ATACAMA DESERT RACE

At Melbourne suburban night events during the winter Greg Tamblyn was a regular entrant in the Power Walker category, but there was a difference. He carried a backpack full of rice. This was part of his training for an epic race across a high altitude desert in the Chilean Andes.

The Atacama Desert Race

Greg Tamblyn (VIC)

Greg crossing the finish line

A“ RE you mad?” “It’s a desert and it’s the driest place in and the potential for injuries and blisters goes way up. It is the world and you are planning to race 250km across important to keep telling your body to keep going and going it?” I had comments like this for months before I left for the and going. Finally you get to camp and then have to do it all Atacama Desert in northern Chile. again the next day. In July this year I joined 130 individuals from around the Days Five and Six were one long stage. It included a night world on a seven day 250km race across the Atacama stage and covered a total of 86km. The first 25km was a Desert. Rules were very simple you had to carry all your own crossing of the salt flats. This was made doubly hard by the food, equipment and sleeping gear for the entire race. The headwinds, which would not let up. organisers would only supply a place in a tent and water at Due to the hours on the move each and every day, the days the checkpoints each day. became a blur of impressions, rest and photo stops. Some I The Atacama Desert is an amazing area with enormous will really never forget. contrasts. The high Andes Mountains are always on the Some areas looked like walking through snow; the surface horizon with a couple of active volcanoes gently pumping was actually covered with thick layers of salt. During the night steam into the sky. It has areas of weathered rock, soft sand, stage we walked through the Valley of the Moon an area of low scrub and grasses and about 100km of soft and horrible amazing shapes and rocky outcrops that were all highlighted salt flats (the area is renowned for them). by a full moon. Day One started at 4,600 metres, heading down the only river The most memorable part was running the last 5km to the valley in the area. Over 40 km and 50 freezing river crossings finish line with everybody from the local village cheering me later we finally reached the campsite. on. Day Two had the last water we would see as we started by It was the toughest race I have ever been in both physically moving through 3km of slot canyons. This quickly changed to and mentally and yes I am really glad I completed it. My a long rocky ridge that lead to some enormous sand dunes. recovery has encouraged me to try again and I have even Days Three and Four were more and more sand and more entered the next race at Kashgar in the Gobi Desert of China rocky ground. It seemed endless, somewhere in this period in June next year. You can keep track of my progress at your mental training has to kick in and it becomes more www.racingtheplanet.com important than the physical training. You really get tired