Antarctica world (and sportsmanship) record: Aleks Gamme crosses finish line with Cas & Jonesy

Posted: Jan 27, 2012 03:41 pm EST

(Angela Benavides) Australian James Castrission (29) and Justin Jones (28) finally reached Hercules Inlet today. Meeting with Norwegian Aleksander Gamme (35) waiting for them since Monday 1 km from the finish line, the three skied the last meters together.

Independent of each other, the two expeditions have skied 2,274km Hercules Inlet - SP - Hercules Inlet, the longest yet Antarctica skiing quest without kites or airdrops.

The Norwegian gentleman

Both teams used no airdrops, but (unlike expeditions crossing the continent) left caches with gas and food on the way for the return leg of the journey.

Aleks did the trip solo and a few days faster. The Norwegian, a veteran of several Greenland traverses, decided to share his first with polar rookies Cas and Jonesy. "They're great lads," Aleks simply said about the Aussies to ExplorersWeb.

"A friendly rivalry has turned into an adventure of friendship," Cas & Jonesy manager Rebecca Riel stated. "It is a unique demonstration of the spirit of adventure almost unprecedented in recent polar history."

Dixie Dansercorer and Sam Deltour

Aleks and the Aussies spent around 90 days for their skiing expeditions.

After 65 days of kiting, at 72° 46' 25 S, 111° 47' 13 E Belgians Dixie Dansercoer and Sam Deltour are now the last men standing on the ice with total mileage covered yesterday of 4266.4 km.

Antarctica/SP - General facts:

Gateway port Cape Town, South Africa:
To ALCI/TAC base camp Novolazarevskaya / Novo
(70o 46'37S", 011o 49'26"E)
Gateway port Punta Arenas, Chile, South America:
To ALE/ANI base camp, Union Glacier
(79o 45'S, 083o 14'W).
Gateway port Punta Christchurch, New Zealand:
To US base McMurdo
(77o 50'39"S, 166o 40'22"E)

1 nautical mile (nm) = 1.852 km
1 nm = 1.151 statute mile
1 knot = 1.852 km/h
1 degree of Latitude is 110 km

Sastrugi are hard snow bumps and can be as high as 10 feet.
A nunatak is a peak of a mountain rising above the ice cap; sometimes covered with snow, sometimes exposed rock.

Useful links:

CONTACT 5 expedition technology
HumanEdgeTech
Polar rules of Adventure
What is solo?
Hercules Inlet start point
2011-12 Guidelines for NGO Visitors to the South Pole Station
South Pole Station news (Bill Spindler)
Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE)
Adventure Network International (ANI)
The Antarctic Company (TAC/ALCI)

Weather:

Weather4Expeditions
Wx7 observations at Union Glacier

Amundsen's & Scott's diaries
Amundsen's book, "The South Pole"
Amundsen's diary courtesy Fram Museum
Amundsen pix, courtesy Fram Museum
Scott's diary

Space research expedition dispatches

ANSMET Meteorite hunters

List of Links to Antarctica 2011-12 teams
Classifications: Unassisted (no airdrops), unsupported (no kites/dogs/motor).

Hercules Inlet - SP - Hercules Inlet

Unassisted, unsupported:
Aleksander Gamme, Norway (solo)
Australian James Castrission and Justin Jones (Cas & Jonesy - return)

Ross Ice Shelf - SP - Hercules Inlet

Assisted (airdrops)

Felicity Aston, UK (solo)

Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf - SP

Assisted (airdrops), supported (kites)
Pole to Pole Run Pat Farmer

Novolazarevskaya - SP - traverses

Supported (kites):
Dixie Dansercoer and Sam Deltour


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