Swimming On Top Of The World’s Highest Volcano
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
The Madswimmers are leaving South Africa on November 23rd for their attempt at the world’s highest open water swim.
A group of 7 Madswimmers, 2 medics, 4 support climbers, a tour guide, and a cameraman will head off to Argentina’s Mt Ojos del Salado in the Andes mountains in their attempt to accomplish the highest altitude swim in the world.
Lewis Pugh set the current record when he swam 1 km at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet) on Mount Everest. The Madswimmers’ The Big Swim is an attempt to swim on Mt Ojos at 6,400 meters (20,997 feet).
“The team will take along chain saws to cut open a swimming lane in the ice if the lake is frozen. A medical team will be available to assist with emergencies as the combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness can cause acute health problems,” explains Nicolene Steynberg. “They will hike up a volcano in the Atacama desert that will take 8 days, so dehydration is a real risk, while they will also be extremely remote – 500 km from the closest large airport in Copiapo.
Why? For children in need. Madswimmer supports various registered children’s charities and hopes to prove to the world what normal people can do when they put their minds to helping others.”
The high-altitude swimmers Jean Craven (Madswimmers founder), Milton Brest, Evan Feldman, Chris Marthinusen, Herman van der Westhuizen, Robert Graaff, and Juandre Human will attempt to complete a high-altitude swim across Ojos del Salado in December 2015 at 6,400 km (20,997 feet) above sea level. The Ojos swim is part 1 of 2 of the Hi/Low Swim Challenge: Ojos will be the highest swim and the Dead Sea from Jordan to Israel will be the lowest open water swim next year.
For more information, visit The Highest Swim or www.madswimmer.com. 100% of all donations benefit charity – every rand.
Photo by Adventure Dynamics International show the lake iced over.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
The Madswimmers are leaving South Africa on November 23rd for their attempt at the world’s highest open water swim.
A group of 7 Madswimmers, 2 medics, 4 support climbers, a tour guide, and a cameraman will head off to Argentina’s Mt Ojos del Salado in the Andes mountains in their attempt to accomplish the highest altitude swim in the world.
Lewis Pugh set the current record when he swam 1 km at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet) on Mount Everest. The Madswimmers’ The Big Swim is an attempt to swim on Mt Ojos at 6,400 meters (20,997 feet).
“The team will take along chain saws to cut open a swimming lane in the ice if the lake is frozen. A medical team will be available to assist with emergencies as the combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness can cause acute health problems,” explains Nicolene Steynberg. “They will hike up a volcano in the Atacama desert that will take 8 days, so dehydration is a real risk, while they will also be extremely remote – 500 km from the closest large airport in Copiapo.
Why? For children in need. Madswimmer supports various registered children’s charities and hopes to prove to the world what normal people can do when they put their minds to helping others.”
The high-altitude swimmers Jean Craven (Madswimmers founder), Milton Brest, Evan Feldman, Chris Marthinusen, Herman van der Westhuizen, Robert Graaff, and Juandre Human will attempt to complete a high-altitude swim across Ojos del Salado in December 2015 at 6,400 km (20,997 feet) above sea level. The Ojos swim is part 1 of 2 of the Hi/Low Swim Challenge: Ojos will be the highest swim and the Dead Sea from Jordan to Israel will be the lowest open water swim next year.
For more information, visit The Highest Swim or www.madswimmer.com. 100% of all donations benefit charity – every rand.
Photo by Adventure Dynamics International show the lake iced over.
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. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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