Team Feed The Machine/Ibex Prepares for the "Adventure at the End of the World"

The Patagonia Expedition Race is an 11 day, 435 mile adventure through unspoiled territory isolated from the rest of the world. It is a competition in which one can travel for hundreds of miles without seeing any trace of civilization. Roads or even mere paths are scarce in this savage territory, limiting support for teams. Sea routes follow a labyrinth of channels, and even air access is often limited or completely blocked due to the weather. In this race teams will fight, not for the prize money, but for their very survival.

So how do you prepare for such a challenge? That seems to be the most popular question.

Besides the obvious physical preparations, your mental game is immensely important. Your mind-set will lead you to agree to the race, drive you to prepare, push you through trying times on the course, and allow you to finish.

The Patagonia Expedition Race calls to you with its challenge and you agree to take it on. You find the mystery of Patagonia alluring and are enthralled by the unimaginable distance it will take you from the safe haven of your home. You have participated in many races but what you truly seek is an adventure. You long to engage in the physical and mental challenge of moving through 435 miles of extreme wilderness accompanied by a cast of characters who you will entrust with your life. You gather these characters, who become your new family members, and with similar attitudes and personalities you all set out for the starting line.

Anticipation of the beauty, the enormity, and the severity of the Patagonia Expedition Race drives you to prepare. You are going there to live, to seek, to be, and to find everything you’ve only seen in photos. You plan on supporting your new family physically and mentally in order to get to the finish line together. As you prepare, some people will call you crazy. And since crazy is defined as “intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with something,” then yes, you are crazy. You feel as if you cannot go on without experiencing Patagonia and all of her splendor, and your entire life revolves around preparation.

You are aware it will be the toughest, wildest, coldest, longest race you have ever done and your mind is ready. But your sanity will be tested to the extreme. You will fear for your life, see unimaginable beauty, become ill, explore new territories, feel immense pain, experience spirituality, hate and then love your teammates, all in one day. And yet you press on, sharing those emotions and experiences together day after day.

Patience is truly a virtue in an 11 day adventure. The race will take place in such an isolated and uninhabited region that there are not even animal trails that could be used for bicycles. It is a true expedition from start to finish, where you will not be able to dictate your pace because the geography will control your speed. You and your family will see the best and worst of each other. You will engage in deep conversations and learn more about each other than you really care to know. You will experience lunacy, delusions, depression, derangement, ecstasy, bliss, humor, rejoicing and finally the satisfaction of completing the adventure.

The Patagonia Expedition Race will soon begin and Team FeedTheMachine/Ibex will be at the starting line. Jon, Jayson, Christian, and Bernice have created a family. They have spent hundreds of hours training, gathering gear, and mentally preparing. They will each have their opportunity to physically and mentally assist one another through the trying times on the course. And they will reach down deep into their souls to find the strength and the courage to continue each day. And when the views are so extraordinary that they are stopped cold in their tracks, they will be there together absorbing every second of it until the end.

Note: The team would like to thank their sponsors for helping them prepare for this extraordinary event. Feedthemachine.com for leading the way. Ibex for the incredible clothing that will surely protect them from the cold and 40 mph winds. Injinji for the socks that will keep their feet happy over 435 miles. NRS and Sealskinz for the paddle gear needed for arctic water crossings. Pro Bar, E-caps/Hammer, Honeystinger, Amino Vital, and Alpine Aire Foods who will keep the team nutritionally sound through the days with no outside supplies. Gregory for the packs that will carry 48-56 hours worth of gear at a time. Rudy Project and Dermatone for the glasses and sunscreen to protect the team from the absence of the ozone layer.