Competitor Feeding Frenzy
Lago Espejo
Bariloche, Argentina — Nov. 30, 1999

	Underground Feast

With the start sheduled 8:30am tomorrow (Wednesday), a massive contingent of close to a 1000 competitors, media and event staff have set up a shanty tent town on the edge of pituresque Lake Espejo.

A 2 1/2 hour drive from the event base of Catedral, convoys of mini vans and buses wound there way around the beautiful lakeside to the start. Competitors have spent the day here getting tested on the skills required to ensure their safety on the paddling leg of the race. i.e., they gotta swim, and be able to right a flipped kayak.

"I am sure we will see a huge feeding frenzy with teams fueling up and God knows they are going to need it..."

Most teams are guessing that tomorrow's paddle to start the event will be at least 12 hours long so they are busily packing rations and giving things one last check over before being treated to the official pre-race feast...otherwise known as the last supper.

And what a feast it is going to be... known as "Curanto," an Argentine version of the Pacific tradition, it's rocks heated in fires and then spread with leaves and huge portions of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, covered with more leaves and left to bake in the earth.

The word is out that it looks good and I am sure we will see a huge feeding frenzy with teams fueling up and God knows they are going to need it over the next week.

— Chris Vile, MountainZone.com Correspondent