Romanian climber Ciprian Patrascu, 37, managed to conquer Vinson Massif (4,897 meters), the tallest mountain in Antarctica, reports local Mediafax. The final ascent to the peak took about eight hours.

“I participated, between November 22 and December 8, in an international expedition during which we managed to conquer Vinson Peak (4,897 meters), the highest peak in Antarctica. Besides me, the other members of the expedition were a Nepalese, a Canadian, a Dutchman, an Australian and two Americans. At first, I was very reluctant about my participation in this expedition because I was the only Romanian, but also because the agency that organized the expedition’s logistics didn’t give us the option of knowing each other before this experience,” said Patrascu, cited by local Mediafax.

Four other Romanian climbers have successfully climbed the Vinson Massif before Patrascu.

Cirpian Patrascu previously made other successful ascents, including the conquest of the Aconcagua Peak (6,962 meters) in 2011, together with climber Vasile Cipcigan, the conquest of Mont Blanc Peak (4,810 meters) during a Romanian expedition organized in 2013, and the conquest of Elbrus Peak in Russia (5,642 meters) in august 2014, together with climber Mihnea Prundeanu.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com