Sam, Ken, Ray and I crossed the finish line together yesterday after completing the final 10km leg of the race into San Pedro. We were warmly greeted by the locals who turned out to welcome us in. Prior to that frisbees had been donated to the children of San Pedro as part of the fund-raising effort for Chilean earthquake relief - USD15,000 has been raised in the last week and funds are still rolling in from family and friends of competitors so thanks very much for all donations that have been made.

Once across the finish line we received our medals, took the mandatory photos, grabbed a slice of pizza and then headed back to our hotel for a shower and a shave. I´m afraid my beard has already gone! It was nice to get into some clean clothes again after a week under canvas!

The awards ceremony took place yesterday evening with lots of different awards. Ryan Sands of South Africa posted an amazing 23 hours 57 minutes for the entire event which really is quite an astonishing feat. We were also treated to a photo display from the week which included lots of video footage, including some very funny footage of Sam careering down a huge sand dune, with legs and poles flying in all directions - it brought the house down!

So now we have a few hours before we begin the long haul back to HK via Auckland. The latest earthquake in Santiago has not, we are told, affected out travel plans so we should be back in HK by Tuesday afternoon. Sam left earlier for London via Santiago and Madrid and will have his own tales to tell. We will have plenty of time on the return flights to reflect on what we have achieved and what it all means. I will update this blog with photos from the event over the course of the next week. In the meantime, thanks again for all the fantastic support we  have received from family and friends all over the world.

Over and out!

The Long Day...

 

...is now over! It took us just under 20 hours to complete the 75kms but we did it! "Frozen brocolli" (salt flats - whoever said they were flat has clearly never seen them close up - they are ugly), long sandy roads, more salt flats, a massive sand dune, long dry river beds and lots more sand at the end saw us through - the last 7 hours in the dark.

 

We set off today in just under 3 hours to complete the last 10kms. It's a case of patching up the blisters (again) and hobbling into San Pedro across the finish line. We have been promised no nasty surprises by RTP but I don't believe it. I'm sure they will throw something nasty at us in one final attempt to humiliate us - they have been doing it all week!

 

There's a relaxed air in camp today as everyone gears up for the final challenge. Then lots of beer and pizza  followed by the awards ceremony in our hotel. It's been an amazing week, with highs and lows, but actually very few surprises for me. I think I'd heard enough from friends who have competed in other RTP events to know that it would be insanely tough, and it was. There was only one point when I seriously considered calling it a day, as I took 4 and a half hours to drag myself over a succession of large sand dunes in the blistering heat at the end of day 3. But then the next day brought a different perspective and a different set of challenges.

 

This is likely to be the last blog from the desert. I will update it with selected photos when I'm back in HK. Thanks again for all the support. We will have lots of stories to tell and I look forward to boring you senseless while I rehydrate over numerous beers in the lead up to the HK Sevens! 

All 4 of us have just finished a rather long boring day across a lot of flat but uneven ground. The first stage was tough, up and down a few sand dunes, before descending into a little oasis of a village. A few minutes in water and then a long haul for about 3 and a half hours across more sand, this time strewn with rocks. We beat the 3pm deadline for crossing the salt plains and then commenced the long march across the crusty plains. Very uneven but it helped being well down in the field because occasionally a little path appeared, created by the runners! We made it across 14kms of salt plains in 3 and a half hours and then had a fairly easy 6km walk back to camp. The camp today is in another spectacular location by the side of a salt lake. From the cyber tent I look out across the salt to a small blue lagoon, behind which there is a swathe of green grass. The salt plain lies behind, overlooked by Lincancabur volcano. Pretty special really.
 
And so ahead to tomorrow - the long day. We're looking forward to the challenge. We're in good shape physically and only have a few blisters to deal with. Sam is looking strong and has been the first to finish from our group of 4 for the last 2 days. We're beginning to dream of the first beer at the end of the race! Depending on how we go tomorrow I may or may not have time to update the blog. We've completed 160kms and have only 90 to go!

