Photo: (c) T.C. Worley
Trekking in the 2010 race

My gear is packed. My flight leaves in 48 hours. I'm headed back to Chile and the insanity of the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race, a weeklong adventure race near the tip of South America.

This will be my second trip to Chile to do the WPER. I've assembled the same team as last year, including Jason Magness, Chelsey Gribbon, and Daniel Staudigel -- all members of the YogaSlackers group. We know better what's coming this year. We're nervous, but we're ready for it!

Photo: (c) T.C. Worley
Kayaking in the Beagle Channel

In the Wenger Patagonian Race, which has been held since 2004, you traverse the wilds with a map and compass in hand, no GPS allowed. The goal is to find checkpoint flags hidden miles apart that lead, after days on the move, to a finish line hundreds of miles away.

Instead of Tierra del Fuego like in 2010, this year the race moves north in Patagonia to the area around Chile's Southern Continental Ice Field. Disciplines will again include kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, navigation, and ropework in the mountains that spike and interrupt the land.

Photo: (c) T.C. Worley
Bike leg in Tierra del FuegoMy team -- Team GearJunkie.com -- knows the game at WPER, and we're ready to get on with the race! If we eat right, stay warm, keep hydrated, and keep our heads right, we might just pass the test. Our goal is a finish line in the remotest Patagonia. Wish us luck if you can. We're going to need it!

--Follow Team GearJunkie live during the race at http://gearjunkie.com/patagonian-race.