In January 2015, Ray Zahab, Ryan Grant and Stefano Gregoretti will attempt to run over 1,200kms/800 miles across the Patagonian Desert- one of the most remote and extreme deserts on Earth. The Patagonian Desert is the largest of the 40° parallel and is a large cold winter desert, where the temperature rarely exceeds 12 °C and averages just 3 °C. The team will traverse the desert in South American summer - with temperatures potentially exceeding 40 °C.
The area is sparsely populated today and those that do live here survive mainly by raising livestock. Not the easiest place to live...or to run across! The team will run a combination of terrain, including long sections with minimal or no support.
But its not all about the run. On a daily basis the team will communicate with thousands of students all over the world using latest satellite technologies, essentially bring this expedition into classrooms- and classrooms onto the expedition virtually. Film footage and photos are made available to schools as a free of cost, and this streamlined website will post just photos and video from the expedition!
When you are running thousands of miles across unseen parts of the world you meet extraordinary people with equally extraordinary stories. The running is just the vehicle that connects the dots from one story to the next. Delivered via live website and through social media, our goal is to have students truly be transported directly to the expedition regions to learn about some of the world's most unique, interesting, and remote cultures!
The Patagonia Desert Crossing will be in support of i2P (impossible2Possible) Youth based programs. i2P Youth participate in running expeditions and share curriculum with schools during their adventures- all over the globe. The programs and expeditions are 100% free. On the Patagonia expedition, the team will be collecting video footage, photos and interviews that will be made available to students in the coming school year in advance of the next i2P Youth expedition May 2015.