Australian team succeeds in Antarctic climb
Sydney (dpa) - From sea to sky, a four-man Australian team has reached the summit of Antarctica's highest peak, Mount Vinson, becoming the first climbers ever to conquer the 4,900-metre-high summit after trekking from sea level, Australian news reports said Tuesday.
The team, led by Adelaide mountaineer Duncan Chessell, 36, reached the summit after a month-long 400 kilometre trek dragging all their own supplies in 60 kilogram sleds across the ice.
"We are all exhausted but exhilarated," Chessell said by satellite phone after the climb.
"The view, standing alone on the tallest part of the Antarctic, was incredible - you could see almost to the South Pole.
"To stand there and see the hundreds of kilometres we had trekked from the sea, across land never before crossed by people, was humbling."
The push to the top involved a 1200m vertical climb, about 8km of climbing in total, mainly up a very long glacial slope and took seven hours after leaving the high base camp.
Temperatures at the summit fell to minus 35 Celsius.
They stored most of their gear at the base of Mt Vinson and after descending the mountain intend to fly out to South America and then Australia.
Though other climbers, including Australians, have reached the summit of Mt Vinson, none have done so after a trek from sea level. // © 2006 DPA
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