Checking In
Next Stop, Bariloche
Villa Cerro Catedral, Bariloche— Nov. 28, 1999

	Buenos Aires

The countdown is on to this year's epic Eco-Challenge. For many teams the challenge of getting to Bariloche has proved to be an event in itself.

We traveled from New Zealand with Team Map Info and received a first hand view of what must be every airline's worst nightmare...The Eco-Traveler.

Imagine the most baggage you have ever traveled with and multiply it by three. Each team member is carrying up to 100 kilos of equipment, food and clothing for the next three weeks of their expedition. Clutching official documents and excess baggage waivers, Team Map Info invades the Aerolineas Argentinas check in. Fellow travelers and onlookers are bemused, if not slightly concerned, that all that luggage is for real.

"So once again it's the baggage sorting mission from hell as shuttle vans drive off in horror at the sight of it all..."

The flight from NZ to Buenos Aires is 12 hours, a chance to relax, if only they had designed economy class seats for size large adventure racing legs.

The team has to overnight in Buenos Aries in order to connect with flights to Bariloche the next day. So once again it's the baggage sorting mission from hell as shuttle vans drive off in horror at the sight of it all. Several hours later, and multiple flights of gear lugging stairs later, it's a chance to check out the city and sleep before reversing the whole crazy process on the way to the domestic airport.

Next stop is the resort town of Bariloche and the end of what should be included as the first leg of the Eco-Challenge.

Multiply this story by all 51 teams from 31 competing nations, plus the event crew and media, and the massive scale and logistics of this event become apparent.

Will the small town of Bariloche ever be the same?

— Chris Vile, MountainZone.com Correspondent