Sherri-Jo Wilkins joined the Husaberg Adventure Team boys, thinking she was going to just be in charge of base camp. But we had other plans.
First, a dysfunctional eye meant that Walter decided to give his bike to Sherri-Jo while the team moved camp from the 4530 metre (14,862 ft) Camp Murray at the base of the mountain to the 5260m (17,257 ft) Camp Atacama, which acts as the main base camp for climbers on Ojos del Salado. Walter drove the truck. Sherri-Jo rode the bike to Camp Atacama. It was there that we told her the womens altitude record is just about 125 metres higher at 5,386m (17,671 ft). We looked Sherri-Jo in the eye and told her that she is borrowing Walter's bike again tomorrow, and we were going as high as the path would take us.
The hardest part of the ride was the first 125 vertical metres out of Camp Atacama ... the metres she needed to set the record. So the Husaberg Adventure team decided to help out, stabilising the bike where necessary, while SJ worked that 570cc Husaberg engine to the max on the steep sands above Camp Atacama. Ten minutes later and it was all over. We all grouped together at the side of the track and looked at the GPS on Walter's bike. SJ had made it to 5,409m (17,746 ft) ... a new world record.
But we weren't finished with her yet - and SJ wasnt finished with the mountain. It had been a struggle to get to that point but we told SJ she must go on ... and that the path gets easier from here. She bravely steeled herself and continued the ride, led by Lukas M, with Walter operating the helmet cam unit right behind SJ ... It got colder and colder as we rose and the snow over our intended path got thicker and thicker ... but SJ continued on. By the time we all stopped, SJ had reached 5,903m (19,367 ft) ... she hadnt just beaten the world record, she had humiliated it. Crushed it. By 517 metres !
Congratulations to Sherri-Jo Wilkins for setting a new womens world record for motorcycle altitude. Now the boys were even more determined to get their own world record !
First, a dysfunctional eye meant that Walter decided to give his bike to Sherri-Jo while the team moved camp from the 4530 metre (14,862 ft) Camp Murray at the base of the mountain to the 5260m (17,257 ft) Camp Atacama, which acts as the main base camp for climbers on Ojos del Salado. Walter drove the truck. Sherri-Jo rode the bike to Camp Atacama. It was there that we told her the womens altitude record is just about 125 metres higher at 5,386m (17,671 ft). We looked Sherri-Jo in the eye and told her that she is borrowing Walter's bike again tomorrow, and we were going as high as the path would take us.
The hardest part of the ride was the first 125 vertical metres out of Camp Atacama ... the metres she needed to set the record. So the Husaberg Adventure team decided to help out, stabilising the bike where necessary, while SJ worked that 570cc Husaberg engine to the max on the steep sands above Camp Atacama. Ten minutes later and it was all over. We all grouped together at the side of the track and looked at the GPS on Walter's bike. SJ had made it to 5,409m (17,746 ft) ... a new world record.
But we weren't finished with her yet - and SJ wasnt finished with the mountain. It had been a struggle to get to that point but we told SJ she must go on ... and that the path gets easier from here. She bravely steeled herself and continued the ride, led by Lukas M, with Walter operating the helmet cam unit right behind SJ ... It got colder and colder as we rose and the snow over our intended path got thicker and thicker ... but SJ continued on. By the time we all stopped, SJ had reached 5,903m (19,367 ft) ... she hadnt just beaten the world record, she had humiliated it. Crushed it. By 517 metres !
Congratulations to Sherri-Jo Wilkins for setting a new womens world record for motorcycle altitude. Now the boys were even more determined to get their own world record !
Did Sherri-Jo ride from the bottom or did she jump on 1/2 way up, as this is how it reads. Either way it is a great effort that she should be proud of.
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