Atacama Crossing Blogs 2018

Kimberley Bishop

10

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Atacama Crossing (2018) blog posts from Kimberley Bishop

27 September 2018 06:12 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

Yesterday we arrived at last in the little town of San Pedro. I'm happy to have a few extra days to really get comfortable with the altitude (2400m), not that its too much more than Johannesburg (1750m) - but its enough to make a difference. The highest point on the course will be at 3200m on day 1 so the happier this body is with the altitude before then, the better.

It feels strange to be here again. I was last in San Pedro 10 years ago, meeting my parents as they crossed the finish line of the Atacama Crossing, and the year before I volunteered at the race. San Pedro holds a special place in my heart and it's wonderful to see that after all this time it hasn't changed very much, apart from a few extra restaurants and sports equipment shops, which I am definitely not unhappy about! It is magical to find a place in this world that seems so untouched by the offensive parts of progress - fast food joints, for example. This is an oasis of adventure travellers who love the sandy streets and want to get out there an explore. How privileged I feel to be about to explore this magical area in the most hands on way possible!

Yes, we did unpack and repack our bags AGAIN. I think we're almost set. Almost.

And so the carbo-loading begins! There's not much more we can do now

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Cheryl Stanton

Posted On: 01 Oct 2018 07:32 pm

Awesome Kimmi.... hope you having and amazing day 2!

21 September 2018 05:56 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

Yes, I know its been a while since my last post.

It's been a bit of a slog training and a mad rush to get all my kit together. Our packs arrived later than planned which meant we're going in with a bit less pack-training than I would have liked. I think the sports shops around JHB dread my visits - so much debating and back and forth and "I'll come back" and then coming back and taking all of the time and sometimes buying nothing. I'm sure they're enjoying my absence! But finally I got everything I needed. I'm grateful for the spare room I have because it's been home to my pack and assortment of kit and food for what feels like ages now. I must say it all looks very professional.

And the food - I have packed and repacked each day's food collection more times than I care to count.

And it doesn't all fit!!!!! Yikes!!!!!

I'm almost ashamed to admit that it got to the point where I ended up pricking a hole in all the food packaging to squeeze out all the air and reseal with tape. It sounds so extra but I think I got the most extra space by doing this!

So all the important (read: irreplaceable) goodies have been shoved into my pack to be taken hand luggage on the trek across the world. Yay for more pack training!

Here we go: Johannesburg, South Africa - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Santiago, Chile - Calama, Chile

And finally the drive to San Pedro de Atacama!

Off we go!

More soon,
K

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21 July 2018 10:38 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

I haven

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07 July 2018 10:37 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

This little piggy is rested and back into training but my knees aren

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25 June 2018 10:36 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

This week I

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24 June 2018 08:54 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

It

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17 June 2018 08:53 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

Let's skip ahead to day 10 - FINALLY improved, I headed to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens for a little 8km trail run with a friend of mine. Now please bear in mind that I can't even remember when my last 'race' was. With my knees strapped to the nines, off I motored behind my dear friend who was more like a rock-rabbit or mountain goat on those hills - fast and super agile!

It was phenomenal! I forgot how much I enjoy this.

So at last, I have started training.

I would be lying if I said my knees were cool and groovy afterwards

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09 June 2018 08:52 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

Day 1 was set to be the 1st of June and I thought the timing couldn't be more perfectly aligned. My

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18 May 2018 08:51 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

The most actual planning I

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07 May 2018 08:48 am (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria

As I sit here typing, I am eating (with my other hand

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