CLASSIC SWIMS GIBRALTAR
When comedian David Walliams and Olympic hero James Cracknell completed their epic swim across the Strait of
Gibraltar for Sport Relief in 2008, they joined a very exclusive group. Only 200 people have ever completed this swim from Europe to Africa, which is made difficult by high rates of traffic, high winds and tricky tides. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant experience for Walliams, who said he found it more difficult than his 2006 Channel swim. He even vomited during the crossing. For those who do complete it, however, the Strait crossing is a great achievement. At its narrowest point, it measures 14.5km across, but swimmers will travel as many as 22km under the influence of tides. And, as well as being a physical challenge, the Strait is truly a place of convergence – separating Europe from Africa and the Mediterranean from the Atlantic – so swimming it is a symbolic achievement, too. As David Walliams said before his charity swim: “We are swimming to Africa to show it's not as far away as people think.”
In ancient mythology this body of water was the site of the Pillars of Hercules, formed when Hercules had to cross the great Atlas Mountain. Instead of climbing it, however, he used his strength to break through it, and in doing so created the Strait,
NEED TO KNOW: STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR ∆ Water type: Salt ∆ Distance: 18km current assisted (10-12km of relative swimming)
∆ Max depth: 900m ∆ Water temp: 15–23°C ∆ Issues: Notoriously windy, traffic, tides ∆ Estimated cost:(boat support, documentation and medical): €1,550
∆ Location base: Tarifa, Spain
and the ‘pillars’ – the Rock of Gibraltar as the northern remain of the mountain and the rocks of Monte Hacho and Jebel Musa on the African mainland.
As opposed to most other sea swims, including the Channel, where a standard tidal pattern is in force, the prevailing surface currents through the strait are eastbound (i.e. from Atlantic to the Mediterranean) due to the greater rate of evaporation in the Mediterranean relative to the Atlantic. Surface currents can reach up to three knots, so the timing of the crossing is critical.
GOING STRAIT
Each issue we look at one of the world’s most significant open water swims. This month Simon Murie looks at the abiding lure of the Strait of Gibraltar
HAVE A GO If you’d like to sign up for Gibraltar, contact the Asociación de Cruce a Nado del Estrecho de Gibraltar (Strait Of Gibraltar Swimming Association) by email: acneg@acneg. com, or visit the website:
acneg.com
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Image © NASA
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