANd a toast to ALL who persevered!  It was truly a highlight to meet new and old friends!!  Hope that all in attendance had a meaningful experience through what was surely some version of an EPIC adventure!  :-) 

Here's to enjoying and appreciating the journey.

Saludos!  

Mary and Mike

Team KENDA - Stan's NoTubes

Thanks to Marcelo Tacuna of TAC for these rad riding photos!!!

The Trans Andes is always a great dance! 

So is Open air wrenching... 

Hope you are enjoying the journey too!

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