Mr. Leopoldo García Sancho is an ECOTER Coordinator (Antarctic flora international study group), “Principe de Asturias” Award for Cooperation as member of SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) and Professor of Botany at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid.
” In the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, the ships reached as much fame as their captains. The “Terror” and “Erebus”, commanded by British sailor James Ross, were the first ships to penetrate the sea ice and discover the great white continent. Robert Scott commanded the “Discovery” and Ernest Shackleton’s “Endurance” on expeditions as tragic as legendary. The Norwegian Roald Amundsen traveled in the “Fram”, the most advanced polar ship of its time, to later continue by sleigh, towards the South Pole conquest.
Today a new kind of sailing vessel (or vehicle) is distinguished under Antarctic skies, although not navigating the sea, but sliding on the ice behind a multicolored kite “sail”. This is the “WindSled”, and who knows whether it will be called upon to emulate its prestigious predecessors.”
“The sled designed and led by Mr. Ramón Larramendi, further develops an idea that comes from the first polar expeditions: harness the power of the strong and almost constant katabatic winds to drive sleds through the large icy plains.” Captain Scott and his companions tried this on the return from the South Pole during their dramatic and fatal race against cold and hunger…
The WindSled has met huge technical advances in recent decades with the extraordinary experience of a polar explorer and inventor to successfully complete this old idea. Ramón Larramendi’s vessel has crossed Antarctica and Greenland, surpassing all speed records in both extremes of the world and traveling thousands of miles with no driving force but frigid polar winds.”
“Scientists should take note of this new platform that allows us (the scientific community) to penetrate the depths of Antarctica and cover great distances with minimal logistical support and 0.0 emissions. The possibilities open to studies of physics, glaciology and Antarctic atmosphere are evident. Also the study of chemical disturbances in the polar atmosphere caused by industrial activity in other parts of the world. The sampling process can benefit from “a clean and able to travel long distances platform”.
“As a biologist, I imagine great possibilities in the search of tiny, vital propagules that extend the life on our planet. In the clear Antarctic atmosphere spores undoubtedly float which allow tropical mosses to colonize Antarctic vents or volcanoes, and lichens to grow on isolated rocks newly discovered from ice. The data we have concerning the latter is scarce. The WindSled would be the best instrument to carry out this vital “fishery” of subtle particles that are spread worldwide.”