Arrived back in camp too late yesterday to provide a report so this one will cover both days.
 
First of all thanks for all the messages! A short while ago Ken and I were seriously contemplating heading in to San Pedro for a beer as yet another sand dune emerged between us and camp.
 
Stunning scenery on day 2. 20 or so river crossings on the first stage and then a long climb up to a high ridge. Then an amazing descent down a huge sand dune! The rest of the day was just a long haul across flat desert. We took so many photos that we were a bit slow coming in. But I'm not planning on visiting some of these places again so my photography hobby rather took over at times.
 
Day 3. We have made the cut-off for day 4! Another long day across crusty mud/salt and lots of sand. Made good time on the first 3 legs but was very slow across the rolling sand dunes on stage 4. Took over 4 hours to cover 11kms. Ken was swearing and cursing away so it wasn't just me who was suffering! Sam made it home an hour ahead of me. He's become quite a celebrity round camp and has given a number of interviews!
 
Must close as cyber tent closing down. Onto the salt flats and day 4!

45 degrees on day one!

 

We finally got under way at 8.15am today! Our overnight camp was in a spectacular location in the Rio Grande - in a deep gorge through which a massive river must have run in years gone by. We met up with our tent-mates and tucked into the first of our freeze dried food packs. I don't think anyone managed to get any sleep and by 5.00am we were getting ready for the off.

 

And so to the start where a minute'ssilence was observed out of respect for the earthquake victims in Chile.Prior to that the local guys who had been keeping us supplied with boiling water burst into song in the lead-up to the start.

 

Today's course was 35kms which we completed in about 7 hours 45 minutes. We made pretty steady progress throughout the day but suffered in the 45 degree heat in the closing stages. Maybe the river section tomorrow won't be so bad after all. We may be able to wash away some of today's accumulated grime. We passed some spectacular scenery along the way and look forward to more of the same tomorrow. I don't think we'll have any problem sleeping tonight! If we do we have the option of sleeping outside and watching the fantastic array of stars on display!

Thanks for all the comments and support - keep them rolling in as I have a feeling we'll need them!

Because of the delayed start we had a free day yesterday so we decided to do some high altitude training! That involved jumping on a minibus bound for Bolivia and heading up into the mountains. At the border we boarded our 4x4 and then spent the next 6 hours bouncing around in the back as the vehicle sped along the dusty roads. Only one puncture which was expertly dealt with by our driver Pedro. We saw some amazing sights as we rounded the big volcano that overlooks San Pedro - lots of flamingo-filled lagoons and even some wildlife (vicuñas and what looked like grouse), although how they managed to eke out an existence from a lanscape that looked more Martian than earthlike I will never know. We clocked 4,750 metres on the altimeter so our training objectives were all met! The odd headache here and there but no long-lasting effects. We finished the tour off in a hot thermal pool which enabled us to wash all off the accumulated dust.

So, today is the day we head out to the first camp for our 9am start tomorrow. We have our kit check at 11am today, followed by a sandwich lunch with all the other competitors. We then board buses at 3pm for a 3 hour ride to camp. The excitement is mounting. After all the delays we just want to get the show on the road!

The race will now begin on Monday morning and not Sunday as originally planned. That is to allow competitors more time to arrive which, in the circumstances, is quite understandable. However, it means that we will now have to squeeze 250kms into 6 days and not 7. Eric from RTP (who we met up with at Santiago airport) thought this would mean very little recovery time after the long day but no final decision had yet been made. If he´s right, that will mean just a few hours to recover after completing 73kms before embarking on the final 16kms to the finish. A tough race has just got a lot tougher!

Well, we finally made it to San Pedro! The flight up from Calama took under two hours and presented us with some magnificent views of the Andes and Atacama Desert. But before that I had had a busy morning in Santiago. My first visit to the airport was to collect my son Sam who was flying in from London via Madrid. The temporary immigration procedures were still in place so I was able to text Sam and tell him what to expect and where to meet me. It was then back into town for lunch with Ken and Ray before checking out and heading back to the airport for our 4.30pm flight.

