BLOG: Ali Cobb  25th Aug 2010
 
The final day for Xtreme Alps at the Margherita Hut

Today was the final day for the Xtreme Alps team at the Margherita Hut so there was a lot of sorting and packing to be done. The day started especially early with a 5.30 wakeup call as a camera crew from the Italian news station ?Rai? were helicoptered up to the Hut to interview Dan. The camera crew had a tour around the (half empty!) lab and spoke to Dan about the research that has been going on at the Hut for the last 3 weeks. The story is being run in September; watch this space and we will update a link when it airs in Italy.

The rest of the day consisted of finishing packing the lab and carrying out the final neuroscience and muscle ultrasound studies. The majority of our equipment was picked up in a net by helicopter and flown down to Alanga where Mac was waiting with a van. The helicopter took four loads of equipment and brought in large quantities of supplies for the coming week at the Margherita Hut. The final equipment was packed up this afternoon and is being picked up by helicopter tomorrow morning. The freezers with all the samples have to remain switched on until the very last moment before the helicopter arrives, when they are flown to Alangna to be met by the World Courier Service and brought back to Archway.

The weather has been windy but bright today and some of the Team (myself included) went out for a brisk walk this afternoon. Tomorrow we descend to the Gnefetti Hut; some of the more adventurous of the group are tackling a ridge or two on the way down whilst the rest of us are taking the scenic route down the glacier.

XE Blogs:
Other blogs by Ali Cobb:
26/08/10
Xtreme Alps leave the Margherita Hut
24/08/10
The packing begins at the Margherita Hut
23/08/10
The final day of CPEX testing for the Xtreme Alps Team
22/08/10
Yesterday was too good to be true...!
21/08/10
Day 1 of CPEX for Team B
20/08/10
Team B arrive at the Margherita Hut