Atacama Crossing 2013

[andy_s]

Just back from my 4th Multi-Stage Ultra, the Atacama Crossing 2013 organised by racingtheplanet (http://www.4deserts.com/atacamacrossing/)

The race is over 7 days and is self-supporting (except tents and water), you carry everything you need for the week on your back. The distance is a total of 250kms, or 155 miles, which ever seems shorter(!) and the terrain ranges from moderate to severe. Temperatures got into the mid-40s (110 degrees in old money).

This year I entered as part of a team with my wife and two friends who were novices we'd trained up all last year - they'd never even done camping before! Unfortunately my wife was one of the 18 who had to pull out as she suffered heatstroke, and the other lady team member became slower and slower as her feet slowly fell to bits as time went on. Still, I took on my 'tour guide' mode and we went at her pace, keeping her going and finally finishing in good spirits. My 4th Ultra, their first, so all credit to them both.

Anyway, a few pics - camp life -



Me getting ready for the day -



Tents comprised of ten people, here're our guys, the field of 150 had about 30-35 nationalities in all -



The snake just after the gun -



Salt flats - no speed records on this terrain though -



Midway I think -



Long, long days -



Control instrument, for timing stages - the bezel gives a rough ETA relative to the hour hand, the chrono gives time elapsed for the leg and the time gives total time -





And a final shot - start of day 3 on a salt lake crust -



Anyway, crappy snaps, but some excellent photographs here from the professional who accompanied us - a great guy with a great eye - http://blog.boytecreative.com/a-special-tribe/?fb_... - see if you can spot me having a ciggie....

[torres del paine]

Your pictures take me back to a year on the road in S America, in particular Peru and the Altiplano in Boliva. The Atacama is an amazing environment; dry, relentlessy sunny, peaceful and stunning.

Thanks for sharing.