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03-06-2007, 06:45 AM
Matthias Jeschke from Germany will try to break the existing high altitude world record for cars, which has been set by himself in 2005. Once again he will tackle the Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano of the earth, which is situated in the Chilean Andes.
The current record mark is 6.358 m, that is about 20.860 ft above sea level.
The record car is the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, which will be launched in the European market after this event. Other partners of this project are Warn (winches), Goodyear (Wrangler MT/R tires) and Argo ATV (amphibian and all terrain vehicles)
I´m very pleased to announce this project and to keep you updated on any news concerning this record attempt. I will receive brand new information, directly out of the Atacama desert, one of the most arid regions of the world. So be part of this adventure and do not miss any news from Matthias Jeschke and his team!
A further aim of the project is to show the capabilities of the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon which is the most rugged and capable offroad vehicle built by any major car manufacturer in his stock condition. There will be no modifications to the two Wranglers provided by Jeep beside two winches (for rescue purposes only) and the Wrangler MT/R tires in stock size.
All members of the team are experienced fourwheelers or high altitude climbers. Also a member is a well known off-road-proven doctor to take care of their health conditions and to cover any possible emergency which may occur due to the extreme height. All members are prepared through special training over a period of several months.
Progress:
The crew has flown to Chile on March 4. Today they arrived in Copiapó, the last major city before entering the Atacama desert. From there, their climbing will begin, which will lead them to an old police station located at about 14760 ft above sea level.
The whole team at Frankfurt airport (Germany)
The old police station
After some acclimatisation they will advance further over the next days to two shelters left behind by an rescue expedition some years ago. They are located at about 17.390 ft and 19.030 ft above sea level.
The first container (5300m / 17.390 ft)
The second container (5800m / 19.030 ft)
That is the last rescue point, before the team - consisting of 2 women and 13 men - will tackle some extreme offroad challenges like crevasses, ledges about 30 ft tall, a frozen lake and of course razor sharp rocks of all sizes. The aim is to drive as high as possible and to set a new unbreakable high altitude world record with a height of more than 6.500 meters (21325 ft) above sea level. The final ascent should take place around March 10.
One of the biggest ledges, about 30 ft tall
The team consists of very different characters, but they all have one thing in common: they are keen in reaching this new record and to show the world that this is possible... ONLY IN A JEEP!
If you have any questions about this project, don´t hesitate to post them, I will try to answer as accurate as possible.
03-06-2007, 11:47 AM
european 1000's seperator enrages me
The current record mark is 6,358 m, that is about 20,860 ft above sea level.
03-06-2007, 11:49 AM
Tell me about it! I read 6.358m and was like huh, that's like 20', what's the big deal?Originally Posted by LouisianaZJ
03-06-2007, 03:29 PM
THat'll be some trip! Be sure to post lots of pics!
03-06-2007, 05:51 PM
Last time I drove my Jeep up to 12.5k feet on a steep loose rock 30deg incline, had it floored in 4-low...had (for the first time ever) my temp move off of the 210 mark...I can't imagine how inefficient the cooling will be @ 20,000 feet.
03-06-2007, 06:08 PM
Daily report March 5, 2007
After saying goodbye to family and friends, the team took off, highly motivated and well prepared from Frankfurt to Chile. We also handled the stopovers in Madrid and Santiago de Chile.
Approximately 24 hours later we arrived at a little airport, nearly 60 km away from Copiapó, somewhere in the desert. We tried to divide our baggage into two mini vans. There was actually not enough space to get our whole team into the busses, but we finally made it, of course!
Well, not everything fits in the first place. A good mood and improvisation skills of the team led to a quick solution. We reached the mining village Copiapò, without any help of springs and shock absorbers.
There, they already prepared our two Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons, two escorting cars and two Argo special vehicles. Hans Siebenhaar and the rest of the team were waiting for us as well.
Everything was perfectly organized. Especially Hans did a good job. Due to the fact that we were running out of time, we started briefing our team and checking our cars as well as the material.
From now on, the whole team has to give 100%. Everybody has to provide all his or her skills and abilities due to their equal aim for the record. The tourism governor will welcome us tomorrow. We are excited how Chile will support our team.
03-06-2007, 07:44 PM
Didn't have that much trouble at the top of iron chest, I think it's almost 14k? Not sure if that's the peak or the turn around just before it, but the 5.2 was definitely not as happy as sea level.
