Half the fun.

The logistics of each climb often include some novel component. For Aconcagua it was the Muleteers we hired to pack our provisions the many miles up a dry valley to the point where we would begin the climb. On Kilimanjaro it was the army of Porters, 19, we were required to hire as terms of our permit. On Denali we used three small aircraft with skies to get on and off the Kahiltna Glacier.

The most logistically challenging aspect of this attempt on Vinson Massif is transporting our team and a considerable load of provisions from Punta Arenas, Chile some 2,174 miles to the interior of Antarctica. The distance is too great, the cargo too heavy, and the conditions too severe for most conventional aircraft. Fortunately, the Soviet Union had the same problem many years earlier as it struggled to move military equipment in and out remote locations where they officially had no military presence. They needed a medium range, heavy load cargo jet that could handle harsh conditions and rough landings. To this end they created the Ilyushin 76 (pictured above).

The Ilyushin 76 measures 152 feet long and has a wingspan of 165 feet. Powered by four turbojet engines, it can carry a maximum payload of 114,640 lbs. Fully laden, it has a range of about 2,700 miles. As the round trip is 4,348 miles we will need to carry many barrels of jet fuel as cargo. This will enable the Ilyushin 76 to return to Punta Arenas after depositing us on the ice.

Prior to 1985, there was no established means for flying into Anarctica's interior. In that year, Antarctic Network International (ANI) was formed.  Later purchased by Antarctic Logistics Expeditions (ALE), this company now provides transportation to Researchers, South Pole Trekkers, Penguin Observers,  Mountain Climbers, and the participants of an actual Marathon run on the open ice. By the way, it costs $16,000 to run in that Marathon and you don't even get a T-shirt.

We will be relying heavily on ALE in the course of this expedition. After the four and half hour flight from Punta Arenas our team will dig in and wait for a Twin Otter to arrive. This plane, also operated by ALE, will fly us another forty five minutes inland to the base of Vinson Massif.

Regardless of the outcome of our climb, there is one thing quite certain; we will be using some really cool equipment!