Richard returns to Chile ready to start leg 3 of 737 Challenge

23rd January 2011

After fuel strikes and a broken fuel line on the ALE's Ilyushin plane caused delays to Richard Parks’ 737 Challenge, Richard finally left Union Glacier Base Camp on Antarctica and arrived in Punta Arenas in Chile in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The flight wasn’t without drama though, the Ilyushin plane nearly had to make a u-turn as weather conditions deteriorated, Richard stated; “It landed in a total whiteout and took off in the same conditions, it was one of the wildest things I have ever seen. It nearly had to turn around and go back to Punta the conditions were so bad. Taking off was just amazing, totally wild”

After a 4 hour flight Richard saw total darkness for the first time in over a month having spent days on end in 24-hour sunlight in Antarctica, “I felt a little disorientated at first” he added. “It was pretty weird”.

He is now flying to Santiago where he will rest and re-group before travelling by bus to Mendoza in Argentina. He will then join his group to climb Aconcagua, South America’s highest mountain and the 3rd leg of his world first 737 Challenge.