Rat Race | Patagonia Glacier to Glacier

Fitness level

You can do this. This adventure is for anyone with a good base level of general fitness and a love of red wine!

Pace

This challenge has been designed so that you may travel at your own pace. There will be some cut-offs, but these will be generous and the team will always look to help you to achieve your goals in finishing this challenge, vs having to pull out. You are given a very early start to allow the very best possible window for route completion. But, if you need to stop for whatever reason, the team is there for you. The absolute key is that you enjoy this amazing journey through some of the most incredible vistas on planet earth, at your own pace and within your own limits.

Bike type

The optimum machine to enjoy every inch of this biking route is a cyclocross bike. Mountain bikes or hybrid are also fine. Road bikes are not recommended. You are advised to bring your own bike although bike hire is possible subject to availability. Please note, in-country bike hire is very limited therefore please secure your bike hire nice and early at the time of booking. If you cannot rent and are UK-based, please use British Bike Hire and transport the bike overseas.

Navigation

You'll be concentrating on the views and the hard work of putting one foot (or wheel or paddle!) in front of the other. You won't be staring at maps or navigational aids any more than you have to. There is no formal waymarking (i.e. signs) used on this event. Instead, you will download a route file to your smartphone or GPS device. You will follow this ‘line’ when on foot and can use this as a back-up at all times. You may use your own device or rent one.

There will be some marshalled junctions or key turning points on the trekking stages. The kayak stages are guided so as long as you point downriver, you’re going the right way! On the bike, there really are not many junctions or route choices. It will be hard to get lost!

Accommodation

• Comfy guesthouse
• Small hotel
• Eco domes
• Camping

The accommodation comprises a comfy guesthouse/small hotel in El Chalten, then some riverside camping for 2 nights whilst you are on the water. Following that, enjoy the stunning Eco Domes and finish up with a superb hotel in El Chalten.

All accommodation is always offered on a double or twin room basis. Tents will be 2-person tents. If you are taking part on your own, you will be paired with another participant of the same sex in a twin room. If you have preferences for who you share with, you are able to specify that prior to departure.

All accommodation is of a high standard – tried and tested on recce trips.

Meals

All meals are included as standard cooked up by the expert catering crew.

Kit list

A comprehensive kit list with mandatory and recommended kit for all activities is available.

Season

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Jul
• Aug
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

Meeting point

El Calafate Airport
Santa Cruz Province
Argentina

Itinerary

• Day 1 | Travel

  You will be greeted and transferred from El Calafate airport or downtown in El Calafate for those already staying in the local area.

• Day 2 | Admin, explore

  After a warm welcome from the event team, there will be some admin activities, plus bike fitting for those who have taken the bike rental option. The afternoon is your own to experience the funky little mountain town of El Chalten.

• Day 3 | Stage one (23 miles on foot)

  The area surrounding El Chalten has some of the most incredible trails to be found anywhere on earth. You will follow some of these stunning routes and you get up close and personal with the mountains and glaciers of this incredible landscape.  

  

• Day 4 | Stage two (20.5 miles on foot)

  Another mighty day on the trails, experiencing the Patagonian wilderness in all its glory.

• Day 5 | Stage three (67.4 miles on bike)

  Moving away from El Chalten, it's on the bikes for a road ride to La Leona. This is where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid holed up whilst on the run and you will be able to see why, as you savour the remote and windswept nature of the Patagonian steppe. Patagonia is famous for its winds and it is likely that you may well experience these today – whether that is a headwind or a tailwind (or, due to the direction of the course, both!) is yet to be seen. If you are lucky, you may also see some of the area’s reclusive wildlife which adorns this evocative and vast endless landscape.

  

• Day 6 | Stage four (21.7 miles on kayak)

  Today head to the glacial Rio Leona and make your way downstream with the current, speeding on from Lago VIedma towards Lago Argentina. Weather conditions (notably wind) will dictate how far the group travels in boats, and some distance is likely to be made up on the bikes again. Camp in a stunning riverside location.

  

• Day 7 | Stage five (76.8 miles on bike)

  The route today heads through El Calafate and out into more stunning scenery as the mountains and the glaciers of the Patagonian icecap loom large ahead once more. Today is both on and off-road and the views on this ride are absolutely legendary.

• Day 8 | Stage six (24.2 miles on bike)

  The Perito Moreno Glacier is the destination as the journey comes to a climactic end on 2 wheels. After the finish line the group will all board the special charter boat to get up close and personal with this vast body of moving ice at water level, as it carves off into the lake. You may choose to also carry out a final kayak activity (optional) to view this colossal force of nature at water level. Afterward, make your way back to El Calafate for a well-earned celebratory meal.

  

• Day 9 | Journey's end

  After a final breakfast together, it’s time to head to the airport at El Calafate for return onwards travel.

Included

• Accommodation

  8 nights in hotels, guesthouses and camping.

• Meals

  All meals included.

• Transfers

  Includes airport transfers at the beginning and end.

• Guides and support

  Professional support vehicles, safety staff, water safety, medical and welfare.

• Safety

  Professional local and UK safety staff, bike mechanic, medics, drivers, route safety staff and experts on hand throughout. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.

• Equipment

  Includes kayak and associated equipment.

• Transfer policy

  Flexible event transfer policy up to 12 weeks before your departure.

• Extras

  High quality medal, rat rag and premium t-shirt for all participants.

Trip leader

James is your leader for this adventure. He's a multi-lingual running machine who speaks fluent Spanish!

Environmental pledge

This adventure has made a firm commitment to really elevate its approach to a sustainable and environmentally aware way of working. Each activity has been assessed to improve its environmental impact, including:

• race t-shirts to be collected at the event and not shipped across the world
• wooden medals instead of metal
• phasing out single-use plastics
• local event catering
• tighter recycling activities

This event is on track to achieve carbon-neutral in its day-to-day business activities and is making progress with carbon off-setting for worldwide travel, including ground-breaking ways to make a difference in some of the host locations.

Age

16 and 17 year olds will be considered on an individual basis, if taking part with a responsible adult.

Instalment plan

eg. Pay £395 in 10 instalments.

Choose how many months you want to spread the cost over, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan a recurring payment will be set up and your card will be debited on the same date each month.

Refund protect

Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance.

Costs

I am very impressed by the organization of these events. Clearly a lot of planning and preparation go into it, but the event directors and crews are also nimble and able to adjust to unexpected circumstances. David Lombard

I was on week 2 of the Patagonia trip. We had weather and changing plans, but plenty of fun. Tip 1 - Take your own bike anywhere you would not expect a great hire bike. Tip 2 - If you expected an easy adventure, book a package tour. Tip 3 - Expect the unexpected. Tip 4 - Do all of the above adventures - extraordinary places to discover slowly, away from the daily grind. DP