Larramendi and mates await their flight for Novo
Published on 06.12.2011 - Acciona Windpower Antarctica 90°S
Ramøn Larramendi and his teamates have arrived at Capetown via Dubai. They're all set. But the flight for the Antarctic (Novolazarevskaia Russian Base) has been delayed.
Excerpts from their last press communiqué : "... The flight to South Africa (with a connection in Dubai) was quite exotic bearing in mind we’re heading for the South Pole. I When we got to Cape Town, Victor Serov was there waiting for us. Victor is the ALCI (Antarctic Logistics Centre International) representative and my long-time companion on a number of trips to the North Pole; in fact, the last time I’d seen him we were 90º North and the pair of us were on board an helicopter taking us home from the Pole. He’s an amiable Russian with loads of experience in Polar logistics and expeditions. Victor confirms that our cargo plane has arrived and is standing by in a nearby hangar. That, and the fact that all our luggage has arrived intact, is good news.
Lost items of luggage are always a cause for concern because it can jeopardize an expedition’s success. Victor takes us over to the hangar where an Afrikaner-looking guy shows us all our gear. There’s not a moment to lose and before making our way to the hotel in Cape Town we all set about opening everything and making sure that it’s all in order. We have to work outside the hangar; despite the strong wind, the temperature is pleasant. There are always things to do, but everything appears to be under control.
Today we spent the day doing some last-minute shopping for food: butter, sugar and the indispensable Tang-brand powdered orange juice which, for some reason, they’ve stopped selling in Spain. A little bit of shopping and ambling around the packed city streets, and then lunch at a small open-air market. People all over the place and wind, a lot of wind. Spent the afternoon checking the kites, putting-on logos, stitching and adjusting the clothing, casting an eye over the tools. It’s time to get the Expedition under way, but it still seems a long way off. For a start, our flight’s been postponed from December 6th to the 7th, so maybe we won’t be off until the 10th of December instead of the 9th as originally scheduled. ..."
