Mount Vinson expedition: base camp

On 01/01/2008 the 4 Italian mountaineers belonging to the Centro Addestramento Alpino di Aosta reached Mount Vinson Base Camp after having crossed the Antarctic Patriot Hills.

Ettore Taufer, Giovanni Amort, Elio Sganga and Marco Farina reached the Base Camp of Mount Vinson on New Year's Day after having spent 13 day traversing across the Patriot Hills. Starting from the commercial base in Patriot Hills, the four each hauled sledges with circa 75kg of gear for roughly 9 hours per day to complete the 300km traverse.

The successful crossing is merely a first step, as the four now have their sights firmly set on Mount Vinson itself. In many respects though the traverse represented the biggest question mark, as it had only been carried out once previously but via a different route. During the final stage zero visibility hampered progress, and although weather conditions continue to remain bad, the ascent proper is scheduled to begin in two days time.

The Antactic expedition has been organised by the Centro Addestramento Alpino di Aosta, the autonomous region of Valle d’Aosta and the Province of Turin.