Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2004
The Atacama Crossing 2004's first campsite was in the fertile valley of Rio San Pedro at an elevation of 7,900 feet (2,400 meters) adjacent to the town of San Pedro de Atacama. At the start of the Atacama Crossing 2004, competitors were taken to the small village of Machuca at an elevation of 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) with spectacular views of the Salar de Atacama (salt flats) and adjacent mountains. The first stage wound through the Inca Trail, sandstone canyons and desolate high plains. Other stages required that competitors traverse freezing slot canyons before passing through the most arduous section of the course, the Salar de Atcama (salt flats). The 50-mile (80-kilometer) stage took competitors through the Valley of the Moon, over landscape that is so lunar-like that NASA tests its Mars Rover Vehicles in the area. The final campsite was located in the Valley of Death which afforded competitors an opportunity to practice sand-boarding before finishing in the quaint town square of San Pedro de Atacama.
Awards | 
