Norway's Prime Minister To Travel To South Pole For Amundsen Anniversary

The Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, announced today that he'll be traveling to the South Pole in December to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Roald Amundsen's arrival at that point. Amundsen and his team became the first men to reach the Pole on December 14th, 1911, famously beating out Britain's Robert Falcon Scott by just a few weeks.

Unlike Amundsen, Stoltenberg won't be making the journey overland however. Instead, he'll fly to the Pole where he'll greet a four-person Norwegian team that is set to follow Amundsen's route. The plan is for that team to arrive on December 14th of this year to commemorate the historical event which remains such a point of pride for the people of Norway. 

The polar team will consist of Jan-Gunnar Winther, the head of the Norwegian Polar Institute  as well as former cross-country skier and Olympic champion Vegard Ulvang. They'll be joined on the journey by a historian and an adventurer as well. While Amundsen went to the Pole by dogsled, this team will travel on skis however. 

As we get closer to the 2011 Antarctic season, we're sure to hear a lot more about Amundsen and Scott, who were in a desperate race to be the first to reach the Pole. Both men had tried on more than one occasion to plant their nation's flag at 90ºS, but weather conditions, poor equipment, and the challenges of the unknown all conspired against them. Finally, Amundsen broke through using his dogsleds, and as result, Scott discovered a Norwegian flag at the Pole when he arrived four weeks later. 

Devastated by losing the race, Scott and his men turned back towards the coast and their ship, which was waiting 800 miles away. Along the way, the weather took a turn for the worse, and they managed to get caught in a blizzard that lasted for ten days. Stranded in their tent, the last of their supplies and energy, ran out, and Scott, along with his two remaining companions, perished. They were just 11 miles away from a supply cache that would have probably saved their lives.

The race to the South Pole is filled with epic characters, epic journeys, and epic suffering. A century later, those same characters still cast a wide shadow over the frozen continent. 

Colder, The Story of Eric Larsen's Save The Poles Expedition

Last Year, explorer Eric Larsen became the first person to visit the North and South Pole, as well as the summit of Everest, all in the same calendar year. He used his expedition to raise awareness of the challenges of climate change to our planet and the effect it is having on the "three poles." Now, a documentary of this "Save The Poles" expedition is in the works, and we have the trailer for it today as well.

According to this story on the Wend Blog, the film is called Colder and the full length version will be coming soon. You can get a sample of it in the video below, where you'll get just  a sample of what Eric went through on his expedition. Colder indeed!

Antarctic Research To Be Curbed This Year?

Speaking of the Antarctic, it appears that there could be some roadblocks ahead for those living and working at McMurdo Station, the U.S. research base on the world's southernmost continent. According to this memo, sent out by the U.S. Office of Polar Programs, the Swedish government has chosen to not provide it's icebreaker ship Oden for joint operations in and around Antarctica this year. The ship was to be used to help keep an open channel to McMurdo which would aid in the delivery of supplies, but now officials are scrambling to find a replacement, or risk cutting back operations in the Antarctic this season.

The OPP has set a deadline of "mid-August" for finding another icebreaker to assume the Oden's role this year, but if they don't, they'll be forced to reduce their operations this season at both McMurdo and the South Pole station. That would mean limiting the number of crew at the bases, delaying several infrastructure upgrades, and canceling some scientific operations for the year.

The memo goes on to say that shuttering the two bases would have long term effects on operations in the Antarctica, and that that contingency would be avoided at all costs. But if a January 2012 resupply isn't possible, the bases would need to stretch their available fuel and other supplies until January 2013. That would require the bases to go into total conservation mode to remain open.

All is not lost however, as the letter also says that they have some promising leads on replacement icebreakers that may be able to pick up the slack. They seem confident that they can find another ship and have it operational in time so that the season can progress as expected. If they don't however, it seems that it'll be a rather long, lonely, and lean year in both McMurdo and the South Pole bases.

Aussie Adventurers Announce Round Trip South Pole Expedition

Two Australian Adventurers, James Castrission and Justin Jones, have announced their intentions to ski unsupported to the South Pole and then return to their starting point along the Antarctic coast later this year in an effort to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the famous Amundsen-Scott race to the Pole.

