Drive to the volcano - Rheinmetall on a world record hunt

Matthias Jeschke, extreme athlete and off-road expert, along with Paul Warren and Chris Bailey, both military veterans, want to reach new heights. Together with Rheinmetall, they aim to set a new altitude world record for vehicles by driving to 6,690 meters on the active volcano Ojos del Salado on the border between Chile and Argentina. The vehicles Rheinmetall MAN 40M 4x4 (340HP) and Rheinmetall MAN HX 58 6x6 (440HP) are going to take on this challenge.
Slightly modified, the trucks closely resemble the series model, which is already used by the military in the UK and Australia as a logistics vehicle. On the way to the summit, they will encounter lava rock, volcano sand, snow, and ice. Additionally, they may face storms, and temperatures near the summit can drop to minus 25 degrees.

Matthias Jeschke and his team of 14 people from five nations are technically and physically well-equipped for this ambitious expedition. Expedition leader Matthias Jeschke: "We are highly motivated and have done everything in the over one-year planning phase to be well prepared. The biggest challenge will certainly be the unpredictable weather conditions. Up there we will have to tackle storms, large amounts of snow, ice fields, and very rough terrain. Temperature fluctuations and the thin mountain air will put great strain on our health and demand absolute peak performance from our vehicles. But we are confident that we will reach our altitude goal of at least 6,690 meters within a six-week timeframe."

The expedition is scheduled for six weeks, not only because acclimatization is necessary at altitudes above 6,000 meters. By the way, at such altitudes, the engine only operates at two-thirds of its power due to the thin air. We are excited and wish Rheinmetall and their team all the best and much success!

Paul Warren (Australia) and Chris Bailey (UK) support veteran organizations in their respective countries with the expedition. Through their participation, they aim to show that veterans and war wounded are an important and valuable part of society. They have served their countries and made great sacrifices.

Paul Warren: "This expedition is about performance – the performance of the vehicles, the team, and also of Chris and me as veterans. Our injuries should never prevent us from pursuing ambitious goals. We will show courage, determination, and great resilience to succeed together with the entire Rheinmetall team. It is important to me that our achievements take center stage, not our limitations."

And his comrade Chris Bailey adds: "We want to demonstrate the performance and ambition that most of our comrades excel in. And of course, we are advocating for intense support and financial contributions to the organizations that care for veterans and give them a voice in society." You can follow the expedition HERE.

Rheinmetall online: www.rheinmetall.com