Advantages Of Swimming On A Volcano
Photos of Herman van der Westhuizen on Mount Muelas Muertes, courtesy of Nicolene Steynberg about the Madswimmers The Big Swim on Mt Ojos del Salado in Argentina. The advantage of doing high-altitude swimming up on a volcano is the availability of a 30ºC (86ºF) thermal bath right next to the 8ºC (46ºF) lake.
Herman van der Westhuizen completed a 15-minute training swim in the middle of a 80 km per hour wind storm at 5,100 meters.
He is part of the Madswimmer expedition of 7 South African high-altitude swimmers, 2 medics, 4 support climbers, a tour guide and a cameraman were rising to the challenge – steadily towards the world’s highest altitude swim on Mt Ojos del Salado in the Andes Mountain.
But like swimmers at sea level, they knew to expect the unexpected.
“There are more challenges. The team had some car troubles and the chainsaws needed modifications in order to get the engines started due to the low oxygen in the air in order to prepare for the Friday or Saturday swim,” reports The Big Swim team.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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