The duo plan to begin their expedition, which they've dubbed Crossing The Ice, this October. They estimate that it will take upwards of three months for them to cover the 2200km (1367 miles) on foot, while dragging 160 kilogram (352 pound) sleds behind them. Those sleds will be their life line, as they will contain all of their supplies and gear for the long weeks out on the ice.

Castrission and Jones are no stranger to difficult, long distance journeys. The two men became the first to row from Australia to New Zealand a few years back, covering 3318km (2061 miles) in the process. They expect this to be an even bigger challenge however, as they face one of the harshest, most inhospitable environments on the planet. They'll be undertaking the expedition to raise funds and awareness for the You Can foundation, an organization that is building special cancer centers for children across Australia.

According to their website, the start of the expedition is still more than 73 days away and during that time they'll continue on their training and preparation. They're also likely to be one of a number of teams that will be traveling to the South Pole this year as the celebration of both Amundsen and Scott ramps up. It'll probably be a very busy season at the bottom of the world, with even more ambitious projects like this one.

Olly Hicks Gears Up For Global Row 2012

Remember Olly Hicks? He was the young adventurer who attempted to circumnavigate Antarctica in a rowboat back in 2009. Ultimately, due to a number of reasons, he was forced to abandon that voyage, but now he is back and gearing up to give it another go next year.

In his first  attempt, Olly set out from Tasmania to challenge the Southern Ocean, but soon found the conditions in that body of water were fickle and conspiring to work against him. The wind and currents made it nearly impossible for Hicks to make progress, and after weeks out on the water, he eventually conceded defeat, due in no small part to design flaws on his boat that made it less than ideal for the waters in which he was traveling.

Since that time, Olly has been working with two veteran naval designers on ways to overcome the flaws in his original boat design. With those new designs complete, he now feels ready to start planning his next attempt at the Global Row 2012, as the expedition has been dubbed. The new boat incorporates some unique features that will make it better suited for the conditions in the Southern Ocean, and the design team feels that Olly can expect to average 50-60 nautical miles per day. He'll put those estimates to the test when he returns to the water in October of next year, departing from Tasmania once again.

The voyage is expected to take somewhere between 18-22 months to complete, during which time Hicks will cover more than 18,000 nautical miles. The first phase of the journey will take Olly across the Pacific Ocean to South Georgia Island, where he plans to wait out the winter before resuming. That stage is expected to take approximately 160 days to complete. After overwintering and resupplying in South Georgia, he'll take to the Atlantic Ocean and continue around the globe, before arriving back in Tasmania. If successful in his venture, Hicks will become the first person to circumnavigate the Southern Ocean by rowboat.

While Olly loves a good adventure and wants to set the record, he's also making the row for two of his favorite charities as well. He hopes that his efforts will help raise funds for both the Hope and Homes for Children organization as well as the Save Our Seas Foundation.

While October 2012 seems like a long way off at this point, Olly is about to begin the all important search for sponsors for the Global Row 2012. With that in mind, a new website will be launching soon, and you can keep up with Olly's progress on his Facebook page right now.

Stay tuned for more as Olly ramps up for his next big adventure next year.

Antarctic Tourism On The Decline

I covered this topic this morning at Gadling.com, but thought it was worth sharing here as well. Yesterday I received a press release from the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators that gave some interesting statistics on the Antarctic tourism season that just ended. Those numbers indicated that there was a slide in the number of visitors to Antarctica this year, with 8.3% fewer people traveling in the region. This trend is expected to continue in the season ahead as well, with even more significant drops in the number of visitors to the frozen continent.

According to the IAATO, 33,824 people traveled in and around Antarctica in the 2010-2011 season. That number is down from the 36,875 from the year before. Of those travelers, 18,534 actually set foot on the continent itself, while 14,373 of them chose to just cruise the Southern Ocean instead. These numbers were reported by members of the IAATO, which carry clients throughout the region aboard small and medium sized expedition ships and yachts. The "cruise-only" folks were generally aboard larger cruise ships.

