21 JANUARY 2019
The four team members of the WindSled expedition campaign “Antarctica Unexplored 2018-2019”, whom have been on the ice since last December 12, have practically reached the top of Dome Fuji, reaching 3,768 meters of altitude (at the time of this press release), the summit being at 3,810 meters. After a route that began 40 days ago, the expeditionary are setting a milestone in Antarctic territory exploration. In the last stage they have covered 248 km (154 mi) without stopping for 16 hours, only driven by Antarctic wind.
The expeditionary team, led by polar explorer Ramón Larramendi, WindSled designer and promoter of this science and exploration adventure, are in good physical condition, despite bearing temperatures that have exceeded 40 °C (40 °F) below zero, strong winds and an altitude that generates impacts on organisms. In addition, the Earth’s atmosphere is thinner at the poles. The team consists of Larramendi himself, the biologist Ignacio Oficialdegui, the industrial engineer, Manuel Olivera, and the polar guide and logger, Hilo Moreno.
The ten scientific projects that are carried on board are working at perfection, collecting data that will be of great interest to researchers related to: the Galileo satellites operation at the European Space Agency (ESA), climate change, polar environmental pollution, the search for extraterrestrial life, the proliferation of microorganisms in polar air etc., and all this on a route that has been carried out on a few occasions throughout history. Polar eco-vehicle WindSled is proving, therefore, that it is a perfect platform to move around the Antarctic plateau, with zero emissions and great efficiency.
Since they left the Russian Novolazarevskaya Base, the expedition has had difficult moments to advance, especially after passing through an inactive scientific base named ‘Plateau Station’. They entered an area where winds were very soft, until the point they called it ‘sea of tranquility’. During several days, the team struggled to border the dome, but due to the pressures of soft snow and the little wind, they finally burst the 150 square meter (1614 sq ft) kite, which was the largest they had, and with no repairing possibility. At the time, the team thought of abandoning the climb to the Dome Fuji plain and began to skirt it to avoid further complications.
However, this past weekend, they had very favorable wind in direction and intensity so they managed to overcome the ‘calmness’ and, against all odds, have ascended Dome Fuji, in particular, according to the last data, at an altitude of 3,780 meters. The highest part is located at 3,810 meters, although it is a plain where it is difficult to identify the exact point whilst navigating. The Japanese Dome Fuji Base, closed until next season, was left some kilometers away in a stage in which they have traveled, non stop, a total of 248 kilometers (154 mi) in 16 hours, with an average speed of 16 km (9 mi)/ h and peaks of up to 25 km (15 mi)/ h.
The expedition is already facing the last part of the route that will eventually cover around 2,400 kilometers (1491 mi), until return to the Russian scientific base that saw them depart on December 11.
Ramón Larramendi, via satellite, says: “We had a hard time when we ascertained there was no good wind, although we already knew this section was going to be the most complicated one of the entire expedition. In the end we achieved this and now we are going to have favorable wind until the end… The hardest thing is withstanding these temperatures of down to 40ºC below zero with wind, chill factor and Autumn approaching. Also performing the scientific tasks, but we are succeeding all and the four of us are convinced that the most difficult part has gone by. Therefore, we feel very satisfied. ”
The Antarctica Unexplored Dome Fuji 2018-2019 expedition is sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions, in addition to holding a collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). It is a unique science and exploration pioneering adventure, being the first to be undertaken with a zero emissions platform, for use in polar territories and with a capacity of carrying two tons of weight.
Among the institutions participating in this expedition are the European Space Agency (ESA), the University of Maine, the Autónoma University of Madrid, CSIC, the University of Alcalá de Henares, the University of Valencia, CAB Center for Astrobiology (INTA-CSIC), AEMET, GMV Company and a NASA researcher.
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