Climber Adrian Ahritculesei will leave on Wednesday morning for Antarctica, where he aims to conquer Mount Sidley (4,285 m) and thus complete the Volcanic Seven Summits circuit, a performance at the end of which he could become the first man in Romania to achieve such a record, according to Agerpres.

The 38-year-old climber hailing from Petrosani will have to arrive on January 6 in the city of Punta Arenas, in southern Chile, where he will meet the organizers of the Antarctic expedition and three other people who will climb Mount Sidley.

„I am physically and mentally prepared. I leave saying a big ‘Godspeed!’ because God’s support is also needed in this expedition. The Mount Sidley expedition is an international one because there will be three climbers – from Guatemala, India and Estonia, who aim to climb this volcano. They are experienced climbers, who conquered peaks of over 8,000 meters,” Adrian Ahritculesei told Agerpres.

If the weather is good, on January 9, the members of the expedition will leave by plane from Punta Arenas to a research station in Antarctica, where they will stay for a few days for their bodies to get used to the temperatures there.

Finally, with a small plane, the group will be transported to the base of Mount Sidley, where the ascent to the top of the volcano will begin. The same plane will bring them back to the research station and from there the climbers will return home. The expedition is expected to take place between January 6-21, and its costs amount to approximately 70,000 US dollars.

The climber carries two backpacks of 20 kilograms each, in which he placed the necessary equipment to be able to withstand the temperatures of the South Pole, where, although it is summer, the thermometers could indicate from minus 20 degrees to minus 40 Celsius degrees. The equipment, from the jacket to the sleeping bag, was custom made in Romania.

Mountaineer Adrian Ahritculesei has managed to climb, so far, six of the seven volcanoes that are included in the Volcanic Seven Summits. He thus conquered the peaks of Damavand (5,609 meters) – Iran, Asia, Mount Giluwe (4,367 m) – Oceania and Australia, Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m) – North America, Elbrus (5,642 m) – Europe, Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) – South America, Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) – Africa.

The first woman in Romania who conquered the Volcanic Seven Summits was Crina „Coco” Popescu, in 2012, when she was only 16 years old.

Agerpres