by H. Mayor

The name Rainer Zietlow first hit the headlines in 2005, when he drove to the top of the Chilean volcano Ojos del Salado on board a Volkswagen Touareg. At  20.000 feet (approximately 6.100 meters), this feat made it to the Guinness book of Records as the  highest elevation reached by a stock vehicle. But this adventurer didn’t stop there; since then he has built up a career plagued with new records and impossible challenges. The last one took place only a few days ago: a journey from Dakar to Moscow in just 3 days, 4 hours and 54 minutes… and without speeding!

Accompanied as usual by Russian blogger Peter Bakanov and journalist Georgy Gloube; Zietlow has accomplished a new record, to cover a distance of almost 8.000 kilometres in just three days and on board a Volkswagen Amarok. The journey took place between the 22nd  and 25th of April and took them across ten different countries and through such diverse places as the Sahel desert, the great European motorways and the sinuous roads of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the feat was accomplished at an average speed of 103 km/h and without any technical fault (this is a key point). As usual he also raised a generous amount of cash for good causes.

Great milestones

easternmost point in Russia (Magadán) to the westernmost point in Europe (Lisbon). The journey extended for 15.200 kilometres and it was concluded in 6 days, 9 hours and 38 minutes. A great achievement, even more so taking into account the initial forecast of 8 days.

The challenges that this driving adventurer sets himself are in no way easy. They require a perfect combination of planning, rhythm and technical and mechanical efficiency. But above all else the frame of mind to carry to completion stages that are at times very complex; easier to do no doubt for a driving lover. A the top of his achievements are the 22.000 kilometres of his Melbourne – St. Petersburg journey in 17 days in 2012, the 23.000 of the Panamerican Highway completed in just 11 days during 2011 or the two way expedition between Cape Agulhas and  North Cape (18.000 kilometres from Norway and South Africa) in 2004 and 2005.