As the Antarctic sledding season approaches, here are the expeditions that have been announced so far.
Crossings
Australian Gareth Andrews and Kiwi Richard Stephenson attempted this same route last year. The pair took 66 days to the Pole, about 600km short of their target, and aborted there.
Hercules Inlet to the South Pole
At least five expeditions will ski from Hercules Inlet to the Pole, once again making it the most popular South Pole starting point.
Twenty-five-year-old American Jacob ‘Val’ Myers will go solo and unsupported. He aims to finish in 45 days.
Other solo Hercules Inlet skiers include Brit James Baxter, who aims for a 56-day run to the Pole, and Pierre Hedan of France.
James Baxter at home. Photo: James Baxter
Alan Chambers and David Thomas will also ski unsupported to the Pole. Chambers has some experience, having skied to the North Pole in 2000 with Charlie Paton on a 70-day expedition.
Finally, polar veteran Vincent Colliard will attempt to break the men’s speed record from Hercules Inlet to the Pole. Norwegian Christian Eide set an impressive time of 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes in 2011. Beating the time would be no mean feat and Colliard will need some luck with weather and snow conditions. When Eric Larsen tried to beat Eide’s time in 2018, it coincided with an unusually snowy season in Antarctica, and many expeditions, including Larsen’s, foundered in the soft snow.
Berkner Island to the South Pole
Canadian Patrick Bernier’s expedition is refreshing in that he isn’t looking to set any dubious records, position himself for the post-expedition corporate speaking circuit, or inspire anyone to [insert cheesy motivational quote here].
“I’m not aiming for any records. Just a childhood dream come true,” Bernier writes on his website. He doesn’t even claim to be a “polar explorer” before setting foot near either pole!
Bernier is planning a solo, unsupported expedition from the northern edge of Berkner Island to the Pole, a meaty 1,368km. He is en route to Antarctica and would already be on the ice, but his flight to Union Glacier was delayed.
Union Glacier to the Pole
British firefighters Georgina Gilbert and Rebecca Openshaw-Rowe will ski from Antarctica Logistics & Expeditions Union Glacier camp to the South Pole, a 1,130km route according to their website. They will be unsupported.
The Antarctic “Fire Angels” (Georgina Gilbert and Rebecca Openshaw-Rowe). Photo: Antarctic Fire Angels
Cycling to the Pole?
Omar Di Felice has tried to cycle in Antarctica before. Last year, he aimed for a 1,600km trip starting at Hercules Inlet. But Di Felice didn’t manage more than 100km before aborting because of an unexplained “serious personal problem.”
This year, Di Felice will set out on the same route, leaving from Hercules Inlet toward the Pole. He will then continue to 88° south on the South Pole Overland Traverse (or SPOT) road before turning around and returning to the South Pole base for pickup. The extra distance is no doubt an attempt to break Daniel Burton’s 1,247km Antarctica cycle record, set in 2013-2014.
Ultracyclist Omar Di Felice. Photo: Omar Di Felice
Aside from the expeditions listed above, there is an ALE-guided expedition from the Messner start and a few still-unannounced projects.
We’ll update this list of expeditions as others confirm their plans.