We now experienced the temporary arrangements for domestic departures. That involved finding the right queue (there were at least 3 but nobody was really sure) and standing in it under the hot sun for an hour and a half before making it into the check-in tent - a bit like a big wedding marquee. The drinks vendors were having a field day, selling bottles of Gatorade for about US$6! Once inside the check-in tent it was plain sailing. We linked up with other competitors and all exchanged stories of our travels. 

We were met at Calama airport by Sergio who bundled us and our luggage into a big pick-up truck and drove us the 100kms to San Pedro de Atacama. Sergio was born in Tierra del Fuego but has lived most of his young life in San Pedro. He was a mine of information. On our journey through the desert we learned about the various mountain ranges and rivers we would be crossing once the race began. He told us that Calama is a town which is famous for its copper mining, which he described as "the wallet of Chile". He pointed out the volcanoes which surrounded us, including a big volcano 250kms away which we could just make out! We told him we sometimes had visibility of less than 500m in Hong Kong! The air is so clear here. It´s also a bit thin as we are now at just under 2,500 metres - we will have to see how that affects us.

We checked into the AWASI hotel an hour or so after landing at Calama and were greeted by Virginia, the manager. AWASI is spectacular, with only 8 rooms. It has only been open for 3 years and has been built using only local materials. The walls are made of adobe, a mixture of mud and straw which keeps the room cool during the heat of the day and warm at night - so warm in fact that Sam and I slept with the terrace door open. The courtyard area reminds me a bit of the South African boma, tables and chairs set around a huge open fire. We had an excellent meal before hitting the sack!

After leaving Hong Kong at 5.30pm on Tuesday we had a trouble-free flight to New York where we only had two hours to switch terminals and board our flight for Lima and Santiago. But first we had to negotiate US Customs! We readily declared our freeze-dried competition foods and I was mightily relieved when a suspicious-looking battleaxe finally agreed that she did not need to confiscate everything - but only because the food came from the UK!

The moment of truth arrived when we were informed that the flight to Santiago would leave at the scheduled time - 10.40pm. A huge relief. Maybe it was a good thing after all to fly via New York because I´m sure there would have been a number of flights that were cancelled. We had a very relaxed onward flight, stopping briefly at Lima on the way down.

On arrival at Santiago we were all processed remarkably quickly, given the fact that we did not use the terminal building at all. We disembarked and stood in a long line. A sniffer dog then sniffed all our hand luggage. Once that had happened we were allowed to pick up our main luggage. We then took our bags round the corner to a makeshift immigration centre (still outside) and were cleared in the usual way. All very organised and hassle-free and a tribute to the Chileans that they were up and running so quickly.

After half an hour in a taxi we were at our hotel (Hotel Orly). After checking in our first priority was to reconfirm our onward flights to Calama (2 hours north) today. Fortunately a LAN office was right next to the hotel and they could not have been more helpful. Our original flight to Calama had been cancelled, so it was just as well we paid them a visit. We are now booked on the 4.30pm flight to Calama today.

Also managed to contact my son Sam who had just arrived in Madrid. I´ll be heading out to the airport soon to meet him off his flight which is due at 9.45am. He confirmed he had boarded so that was good news.

After all the admin Ken, Ray and I finally managed to have a relaxed evening at an excellent local fish restaurant. We resisted the temptation to have a late night as, after 40 hours on the road, the eyelids were getting heavy. We were back at the hotel by 10.30pm!

Let´s see what today has in store for us all!

Our final preparations for the Atacama Crossing pale into insignificance compared to today's news of a massive earthquake in Chile. The event organisers have made a timely and appropriate announcement on their website and we await further news from Chile with some trepidation.  

Perhaps we - the competitors - should try to do our bit to raise some money for those affected by the disaster, irrespective of whether or not we proceed with the event in a week's time. If there is any support for this I'd be happy to co-ordinate the effort and liaise with Mary and Sam at RTP.

