Only in a JEEP: new height world record in a JEEP Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

[BlueGerbil]

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 dessert, 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 dessert. 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.

[imwally]

Okay I have a question. It says only 2 jeeps. But you have 15 people. So how will they all fit in 2 jeeps? also will they be doing any videos of the trip?

[BlueGerbil]

There will be 2 Jeeps (4 door Rubicons) which will be doing the record.

But there will be other people around, taking photos and videos and a medic will be there with an Argo ATV (in the case that there will be an emergency the Argo will serve as a rescue vehicle),

Yes, there will be lots of photos and videos and there should also be a DVD available after the event.

[DaJudge]

That is awesome. Keep us updated!

Glen

[Weasel]

Razor sharp lava rock and they choose MTR's? Hope they have spenty of spares.

Will be interesting to see how high they get though.

[Ghost]

What kind of modifications do the jeeps have to keep them running in the think air up there? Are they gas or diesel? The MT/r's are 32"s? Any pictures of the rigs?

[RTicUL8]

Brings a whole new meaning to on-board air...

[BlueGerbil]

The engines are stock 3.8 V6.
They´ll get their vehicles today or tomorrow so I hope I can post pics of the vehicles soon.

[BlueGerbil]

Originally Posted by RTicUL8

Brings a whole new meaning to on-board air...

Right

FYI: They´ve got some medical oxygen with them, but only for emergencies, not for the regular ascent.

[IXNAYXJ]

Wasn't the curent record set by a VW Toureg TDi V-10? Seems like at that altitude deisel, if not at least SOME kind of forced induction would be the way to go.

EDIT: It was a V-6! Story here.

The do say the current record holder is somone different than your guy, though:

Originally Posted by Automobile Magazine

...piloted by German off-road expert Rainer Zietlow.

-----Matt-----

[BlueGerbil]

The current record is hold by Matthias Jeschke, he reclaimed it some weeks after the Touareg-team has set it. But now he´s going to push it even further...

[BlueGerbil]

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.

[BlueGerbil]

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)

[Handlebars]

This is cool! There are so many people going touring in the Andes on motorcycles, I have always wondered why not do it in a Jeep?

[98XJSport]

I kinda expected them to be RHD.