Adventurer and explorer Dan Bull has taken out one of the most sought-after titles in the field of extreme adventure, achieving ‘The Highest Kayak on Earth’, near the summit of the world’s highest volcano, Ojos del Salado. And he has been recognised by Guinness World Records for his achievement.
Dan achieved the new world record for ‘The Highest Altitude Kayak’ at an altitude of 5,707 m, covering a distance of over 2.5 km and using his ice axe to pull himself and his kayak along the surface of the frozen lake to break the ice and prepare a kayaking lane. “I wanted to combine my passion for heights with my love of water and pursue my dream of breaking a new world record,” Bull explained.
On a recent climb, standing alone on top of the world's highest volcano, Bull spotted a small frozen lake just near the summit. “I was yet to survive the descent back down the volcano, but somehow I was already dreaming of my next adventure,” he said.
Only barely surviving the solo descent, he returned again this year this time with his kayak - flying back to Santiago, Chile, then onwards to the mining town of Copiapó in the Atacama Desert (the site of the 2010 Chilean mining accident, where 33 men were trapped underground for 69 days) to begin his approach. The unnamed lake, since verified as one of the highest bodies of water in the world, sits on the eastern flanks of the world’s highest volcano, straddling the borders of Chile and Argentina.
Ojos del Salado, a stratovolcano whose name roughly translates to "Eyes of the Salty One” from its native Spanish, comes from the enormous deposits of salt that, in the form of lagoons or 'eyes', appear in its glaciers. It is the highest mountain in Chile and the second highest mountain outside the Himalaya.
In addition to the extreme high altitude, the summit towers 6,893 metres tall, the humidity can be as low as 2%. Despite the extremely dry conditions, snow storms can strike at any time, covering the surrounding area with a few feet of snow.
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