Heads up: Frédéric Dion to kite-ski solo to South Pole of Inaccessibility
Posted: Nov 01, 2014 03:08 pm EDT
(By Correne Coetzer) Another French speaker is heading to Antarctica. Frédérick Dion shot over news from Cape Town, South Africa, that he is leaving for Antarctica on November 4 with ALCI/TAC. The Canadian will attempt to solo kite-ski from Novolazarevskaya (Novo) to the South Pole of Inaccessibility (POI) in about 60 days. This point has not been reached by a solo adventurer before.
The distance, in a straight line to S82°06.696 E055°01.951 where Eric McNair-Landry and Sebastian Copeland found the bust of Lenin at the POI on December 27 2011, is 1610 km. The Bust was left by a 1957 motorized Russian expedition. In 2007 Paul Landry led three Brits, Henry Cookson, Rupert Longsdon and Rory Sweet from the coast near Novo to the bust of Lenin.
Read in the links below the accounts of the Spaniards to find the two Poles of Inaccessibility in 2005.
According to the Scott Polar Research Institute this is the point furthest from navigable sea, rather than the 'theoretical' edge of the continent. In 2005 The Scott Polar Research Institute stated to ExplorersWeb their definition of the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility:
"The position of the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility (85 deg 50 min S 65 deg 47 min E) is based on a calculations from the edges of the ice-shelves or a rocky coast. These are positions which may be reached by an icebreaker or similar vessel. It is thus reasonably constant and does not take account of seasonally variable pack ice (which is essentially a feature of the ocean rather than derived from the continental land mass)."
LINKS:
Spaniards reach South Pole of Inaccessibility - but where is Lenin?
Spaniards reach the 'second' South Pole of Inaccessibility - still no trace of Lenin
"It so, so very surreal," team n2i meets Lenin at the POI!
According to the Rules of Adventure, to claim a “solo" achievement, requires an unassisted status - 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). Note that the Polar Rules were compiled by early Norwegian and British Polar explorers (not exclusively ExplorersWeb) and are maintained today by the current community of veteran polar skiers.
LINKS:
2014-15 SOUTH POLE TEAMS
Unassisted Supported
(no resupplies, wind-support)
Solo traverse Novo - GSP- Hercules Inlet
Faysal Hanneche (FR)
Solo, kite-ski Novo - POI
Frédéric Dion (CA,)
Assisted Unsupported
Traverse Messner - GSP - Hercules Inlet
Jérémie Gicquel (FR)
Are Johansen NO
Newall Hunter (UK, Messner to GSP)
Hercules Inlet route
Einar Torfi Finnsson (IS, guide)
Hugh Dougall
Bill Morrison
Tim Garrett
ANI Messner Route team
Robert Smith (guide)
Arabella Slinger (UK)
Julian Thomas (UK)
Vincent Piguot (Switzerland)
PolarExplorers team
Messner route
Keith Heger (CA guide)
Ian Evans (CA)
Andy Styles (UK)
Bradley Cross (UK)
Assisted Supported
Tractor expedition (Novo to GSP)
Matty McNair (US, leader)
Manon Ossevoort (NL)
Sarah McNair-Landry (CA)
Non-coastal start:
return journey
Polar Plateau South of Novo to GSP and possible return via POI to Novo Base
Kristan Ficher (leader)
Charles Werb
Adrian McCallum
Jon Moody
ExplorersWeb Interviews
ExWeb interview with Are Johansen, "snow is the best surface for long journeys”
ExWeb interview with Frédéric Dion, invention and modification for the South Pole of Inaccessibility
2014 South Pole expedition list
ExWeb interview with Ian Evans, skier with PolarExplorers on Messner Route
ExWeb interview with Newall Hunter, solo South Pole skier: "pretty hectic last preparations"
French married couple and Norwegian adventurer for South Pole crossing: ExWeb interview with couple
ExWeb interview with Tractor Girl, Manon Ossevoort: tractor passed tests and arrived in Cape Town
ExWeb post South Pole interview with Fagan couple
Lessons from a yachtswoman: Paula Reid to ski to the South Pole
Geoff Wilson’s Top 5 South Pole Tips
ExWeb interview with Faysal Hanneche, "I learned to be patient on Antarctica"
Rules and Regulations in No-Man's Land: ExWeb interview with ALE's Steve Jones
Mount Sidley, Antarctica’s highest volcano accessible to climbers
Polar Technology
Rules and Regulations in No-Man's Land: ExWeb interview with ALE's Steve Jones
Polar Tech Week Roundup: 2014/2015 Recommendations
Your Smart Phone going Global: Review of Iridium Go
ExWeb Special: 2014 Polar Tech Roundtable Conference
HumanEdgeTech Expedition Technology (e.g.CONTACT software)
Related
2014-14 South Pole list - Updated
AdventureStats and Rules of Adventure
Mission to Mars: Stage 2 Report
A journey to the South Pole in a wheelchair
Video: Second 2012-13 Ilyushin-76 flight lands at Union Glacier, Antarctica
Current Polar Sea Ice Situation (Sept 2014)
Animated map of global weather conditions
New satellite map of Antarctica freely available
Antarctic ski/climb/pole/science Logistic Operators
Adventure Network International (ANI and ALE)
Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI and TAC)
Gateway port Cape Town, South Africa:
To ALCI /TAC base camp Novolazarevskaya / Novo
70° 46’37”S, 011° 49’26”E
Gateway port Punta Arenas, Chile, South America:
To ALE/ANI base camp, Union Glacier
79° 45'S, 083° 14'W
Hercules Inlet is located at 80°S near Union Glacier, 1130 km from the Geographic South Pole.
The Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf (Messner) start is 890 km in a straight line from the Pole.
The bottom of the Leverett Glacier, at the Ross Ice Shelf, is located at about 85ºS, a distance of 550 km from the Geographic South Pole.
Axel Heiberg Glacier start is also located at the Ross Ice Shelf and 535 km in a straight line from the South Pole.
According to the Rules of Adventure, to claim a “solo" achievement, requires an unassisted status - 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). Note that the Polar Rules were compiled by early Norwegian and British Polar explorers (not exclusively ExplorersWeb) and are maintained today by the current community of veteran polar skiers.
1 nautical mile (nm) = 1.852 km
1 nm = 1.151 miles
1 knot = 1.852 km/h
1 degree of Latitude is 110 km / 60 nm / 70 miles
Sastrugi are hard snow bumps and can be as high as 10 feet
A nunatak is a top of a mountain visible above the snow surface.
South Pole of Inaccessibility (POI)
2011-12 position:
S82°06.696, E055°01.951
Geographic South Pole (GSP): 90 degrees South
#polar
#southpole2014
#southpole2014-15
#antarctica
#expeditionlist
#fredericdion
courtesy Frederick Dion, SOURCE
courtesy Frederick Dion, SOURCE
courtesy Frederick Dion, SOURCE
courtesy Frederick Dion, SOURCE
courtesy Map compiled by ExplorersWeb, SOURCE
courtesy Sebastian Copeland, SOURCE
courtesy Team n2i, SOURCE
courtesy Team n2i, SOURCE