03-07-2007, 01:49 AM
Yeah that stupid thin air just doesn't cool as well or provide as much power...we need to start carrying liquid oxygen for high altitude wheeling
03-07-2007, 10:37 AM
I know on some modern cars there is an adjustment made by the fuel injection system for altitude. I don't know whether the new Rubicon has this, or whether the electronics are even able to compensate sufficiently for climbing a huge mountain.. I doubt our ZJs have this level of sophistication.
Either way, as well prepared as this expedition is, I presume they've done their homework on this issue.
03-07-2007, 11:12 AM
Fuel cannot compensate for thin air, only help a bit. And the adjustment you speak of is automatic, although slow on big clims.
03-07-2007, 11:27 AM
I would presume that the system would lean out the fuel mixture and probably retard the timing at the same time, but I agree that it can only work so far. When you say automatic, I gather you're talking about the MAF sensor, which measures the air flow. But I believe some new systems actually have seperate sensors that measure atmospheric pressure. You're still going to have a loss of power. It must work to the altitude they are planning, because I don't think you could carry enough compressed oxygen/air to keep a car running for long.
03-07-2007, 11:40 AM
I just got the first photo of the jeeps, now with 2 WARN winches and Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires (265/70R17, that´s about 32x10.5)
03-07-2007, 11:44 AM
Isn't MAP atmospheric? I could be wrong
03-07-2007, 12:47 PM
I guess so, but there are still other sensors that determing the ultimate fuel mixture and timing, for example engine temperature sensors and O2 sensors. All I was saying is that some vehicles have seperate atmospheric sensors that might deal with altitude better than a car without one. I don't think our 5.2 has one of these.
03-07-2007, 12:51 PM
My 5.2 has always thrown a CEL going over 10k ft passes, but if I'm wheeling over timberline it's never been an issue.
03-07-2007, 09:00 PM
The sensor you guys are talking about is the BAP (Barometric) sensor. MAP is Manifold Absolute Pressure (manifold vacuum/pressure). MAF is Mass Air Flow (measures volume of incoming air)
03-08-2007, 01:44 AM
Daily report March 6, 2007
A very busy day for us and an exciting day for Copiapó is over.
Our team was divided into several groups. Since 8 o’clock in the morning, each of them was busy at different places: Two camera teams captured moods in and around Copiapó. The “purchasing team” bought the last requirements. With attention to detail, the “branding team” covered the cars with stickers of our sponsors. The “engineering team” was responsible for the special electronic installation. The “navigation team” set up several notebooks, GPS equipment, satellite-phones and so on. Everything has worked out quite well so far.
Yesterday evening, our two “Argo Avenger 8x8” have been loaded with painstaking care. Already this morning, the transport and rescue vehicles started their trip to the base camp, a distance of 400km. They were transported with 350l of fuel to the Refugio Murray. In the afternoon, there was a big show for the Jeep® Wrangler record vehicles and the entire team.
Both, the governor of the Atacama region and the tourism director welcomed us. The local press was there as well. However, we were surprised by the national TV because in the evening we already were in the Chilean TV news program. After the warm welcome, they organized a photo shooting under the national flag at the main square of the city – Plaza de Armas. All of us had to answer quite a lot of questions. In addition, they gave us presents to express the relation between Chile and the record team. They showered us with good wishes and especially emphasized their hope of our safe return.
The stars of the afternoon were our Jeep® Wrangler vehicles. Copiapó is known as the 4x4 main city of Chile. That leads to a huge interest in our two Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons. Beside all kinds of questions regarding the engineering we got concrete offers to sell the cars.Finishing the car branding at about 10 o’clock in the evening, we had a team meeting and a following dinner together.
Tomorrow we start for the base camp.
03-09-2007, 04:15 AM
Daily report March 7, 2007
Ready to go
We started our trip to the base camp at 11 am, after a photo shooting with the local Daimler Chrysler/Jeep® partner. On the way, we had some breaks due to several meetings with film teams and photographers. Finally we were on the road. Finally, the long awaited start. Finally the final period of the long-lasting preparations has started.
The trip to the base camp itself was fantastic. Even though I am familiar with the track, I am always anew excited of the beauty of the nature, the play of colours and changing structures. It was breathtakingly for those in my team, who have not been to the Atacama before. However, it was not just beautiful. The first symptoms of the altitude sickness showed up. Already after half of the trip, many team members felt the beginning shortness of breath. On top of this, they felt dizzy. At this point it should also be mentioned, that even our base camp is at an altitude of the highest mountain of the Alps – the Mont Blanc!!
After seven hours on the road, we were expected by happy rangers, a cook, fresh coffee, cake, but especially by our two transport and emergency vehicles Argo® Avenger 8x8.
