Father and sons cross glaciers and ascend volcano to reach highest altitude on motorcycle
Two generations of a Chilean family made history last Thanksgiving, after completing an epic adventure on their motorbikes across frozen terrain and volcanic rocks to achieve the Guinness World Records title for the highest altitude achieved on a motorcycle.
Francisco Rencoret and his two sons Max and Tomás, spent an entire week ascending Chile’s Ojos del Salado volcano to claim the audacious record, covering nearly 37 km (23 mi) to reach the peak of the highest active volcano in the world.
From their starting point at the Laguna Santa Rosa refuge (approx. 3,780 m, or 12,402 ft), to their final destination at 6,639 m (21,782 ft) – roughly 200 m (656 ft) from the crater – the family crossed the rocky Atacama Desert territory, slick icy deposits, and steep mountainous routes to complete the amazing quest.
Yet the exhausting trip was worth it for the Rencorets, who undertook the ride in November as a unique way “to express gratitude for life and their shared passion.”
“The record attempt is a Thanksgiving effort, a way… to give thanks for life,” said Tomás. “The expedition is a team effort that combines the experience and determination of a father and [his] son[s].”
Beyond the chance for father-son bonding, the team of motorcycle enthusiasts also said that the attempt served as a personal milestone, and a way to build on the knowledge they gained from a successful previous expedition to 6,400 m (20,997 ft).
Professionally speaking, they wanted to demonstrate the capability and skill required to navigate extreme high-altitude terrain using their specialized trial motorcycles, which present a different set of challenges from the motocross or ADV motorcycles used in previous altitude records.
And even though the family are confident riders, they had to be extra careful to use the bikes in this environment – which features steep trails, rapidly changing weather, and ice fields.
Nevertheless, the family were excited to take on the challenge. To complete the treacherous trek, they prepared a new route to take them up the volcano, using all the knowledge that they gained from their previous ascent.
A key part of the journey was acclimatizing to the high altitudes, so the Rencorets planned out several locations where they could stop on the way up the volcano during the seven-day expedition.
They also were sure to make sure their motorcycles were in tip-top shape, because those machines would ultimately determine their success or failure.
The brand the family used are TRS One XTracks, a Spanish-made trial motorcycle designed for both technical trial riding and extended off-road adventures.
Yet once their preparations were in order, the family was excited to begin their record attempt.
The trip began at Laguna Santa Rosa, where they then ascended to Cerro Siete Hermanas (4,878 m, or 16,004 ft), before returning back to the Laguna to acclimatize for the night.
The following days, they drove up to Cerro El Pastillo at approx 5,500 m (18,045 ft), then the Tejos refuge, using Laguna Verde as a base camp.
Crucially, the team also scouted routes before their final ascent, reaching approx 6,500 m (21,325 ft) to assess terrain conditions before the last push.
And finally, the time had come for them to ride their way into the record books.
The morning of 25 November, the family had a quick breakfast at camp before setting out for the peak at 8:20 a.m..
It took nearly five hours of riding for the Rencorets to reach their destination, but when they eventually reached the top, the team was thrilled to know that they had taken the title.
To date, this was the highest altitude ever reached on the volcano – and in general, as the Rencorets took the crown from Jiri Zak (Switzerland), who got 6,546 m (21,476 ft) up the Ojos del Salado in February 2020.
And to celebrate this immense achievement, the father and his sons spent some time with each other at the top of the world, before launching into a quick photography session to document their incredible accomplishment.
They also made sure to bring a Chilean flag up to the volcano with them, as a way to represent the beautiful country that provided such a memorable experience.
So congratulations to Francisco, Max, and Tomás – you are all Officially Amazing!