atacama crossing
7 DAYS, 250 KM SELF-SUPPORTED
3 March 2012, Pre-Race Update:
It has been day of upbeat preparation and excitement in the tiny desert town of San Pedro de Atacama. The day opened with fairly cool temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius as the 160 competitors taking on this year’s race emerged from their hotels to take part in a briefing session and check in.The race briefing kicked off at 8am sharp in the backyard of the picturesque hotel La Casa de Don Tomas. Event Director Alina Brown and Medical Director Avinash Patil joined Vice President of Events Samantha Fanshawe, as they explained the rules, safety issues and event details in a one-hour briefing.
Once the briefing came to a close, competitors in the first six tents began the check-in process. As people went through all the medical forms and mandatory gear checks, there was one big topic being discussed—bag weight. It is a statistic that can make all the difference when carrying all of your own gear for seven days straight across a desert.A wonderful atmosphere of excitement and anticipation swirled around the setting as the check in got underway. Many of the competitors have spent months training and are happy to now be here to enjoy the race. A significant number of people had spent the week in the Chilean town, taking advantage of a chance to acclimatize to the high elevation—the entire race takes place at a minimum of 2.3 kilometers above sea level.
This year’s event features a significant number of newcomers, 66% are here for their first 4 Deserts race. But there were also many familiar faces visible in the crowd—as seasoned 4 Deserts athletes saw old friends and enjoyed reunions.American competitor Patricia Vehmeyer told us that she is excited to be back, asking us to send word to her father, Bob, that she is doing very well. Patricia took on the Sahara Race in 2010 but had to withdraw halfway through the race. She is thrilled to be back with sister Sharon and friend Sandra. The three are collectively raising funds for Runwell, a non-profit foundation to help make drug and alcohol treatment accessible to all.
Perhaps the greatest sense of anticipation was to be felt around the 13 competitors who are here to attempt the 4 Deserts Grand Slam. They professed to be excited and relieved to be taking on the first race in the series. Chilean volunteer Carola Puschela was having a wonderful time welcoming competitors at the first check-in point. She told us that the first 50 minutes of check-in had been busy, but then things calmed down. Carola is among a team of talented volunteers at this year’s event, notably the first Chilean to take on such a role.
Experienced ultramarathoner Uwe Paschke from Germany told us that he’s looking forward to taking on his first 4 Deserts race here in Chile. He professed that training had been particularly tricky this past winter. Temperatures in Germany had plunged down to -20 degrees Celsius and the copious amount of snow meant that Uwe was only able to train in the gym.We were also thrilled to come across Japanese student Kenshi Kina as he finished the gear check and passed through with a backpack of 11.5 kilograms. The 23-year old made a big impact at the Sahara Race 2011, with his contagious cheerleading ritual at the beginning of every stage. He promised that he would be conducting the same traditional morning ceremony at the camps here in the Atacama—with his team, IMAMURA Family.
The weather was turning noticeably hotter by the time the clock hit noon. Temperatures had reached 30 degrees Celsius by the time people were tucking into their lunch and finding shady spots to sit around the hotel.By 3pm competitors, all preparations had been finalized and competitors were boarding buses to leave the relative civilization of San Pedro and making their way into the vast, open expanse of the Atacama Desert.Tonight, everyone will spend their first night camping under the stars and enjoying their final ‘normal’ meal before they move into their own food rations. An early night is expected, as competitors prepare for the 8am start tomorrow morning.
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4 March 2012, Stage 1 Update
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito Leads Stage 1 of the Atacama Crossing.
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito of Spain has claimed first place in the opening stage of the Atacama Crossing 2012. The 35-year old firefighter from Alicante finished the stage with a time of 2:42:25.He was closely followed by Argyrios Papathanasopoulos of Greece, who came in with a time of 2:48:41. Papathanasopoulos (39) is an experienced ultramarathoner and spends his days as an orthopedic surgeon at Tameside General Hospital in the United Kingdom.The third person across the finish line was fellow Spaniard and fellow firefighter, David Ruiz Gomez (35), who came in with a time of 2:57:48.
