Romanian climber Adrian Ahritculesei has arrived at a research base in Antarctica on his way to Mount Sidley, as the young man of Petrosani has set his mind on completing a Volcanic Seven Summits climb and thus become the first Romanian man ever to achieve such a performance, his manager Stefan Adrian Jurca said on Tuesday.
"Adrian Ahritculesei is at the Union Glacier base in Antarctica, where temperatures are more friendly: -12/-13 degrees Celsius. Union Glacier is a research base where people can embark on expeditions to Mount Sidley, the highest volcano in Antarctica. (...). During the expedition and when approaching the summit, the temperature will vary between -29 and -31 degrees Celsius," said Jurca on social media.
From the Union Glacier base, Ahritculesei will fly on a small plane to Mount Sidley, after which he will follow a route of over 40 km during which he will carry his individual equipment by sled, told Agerpres.
"It takes some heavy carrying, considering the weather," said Jurca.
Ahritculesei left for Antarctica on January 4, where he set out to conquer Mount Sidley (4,285 m) and thus complete a Volcanic Seven Summits climb. The 38-year-old mountaineer of Petrosani arrived in the city of Punta Arenas, Chile, on January 6, where he met the organisers of his Antarctic expedition.
The climber is carrying along two bags of 20 kilograms each with essentials that allow him to survive the South Pole cold. His bespoke equipment, from the jacket to the sleeping bag, was manufactured on a special order in Romania.
The expedition is expected to take place January 6-21, and its costs amount to approximately 70,000 US dollars.
The Volcanic Seven Summits climb entails ascending the highest volcanoes on seven continents.
The first Romanian to climb all the seven summits is Crina "Coco" Popescu. She did it in 2012, when she was only 16 years old.