While the 8.3% drop is fairly substantial, that's nothing compared to what is projected for the 2011-2012 season. This August, a ban on heavy fuel oils will go into effect, limiting the number of larger ships that can enter the waters around Antarctica as well. That will most likely effect the cruise-only numbers, which are expected to drop below 5000 travelers total. When factoring in an economy that continues to struggle, the IAATO believes that there will be as much as a 25% drop in travel to Antarctica in the season ahead.

This is good news for environmentalists who have long feared that increased traffic would damage the fragile environments in Antarctica. These substantially lower numbers should help to protect the region from too much harm, and the ban on heavy fuels is designed to do the very same thing.

On the other hand, tour operators in the region can't be happy with the projections, as they could potentially be scrambling to fill their cabins. Obviously the largest decline will be in the cruise only section, where the number of ships operating in the Southern Ocean will be reduced from 12 down to just five, but if the expectations of a poor economy continue, we may see some good bargains for those looking to travel to the very deep south later this year.

Trailer For Todd Carmichael's Race To The Bottom Of The World

Back in 2008, adventurer Todd Carmichael made a solo, unsupported journey to the South Pole, setting a speed record in the process. At the time, we has a glimpse of the hardships that he suffered on his journey, which lasted for more than 39 days, but we really never had a chance to learn his full story.

That is until now. A new film entitled Race to the Bottom of the World is making the rounds, and it appears to offer a very personal look at the struggles that Todd had to over come to reach his goal. You can check out the trailer for the film below and catch two upcoming screenings of it at the following dates and locations:

May 2nd at 2:45pm - The Newport Beach Film Fest - Costa Mesa, CA

May 12 at 7:30pm - First Person Arts Fundraiser - Bryn Mawr, PA

The trailer offers some strikingly beautiful landscapes intermixed with Todd dealing with the challenges of his expedition. As he nears the Pole, his situation became increasingly desperate as food and supplies dwindled, his outside communications tools stopped working, and his stove went out of commission. Dire conditions indeed, and it appears the film will definitely offer an inside look at what polar explores must endure while out on the ice.

It should also be noted that Todd is donating 100% of his proceeds from the film to the Charity:Water foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to developing nations around the globe. A great cause indeed!

Missing Antarctic Yacht Update: Life Raft Discovered Adrift In The Southern Ocean

For the past few days I've been following the search for the missing yacht in the Antarctic. The Norwegian-flagged Berserk ran into trouble a few days back, and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Yesterday, the ship's life raft was discovered in the Southern Ocean, damaged and adrift, giving an ominous sign of the likely fate of the vessel.

Search and rescue efforts have been ongoing since Wednesday, when storms in the region allowed ships to finally reach the area where the Berserk activated its emergency beacon on Tuesday. Two ships and a helicopter from the Sea Shepard organization have been combing the area looking for clues, and they were the ones to discover the life raft yesterday. That raft was said to have a ripped canopy and was missing both its first aid kit and survival knife. There were no indications that it has been occupied however, and it is just as likely that it drifted away from the yacht on its own as someone used it for escape.

The water temperature in the area was reportedly -12ºC (10ºF) which means that if anyone were in the water, they would probably only live for a few minutes at the most. Now that more than three days have passed since we have heard any word from the ship at all, it seems increasingly unlikely that the crew is still alive. The search will go on today however, as their is still slim hope that they are still out there, adrift on the sea currents, and without power.

If there is any further news, I'll post updates.

Missing Antarctic Yacht Update: Two Crew Members Located

Yesterday I posted a story about the Norwegian yacht the Berserk which had gone missing off the coast of Antarctica. Today we have word that two of the crew have been located on the continent itself, and that they may hold some clues as to where the missing ship might be.

As reported, the ship had five people aboard when it set sail, and the intention was for two of them to be dropped off on Antarctica itself in an attempt to go to the South Pole by ATV. Apparently the delivery to the continent took place, as the ship's captain Jarle Andhøy and an 18-year old crew member were found alive and well yesterday and have reportedly been working with rescue teams to help locate the missing 14-meter, steel hulled yacht which has three other crew members still aboard, including two Norwegians and one British national.