Anne-Marie Flammersfeld of Germany took first place in the women’s division in 03:34:03. The fitness trainer and sports scientist is tackling the 4 Deserts Grand Slam this year, and has begun with a strong start. Interestingly, all the winners from today’s stage are taking on their first RacingThePlanet challenge.Today's stage gave competitors a taste of the Atacama Desert’s sun and its strong winds. The morning opened with cool temperatures. It was 16 degrees Celsius as checkpoint teams quietly left the camp at 6:30am, with darkness still covering the vast sky.
By 8am, competitors had arisen and were congregating at the start line. The atmosphere was upbeat and festive, as traditional music played and everyone seemed to be utterly happy to be finally embarking on the race.Today’s stage, dubbed, Navigation by Rock, began in the Rio Grande Valley. The course opened with the highest altitudes of the entire course, an elevation of 3,206 meters. The course will gradually descend throughout the race.Recent rains in the desert had altered some of the terrain on the course, so competitors found themselves running on hard sand with gutters forming from flowing water from the rains of recent weeks.
Covering just over 30 kilometers, today’s was a moderate course that moved through hills, open expanses and along ancient trading routes.First through checkpoint 1 were Argyrios Papathanasopoulos of Greece and Anne-Marie Flammersfeld of Germany. The first team to appear at the checkpoint was Friends for Life.As Belgian competitor Nathalie Werbrouck came through the checkpoint she seemed to be loving the experience. “I am living a dream; I am in paradise,” she informed us. “And I am with my husband which is second paradise.”
As the sun rose through the sky, so did the temperatures. By checkpoint 2, competitors were still in high spirits, with neither the high altitude nor the hot weather appearing to make too much of an impact.The wind began to pick up during the afternoon and by the time competitors neared the finish line, a strong wind was moving through the desert. Many people pointed out that the wind was helping counteract the heat, particularly as the course moved through a canyon near the third checkpoint. By 6pm all competitors had arrived at the camp named Inca with its marvelous setting on a cliff above Rio Salado. There was just one withdrawal from the day, Hidenori Suzuki of Japan who needed to pull out because of a sore knee.It’ll be an early night in anticipation of tomorrow’s stage, which starts at 8am sharp and will move along the Rio Grande River and into the famed Valley of Death, to Laguna Ceja in the Salar de Atacama.
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5 March 2012, Stage 2 Update
Spaniard Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito Sustains His Lead in Stage 2
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito of Spain has successfully held onto his lead in the second stage of the Atacama Crossing 2012. The firefighter from Alicante crossed the finish line with a time of 03:25:13.“I was very happy running,” said the 35-year old upon finishing. “I felt light and very well. I don't feel tired from yesterday, I just have a little bit of back pain from my bag.” It was literally a Spanish invasion at the front of the pack, with fellow Spaniard (and fellow firefighter) David Ruiz Gomez crossing the line in second place in a time of 03:40:25. The 35-year old said he also enjoyed the stage, particularly the enormous sand dune along the route.Greek competitor Argyrios Papathanasopoulos (39) remained in the top three, earning third position in 03:57:10.In the women’s division there were two winners of this stage: Sandy Suckling of Australia and Anne-Marie Flanders of Germany with a joint time of 04:31:23.
Suckling picked up the speed in the dunes in the lead-up to the second checkpoint.“The course was unbelievable. There's some stunning scenery,” she said. “And coming down that sand dune, I think I laughed all the way. I caught up with Anne-Marie later and I think just to come in with her, it's amazing. She's an awesome lady.”The winning team of the day was again Switzerland’s Team Friends for Life—and all teams remain in the competition.Today’s stage, named Above the Slot Canyons, started beside the Rio Grande River and then moved into the Valley of Death, and Laguna Cejar in the Salar de Atacama. It was mixed terrain, with views that ranged from barren desert to lush green meadows, and a diverse route that crossed river streams and large dunes.
