One week ago, local Newmarket resident Jim Willett began the Atacama Crossing - an epic 250km, 6 day trek across terrain akin to something from another planet, not Earth - sand dunes, rocky ascents and descents and the infamous salt flats. Part of the 4 Deserts Challenge, the Atacama Crossing in the Atacama desert of Chile takes place at least 2.3km above sea level is considered one of the top 10 endurance competitions in the world. The desert is the driest place on the planet - 50 times more arid than Death Valley, and it's lunar-like terrain is frequently used by NASA to test planetary rover vehicles.
