(By Correne Coetzer, updated Jan 19 16:20) Antony Jinman arrived at the South Pole on January 16, he told ExplorersWeb [Ed note, correction, not as previously reported by his home team, on January 17th.]
Poor visibility, soft, sticky snow, wind and bitter cold make the skiers dig deep after weeks of day-in-and-day-out on the ice. Cyclist, Juan Menendez Granados, in particular, is weak; he feels very tired for the last few days; not sleeping much and having hardly any food to eat.
Marty Fagan says, “honestly I have never done anything so physically, mentally, or emotionally more difficult than this.”
Unsupported, Unassisted
Yesterday cyclist Juan Menendez Granados’ home team reported Juan is weak, he feels very tired for the last few days of so much effort. He decided to take a break, because he “didn't feel well, wearing several days sleeping just 4 or 5 hours and very poor feeding". Even so, he made 8 hours on route and he advanced 19 km, leaving the pole at 48.5 km. "I wish with all my might to reach the Pole,”says Juan, and do so as soon as possible. But I have to be very cool head, but I have to be very cool head, I can't do what is impossible.”
On January 16, Vesa Luomala’s position was 88.45.03 S 82.34.79 W, skiing 29.6 km after two days of 22.5 km 22.8 km. Zero visibility slowed him down. “Uphill+whiteout+sastrugi = day from hell”, stated three days ago. Soft snow turned into a surface better for skiing yesterday.
Chris and Marty Fagan should arrive at the South Pole tomorrow, from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf start. In yesterday’s low visibility Chris and Marty changed their navigation strategy, instead of swapping leads every hour, they swapped leads on who was the strongest “and both of us had good periods of strength and it went well,” Chis says. They have originally packed food for 45 days and are stretching it; yesterday was Day 46. They are on rations that they either saved or pulled out of other days.
Assisted, Unsupported
Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, also very hungry, are descending the Beardmore Glacier on their return journey. They traveled 12 miles in 4.5 hours yetserday. Day 84: S84° 32' 33", E168° 12' 16.2" Temp. a warm -9ºC.
Carl Alvey and Lewis Clarke hope to arrive at the Pole on January 18th. The windchill is predicted to be -46ºC, Lewis’ home team told ExplorersWeb. He is tired and cold 16-year-old Lewis reported to Base Camp; after more than 1000 km on the go.
Cyclist Daniel Burton entered the last degree yesterday. He reported heavy clouds, low visibility, light snow fall and soft snow conditions over the past three days.
The Hercules Inlet ANI team, Devon McDiarmid, Joshua Hodgkinson and Wen Yuan, is back at Union Glacier.
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2013 South Pole teams
Unassisted, unsupported:
Vesa Luomala, FI, Hercules Inlet, solo
Antony Jinman, UK, Hercules Inlet, solo, completed
Marty and Chris Fagan, USA, Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf start
Juan Menendez Granados, ES, Hercules Inlet, solo cycle
Assisted, Unsupported
Ben Saunders and Tarka L’Herpiniere, UK, UK/FR, Cape Evans return journey
Daniel Burton, USA, Hercules Inlet, cycle
Carl Alvey (ANI guide) and Lewis Clarke, UK, Hercules Inlet
Devon McDiarmid (CA, ANI guide), Joshua Hodgkinson (AU), and Wen Yuan (China), Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf [Update Jan. 02:50 EDT correction: Arabella Slinger, is not part of Devon’s team as previously stated. ANI reported to ExWeb that she suffered an injury prior and is not in the team guided by Devon.] completed
Other
ANSMET meteorite hunters 2013-14
Dronning Maud Land Project Facebook and Blog page
Aleksander Gamme, Espen Fadnes, Kjersti Eide, Jonas Langseth, Andy Kirkpatrick and Ingeborg Jakobsen.
Australian Mawson Centenary Expedition Spirit of Mawson website
AAE 2013-2014 Interpret Science website [Rescued]
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 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.
The Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf (Messner) start is 890 km in a straight line from the Pole.
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 2011-12 position:
S82°06.696, E055°01.951
Geographic South Pole: 90 degrees South
A "solo" ski requires an unassisted status (therefore no supplies carried by pilots or car drivers, or anything received from any person).
Previous/Related:
South Pole update: food shortage, fatigue and cold
South Pole arrivals and False Record Claims
Gamme and team to climb, jump and ski in Dronning Maud Land
Antony Jinman with two drones to the South Pole, ExWeb interview
Carl Alvey to guide 16-year-old Lewis Clarke to the South Pole: ExWeb interview
China’s growing presence in Antarctica
ExWeb interview with Lewis Clarke (16): to ski 1130 km Hercules Inlet route
ExWeb interview with Vesa Luomala, "there is no room for underestimating a place like Antarctica"
ExWeb South Pole 2013 interview with Geoff Wilson, "my mind I feel will be the greatest maze of all"
Marty and Chris Fagan, married outdoor team for the past 15 years. ExWeb South Pole interview
ExWeb interview with Juan Menendez Granados: the greatest challenge
ExWeb South Pole 2013 interview with Geoff Wilson, "my mind I feel will be the greatest maze of all"
ExWeb South Pole kick-off interview: Daniel Burton, return cycle journey
ExWeb interview with Eric Philips, three decades of polar experience
Breaking news: Christian Eide bags the South Pole solo speed ski world record
AdventureStats and Rules of Adventure
Adventure Network International (ANI) / ALE
Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI) / TAC
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