After a warm but windy night, the camp awoke at 6am for hot water and food. By 7:30am, a morning briefing was held as Event Manager Alina Brown and Alastair Morrison explained the adjustments for the day’s course.Recent rains meant that certain sections at the beginning of the course were shifted, however the route would soon rejoin the original course so that competitors could enjoy the extraordinary views, and the thrill of descending a colossal sand dune into the second checkpoint. There were two non-starters: Hidenori Suzuki of Japan and Guillermo Wilkins of Mexico. By 8am, all 155 remaining competitors were setting out into the desert once more.The three winners from yesterday were the first to appear at checkpoint 1, moving through in a competitive mood. Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito, David Ruiz Gomez and Argyrios Papathanasopoulos stopped to quickly refill their water bottles and were swiftly off again.
The trio was still moving as a pack as they came into checkpoint 2, followed by Bart Van De Water of Belgium and Zimbabwean competitor Daniel Rowland. Of particular note was the appearance at this point of Zandy Mangold. The New York City-based photographer came in last place at RacingThePlanet: Australia last year, and he’s now in the top ten and the leading American in the field (although he did say he’d like someone to send him a razor to help tame his beard).It was tough going at this point, with soft sinking sand proving challenging for many on the course. But it was the lead-up to the second checkpoint that also brought the best quotes of the day. The route came hurtling down a massive sand dune.
Australian Roger Hanney from the team JDRF Born to Run described it as “delicious” while many attested that they felt like kids again. Brazilian Jacqueline Tero came flying down the dune in her usual high spirits, while Veronica Rivera of the UK said she screamed all the way down. The following stage to the third checkpoint was easier, a 10.5-kilometer route that included crossing one more small river. But it had undeniably been a tough day for many, with the softer sands in the salt flats proving hard going.Guy Evans of the United Kingdom who finished in 14th position today said: “I was struggling. The last stage was all that mud and stuff. I think the rain has m
ade it harder. The ground is really soft in the salt flats.”The weather held up throughout the day, with comfortable racing conditions of 25 Celsius and a slight breeze. Strong wind gusts are expected tonight, however, as the desert cools down.
The last competitor into camp at 6:30pm was Rob Young. He was greeted with several minutes of applause by fellow competitors and staff—this was a moving moment for the New Zealander who had to pull out of this stage at last year’s event.Three people did need to withdraw from the race today, including Patricia Vehmeyer, Sharon Flanders and Felicia Ong.Competitors are now in good spirits at the third campsite, Camp Laguna de Cejar by a salt lake. After enjoying watching flamingos on the lake, they’ve finished their dinners and are getting ready to sleep under the clear, starry sky.Tomorrow will present a fairly challenging route that ventures out from the flat area of the Salar, through the dry lake of Laguna Llona, and then across sandy and slate terrain by the foot of mountains.
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6 March 2012, Stage 3 Update
Spaniard Remains in Top Position in Third Stage of the Atacama Crossing
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito of Spain tasted triumph once again today, coming in first place in the third stage of the Atacama Crossing 2012. He completed the stage with a time of 4:52:27.Beneito admitted that the first 20 kilometers of the day’s race was tough going; the uneven terrain meant that he was forced to keep his eyes on the ground. He added that it was the sand dunes later in the course that proved to be the most exhilarating part of the day.Beneito was closely followed by the two competitors who have been hot on his heels throughout this race, fellow Spaniard David Ruiz Gomez—who finished in 05:01:03—and Argyrios Papathanasopoulos of Greece who earned third place with a time of 05:08:11.
The women’s field has also stayed the same, with Anne-Marie Flamersfeld of Germany just winning the stage with a time of 05:59:57. Sandy Suckling of Australia came in just seconds later in 06:00:03.‘Friends for Life’ of Switzerland has remained the first placed team. This group consists of German physician Frank Reintjes, Swiss attorney Marco Bundi and German engineer Michael Weisskopf. They are here to raise funds for others: Friends for Life is a club that organizes and takes part in extreme sports events for charity.