The Berserk went missing two days ago after activating its emergency locator beacon amidst high winds and 25 foot waves. At the time, the ship was roughly 18 nautical miles off the coast of Antarctica. Since then, all attempts to contact the vessel have proven fruitless and the beacon has stopped transmitting. The bad weather, which is common in the Southern Ocean, has slowed down search and rescue operations, but there are a number of ships in the area now, including naval vessels from New Zealand and two ships from the Sea Shepard organization.

The SAR teams are still holding out hope that they might find the Berserk adrift at sea with her crew alive and well, but the longer it takes to locate them, the more unlikely that outcome seems to be. Lets continue to hope for the best as the search continues today.

CheapTents.Com Interviews Polar Adventurer Chris Foot

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you no doubt recognize Chris Foot and probably followed along in his solo and unassisted attempt to not only ski to the South Pole, but then turn around and go back to the his starting point at Hercules Inlet this past Antarctic Season. Due to bad weather and a few logistical hiccups, he was forced to abandon the return trip however and settle for just reaching the Pole itself. Of course, I use the term "settle" with tongue fully planted in cheek.

The CheapTents Outdoor Gear Blog recently caught up with Chris and posted an interview with the polar explorer on their website. In the interview, Chris discusses his inspirations to explore cold places, why he abandoned the return trip from the South Pole, and his plans to return to the Antarctic to give it another go later this year. He also talks about is biggest weakness, his favorite pieces of gear, and the biggest challenges of making a solo journey to the South Pole.

As usual, this is another excellent interview form the chaps over at CheapTents. They never cease to ask the interesting questions and, as always, we really get a good sense of what their subject is all about. In this case, we get to know Chris and what drives him, and it is clear that he feels that he has unfinished business in the Antarctica and really wants to give his round trip expedition another go. I know I for one can't wait to see him return for the 2011 season.

Ship Goes Missing Off Antarctic Coast

A small sailing yacht has gone missing off the coast of Antarctica after setting off its emergency beacon yesterday amidst rough seas and high winds. The ship is believed to be carrying as many as five passengers, although exactly who was aboard at the time the beacon was turned on is still unknown.

The 14-meter steel hulled Berserk is operated by Berserk Expeditions and conducts small, private sailing adventures in various parts of the world. The yacht was believed to have visited the Antarctic continent where it may have dropped off two passengers who are attempting to drive ATV's to the South Pole. If that event did take place, then three passengers could still be aboard the ship, including the Norwegian skipper Jarle Andhøy. The boat was believed to have possibly four other passengers, including three more Norwegians and a British national.

Rescue ships have been dispatched out of New Zealand to the Southern Ocean to search for the missing yacht, but the bad weather in the region hasn't made the search easy so far. All attempts to contact the ship have also failed and the emergency beacon is no longer transmitting either. Weather reports indicate that 75 knot winds and 6 to 8 meter swells are hitting the area at the moment, although conditions are expected to improve later in the day.

The last known location of the Berserk was approximately 33 nautical miles off the coast of the Antarctic continent, just north of the Scott Base. The current outlook of finding the ship, and her crew, in good condition is a bit grim, but rescue teams are holding out hope none the less.

Antarctica 2010: Explorers Finally Heading Home!

As I mentioned yesterday, a number of climbers and South Pole skiers have been stuck in the Union Glacier Base Camp in Antarctica for the past week while they awaited a break in the weather so they could be picked up from the ice. As the day wore on, they received both good news and bad news, but it looks like their extended stay in the Antarctic is nearly finished at last.

Mountaineer Caroline George posted an update to the Born Out There Blog, which is the official home of the First Ascent Team. She reports that the skies finally cleared yesterday, making it much easier for ALE's big Ilyushin aircraft to land on the ice runway and collect everyone who has been waiting ever so patiently. In fact, the first flights were able to get in and out, so the process of evacuating the explorers and their gear has begun. But, there has been one more hiccup that has once again caused a delay to that process. It seems that the airport in Punta Arenas, Chile has run out of fuel.

