Dan Bull sets record for swimming in the world’s highest lake, where each stroke feels ‘like 1,000 knives stabbing’

The Australian’s feat for swimming 100 metres in an unnamed lake at 6,400m in Chile has been ratified by Guinness World Records

The feat is the culmination of years of work and a previously unsuccessful attempt that morphed into a kayak challenge

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Dan Bull sets the record for swimming in the world's highest lake, where each stroke feels like 1,000 knives. Photos: Handout

Published: 9:00am, 8 Sep 2020Updated: 9:00am, 8 Sep 2020

Australian adventurer Dan Bull set the record for swimming in the world’s highest lake, but the time in the water was brutal and could have killed him. He completed the feat in January and Guinness World Records ratified it in August.

Bull swam 100 metres at 6,400 metres in an unnamed lake on Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest volcano, in Chile. He had attempted the same feat in 2018, but the lake was frozen so he completed the world’s highest kayak instead. Bull arrived earlier in the year for his second attempt, but it was still terribly cold.

“During the swim it was excruciating, it felt like 1,000 knives stabbing at my body with each stroke. I had to keep reminding myself of the goal and make a decision to keep going,” the 39-year-old said.

It was so cold a cardiologist warned him not to go as the shock might kill him. Bull trained in cold showers and ice baths to prepare.

“I always take on medical advice,” Bull said. “But this was the only time I knew I had to ignore it to pursue this challenge. The risk is there, I have to take it seriously, but how can I prepare as best as possible to mitigate the risks.”

So much time and effort went into the attempt, but it almost came undone. The day before the swim, Bull’s team of mountaineers dropped out, unwilling to be party to the risk.