Competitors knew that it was going to be a tough day, with many of the 150 starters bracing themselves this morning for one of the most difficult stages of the race.By 6am, the camp was awaking with temperatures at a pleasant 13 degrees. By the time food was eaten and groups were congregating at the starting line, 21-year old student Kenshi Kina began rallying cheers with his traditional Japanese morning cheering routine—by the end of his practice, the entire camp had joined in.The race began at 8am sharp with everyone setting out in good spirits. This third stage, named The Atacamenos Trail, began through a difficult route of waist-high grass, soft, muddy terrain and bushes. The leaders of the pack moved out at full speed, while many others started the day at a more relaxed pace.
Everybody reached the first checkpoint in good time, with Spaniards Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito and David Ruiz Gomez coming in together at 9:55am. They were closely followed by Greek competitor Argyrios Papathanasopoulos and Germany’s Bart Van De Water. Food was a popular topic today. After the 18.5-kilometer course to the second checkpoint, Nathalie Werbrouck whipped out a cold soup mix and put it into a bottle that was cut in half. When asked how it tasted, she said, “Disgusting, but at the moment it's so good for me.” Upon hearing that, Michel Beller confessed that he started to daydream about digging into a steak in Buenos Aires.
There was a cheerful mood at the second checkpoint, however the next two sections were about to get tough, as temperatures rose to 29.4 degrees and the course moved through 21.5-kilometers of lands in the ALMA Project (the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array), a huge, ground-based astronomy project. Then there were more of the dreaded salt flats.Perhaps the best quote of the day came from New York’s Zandy Mangold, who claimed: “The salt flats were like a horror show with people chasing me, and I kept sinking and couldn't get away from them.”The camp came tantalizingly into view towards the end of the day, but then the course would change direction. Many of the competitors said this was the toughest part: to see the camp from the distance, but then have to turn left and left again before getting closer.
It was a grueling end to the day, with the final 100 meters to camp climbing up a 30 degree hill until competitors finally came upon the 39 colorful flags, drums and cheers of staff and volunteers at the finish line.All competitors nonetheless made it through well before the cut-off time. There were a few more withdrawals today, Adam Brownhill of the United Kingdom and Massimo Passamonti of Italy both decided to stop at checkpoints.Competitors are now relaxing from the stage in the setting of Camp Volcan Licancabur on the plateau of Zapar. They will be getting a good rest in preparation of tomorrow’s challenging stage that takes them straight into the heart of the famed salt flats.
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7 March 2012, Stage 4 Update Spaniards Storm the Infamous Salt Flats
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito has won Stage 4 of the Atacama Crossing 2012 with a time of 04:27:11. He narrowly beat his friend and fellow firefighter David Ruiz Gomez, who came in just seconds later in 04:27:16.
The first thing the two 35-year olds from Alicante said when they finished this challenging course was, “Can we jump into the craters?” They were referring to the two water-filled craters, known by locals as “The Eyes”, by the campsite. Gomez was battling painful blisters for much of the day, but managed to keep pace with his friend and fellow firefighter. There was a close third and fourth place, with Greek competitor Argyrios Papathanasopoulos finishing the stage in 04:45:18, and Bart Van De Water of Belgium finishing just behind in fourth place with 04:45:24.
The women’s field was also strong with the frontrunners keeping their edge throughout the day. Anne-Marie Flamersfeld won the stage with a time of 05:06:21 and was 15th person over the line. Sandy Suckling of Australia was the second woman over the line, completing the stage with a time of 05:21:35.Team Friends for Life continue to dominate the team’s field. They kept a safe distance ahead of second-placed JDRF Born to Run, however there was a shake up further back in the field as Team Andes Gear arrived at the second checkpoint just ahead of the IMAMURA Family Team.
