BIKING IN CHILEBienvenido a Santiago
Even though I did not know the names of all my
travel companions I was sure that spending
some time with them in their home town of
Santiago would acclimatise me well for the
journey ahead. The mountains rise up to almost
6000m only a few kilometres outside the city.
It's easy to spend a few days in thin air here.
The process of getting used to the lower
amount of oxygen at high altitude plays a
large part in the success or failure in high
mountain expeditions. If things go badly it
may even determine life or death. Altitude
sickness is a common risk if not preparedproperly so keeping a close lookout for signs
(headaches, lack of appetite and loss of
performance) both in yourself and your
mates is crucial as we would learn later on.
Mountains in my homeland rarely reach
above 3000m so I had to resort to more left-
field methods of preparation. I worked with a
high altitude training generator, allowing me
to simulate the appropriate level of altitude.
Oxygen is pulled from the surrounding air
and blown back via a tube system into a
respiratory mask or tent.
At night I slept in a small tent that covered
my head and chest, allowing me to sleepAbove: A truly alien
landscape.
Opposite Page:
Taking a well-earned
break on the road.