Beginning with a lift on a container boat through the Panama Canal, it's not long before Mark faces Ecuador's poor roads and relentless uphill slogs. Already behind his target to reach Mount Aconcagua in time for the seasonal weather window, a bout of severe food poisoning is the last thing he needs.

Before taking on Aconcagua, Mark must take on the 600-mile long Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. Nothing lives in this stunning Mars-like wasteland, yet Mark has to survive here for two weeks.

The prolonged solitude tests Mark's mental strength to the limit, he even spends Christmas alone. However, after seven months on the road, he reaches Mount Aconcagua. The question is, having been bent over the handle bars for so long, will he be physically capable of climbing the highest summit outside of Asia? Show less