There was no doubt that today was a hot and difficult course—known simply as ‘The Infamous Salt Flats’.The day began at 8am start with 145 competitors at the starting line. They were in strong spirits and started as one big group surging out over a sandy hill.The 38.8-kilometer route followed the Canyon of Quebrada de Toconao and descended into a valley known as the Jere Oasis. Then came the Salar de Atacama, or notorious salt flats, all the way to Los Ojos de Salar.
There were two withdrawals at the first checkpoint, Robert Wong of Australia finished due to his back, and British doctor Steven Rhodes pulled out due to pains in his shin splints. The rest of the field, however, continued on.Despite the next 12-kilometer section, and rising temperatures that were hitting 30 degrees Celsius in the shade, competitors were generally feeling good as they arrived at the second checkpoint.
Perhaps it was the amazing view greeting them. The views surrounding this checkpoint were certainly unusual: trees everywhere. These are Prosopis tamarugo trees that were planted on the plains in the 1970s—a herding place for lamas and donkeys, and certainly an uncommon sight on a desert race.It offered a psychological lift, as did the steady terrain that was easy to run through. But it wasn’t to last for long. Next came one of the toughest sections of the entire race: the dreaded expanse of salt flats.All competitors had to take 2.5 liters of water before heading into this hot section of 13.8 kilometers of salt flats.
South African competitor Michael Sanderson, who is a trader at Deutsche Bank in New York City, came up with a strategy for getting through the salt flats, “Run on the white patches as the sun radiates off them and walk on the brown, grassy parts,” was his sage advice. It must have worked; Sanderson came in a strong 17th position with American competitor Steven Waldon.Perhaps the best quote of the day came from Australian Kate Hogan. As she emerged over the finish line in 76th position, she said, “I think at times it felt like we were running across the world's biggest muddy chocolate brownie.”
There was much teamwork as people bandied together to tackle the salt flats together and offer moral support. And soon enough, it was over.When all the competitors arrived at the campsite, they were in for a treat. The site is set in the middle of the salt plateau and is surrounded by a 360 degree view of snow peak volcanoes, including Sairecabur (6040m), Licancabur (5920m), Juriques (5700m), Cerro Toco (5600m), Lascar (5600m and currently active) and LLaco on the Argentinean border that is less than 30km away.
Added to this astonishing view are those two exquisitely cool ponds, which have become a refuge and refreshment for many competitors after this seriously hot day.Competitors will be sleeping under the stars once more tonight and mentally preparing themselves for tomorrow’s Long March—a grueling, overnight stage.
Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito and David Ruiz Gomez both of Spain have won Stage 4 in a time of 4:26:27.
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9 March 2012, Stage 5 Update
The Long March Concludes With Spanish Winners
After a long night and rare storm weather in the Atacama Desert, the 74.2-kilometer Long March of the Atacama Crossing 2012 concluded this afternoon.It was an unusual Long March—measures were taken to stop the stage overnight as strong storm systems unexpectedly moved into the area—but all competitors were able to finish the stage today.The first to finish this epic stage was Spain’s mighty Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito who came triumphantly over the line in first position on Thursday afternoon with a time of 07:44:08.
David Ruiz Gomez of Spain and Zandy Mangold of the United States were next after Vicente, with Gomez just getting ahead of Mangold with a time of 08:19:55.But Spain was yet again on the winning cards as Javier Marina, a pastry cook and accomplished athlete, came hurtling over the line in fourth place with a time of 08:24:59. Belgium’s Jan Oyre took fifth position with 08:27:40.There were strong performances also in the women’s division. Germany’s Anne-Marie Flammersfeld whipped over the line with an impressive time of 09:56:19.Australia’s Sandy Suckling took second place with a time of 10:17:18. Jess Baker put in a strong performance as third woman over the line, although she is racing as part of the team JDRF Born to Run.
