The North Face

May 29 | Get the Facts & Get Involved - Atacama Desert, Chile

By Dean Karnazes

EMBRACE THE RACE
For the 2008 Atacama Crossing in Chile, competitors, volunteers and staff consumed more than 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water per day crossing what is considered to be the driest place on Earth. The one hundred people involved each consumed about 2.6 gallons per day.

FACE THE REALITY
This may sound like a lot, but it is actually less than 2% of what the average American uses in one day. What these runners drank in one day is what most people in developing countries have access to for everything they need to do in one day.
Get the Facts:
• In the developing world, the average person uses 2.64 gallons of water each day.
• This water is rarely safe and people must walk several miles just to collect it.
• read more...

You can create the change these families need.  By donating just $30, you can provide safe drinking water to one person for life.

WALK IN THEIR SHOES
The average American uses about 150 gallons of water per day. Imagine you had just 2.64 gallons of water to do everything you needed to do at home. How would you cope?
Keep in mind:
• A toilet uses about 5 gallons per flush.
• A shower uses about 5 gallons per minute. (10-minute shower = 50 gallons!)
• Faucets use about 2.5 gallons per minute.
• read more...

GO THE DISTANCE
Learn More:
Click here to view slide show.

Spread the Word:
Send the message to your friends and family. By sharing this email with others, you are ensuring that more people embrace athletes such as Dean, learn more about the water issues we all face, and potentially save lives.

Donate Now:
Click here to give a tax-deductible donation to water projects that save people's lives. Just $30 provides safe drinking water to one person for life!

The North Face® is dedicated to supporting the people and communities where we and our athletes explore. As many of these communities are much less fortunate than us, we take responsibility in helping to provide them with the basics for human health & prosperity. Ensuring communities have clean drinking water is at the core of community needs. Therefore, partnering with the Blue Planet Run Foundation's peer water exchange program provides us the vehicle to efficiently and effectively fund clean water delivery systems to these communities. We are thrilled to provide a $5000 matching grant that will ultimately effect several projects. We encourage you to think about your water use and then contribute to this important cause.

For more info about the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Apr 16 | Final Results - Dean Wins Race 1: Atacama Crossing

By Dean Karnazes

Following Dean's win The North Face interviewed him to capture some personal thoughts regarding his Atacama Crossing win, see below.

THE NORTH FACE:  What were you impressed with most about the course?
DEAN KARNAZES:    "The sheer natural beauty of running through an immense, unspoiled and untouched landscape like the Atacama Desert was amazing. The course traversed some of the most remote and barren places on earth, places where very few humans have ever stepped before."

THE NORTH FACE:  Was there a most difficult area or spot you ran through?
DEAN KARNAZES:    "The Atacama Crossing was one of the—if not the—most difficult endeavors I’ve ever undertaken. Not only was the landscape incredibly foreboding—with miles of crusty, sharp and foot-swallowing salt flats to navigate through, seemingly endless desert plateaus to traverse, and impossibly high sand dunes to climb—the entire course was set at an altitude of 7,000 up to 11,000 feet above sea level, making the challenge even more formidable. Combine these factors with daytime temperatures rising above the 100 degree mark and a tough and seasoned roster of international competitors, and you have the perfect recipe for extreme competition on the highest level."

"On the fourth day of racing, I tripped on a rock outcropping while running down a hill, flew through the air, and smashed my head against a rock. It left my ears ringing and my vision blurred all day. When I finally finished the stage and arrived back at camp, a raging dust storm tore through the area and ripped my tent from the ground, sending it hurling through the air, with me trapped inside. I thought I was going to die. The next day was the toughest day of racing, 75km, and I had an over 30 minute deficit to make-up on the leader if I wanted to win. Never have I dug so deeply before, never have I pushed so hard to claim victory."

