The 1968 Antarctic Italian CAI-CNR mission: a story map to rediscover an almost unknown geographical exploration

• Published in: Abstracts of the ICA
• Main Authors: Giovanni Mauro, Alessia Glielmi
• Other Authors: International Cartographic Association (ICA), Zamperlin P., Cantile A., Milli M., Mauro, Giovanni, Glielmi, Alessia
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Pubblications 2021
• Subjects: Italian Antarctic mission; Wright Valley; Story map; Geographical exploration; Antarctic; Victoria Land; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Ross Island; Transantarctic Mountains; New Zealand; South Pole; Vanda; Olympus; Christchurch; St. Pauls; Olympus Range; Antarc*; Antarctica; South pole
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11591/461516; https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-abs-3-198-2021

Even today, at the dawn of a new millennium, North and South Pole remain largely unknown areas. As part of the geographical explorations of the New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme in Victoria Land (a region of Antarctica located south of New Zealand), more than fifty years ago the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) planned and economically supported the first Italian expedition to discover Antarctica. Between 1968 and 1969 a group of six people, three young researchers of CNR and University and three experienced alpinist, left Italy to the South Pole. They were divided into three teams of two people each: the first had to reach the American station of Mc Murdo on Ross Island by ship from Christchurch, in New Zealand; the other two had to explore the Wright Valley. This basin is located in the centre of the three large McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains, west of the McMurdo Channel (approximately 77° 30’ S and 161° 40’ E). In November 1968 Marcello Manzoni (CNR geologist) and Ignazio Piussi (CAI alpinist) were the first two explorers of this mission who reached the scientific research station of Base Scott. Later they moved on Vanda Station, a nearby research base from where they began their exploration on December 15, 1968. Their journey on foot through the Wright Valley lasted 23 days. They covered about 240 km along a circular path (fig.1), sometimes facing extreme weather conditions. During their trip, they settled nine temporary base camps and they made eight first ascents including Mount St. Pauls (2300 m.), Round (2410 m.), Fleming (2250 m.) and Shapeless (2739 m.). They collected several geological samples; their scientific observations are still important for the definition of the granite outcrops of the upper Olympus Range and the stratigraphy of the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Beacon series. Their notes are collected in two different travel diaries: Manzoni wrote down personal impressions and scientific remarks, while Piussi recorded his own ...