THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

Writer and photographer Matt Maynard ventures into the Atacama Desert with 13 runners as they attempt the first-ever race to the summit of the world's highest volcano, the 6,893m Ojos del Salado

-  Matt Maynard

Acclimatising to be able to run - or just survive at extreme altitude - is a bit like going to the gym. The theory is straightforward: stimulate the body, be patient and the results will come. Start to feel too simple? Add more weight or, in this case, elevation above sea level. Lift more. Climb higher. So far, so easy.

On the world's highest volcano, towering 6,893m above the Atacama Desert in the Chilean Andes, the inaugural Ojos del Salado Sky Race - around 7km of, at times, sheer climbing was held in December 2022. The start line was a full 400m above the height of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak. The intended finish line: one vertical mile higher up.

Running at this altitude demands months of preparation and pre-acclimatisation. If you took a helicopter straight from sea level to the 5,250m start line, you'd suffer acute mountain sickness (AMS). Symptoms at the friendly end include vomiting and migraine. At the sharp end, you're looking at brain swelling, coma and potentially death.

Yet Ojos del Salado is perhaps the best suited place on the planet for such a challenge. Besides neighbouring Aconcagua in Argentina, which is just a fraction taller, there is no higher mountain in the world outside of Asia. And unlike Aconcagua, or other peaks of the Seven Summit circus, there are no exorbitant visas or summit fees to pay. In fact, there is a dirt road you can drive on straight to the start line.