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| The fastest Antarctic traverse ever done |
The Russian vessel, the Akademik Federov.
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| 13-01-2006 |
“We made it, it is fabulous. I am on the deck of the Russian vessel, we just landed and I am surrounded of a sea full of icebergs”. Those were the first words we could hear from Ramón Larramendi when they just arrived to the Akademik Federov, the boat that is going to take them back to the civilization. Last days were tough for the three members of the Transantarctic Expedition. Now, once out of their universe of ice, wind and terrible temperatures up to -45 ºC, they were starting to realize that it was true, they did it; a very special time that they will keep for sure very deep in their heart. A journey across the continent so many times dreamed of by the greatest explorers and that will be remembered a long, long time.
Now a new phase begins for them. They left behind the last days: 70 kilometers covered the last journey, with a very irregular terrain and very strong winds, almost stormy. They also left behind a few hours on the ice, waiting for the huge helicopter that took them to the boat, the Akademik Federov. 120 people will be travelling with them, between researchers and crew. The replaced team of the Russian base of Vostok were there as well, already friends of the explorers waiting for them to give them a warm welcome party.
A dream becomes true
After six years of preparations the expedition was “a dream that became true” for the team leader, Ramón Larramendi. It also was “the proof that, if you really want something and you persevere in your dreams, in the end everything is possible”.
The whole idea of the expedition that actually came to the polar explorer during a traverse towards the North Pole is already a reality. The KiteSled, an original and revolutionary vehicle developed by Ramón Larramendi, has already demonstrated its efficiency on the polar plateaus. Incredible distances were covered with this system with an absolute respect of the Antarctic environment and a much lower cost than the traditional caterpillar tracks.
The Transantarctic Expedition could cover 4.500 kilometers over the plateau in 63 days, doing the fastest non-motorized Antarctic traverse ever. Last record was established by Borge Ousland, who covered 2.800 kilometers in 64 days.
The team also made a scientific work that will help the researchers to complete the map of the climate change in our planet. The explorers collected ice samples every 50 kilometers at a depth between a meter and a meter and a half. The material was kept in test tubes and labelled with the exact coordinates of the place where they were taken at. The collected samples were handed in to the Russian base of Vostok, where they stay in cold-storage rooms at a constant temperature of -50 ºC. From there they will be sent to the Glaciologic Institute of Grenoble for the study of their isotopic composition. This work was described by the professor of the Autónoma University of Madrid, Eduardo Martínez de Pisón, as an “authentic present for the science”.
It is true that the explorers couldn’t complete their whole dream, crossing the Antarctic from one side to the other in a 5.000 kilometers route. The KiteSled was ready to do it, but the circumstances didn’t allow it. The lack of collaboration of the French and Italian authorities, a collaboration that they of course didn’t have to offer, shattered part of their dream, but not the most important one. They will always have the memories of traverse realized, the experiences they have gained, the great challenge they have overcome and, the most important of everything, the friendship created between the three expeditioners.
Tierras Polares and the Spanish Transantarctic Expedition just want to thank everybody who collaborated to make this project become true. A lot of men and women without whom the expedition would have been just impossible: to all of them, thank you.
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| 05-01-2007
Comienza el domingo la emisión de ‘Al filo de lo imposible’ y la Expedición Transantártica Española |
| El proximo domingo 21 de enero a las 21:10 en La 2 tendrá lugar el Tercero de una serie de seis capítulos sobre la Antártida titulada “En el confín de la Tierra”. En ellos podremos ver las imágenes de la aventura vivida por Ramón Larramendi,...
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| 20-04-2006
Arrancan las conferencias de Ramón Larramendi y 'Al filo' sobre la Transantártica |
| El día 10 de mayo a las 19 h. tendrá lugar la primera de ellas, en la Librería Desnivel
Tras una travesía de 63 días sobre el desierto helado austral realizando una expedición histórica en la que no sólo se han batido var...
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| 06-03-2006
‘Al filo de lo imposible’ finaliza su aventura antártica |
| Mientras los tres miembros de la Expedición Transantártica vuelven a la vida normal, el equipo de ‘Al filo de lo imposible’ ha dado por finalizada su otra aventura antártica: la ascensión de diversas cumbres del continente blanco, el buceo bajo el hiel...
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| 03-03-2006
Este domingo, la historia del Catamarán Polar en 'Al filo de lo imposible' |
| 'Al filo de lo imposible' emitirá este domingo en La 2 el capítulo "Vagabundos del Ártico", donde se narra la historia del Catamarán Polar desde el nacimiento de la idea alumbrada por Ramón Larramendi, durante la expedición de ...
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| 23-02-2006
Vuelta a casa, al trabajo… ¡y a las tierras polares! |
| Los tres aventureros llevan ya varios días de vuelta en España, y algunos de ellos ya casi tienen las maletas hechas de nuevo. Ramón Larramendi, después de 16 días en casa y de retomar la batalla diaria de la oficina, ha decidido que tenía algo muy...
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| 10-02-2006
Tras la Gran Travesía, el retorno |
| Tras más de dos meses de marcha sobre el desierto helado, una ruta que ha batido todas las marcas y 22 días en el buque oceanográfico ruso Akademik Fedorov, los tres miembros de la Expedición Transantártica, Ramón Larramendi, Juan Manuel Viu e Ign...
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| 25-01-2006
Instantánea del regreso |
| Los tres miembros de “Al filo de lo imposible” e integrantes de la Expedición Transantártica Española, Ramón Larramendi, Juan Manuel Viu e Ignacio Oficialdegui se encuentran ya camino a casa, a bordo del rompehielos y buque oceanográfico ruso Akade...
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| 13-01-2006
Culmina la travesía antártica sin medios mecanizados más veloz |
| “Lo hemos conseguido, es fabuloso. Estoy en la cubierta del barco ruso, acabamos de aterrizar y estoy rodeado de un mar plagado de icebergs”, fueron las primeras palabras que pudimos oír de boca del explorador Ramón Larramendi a su llegada al barco...
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| 11-01-2006
Un susto en la tormenta |
| 70º 38’ sur, 81º 57’ este. Nuestros compañeros continúan avanzando hacia su objetivo, después de dos jornadas en la que pudieron realizar 55 y 80 kilómetros en los días 8 y 9 de enero. La noche pasada se saldó con un buen susto:
“Ll...
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| 09-01-2006
Cada vez más cerca |
| 102 kilómetros en un día complicado por el fuerte viento, a decir de los expedicionarios, “el viento más fuerte de toda la expedición, con una velocidad de más de 50 kilómetros por hora”. Conducir el catamarán polar por un terreno plagado de...
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