Unfortunately, some team members are now aware of the altitude problems and already feel the symptoms of sickness. Some of them had not taken the altitude problems seriously enough before, but at last everyone stopped talking and laughing about it. Some have headache, others have troubles with sickness. However, these are all symptoms of the altitude sickness and the process of acclimatisation. Nevertheless, due to the good preparation of all participants in Germany, it was possible to climb from 500m(Copiapó) up to 4500m on one single day.
Our cars do a good job as well. Of course, there is less motor power due to less oxygen at that level. However, we have only powerful cars with high cubic capacity. The lack of performance out of exploding mixture turns out to be less than expected.
In total, we use 7 vehicles for the record:
- 2x Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 3.8 V6 manual transmission
- 2x Argo® Avenger 8x8
- 1x Dodge Ram SLT 1500 4.7 V8 automatic transmission (escort vehicle)
- Dodge Dakota 3,7 V6 automatic transmission (escort vehicle)
- Jeep Cherokee 2,4 R4 transmission (escort vehicle)
It looks quite materialistic, when all the emergency vehicles are standing neatly in a row in front of the base camp.
I am convinced that none of the other teams, who are trying to break the high-altitude world record at the moment, is better equipped than we. Therefore, I thank all the partners, especially DaimlerChrysler/Jeep®, Goodyear, ODG and Warn.
Finally, I would like to mention the competitors. We know that the “KIA-team” will start their expedition on Saturday. Furthermore, a team sponsored by Mitsubishi, will probably be starting next week on another nearby mountain. Obviously, both teams have successfully finished their exploration. Anyway, we will fight for our victory in a fair but nevertheless very tough way.
The Jeep® Wrangler high-altitude world record will become reality.
03-09-2007, 02:06 PM
A couple of questions: I know that you can't use the winches for anything other than rescue, can you strap one Wranger up with another if it gets hung up, say on the ledge? Although if one makes it the other should...
Are you allowed to stack rocks? Of course you'll want to move them after you make each obstical.
Good Luck, God Speed, and keep the pictures coming!!!
03-09-2007, 02:47 PM
Sweet.
03-09-2007, 03:21 PM
Why can't I get jobs like that????
03-09-2007, 07:02 PM
Daily report March 8, 2007
As expected, most of us had a headache, a dizzy spell and a sick feeling today. After a more or less restless night, many of us were absolutely shattered although we spent the night at a place almost similar to a *****hotel (at least in comparison to my last expeditions).
Let’s describe the situation: Our base camp is an old police station in an altitude of 4500m. After the station was on fire years ago, it has been rebuilt in 2007. We are, so to say, the first visitors. The rebuilding has not been finished yet but at least, we are all sheltered from wind and weather. We live in narrow conditions (15 people together in 30m²) but it is much better than camping. Water is only distributed in rations.
Today, it was important to check the performance of all team members in order to get them in the right groups for the following days. That is why we went on a 4-hour-hike in the morning and a 1.5-hour-hike in the afternoon. The first chosen route led from 4500 up to 5000m in a distance of 10km. The second one had a distance of approximately 4km. The team consciously reached its performance limits. After returning to the station, Hubertus, Hans, Joachim und I analyzed the latest route findings and grouped the participants for tomorrow.
Despite best preparation of everyone, big performance differences are noticeable which force us to postpone our expedition plans by one day. Thus, we start our record ride on Saturday at 4 a.m.
However, not only the team had to stand a hard testing today but also the Jeep® Wrangler vehicles. Both cars had to prove their capability of driving over boulders, rocks and sand.
In addition, we tested the tipping limits (sloping rides until just before the drop) in an altitude of around 5000m, the differential locks, the shocks and steering stabilizers, the different reduction possibilities and so on. The results look quite impressive. I cannot remember to have driven an off-road vehicle before, that makes such extreme rides that easy. The effect of the stabilizers is incredible; also the power of the engine is very good (it is fantastic how the car copes with steep passages during the idle running). The wheel track is fabulous and thus the tipping limits and so on. I really have no complaints.
Today, we provided the 8x8 Argos® with equipment and will use them as our transport and rescue vehicles. We will test them tomorrow as well and then we will climb up to 5950m.
Close to the place where the record track begins, we will set up magazines and park the Argo® vehicles there, for their use on Saturday morning. At the same time, the film- and photo teams took beautiful shoots and extraordinary pictures.
While sitting and writing here, I am getting a message from Argentina:
Apparently, there is another competitor, a Mitsubishi sponsored team, which is also trying to break the record. At the moment, the team is supposed to have reached an altitude of 6025m. I am not sure yet what to think about it, but obviously we started a big wave with the Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 2007. I will try to check the truth of this information.
