Mike Horn, last skier on Antarctica

Mother Nature dictates, reported Horn, closing in on his kite-ski traverse finish line. 2014-15 traverse kite-skier, Frédéric Dion is offering a scholarship again.

Updated Februay 8, 2017: “After 57 days, on the 7th of February at 22:50 UT Mike Horn reaches the end of the Antarctic Continent! It’s Done!!” reads the message Mike Horn sent to his home team.

Spending 12 hours per day kiting, “a constant battle with the kite, sastrugi, wind, snow, cold”, Mike has some 429 km left to his end point. Lately he has been tent-bounded, first by too strong wind and then by a white-out.

About the wind he says on January 30, it was the strongest yet. “the snow was flying everywhere it covers the sun and it becomes dark, the ice turns grey and cold. You cannot see your skis as there is so much snow drifting. The Horizon becomes hazy and the sound of the wind overpowering. This is spooky spooky!

He tried to kite in the white-out, but managed only 1 km. “It was impossible to see anything, add to that extremely strong winds, even with the smallest 4 square meter kite I have if you can’t see what’s happening under your skis and in front of you, it’s a recipe for disaster. After hitting a couple of sastrugi, falling standing up, untangling the kite a couple of times I decided that I’m looking for trouble, possible injury and damaging equipment I need to the end. So back to pitching the tent and waiting for better visibility. It’s frustrating but here the human has no say he can only try!”

In the meantime, Mike’s boat, Pangaea, has set off from New Zealand to pick him up at the coast.

Mike Horn (ZA/CH) started at S70.1015 W009.8249, on December 13, 2016. After 28 days he reached the Geographic South Pole, 90ºS, and turned his compass North.

Rerun – AdventureStats Special: What is Solo?

Interactive Map: Antarctica Skiing Routes

2016-17 Antarctica Ski Expedition List

NEXT: 2017 North Pole Expedition List (by Explorersweb/Pythom)

Adventure Scholarship

In the 2014-15 season, Frédéric Dion completed kite-ski traverse from Novolazarevskaya, via the Pole of Inaccessibility and the Geographic South Pole to Hercules Inlet, a distance of 3620 km, in a straight line between the four waypoints (Fred calculated his kiting distance as 4382 km.) The French Canadian is again offering a scholarship this year to adventurers or groups of adventurers, who have a specific original and inspiring adventure project. Read more here. Contact details here.

Post South Pole 2016-17 Interviews on Explorersweb/Pythom:

Solo South Pole skier Sebastien Lapierre: “Mind over body” (Interview)

Interview: Johanna Davidsson, Record Solo Female skier and Return Journey on Antarctica

Pre South Pole 2016-17 Interviews on Explorersweb/Pythom:

Exweb South Pole Interview with Johanna Davidsson: kite return attempt

Interview with Pata Degerman: Longest Snowmobile attempt on Antarctica

[UPDATE 2] Risto Hallikainen, solo South Pole return ski attempt (Interview)

1989: Arved Fuchs traversed Antarctica, with Messner (Interview)

Ryan Waters to guide Fuchs-Messner route (Antarctica 2016-17 interview)

Canadian Sébastien Lapierre to attempt solo ski to South Pole (Interview)

Cycle Antarctica: Hank van Weelden Pole to Coast attempt (Interview)

Emma Kelty: speed ski and return attempt (Exweb South Pole interview)

Eric Philips, South Pole 2016-17 New Start Point attempt (Interview)

Previous/Related on Explorersweb/Pythom:

Kayaking the South Shetland Islands

Lisa Blair started Antarctica Circumnavigation

Risto completed Return; Malgorzata at the Pole

Johanna Davidsson set New Solo Female Speed Record

Editorial: Might is The Answer to Why (Updated)

Antarctica Current: Polar How-To-Guide Heads-Up

HumanEdgeTech Expedition Technology (e.g.CONTACT software)

AdventureStats.com for Polar Statistics and Rules. Note that a solo claim has to be unassisted,

therefore no supplies carried by pilots or car drivers, or anything (food, fuel, etc) received from any person along the way. A solo person may be wind supported (kites/sails). Claiming to have ‘skied to the Pole’, a full route (from a coastal start point) has to be completed, without flying part of the route.

1 nautical mile = 1,852 km

Hercules Inlet is located at 80°S near Union Glacier, 1130 km from the Geographic South Pole.

The Fuchs-Messner start is 890 km in a straight line from the Pole.

Novo to GSP is 2,140 km in a straight line

Novolazarevskaya to South Pole of Inaccessibility (POI) is 1610 km in a straight line.

South Pole of Inaccessibility (POI):

2011-12 position: S82°06.696, E055°01.951 (Copeland/McNair-Landry)

On Dec. 14, 2014 Frédéric Dion reported the position the POI (at Lenin’s bust) as S82º 06.702′ E55º 2.087′ at an elevation of 3741 m.

Geographic South Pole (GSP): 90 degrees South

Gateway port Cape Town, South Africa:

To ALCI /TAC base camp Novolazarevskaya / Novo

70° 46’37”S, 011° 49’26”E