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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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| 11-01-2006
Lost in the storm |
| 70º 38’ South, 81º 57’ East. Ramón, Juanma and Ignacio could cover 55 kilometers the 8th of January and 80 kilometers the 9th. Last day ended with a fright:
“We had an exhausting day, after twelve hours navigation in the middle of th...
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| 09-01-2006
Much closer to the meeting point |
| 102 kilometers in a difficult day because of the strong wind. As the explorers said, it was “the strongest wind in all the expedition, with a speed of more than 50 kilometers per hour”. It is a tough task to drive the Kitesled in a terrain f...
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| 08-01-2006
Out of the no-wind zone |
| 72º 4' South, 86º 44' East. 280 kilometers first day. 62 the second. 111 the third. Those are the distances covered by our fellows the past 5th, 6th and 7th of January. After two days waiting in the same place for a little bit of wind, a light bree...
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| 04-01-2006
We keep on going -but where is the wind? |
| 74º 38' South, 97º 38' East. Neither the low temperatures nor the difficult terrain could stop the expeditioners. But now the wind or, better said, the lack of it, is making things more difficult these days.
As Ramón Larramendi told us: “1st...
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| 03-01-2006
Happy New Year from the Antarctic |
| 75º 38’ South, 100º 7’ East. Our three friends Ramón Larramendi, Juanma Viu and Ignacio Oficialdegui had a really especial New Year’s Eve celebration : alone in their tent in the middle of the Antarctic plateau, with lower temperatur...
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| 30-12-2005
Almost 120 kilometers in one day and two days with no wind |
| 76º 10’ South, 99º 48’ East. 28th was a good day with a progress of 119 kilometers . Afterwards, the guys had to take it a little bit easier and have two days rest because of the lack of wind.
The point is, as Larramendi told us, that <...
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| 28-12-2005
191 kilometers in one day |
| 76º 58’ South, 102º 36’ East. The Transantarctic team is going again and heading for the next landmark: the Russian base of Mirny. The first stage after the time in Vostok couldn’t be better: 191 kilometers in twelve hours of navigation
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| 27-12-2005
A cold Christmas Eve in Vostok |
| Were you wondering about how the explorers passed their Christmas Eve? Ramón Larramendi explained it as follows:
“Vostok is one of the strangest places in the world: ten people live buried under the snow in the middle of the Antarctic
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| 22-12-2005
Arrival at the Russian base of Vostok |
| 78º 28’ South, 106º 49’ East. Yesterday at 12:00 GMT Ramón Larramendi, Juanma Viu and Ignacio Oficialdegui arrived to the Russian base Vostok after 15 hours of navigation across the Inaccessibility Zone.
The journey passed without more i...
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| 20-12-2005
Fast as a rocket |
| 79º 36’ North 102º 18’ East. “We go as fast as a rocket”, is the first thing Ramón Larramendi said when he contacted us to do the report of the last journey. The team had another great day and they could make a good 181 kilometers run in 12 hour...
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