THE NORTH FACE:  Emotion, learnings, comradery....any details about what it was really like out there.
DEAN KARNAZES:    "Although I won the race, I prefer to say that I, “Survived the fastest.” I applaud anyone who had the courage to finish this incredible endeavor. Over the course of six days of racing together, the group grew incredibly close. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all of the other competitors, especially the second and third place finishers, Rob James from the UK and Johan Petersen from New Zealand, for unselfishly offering their advice and guidance to me along the way. As seasoned veterans of this style of racing, they helped me tremendously with my packing and rationing strategy. It was a tremendous learning experience for me, and my teachers were two of the best on earth."

"A final note, of the three individuals attempting to be the first to complete all four of the desert races in one calendar year, one was forced to drop-out during the Atacama Crossing, Jimmi Olsen, and the other, South African Paul H. Liebenberg, completed the race in an official finish time of 55:02:01."

Final Results: 250km in 6 day stages...that's 155 miles, so Dean averaged 00:12:19 per mile while in the desert heat while packing all his own stuff on his back, average backpack weighs about 25lbs for this event.

Atacama Crossing: Finish Line

Click here for competitor rankings.

For more info about the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Apr 06 | Atacama Crossing – Stage 6 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - The last stage of the Atacama Crossing had us racers leaving the final camp and running back into the town of San Pedro de Atacama, the place were it all started a week ago. The backdrop was the towering, snow-covered Licancabur Volcano and the massive peaks of the Andes. It was a spectacular way to finish this most memorable event.

Today was only a 10-K, by far the shortest day of racing, so the final standings were already somewhat predetermined for most racers by their results over the previous five stages. I ran this final segment alongside two people I’ve developed a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for since the start of this competition, the second- and third-place finishers (yes, I had the good fortune of surviving the fastest). Rob and Joe are built of steel, and have hearts of gold. We pounded hard out there, each of us leaving everything we had on the race course. They inspired me, and terrified me with their grit and determination. Nearing the end, we picked up a couple other runners, and all of us crossed the finish line together, hand in hand. It was the perfect moment.

We were treated to a party in the Town Square, Chilean-style, with music, pizza, and festivities all around us. As any of the racers will attest to, it was well-earned. The past week had been brutal, beautiful, and at points (like when faced with a 500-foot sand dune after 40 miles of running) seemingly impossible. I applaud all the finishers for their tremendous willpower and resolve to keep pushing onward, even when all hope seemed lost. I am inspired and humbled by what I saw.

And so concludes the 2008 Atacama Crossing. The blisters will heal, the cuts and scratches will mend, the muscle soreness will ease, but the memories will last forever.

From the Atacama Desert in Chile, best wishes to you all. - Dean Karnazes

For more info about the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Apr 04 | Atacama Crossing - Stage 5 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - Stage 5 was the notorious “long day.” It was 45-miles of slogging through crusty and sharp salt flats, dealing with temperatures cresting 100 degrees, struggling to climb massive sand dunes, and for all but two of the competitors, navigating at night by headlamp. Thankfully, I was one of those two competitors. Which means that I arrived in camp early. Which further means that my time was relatively fast.

It was a good day of racing for this kid. On the heels of a disastrous day, today was remarkably strong, the body feeling resilient and recovered.

Tomorrow is the last day of racing. It is a very short, easy stage, designed to be fast and completed quickly so that the competitors can regroup and pack before departing on Sunday. Right now, from a competitive standpoint, things look fairly promising. I’ve somehow been able to develop a time lead that will be difficult to overcome in the one short stage remaining. That being said, anything can happen out here in the Atacama Desert, so I’m not cherishing my medal just yet (in fact, I’m not even taking finishing the event for granted). - Dean Karnazes

Stage 5: The long stage, where competitors had to tackle more than 70 kilometers across salt flats into Moon Valley and Death Valley.

