Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest, highest, and most isolated continent on Earth, in a word: extreme.

Antarctica is one and a half times the size of Europe, 47 times the size of Italy. Itis covered by a blanket/sheet of ice as thick, as 4,770 meters in some places, (slightly less than Mont Blanc or, if you will, 14 times the Eiffel Tower). On average, it is 2,200 meters thick. This frozen shell accounts for 90% of the Earth’s ice and 80% of the planet’s fresh water reserves. The enormous weight pushes the rocks 800 meters below sea level.
Seen from the sky, the heart of Antarctica appears like an immaculate surface, without the slightest relief: an empty sheet of the Earth on which the landscape is still waiting to be drawn. There are no mountains, no valleys, no rivers, nothing. Just a white surface, lying under a big pale blue sky.
The extreme aridity makes Antarctica one of the most terrible deserts on the planet.

 

The expedition

Danilo will start his expedition from Punta Arenas (Chile), an aircraft will take me to the edge of the Weddell Ice Shelf.
I will then walk about 1,300km south/southeast, the distance necessary to reach the Geographic South Pole.
I will be using skis on my feet and drag a 160 kg pulk holding kit and food.
Once at the Geographic South Pole, a twin-engine propeller plane will pick me up and fly me over the vicinity of Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antartica, where I will parachute from a height of about 5,000 meters.
Mount Vinson, 4,897mt. (S 78°34’59” – W85°24’59”) is the highest mountain in Antarctica and the fourth peak of the 7SUMMITS Solo Project (intercontinental project that began in 2011 with South America, and continued with Europe and Africa. The project involves climbing the seven highest peaks on each of the seven continents in alpine style, creating a remarkable adventure around each of them combining AIR-LAND-SEA.
As soon as I reach the base camp, I will begin the ascent to this ice giant and climb it.
I will fly from Antarctica to Punta Arenas (Chile) and then back to Italy.

I would be the first person in the world to complete such a trilogy in Antarctica:

• the geographic South Pole
• a parachute jump
• the highest mountain

I would also be the first Italian to reach the Geographic South Pole solo and in complete autonomy.

 

EXPEDITION’S DATA/NUMBERS

• Total crossing: about 1,300 km
• Estimated average distance per day: about 27 km
• Time needed to complete the adventure: about 90 days
• Maximum temperature registered at the Geographic South Pole: -12 ° C
• Minimum temperature registered at the Geographic South Pole: -82 ° C
• Minimum temperature registered in Antarctica: -105°C
• Maximum recorded wind speed (at McMurdo base): 303 km/h
• Highest peak altitude (Mount Vinson): 4.897 meters