Punta Arenas serves as the launching point for ALE's flights to the Antarctica, and many climbers and skiers go there to begin their journey to the South Pole, Mt. Vinson, or one of a number of other locations on the frozen continent. But, civil unrest hit that city last week when the Chilean government announced a 17% increase in the price of fuel. There were protests and demonstrations in the street, road blocks were set -up all over the region, and many restaurants and shops were closed. While all of that has mostly calmed down now, it hasn't helped in resupplying the city with some of the things it needs, including fuel.

Caroline says that it isn't all bad however. She and the rest of the First Ascent Team have used their time in Union Glacier to bag a few unclimbed peaks and have some fun on a continent that few ever get to visit. While waiting has been a challenge for some, they've made the best of when they could. It looks like they'll finally get to go home soon, and the curtain will finally drop on another Antarctic season. One that has been plagued with odd weather, but plenty of great stories as well.

Antarctica 2010: Still Waiting At Union Glacier

A week ago I posted what I thought would be my final Antarctica update for the season that has just passed. After all, the skiers had all reached the South Pole and the climbers were off of Vinson and the other peaks, and were waiting for a lift back to Punta Arenas. At the time, bad weather, not to mention civl unrest in Chile, were preventing the explorers from heading home, but it seemed like all of that would be resolved shortly. Turns out, a week later, their still stranded and Union Glacier and waiting for a lift back to civilization.

Jake Norton posted an update to the Born Out There Blog today updating us on the progress, or lack there of, for the First Ascent Team. It seems that since we last checked in with them they've simply continued to hang out at the Union Glacier base with nothing much else to do. The bad weather in Antarctica has prevented ALE's big Ilyushin aircraft from coming to pick them up, so has Jake says:

"So, we sit. We wait. We play cards, we laugh, we go out for a climb, a ski, something to pass the time and keep our minds off loved ones and family far, far away. It could be worse, much worse, so there are no complaints."

Similarly, Willem ter Horst and Hannah McKeand are all still at Union Glacier and hoping to get a lift out soon. Willem posted an update a few days back saying that ALE was scrambling to get different aircraft into place to get the evacuation process underway, but a seat on those aircraft cost $14,500! Despite the high cost however, the two flights sold out quickly, proving just how badly some people want to get out of Antarctica at the moment.

It seems that patience is a virtue on the frozen continent at the moment. Some of these adventurers have now been stranded at Union Glacier for nearly two weeks, and with fresh snow falling today, it could easily be a few more days before they get back to Punta, let alone home. After all this time, I'm sure they miss their friends and family deeply. Lets keep our fingers crossed that they can come home soon.

Time Lapse Video Captures Antarctic Journey By Ship

I came across this video earlier today and definitely thought it was worth sharing. It follows the adventures of a Russian icebreaker as it goes on a 201 day journey to Antarctica and around the continent, stopping a variety of research stations along the way. The time lapse photography captures the voyage very well, and gives us a great glimpse into travel around the frozen continent.

The ship actually visits the "Pole of Cold" which is the location of the coldest temperatures on the planet. In this case, that means -89.2 °C or −128.6 °F. Now that's cold! Oh, and while they're there, they build in airplane, just for good measure.

Cool stuff!



РАЭ-54 с борта НЭС "Академик Фёдоров" from North Pole on Vimeo.

Climbers, Skiers Stuck in Antarctica, Travelers Stranded in Punta Arenas

As the Antarctic climbing and skiing season moves toward the finish line, bad weather is making it difficult for the teams to head home. Meanwhile, strikes and road blockades are preventing travelers from escape Punta Arenas, Chile as well.

The First Ascent Team, who completed a climb of Mt. Vinson and have been doing some skiing over the past week, are back at the Union Glacier camp where they are waiting, along with plenty of others, for a lift back to Punta Arenas, where they can eventually catch a flight home. According to their most recent blog post, filed by Jake Norton, the team has been waiting for a couple of days for a ALE flight to come pick them up. The weather has been less than cooperative however, as thick fog has prevented any kind of movement off the ice, and apparently some people have been stuck at the base for over 11 days now. Jake explains how they fill the days  waiting, saying: "We read. We sleep. We listen to music. We eat. We repeat."