Along with Jeep®, my team and I should actually start to be pleased débuting all other brands, even though that is not my style. However, when so many people make the effort to break our record, we will give them an answer with our performance and with the performance of our cars.
03-12-2007, 09:30 AM
Daily report March 9, 2007
A hard day for mind and body
In the morning, we tested the Argo® vehicles (we decided to put off the chains because of the weather conditions), have taken pictures of the Jeep® Wranglers in wonderful scenery, and interviewed the participants of the expedition. Afterwards, we planned to start for our record track to an altitude of 5950m at 1 p.m. On the one hand, we had to set up a storage room for our material there. On the other hand, it was important for me to see, what can be expected in the rocky lane. This track is the only way to the plateau of the Ojos, therefore extremely important to overcome. The lane is sloping on both sides, has a slope of about 50% and is really challenging to drive. We started this extremely hard tour at 1 p.m., and needed seven hours “on the road”. Too much time, considering the total length of 60 km.
However, the Ojos does not make it easy for us. At an altitude of 5400m, two sand fields (above the Atacama hut) were covered by drifting sand to such an extent, that even there we had to do a hard work for almost two hours, in order to scrape our four cars along. To crown all, a big stone broke off during the further course of our trip, when I crossed it. The stone got stuck under the differential in the rear in such a way, that we had to lift the car with jacks in order to dig the stone up with blades: a hard graft at an altitude of 5700m. Additionally, a strong sandy wind, gave us a hard time. Although being sheltered by glacier goggles, storm masks and caps, the sand found his way through any little gap and thus it was difficult to see and breathe. Some of us were temporarily not able to see anything, until our doctor Hubertus helped them out.
There were also bad circumstances, when we arrived at the starting point of the record track. The rocky lane was filled up with many boulders due to draining glacier water. The only possibility to get through, was a huge amount of extra effort (digging up big stones and moving them aside). For this reason, we decided to send a team, consisting of Dieter, Hans, two rangers and me, to the rocky lane tomorrow, in order to do the necessary preparations. In detail, we have to move stones at an altitude of around 6000m during the whole day. The other team members will go on further acclimatisation hikes at an altitude of 5300m.
03-12-2007, 12:41 PM
is this a job? because i'd like an application, im a very experienced high altitude boulder mover
03-13-2007, 07:28 AM
Daily report March 10, 2007
A good day
Even though the day started with bad news, it turned out more than successfully.
However, just one thing after another:
Our doc Hubertus forbid Hans Siebenhaar to join the planned team. It was not necessary to do so because Hans’ eyes were really swollen due to the sand. Eckhart stepped in for Hans.
As planned, the team started at approximately 9 am. We reached the starting point of the rocky lane at around 10.30 am and began to work immediately. At first we walked to an altitude of about 6000m in order to gain an overview of the whole situation. Contrary to my assumption yesterday, the boulders did not block the lane completely. It was enough to send some huge chunks down the valley.
Afterwards we started: I was the first person who drove to the lane by car. It was incredible. The Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited climbed to one of the most difficult places, which go around 500m uphill, through loose sand and boulders, WITHOUT any help, without extreme spinning and without using the winches. I almost could not believe it.
In 2005, we had to secure my record car by winches so that it did not slip off and that I could start again.
What about now? Both Jeep® Wranglers brilliantly overcome this place in 4 low, 1st gear, activated differential lock in front and behind and uncoupled stabilizers. It is fantastic.
Accordingly, of course, the amount of additional adrenalin in our bodies has risen by 50 times. We were so happy and continued our driving.
We went the precipices up towards the first field of snow penitents. We were surprised again: After driving through a sand field, which leads to a field of snow penitents, we discovered a little gap in the ice field. It was only 3m wide and a little sloping but it was enough to drive through with the Jeep® vehicles.
The fact that the tires – we are currently driving with 0.8 bar air pressure – were really strained by the snow penitents was not noticeable. Goodyear Wrangler MTR tires are just going through. With some preparations, the following rocks was hard to overcome but solvable.
In the end, we reached an altitude of 6120m today. The vehicles are standing there at the moment and are waiting for their next action tomorrow. At about 3 pm we started to climb down and arrived at our base camp at approximately 4.30 pm almost at the same time, when the rest of the team arrived there after going on a four-hour acclimatization trip. Everyone was in a good mood and happy about today’s success. We will try to reach the old record mark tomorrow and – who knows – we will probably already set up a new record.
Other good news: Tonight, the time is switching from summer time to winter time in Chile. This means that we gain one hour of sleep tonight.
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