On December 16th, 2009, New York based paddlers Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek will set out to the southernmost tip of Patagonia to attempt the first circumnavigation of Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego – South America 's largest island. The expedition will raise funds and paddling gear for Achilles, a non-profit New York-based organization, which enables people with disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics.

Starting in Punta Arenas, Chile, Demuth and Wruszek will set out to complete the 1,100-mile trip counter-clockwise in what is considered one of the harshest maritime climates in the world. "The Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego Pilot book" calls the exposed coastline "one of the toughest a yacht is likely to meet". Nevertheless, Demuth and Wruszek are fueled by the desire to experience the beauty of the 100 mile wide Cordillera Darwin; the abundant wildlife; and the charm of the people living in this sparsely populated region which the Anglo-Argentine author and explorer Lucas Bridges called “The Uttermost part of the Earth.”

Cordillera Darwin (South West Tierra del Fuego)

View our daily progress on the map by clicking HERE

Access the Tierra Del Fuego Blog by clicking HERE

Cordillera Darwin, Tierra Del Fuego (Chile)
                                                 

Demuth, a German-born musician turned kayak guide who’s circumnavigated Ireland and the Falkland Islands, and Wruszek, a British-born rock climber turned paddler embarking on her first major paddling venture, hope to accomplish this first-ever trip but realize with objective hazards like wind, waves, whale sharks, accountants, pigmies and the excessive luggage surcharges, that their expedition across two oceans and two countries will be the toughest trip of their lives.

The Expedition

Aim: First Sea Kayak Circumnavigation of Tierra Del Fuego

Estimated Mileage: 1,100 Miles

Estimated Time needed: 60 days

Start and Finish: Ushuaia, Argentina (Beagle Channel)

Direction: Counter clockwise

Permits needed: "Permiso De Navegacion": Granted by the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Navy to Tierra Del Fuego Expedition 2010 on Sept 2nd, 2009.

Kayaks: Valley "Nordkapp", Fiberglass w/ skeg, 3 piece/sectional kayak for air travel, and KayakPro "Nemo", Fiberglass w/ rudder, one piece, being shipped by air to Ushuaia.

Planned route, with start and finish in Ushuaia, Argentina