South Pole skier Willem ter Horst and guide Hannah McKeand are also stuck in Union Glacier, and have been there for about five days as well. Willem says that they hope to get a flight out tomorrow, but it all depends on the conditions. He does say that if he has to be stuck somewhere, there are few places more beautiful.

The teams may actually be happy to be stuck on the Antarctic ice, as conditions are not good in Punta Arenas at the moment. In fact, it may be worse to go back to Chile, where a government proposed 17% rise in fuel costs has sent a wave of dissatisfaction through works, who have now gone on strike and have clashed with police.

Reports indicate that there are road blocks set up all over the region, and thousands of tourists and other travelers are currently stranded in the city. Worse yet, most of the shops and restaurants in the city are also closed, and there are reports of food shortages too.

While Punta Arenas is the gateway for the explorers and climbers who go to Antarctica each year, it is also a major cruise ship port for tourists who are sailing in the waters off the frozen continent. During the high season, which is in full swing at the moment, a great deal of traffic moves through Punta and these strikes are playing havoc with the tourist trade there. There are some reports that many of them are attempting to get passage to Argentina, where they hope to be able to get a flight back home.

The situation seems rather grim, and the BBC reports that some countries have advised their citizens to stay away from the area for now.

Antarctica 2010: New Speed Record Set!

A few days ago I posted an update on the teams that were still out on the Antarctic ice and making their way to the South Pole. At the time, I mentioned that Norwegian skier Christian Eide was making great time in his efforts to break the speed record for reaching the Pole, and I even said that barring any unforeseen issues, it was beginning to look like he would smash the previous record. Turns out, he completely obliterated it.

According to ExWeb, Eide arrived at 90ºS earlier today and completed the journey in a stunning 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes. That means that he had to average nearly 47km (29 miles) per day. A very impressive feat to say the least. Eide shaved more than 15 days off the old record, held by Todd Carmichael, who went to the Pole back in 2008 in 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes.

Congratulations to Christian on the new record. I think this one might stand for awhile. Well done!

On another note, I also mentioned in my last Antarctic update that Willem ter Horst and guide Hannah McKeand were also rapidly approaching the Pole and were likely to arrive that day. Turns out they did indeed finish their expedition as well, reaching the finish line on Tuesday of this week. It took the pair 47 days to cover the route between Hercules Inlet and the South Pole.

Congrats to both Willem and Hannah as well.

With these final two teams completing their respective journeys, there aren't a lot of people still out on the ice. The Antarctic season is rapidly coming to a close for another year. But there are big things in the works for the 2011 season, which will mark 100 years since Admundsen first reached 90ºS and the tragic events that followed for Scott. There will be plenty of pomp and circumstance ahead on both accounts.

Wanted: Operations Manager For Rower Attempting Circumnavigation of Antarctica!

Looking for a new job? Are you tired of the day-to-day grind of your current occupation? Want to work closely with an outdoor adventurer and explorer? If you said yes to any of the above, then I just might have the gig for you. It seems that Ollie Hicks is gearing up for another attempt at rowing around Antarctica, and he is in need of a good operations manager. Who ever gets the role will have an important position to fill, taking care of a lot of Ollie's needs while he is out on the water once again.

The details of the position have been posted at EscapeTheCity.org and can be accessed by clicking here. The first thing you'll need to know is that you must be living in the UK to take on the job, which pays £20k a year. (That translates to about US $31,500 for those scoring at home.) The job description was posted on January 6th and there is a deadline of February 19th for those who are interested.

There are two things that I take away from this. 1) I really need to be in the UK so I can get a job like this one, and 2) It's good to hear that Ollie is planning his return to the water. For those who didn't follow his adventure last time, Hicks had planned to make the first rowing circumnavigation of Antarctica, and set out to do just that. After having some issues with the Australian government letting him depart from Tasmania, he quickly made a change of plans and set out from New Zealand instead. But, he ran into issues with the design of his boat that made progress nearly impossible in the challenging and cold waters of the Southern Ocean. Hopefully he has resolved those issues with the boat, which he lovingly dubbed the "Flying Carrot," and he'll have a real, legitimate chance of completing his expedition this time out. Either way, it won't be an easy one.

