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One Continent Down, Six To Go: Triple 7 Team Kicks Off World-Record Chase With Antarctica Jump

January 9, 2023Jenna Biter

Triple 7 Expedition jump in Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Jariko Denman.

The nine special ops vets behind the Triple 7 Expedition leaped out of one plane high over Antarctica today and, by late afternoon, should be on another headed to South America, chasing a skydiving world record.

One of the Triple 7 jumpers told Coffee or Die Magazine that the team's clock for the weeklong trip started in midafternoon, Monday, Jan. 9.

“At 14:30 local time [12:30 EST], timer started,” Logan Stark said in a text message. “Jump 1 is done.”

The team of nine veterans completed the first official jump of a world record-chasing journey over Union Glacier Camp, Antarctica. The team is attempting to skydive on all seven continents in seven days, which would be the fastest time for the feat.

To meet their goal within a week, the vets must complete six more skydives — one on each of the remaining continents — by 12:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 16.

As the team hops around the globe, the members hope to raise $7 million for Folds of Honor. With that amount, the nonprofit organization could provide 1,400 scholarships to the families of fallen and wounded veterans and first responders.

^{Triple 7 Expedition jump at Union Glacier Camp, Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Jariko Denman.}

But getting the Antarctica jump done and moving back to less remote terrain is a major milestone, putting the coldest and most dangerous leg of the Triple 7 Expedition behind them.

Jariko Denman, one of the Triple 7 jumpers, told Coffee or Die that the weather in Antarctica wasn’t what he expected. “It was a lot warmer in free fall, and a lot colder under canopy than I expected,” Denman said.

At Union Glacier Camp, Denman said temperatures on the ground stayed between 5 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit and negative 20 degrees at jump altitude.

“Immediately outside of [the drop zone] and surrounding all sides are [crevasse] fields, covered in snow and ice,” Denman said. “If you land in them, you’re basically a goner. [They are] 50-300 feet deep and everywhere. But you can’t see them.”

All the jumpers avoided the crevasses, landing squarely on the drop zone. When they land back in South America, they’ll ditch most of their cold-weather gear for the remainder of the Triple 7 Expedition.

^{Triple 7 Expedition at Union Glacier Camp, Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Jariko Denman.}

A Frantic Pace

After six days of practice skydives, hiking, and sightseeing in Antarctica, the team’s free time should be over. If everything goes right, they won’t even sleep in a real bed for at least the next four days, catching as much rest as they can on long, international flights.

After landing from the Antarctica jump, the jumpers will catch a flight back to Punta Arenas, Chile, to make a 1:38 a.m. connection to Santiago, the location of their second jump.

The team members should arrive in the Chilean capital between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10. They plan to head straight to the drop zone at Skydive Andes, about an hour’s drive from the airport, according to George Silva, the expedition’s operations manager, who has been charting out the trip and handling the logistics of moving the team between drop zones around the world in seven days.

“I don’t expect them to jump tomorrow until around 11 a.m.,” Silva said. “The reason for that is they don’t have to be back at the airport until like 8:30 p.m.”

After the skydive in Chile, the expedition will head to Miami, Florida, arriving the morning of Jan. 11, followed by Barcelona, Spain; Cairo, Egypt, for a jump over the pyramids; Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; and Perth, Australia.

^{Triple 7 Expedition at Union Glacier Camp, Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Jariko Denman.}

Pain in Spain

“Right now, I’m just trying to figure out a contingency plan for Barcelona,” Silva said. “Barcelona is going to be very tight, so is Cairo. Those two right there will be the make-or-break point.”

The team’s plan in Spain is to arrive in Barcelona, drive an hour to the drop zone, skydive, and then head back to the airport in time to catch the next flight to Cairo, Egypt.

“Right now, we are extremely worried about Barcelona,” Silva said. “I’m not as worried as the guys are, but they’re going to have to take two flights up. It’s going to be two different jump teams instead of all on one just because the plane isn’t outfitted, you know, to be able to handle that many jumpers.

“So yeah, they’re a little bit worried about Barcelona,” Silva said. “I think they’re going to make it, but I’m looking for contingencies right now.”

Once off the clock, the team will make a final celebratory jump in Tampa, Florida.

“We are all ready,” Denman said. “Antarctica is once in a lifetime, but we have a mission to complete.”

Black Rifle Coffee Company, which owns Coffee or Die Magazine, is a sponsor of the Triple 7 Expedition.

Jenna Biter

Jenna Biter is a staff writer at Coffee or Die Magazine. She has a master’s degree in national security and is a Russian language student. When she’s not writing, Jenna can be found reading classics, running, or learning new things, like the constellations in the night sky. Her husband is on active duty in the US military. Know a good story about national security or the military? Email Jenna.

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