8 Countries...Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Libya, Namibia, China, Chile, United States
5 Deserts.....Sahara, Namib, Gobi, Atacama, Death Valley
4 Continents...Africa, North America, Asia, South America
Total Desert Mileage...3,799 kilometers.....2,337 Miles
Total Sahara Mileage...1,973 Miles/3,176 Kilometers
Total Desert Ultramarathons...19
Total Desert Marathons....2
SAHARA DESERT The Sahara Desert is my home. I love it here. In Arabic Sahara means "The Great Desert". It is the world's largest hot desert and covers most of Northern Africa. I first stepped foot in the Sahara Desert in Morocco in the spring of 2000 and finally felt like I was home. It is so beautiful and has so many different facets, depending on what country you are in. I love Morocco, and so the desert here has special meaning to me. I have raced the Marathon des Sables here 9 times and will go back again one day. The Libyan Desert is part of the Sahara and is the most arid region. It is particularly beautiful and there are some areas littered with fossils and petrified wood. Prehistoric paintings can also be found. The wind that blows through here is called "The Ghibli". In Egypt there is the incredible White Desert. Huge weathered limestone formations dot the landscape in fantastic shapes. Fewer than 2 million people live in the Sahara and the majority are nomads.
NAMIB DESERT The Namib Desert is found in Namibia. The word Namib means "vast place". It is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. Southern Namib is made up of a vast dune sea featuring some of the tallest and most spectacular dunes in the world. They can be as high as 300 meters and range in color from pink to deep orange. All along the west coast there are strong currents, and a dense fog rolls off the Atlantic and into the desert. The fog has caused numerous shipwrecks along the aptly named Skeleton Coast in Northern Namib. Some ships can be seen as much as 50 meters inland, buried in the sandy desert as it moves westward into the sea. The Namibia Race was a one- time event that covered 150 miles in stages. One has to mention the Etosha National Park in Northern Namibia. Here you can find a variety of wildlife that are protected...including Lions, Giraffes, Zebras and Elephants. Etosha means "Great White Place". The area is dominated by a huge white salt pan.
GOBI DESERT I fell in love with the Gobi Desert as soon as I arrived there. It took a 9 hour bus trip from the Northern city of Urumqi to get into this area that seemed as though time had forgotten. We were racing near the southern border of Mongolia. I could almost feel the presence of Genghis Khan and his warriors. I had been to the Sahara Desert 8 times and I was ready for a change of scenery. This desert was like a breath of fresh air. There was something for everyone here. There were vast rocky plains, salt bogs, mountains and valleys, and dunes. It was fantastic. At one point during the race we spent some time in yurts, which are round portable tents used by nomadic Mongols. The Gobi is classified as a Cold Desert, and temperatures can drop to -40 Celsius in the winter. But in the summer they can soar to 50 degrees Celsius. This desert is home to a small population of bears, the only desert-inhabiting bears on the planet. This part of China is a gem hidden from the rest of the world, beautiful and unspoiled.
ATACAMA DESERT Racing in the Atacama Desert to me was like Hell on Earth. Nothing but rock, rock and more rock. The only areas without rock appeared to be covered with salt flats that were like running over sharp fields of crunchy coral. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world. It is found in South America in Northern Chile. There are places here where there has never been any recorded rainfall. At an average elevation of about 4 kilometers, the Atacama is also the world's highest desert, and one of the coldest. What is not to like here?! When we raced it was warm during the day, but we froze to death at night. After 4 days here I wanted to quit. I believe in having a positive mental attitude, but the only thing to look forward to was the finish. The race ended in the town square of San Pedro de Atacama. This is an oasis in the middle of a lunar landscape. I crossed the finish line in second place. I sat down in exhaustion, had a beer, and went straight back to my hotel. I had a long, hot shower, and lay in bed with my feet elevated and the heater on. I had never been so tired, so beat up, and so cold in my entire life. I swore I would never come back here...at least not to race.
MOJAVE DESERT
DEATH VALLEY Death Valley is part of the Mojave Desert in Eastern California. It features the lowest, driest and hottest locations in North America. Badwater is the lowest elevation in North America and just 84 miles away is Mount Whitney, the highest point in the United States. The area received it's name in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. Prospectors named it as they struggled to cross the vast expanse as they headed toward the gold fields. Desert Bighorn Sheep manage to thrive here and despite the extreme dryness, about 1,000 plant species manage to grow here.
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