For more info about the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Apr 02 | Atacama Crossing - Stage 4 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - Took a nice header today. Not good. Caught my foot under a rock while running with another competitor and went flying through the air, twirling as I spun, and landed on my backpack thinking all was good, until my head snapped backward and hit a rock. Knocked me senseless (which isn’t too far removed from my normal state, I guess).

My ears were rigging all day and I was seeing double periodically, though that could have been due to the heat. When we got to camp, a massive windstorm hit and blew a couple of the tents right off of their foundation and into the air, mine included. Except, I was in mine. It was one of the hairiest moments in my life. Needless to say, I was shaken.

Please check the 4 Deserts website for updates. Online satellite access has been spotty, at best. - Dean Karnazes

Stage 4 - Part 1: Competitors pass through the village of Tocano, through streams and into the salt flats.

Stage 4 - Part 2

When a huge storm ripped through the checkpoint. :

For more info about the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Apr 01 | Atacama Crossing - Stage 3 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - Last night I got a full-night’s sleep, nearly three uninterrupted hours. It made all the difference. Today, I felt a little less spaced-out than I have since arriving in Chile. This entire experience has been somewhat like a technicolor hallucination anyway, the Atacama Desert looking less like planet earth than a cross between the moon and Mars, layering extreme sleep-deprivation on top has been like entering an Alice in Wonderland story.

Strange as it seems, three hours of sleep made a world of difference. Not only was my head in the game today, my body finally performed a little better. On a day that was filled with incredibly varied challenges: crusty salt flats, head-high reeds to navigate through, sand dunes the size of small mountains, and radiating heat, I glided through it feeling pretty strong. I attribute it to getting three hours of sleep, the most I’ve gotten since the racing began. And yes, I’ll be proudly wearing the Yellow Jersey again tomorrow.

Of course, great as I feel today, tomorrow could be a different story. Of the three athletes attempting to be the first to run all of the 4 Desert events in one calendar year, one is already out. A remarkably talented Danish athlete who spent the better part of a year training for the challenge, Jimmy Olsen was forced to abandon his quest before the conclusion of the first 4 Desert race. He had been in Chile for two weeks prior to the Atacama Crossing, training and preparing, and was extremely disappointed to suffer a recurring ankle injury which forced him to DNF. We met before his departure back to Denmark and made a pack that I would carry on for the both of us.

So Jimmy, that Yellow Jersey today is a tribute to you my brother. As for the remaining days and weeks of racing, I’ll do my best, just taking it one step at a time. And trying to get some sleep along the way…

Farewell from Licancabur (camp 3). - Dean Karnazes

Stage 3 - Part 1: Competitors departed at 8 am from a salt lake and continued through every type of terrain imaginable.

Stage 3 - Part 2

Competitors through brush, scrub, salt flats and small sand dunes. Competitor described the day as brutal.:

For more info about Dean's participation in the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Mar 31 | Atacama Crossing – Stage 2 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - Part of the challenge of this type of racing is adjusting to a format that is very different from traditional running. Let me explain.

First, you are required to carry everything that you need the entire time. The only thing the race provides is 4.8 liters of water every night. All of your food, clothing, medical supplies, etc… must be carried in a pack on your back. The pros have a distinct advantage because they know all of the tricks to getting the pack as light as possible. For instance, some of the packs on the first day weighed-in at under 15 lbs. (by comparison, my pack initially weighed close to thirty). Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot of the tricks of the trade in the past two days.

Next, you sleep in a tent with six other racers. This is great from a camaraderie standpoint, though it takes some getting used to. The quarters are tight, and you get awoken quite a bit throughout the night. I still haven’t gotten used to this element. In the past two nights I’ve slept about an hour and a half. And I’m not exaggerating (wish I were).

Of course, the other challenge is trying to learn how to pace yourself properly throughout the duration of the entire event. Going too strong one day can lead to dire consequences the next day, or even for the rest of the event.

These are just some of the types of tests a multi-day adventure running format, like 4Deserts, presents. As for the exploration element, however, you really can’t beat it!