It's been a week now since my son, Sam, joined me to complete his training in Hong Kong. After arriving on a Friday evening it was straight out on to the Chi Ma Wan trail the following morning. After the usual 25km circuit we ended up back in Mui Wo for a quick drink and then back over the hills to Discovery Bay - about 31km in total with full backpacks. 

The following morning we were up bright and early, this time bound for Tung Chung where we met up with John, a visitor from Munich, who was keen to tackle Lantau Peak with us (via the cablecar). So we managed to get a bit of hill work in before calling it a day and tucking in to lunch at the Turkish restaurant in Mui Wo.

I was back at work on Monday but Sam was keen to make the most of the mild weather (compared to the UK), so he spent the next few days familiarising himself with all the trails around DB.

Fast forward to Saturday the 6th and it was another early start for the annual Green Power Hike, a 50km trek along the entire course of the Hong Kong Trail, starting at the Peak and ending up at Big Wave Bay. This was Sam's first long hike, so it was a good test for him. After keeping his old man company for the first 12.5km he decided to go it alone and that was the last I saw of him until the finish. Sam clocked 6 hours 36 minutes and I crossed the line 12 minutes later. It was then back home for a bit of rest before heading into Wanchai to watch the England v Wales rugby match at 1am. Well done England!

A big thank you to everyone who has made a donation to the charity I'll be supporting for this event - The Alzheimer's Society. There has been an incredible response to date which has given me a massive boost.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep everyone up to date with details of how much we've raised. Thus far we've made £2,400.

Thanks again
Chris

PS The buffalo which charged us the other day looked a bit like this!

After a two week break in the UK for Christmas it has been back to business with the training in Hong Kong. Managed to get out for about 6 hours one day in the UK but it was more like training for Antarctica than Atacama.

Had an interesting outing today with Ken and Ray, who will both be competing with me in the Atacama in March. We were on our way out from Mui Wo to join the Chi Ma Wan Trail and were suddenly confronted by a couple of very large buffaloes charging down the track towards us. Immediate evasive action was required! We all jumped over the railing on our left and within a couple of seconds they had charged past. They certainly were not going to stop. I'm just glad we weren't on bikes - there would have been a nasty collision and I know who would have come off worse. Guess something must have spooked them. Otherwise it was just great to be back out on the trails again. We did a 25k loop and made it back into Mui Wo safely a few hours later.



The only other excitement was finding a dead snake which I checked out very carefully...



It looked like a bamboo pit viper but I'm sure someone will correct us if we're wrong. After the buffalo incident we were just pleased it was dead.

I decided to enter for the Atacama Crossing 2010 back in August as I reckoned I'd need at least a 6 month lead-in time in terms of training. I suppose that means I've been training for 3 months already. Thus far my preliminary goals have been achieved...shed a bit of weight, instruct a personal trainer to firm up my "core" (once I'd learned what that was) and start building up some time on Hong Kong's amazing array of trails. The last bit was the easy bit because I can be on a trail within 10 minutes of leaving my flat. 

I guess it's now a case of doing more of the same, but building up the load I'm carrying in my rucksack and getting used to lugging that around with me up hill and down dale. In fact, in one sense I'll be scaling down the load I carry - I'm a keen photographer and decided to weigh my backpack before I set out on a wildlife shoot yesterday. It measured a mean 13.5kgs!

I have a really good "round Lantau" route, for those of you who know Hong Kong, which means I can clock up the mileage each weekend and decide whether I want to go for pure distance or also build in some hills and mountains. It's now a question of getting consecutive days into the training regime.  

I'll be participating in the Atacama with my son, Sam, and will be arranging for him to come to Hong Kong from the UK to complete his training in February. He has the advantage of having been to Chile before on a rugby tour.

I look forward to meeting my fellow competitors in March or, for those who live in Hong Kong, perhaps some time before that.