CLIMBERS JUAN ANTONIO HUISA AND PEDRO LOPEZ CHECK THE LAST DETAILS OF THEIR PREPARATION BEFORE DEPARTING FROM CHILE TO ANTARCTICA to climb Vinson

The Sevillan climbers working in the Seven Summit project will try to reach the summit of Mount Vinson before December 20

The members of the Andalucía-Antarctica 2004 expedition, Sevillans from Siete Cumbres Sport Club Juan Antonio Huisa and Pedro López, have been two days in Punta Arenas (Chile) before leaving to Antarctica, where they plan to crown Mount Vinson (4,897 meters) before December 20.

The Andalucian climbers have checked the last details of the complex preparation before their trip, which included a meeting with the manager of Adventure Logistics Expeditions (ALE), the only company in the world that does the paperwork for activities in Antarctica, who informed them of the very harsh conditions of the environment and about the many restrictions of the expedition. 

"We were warned in this meeting about the many dangers and extreme situations which we will face.  Starting with the flight from Punta Arenas to the scientific base of Patriot Hill, which lasts some four hours, and which is considered the most complex and dangerous flight in the world", said Huisa and López about the difficulties they are about to face from now.

"Atmospheric instability, strong winds, and the landing itself of such a heavy aircraft, the Hercules, in a landing strip of ice swept by winds, is an odyssey.  Until we step on Antarctica there is nothing certain, I mean, the mission could be aborted in any moment, even the flight itself, because the intensity of the wind changes by the minute", they warned.

The Andalucian climbers noted before their departure the schedule that will take them to the highest mountain of the frozen continent.  "When we land, we have to quickly unload tons of materials, so that the plane can leave as soon as possible. And once in Patriot Hills, we will have the same situation of uncertainty again, when we take the little Twin Otter plane, which will take us near Vinson Base Camp".

Huisa and López, once in base camp, will be on their own and they will begin their adventure without porters or guides.  Along with the Sevillans, there will be four more expeditions in Antarctica these days, one of which comes from Korea and another from the United Kingdom.

"The return will be on the 20th, but there is no certainty, because it is normal that we have to wait even for a week for the conditions to be proper.  We have the obligation to take from Antarctica all the organic material we discard.  We will carry 55 kilos per person, and during at least 9 days we will be bearing extreme weather conditions", said the climbers, who trust they will end their ascent with success.

"We don't know if we can establish contact from Antarctica, so we say goodbye with this press note and we hope with a lot of illusion to reach the objective, to crown this ambitious and complex summit, and to offer Andalucía an important sports challenge", said the Sevillans to end their note.

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

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