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the Degree Confluence Project
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Chile : Atacama

11.4 km (7.1 miles) NW of Máquina Atacama, Atacama, Chile
Approx. altitude: 1672 m (5485 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 27°N 110°E

Accuracy: 7 m (22 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: South view from the confluence #3: East view from the confluence #4: West view from the confluence #5: GPS shot from the confluence #6: General view of the confluence #7: Flower growing in the driest place in the world #8: Juan Borquez and Alicia Gianelli #9: Dawn at the desert

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  27°S 70°W  

#1: North view from the confluence

(visited by Juan Rene Borquez-Garcia, Pandora Manns, Valeria Borquez and Alicia Gianelli)

Español

26-Feb-2006 -- Our already experimented team in confluence spotting (Valeria Borquez, Pandora Manns, Alicia Gianelli and Juan René Borquez), located at Bahía Inglesa (27'05"50.20S 70'51"32.5W), III Región de Atacama, Chile, started at 4:30AM, resolved to find, in the driest desert of the world, a then-unknown confluence…

Check List:
Jeep:
Tires OK
Fuel OK
Equipment:
Bottled water: OK
GPS: OK
Batteries: OK
Photo cameras: OK
Tripod: OK
Notebook: OK
Adequate clothes: OK
Way:
Google Earth navigation: OK
GPS waypoint: OK

We failed at our previous try (42°S 74°W) at Chepu, X Región de Chile. We were so close to this confluence, it was impossible to pass it…
10:30PM. The last night of summer at Caldera (27° 3'53.24"S - 70°49'13.49"W): There were fireworks for one hour, the beach full of people; we stayed up until 02:00AM.

The excitement of the trip woke us up at 04:30AM.
At 07:00AM we were completely lost (27°13'48.96"S - 70° 6'46.65"W), it was impossible to find any reference point at the desert. There weren’t any roads, we had to walk back our path.
At 10:09AM we were 7,8kms away from our goal, and at 2,075kms high, we thought we had failed again. We assumed that if no one else had gone to that confluence, was because it was not possible to do it.
10:30AM. We had to make a decision: return to Copiapó or keep trying towards north. We kept going to the north and our GPS was telling us that we were going further away from our destination. But at some point everything changed: we started to go again towards the confluence and, luckily, a small path appeared to our west. At 9,9kms far (27°03'25.1"S - 69°55'29.4"W) from the unreachable destination, the path was set in front of us! We started to walk it and at 11:00AM we reached our goal!!

Español

26-Feb-2006 -- El equipo ya experimentado en búsqueda de confluencias, compuesto de Valeria Borquez, Pandora Manns, Alicia Gianelli y Juan René Borquez, cuando son las 4:30horas y partiendo de Bahía Inglesa (27'05"50.20S 70'51"32.5W), III Región de Atacama; Chile, decididos a encontrar en el medio del desierto mas árido del mundo, una confluencia todavía indómita...

Check List:
Jeep:
Neumáticos Ok
Bencina ok
Equipo:
Botellas de agua ok
GPS ok
Pilas ok
Cámaras fotográficas ok
Trípode ok
Ropa adecuada ok
Note book ok
Ruta:
Recorrido en google earth ok
Way Points de ruta ok

Fracasamos en las coordenadas 42°S 74°W en Chepu, X Región de Chile, entonces teníamos estas tan cerca, que fue imposible no hacer el esfuerzo e ir.
22:30 horas, La noche en Caldera (27° 3'53.24"S - 70°49'13.49"W) la despedida del verano: Fuegos artificiales durante 1 hora, playa, lleno de gente por todos lados, nos quedamos hasta las 02:00 horas.

La excitación del viaje nos despertó las 04:30 horas.
07:00 horas estábamos completamente perdidos (27°13'48.96"S - 70° 6'46.65"W), un punto de referencia era imposible de encontrar, el desierto nos impedía su aproximación, el camino era inexistente, tuvimos que desandar nuestro huella.
10:09 horas a 7.8 kilómetros de las coordenadas y a 2,075 metros de altura, asumimos nuestro nuevo fracaso, llegamos a la conclusión que: si nadie había llegado, era porque era imposible de llegar.
10:30 horas tuvimos que tomar una decisión (Camino asfaltado): volver hacia Copiapó o seguir insistiendo hacia el norte, doblamos hacia el norte, nuestro GPS nos indicaba que nos alejábamos inexorablemente de nuestro objetivo, sin embargo, en un minuto todo cambió: los kilómetros acumulados empezaron a disminuir y una huella pedregosa apareció, afortunadamente a nuestro oeste, nuestro querido GPS nos indicaba 9,9 kilómetros del inalcanzable punto(27°03'25.1"S - 69°55'29.4"W), el sendero estaba ahí!!!, a medida que avanzábamos los kilómetros disminuían y fue así que a las 11:00 horas logramos el objetivo!!


 All pictures
#1: North view from the confluence
#2: South view from the confluence
#3: East view from the confluence
#4: West view from the confluence
#5: GPS shot from the confluence
#6: General view of the confluence
#7: Flower growing in the driest place in the world
#8: Juan Borquez and Alicia Gianelli
#9: Dawn at the desert
ALL: All pictures on one page