Today was another difficult one. Plenty of climbing, river crossings, sand dunes, intense heat, and altitude. Got lost a couple times and was rescued by a terrific New Zealander, Joe Peterson, who spotted me wondering aimlessly through the sand dunes off in the distance. Suffered some intestinal issues (nothing I want to share with you all, but suffice it to say, it wasn’t pretty). Hopefully it’s just my digestive system adapting to dehydrated food every night and not something more serious. Time will tell.

The stage winner today was guy who has been educating me to no end on this type of racing, Rob James, so I was really pleased to see him win the Yellow Jersey. I think there will be plenty more in his future, too.

Okay, tonight I sleep (fingers crossed). - Dean Karnazes

Stage 2 - Part 1: Competitors going through water crossings.

Stage 2 - Part 2: The second half of the Atacama Crossing.

For more info about Dean's participation in the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Mar 30 | Atacama Crossing - Stage 1 of 6

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - Today was amazing. We arrived yesterday afternoon at the starting camp and were promptly christened by a raging sandstorm. The camp was ravaged and sleeping pads and gear were swept up in the twister and carried off into the desert. It was so cold at night that I did not sleep a wink.

So why was today so amazing? The Atacama Desert shined in all her glory. The sunrise was glorious and the race course was absolutely spectacular, climbing over vast vistas and weaving through barren canyons that have not seen rain in years.

It got hot. Really hot, with no breeze whatsoever. My main goal was to finish before getting sunburned to a crisp. I was not expecting to win the stage. In fact, I did not even know that I had until I reached the finish line and they informed me. So tonight I have the honor of wearing the Yellow Jersey at camp (they give the Stage winner the yellow jersey, like the Tour de France). Not that I will showing it off, because I am heading straight to sleep. - Dean Karnazes

Stage 1 - Part 1: The Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2008 kicks off on March 30th.

Stage 1 - Part 2

Before arrival at the camp by San Bartolo.:

For more info about Dean's participation in the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Mar 28 | Base Camp Atacama

By Dean Karnazes

Race 1: Atacama Desert, Chile - After thirty-two hours of travel, I’ve arrived at the pre-Inca town of San Pedro de Atacama, population 967. Situated in northern Chile, overlooking the Licancabur volcano, the town’s elevation is 7,500’ above sea level. Yeah, I’m feeling it.

The jetlag and sleep deprivation, combined with the altitude and bone-dryness of the outside air, has me feeling like one of the mummies they have on display in the town’s museum. Apparently the complete lack of rainfall, extremely low humidity, and stillness of the air create perfect conditions for mummification. And, to think, we’re going to run here. Legs, please don’t fail me now!

I had the pleasure of meeting some of the other racers today. The combined list of accomplishments between the group reads like a Wikipedia page of the world’s most extreme events: multiple Marathon des Sables finishes, Race Across America (RAAM), Augrabies Extreme, Badwater Ultra, Mongolian Sunrise-to-Sunset, Ironman, Ultraman, Two Oceans Ultra, too many 100-milers to even list, and a host of completely psychotic sounding events that I’d never even heard of before (like the 6633 Extreme Ultra, a 352-mile self supported trek across the Arctic).

Tomorrow we attend a mandatory gear and medical check, and then head off into the desert to camp at the race start. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some sleep tonight, at this lower elevation. The race start is at 11,004’ above sea level. Lungs, please don’t fail me now!

Over-&-out from Northern Chile,
Dean

P.S. If anyone has some tips for dealing with altitude, do share. While I’ve tried many of them over the years, I’d love to tap into the collective brainpower of our online community for additional thoughts and ideas for everyone to see. If you’ve got a suggestion or two, fire away!

To track the racing live, click: Atacama Crossing

For more info about Dean's participation in the "4 Deserts", please visit www.4deserts.com and www.racingtheplanet.com.

Dean N. Karnazes Interview