The day had dawned clear and warm on Thursday, as 143 competitors set out from the 8am start, with leaders first out of the blocks.The 74.2-kilometer course was broken into seven sections, and the hottest sections lay between checkpoints 2 and 5, where competitors needed to move through sand dunes and valleys under a relentlessly hot sun.Although the course of the Long March didn’t have much elevation change, the huge sand dune that competitors had to climb up before reaching a beautiful, moon-like plateau, was certainly a test.This, combined with an ascent to checkpoint 4, made for a tough section. As Colin Whale of the United Kingdom summed it up when we met him on this stage: “One step forward, three steps back.”
Then, there were those who were pleasantly distracted by the beauty of the exceptional setting. As France’s Henrik Jorgensen came into checkpoint 4 he said: “I’m absolutely loving the scenery.” When asked about his blisters, he said, “They don't matter, they heal. Memories stay.”As the sun started to set at 7pm and the last competitors were making their way to checkpoint 4, the weather suddenly changed. Thunder and lightning broke out for two hours above the fourth and fifth checkpoints and also in the camp.Despite the weather, all competitors safely made their way towards camp. David Methley of the UK and Indian competitor Shrimathi Swaminathan had the luck of seeing a perfect double rainbow as they walked at the back of the field with volunteers Alistair Morrison and Tony Brammer.However, by 10pm, the management team made a decision to stop the race as worse weather was being forecasted overnight. The remaining 38 competitors between checkpoint 4 and the camp were picked up and swiftly transported back to camp.
On Friday morning, the weather had cleared and by 9am the competitors who had yet to finish the stage were being transported back to the same locations—some dropped off at checkpoint 5 and others at 6. Despite being tired, they were eager to finish the Long March.“'I was first a bit disappointed about being pulled out from the course yesterday,” admitted American student Tara Gaston. “But it wasn't that bad after all; I got to rest and then see the Valley of the Moon in the daylight.”When asked whether the event had met her expectations, the 24-year old said that it was definitely harder than she had expected. “We'll take a couple of weeks to relax but my brother and I are still planning to complete all 4 Deserts this year,” she added.
As the final competitors came over the finish line, they were welcomed by the previous night’s finishers. Japanese competitor Takehiko Kano, who had surged through each checkpoint full of energy, was among the crowd cheering on competitors.Everyone is now having a superb time at the camp. People are relaxing and chatting in the shaded tents, fixing their feet and replacing all those lost calories. Leader Vicente of Spain is looking remarkably relaxed and happy as he jokes with his Spanish friends.Despite the changes to the stage’s format, competitors did manage to see some utterly awesome views of the desert over the past 24 hours. The Valley of the Moon was incredible from the glow of a colossal full moon, and many competitors got to enjoy seeing the views a second time with the light of day, which was equally spectacular.
We asked Greg Donovan of JDRF Born to Run whether he was happy with his team’s performance so far. “As this is the first 4 Deserts event for all of us, it was hard to come up with a time goal but I'm really happy with how we have done,” he said. “Ron, who's over 60, and I are a bit slower—and as long as we do the best we can, the team follows. Ron is looking really strong and feeling great today. Our aim is now to get under 33 hours, which is doable. We have also all done well in our respective age categories which is great,” he added before heading to play campsite cricket with the team.Tomorrow’s final stage is an easy, 11-kilometer trail back into San Pedro, where competitors will get to enjoy the luxury of showers, ‘real’ food and celebrations.
Rank Bib Competitor Age Sex Team Charity Nationality Residence Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 stage 6 Overall Status
1 34 GARCIA BENEITO, Vicente Juan 35 M Spain Spain 02:42:25 03:25:13 04:52:56 04:27:11 07:44:08 00:34:58 23:46:51 A
2 110 RUIZ GOMEZ, David 35 M Spain Spain 02:57:48 03:40:25 05:01:03 04:27:16 08:19:55 00:34:58 25:01:25 A
3 86 PAPATHANASOPOULOS, ArgyriosBlogs39 M Greece U. Kingdom 02:48:41 03:57:10 05:08:11 04:45:18 08:45:17 00:43:13 26:07:50 A
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