I'll posted updates on Ollie's progress as he gets closer to getting underway.

First Ascent Antarctic Expedition: Team Summits Vinson!

The all-star team of climbers sponsored by First Ascent have sent back word of a successful summit of Mt. Vinson yesterday. The team consisting of  Peter Whittaker, Ed Viesturs, Seth Waterfall, Caroline George, Jake Norton, and Kent Harvey have been on the frozen continent since New Year's Day and thanks to good weather, not to mention plenty of climbing experience and talent, were able to make a relatively quick

ascent of the mountain.

Below you'll find the audio dispatch, sent back by Whittaker, with some details on the final climb to the top of the 16,050 foot tall mountain, which is the tallest in Antarctica. The team completed the climb at 5PM local time yesterday amidst -30ºF temperatures and howling winds in the neighborhood of 20 knots. But aside from that, the sky was clear and the sun was shining bright.

As noted on the Born Out There Blog, the official blog of FA Gear, it took this crew just nine days to summit the mountain after they departed from the U.S. Pretty amazing feat really, but the great weather contributed to that success for sure.

More info on the climb will be posted soon.

Antarctica 2010: Arriving At The Pole

While I was away, playing in the snows of Montana and Yellowstone, the Antarctic skiers continued their long journey to the South Pole. For one, it was the end of the line, while another should reach that goal today. A third explorer still has his eyes on the prize and a possible speed record.

As I mentioned last week, Chris Foot gave up on his attempt to become the first person to ski from Hercules Inlet to the Pole and back again. The weather simply didn't cooperate with Chris at the beginning of his expedition, and the delays made it impossible for him to complete the expedition in a timely fashion. As a result, he called it quits when he reached the South Pole, which he did last Thursday. He then updated us on his condition on Friday and was planning on flying out yesterday. Presuming the weather held, and he got his lift off the frozen continent, he should soon be making his way home to the U.K., where he already has a busy schedule of events planned.

Congrats to Chris for reaching the South Pole on skis. Job well done!

Willem ter Horst will soon be joining Chris in the short list of people who have journeyed to the South Pole. He, along with guide Hannah McKeand, should arrive today provided the weather holds out. They have a tough 15+ nautical mile slog to complete to get there, but both Willem and Hannah seem ready to cross the finish line after 47 days out on the ice. For Hannah, this is her third trip to the Pole, which probably seems like familiar ground by now, but for Willem it will be a fantastic achievement that he has worked very hard to reach. Expect an update later in the day with news of their arrival.

Finally, Norwegian skier Christian Eide is still steaming towards the Pole as fast as possible as well. He has now been out on the ice for 22 days and is rapidly approaching the 89th degree. Barring any strange accidents or complete equipment failures, it seems inevitable now that he'll break the speed record currently held by Todd Carmichael. Christian needs to complete his journey in less than 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes to set the new mark, and at his current pace, with just one degree to go, it seems that he'll smash that record.

Stay tuned for more on both Willem reaching the end of his journey and Christian's continued pursuit of history.

First Ascent Antarctic Expedition: The Team Is In Base Camp

The First Ascent sponsored climbing team of Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker, Seth Waterfall, Caroline George, Jake Norton, and Kent Harvey have arrived in Base Camp on Mt. Vinson after catching a lift on one of ALE's big Ilyushin aircraft. In a dispatch from Antarctica yesterday, Norton says that it was a long but exciting day for the group, who have been anxious to get to the mountain.

The flight took them from Punta Arenas to ALE's Union Glacier camp on the Antarctic continent. From there, it was onto a smaller plane, a famed Twin Otter, for a flight to Vinson BC, where they'll now begin their climb in ernest. By all accounts, the weather is fantastic on the mountain at the moment, so they hope to get started with building their high camps and supply caches soon.

Last in the day, Whittaker called in with an audio dispatch which filled in more of the details. Below you'll find a YouTube video of that dispatch that includes photos of the journey so far. He also gives a preliminary outline of what they'll be doing over the next few days as well.