Antarctica 2015: Worsley at the Pole!

While the rest of us have been enjoying the holidays over the past few weeks, the Antarctic explorers have continued to toil away on the frozen continent. There is now roughly three weeks left in the ski season, and it has been a difficult one to say the least. But each day brings them closer to their ultimate destination, which for most is the very bottom of the world.

Yesterday, Henry Worsley became the first skier of the season to reach the South Pole. It is the third time that he has skied across Antarctica to stand at 90�S. It took him 51 days to get there, which means he is about a day behind his intended schedule. The British polar explorer enjoyed a bit of down time at the research station there, but due to his "solo and unassisted" status, he didn't interact with anyone or receive any kind of aid. Today, he is already back on the trail, as he looks to complete a traverse of the continent.

Now that the Pole is behind him, Henry will continue on towards his finish line at the Ross Ice Shelf. From here on out, the skiing should be a bit easier, although he is no doubt exhausted and his muscles are sore. He'll continue to race the clock however, as the last plane off the continent is scheduled for January 28, and he'll need to be on that flight one way or another.

Elsewhere, American solo-skier Doug Tumminello continues to make progress as well, although he still has a long way to go. Yesterday he crossed the 84th degree, leaving him six more to go until the Pole. He's spent a full month on the ice now, and his sled is getting lighter as a result, which typically translates to going faster too. But Dough has struggled with sore feet and blisters since early on in the expedition, and that continues to be a problem now. He's about three or four days from Thiels Corner � an important milestone on the journey � at which point he intends to reevaluate his position and pace. It is possible he could pull the plug altogether and head home, but we'll just have to wait to see.


Scotsman Luke Robertson is making better time on his solo journey. On day 30 he has now passed the 87th degree and is narrowing in on the South Pole. He expect to reach that point in about ten days, and is counting down the miles now.

Carl Alvy and Emma Kelty have not updated their progress since New Year's Eve, but it sounds like they are in good spirits and making headway towards the Pole as well. It has been a difficult journey for Emma in particular, but the duo are picking up the pace as the get closer to 90�S. Both weather and surface conditions have been better over the past few days, which has improved their spirits too. There is no word yet on when they expect to wrap up their expedition however.

Finally, the team of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, and Shahrom Abdullah have achieved the 87th degree as well. It took them 25 days to get to that milestone, leaving them just three degrees to cross before the Pole. They'll likely get there sometime in the next ten days as well, as they are moving quickly and efficiently now despite whiteout conditions along their route. They just reached their final resupply point, and should now be set for the push to the finish line. Despite their late start, this group looks like it'll have no problems reaching the South Pole on schedule.

Over on Mt. Vinson, it has been a busy couple of weeks as well. A number of teams summited during the holiday time frame, which is a popular period on the mountain. While not everyone has finished their expeditions to the tallest peak in Antarctica, climbing operations are starting to wind down there for another season.

More to come soon.

Antarctica 2015: Worsley Approaching 89th Degree, Others Pushing Ahead

It continues to be a busy season at the bottom of the world, where the Antarctic teams are making their way slowly but surely towards the South Pole. Fresh snow and cold temperatures are testing their resolve at the moment, but most are in good spirits despite the tough conditions.

We'll start with an update on Henry Worsley, who has now been out on the ice for 46 days. As you probably recall, the British polar explorer is attempting the first solo and unsupported traverse of the continent, and despite a few weather set backs at the start of the journey, he seems to be steaming along nicely right now. At the moment, he is camped just one mile shy of the 89th degree, which means he is about 60 nautical miles from the Pole. He had initially hoped to reach 90�S by New Years Day, and that might still be possible provided surface conditions and the weather cooperate. Right now, Henry says that things are going about as well as can be expected, and the skiing is a bit easier. If that continues over the course of the next four days, he may still reach the bottom of the world in time to celebrate the start of 2016.

Elsewhere, American solo-skier Doug Tumminello got a surprise supply drop a few days back. A Twin Otter aircraft operated by ALE flew overhead to and tossed out a package that contained a new teapot. The one he was carrying with him developed a crack, making it difficult to heat water and melt snow, and while the situation was manageable, it could have become serious if he found himself tent-bound due to poor weather with no way to create drinking water. The downside of receiving the package is that now Doug's expedition goes from solo and unsupported to supported, which is a minor distinction in the record books, but still an important one. Because he received outside assistance, he now has to give up the "unsupported" designation.


Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo continues to struggle with finding strong winds to pull his kites. He hasn't reported in since before Christmas, but at that time was hoping to reach the 75� so that he could hopefully get moving at a faster rate. He has already abandoned his attempt to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility, and is instead hoping to get to the Geographic South Pole instead, but it has been slow going for sure. At this point, he still has a lot of ground to cover before the season ends in a month.

Carl Alvey and Emma Kelty continue to push towards the Pole. A few days back they crossed their third degree, and picked up their first supply drop on Christmas Eve. Judging from the posted updates, it feels like the days are a real grind for Emma at the moment, although she continues to trudge ahead despite newly fallen snow making things difficult. The soft snow makes it much harder to glide on the skis, and most of explorers would prefer a harder surface so that they can go much further and faster on any given day.

Finally, the team of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, Shahrom Abdullah remain on the trailing edge of the South Pole teams. They were the last squad to start, and have now been out on the ice for three weeks. Mostafa reports that over that time period he has already lost several kilos, as it is almost impossible to consume enough calories to maintain your weight when skiing to the South Pole. The group struggled with finding their rhythm early on, but they seem to be doing great now and working well with one another.

That's all for today. The next report isn't likely to come until after the New Year, but hopefully we'll have news of our first arrival at the South Pole by then.

Antarctica 2015: Sastrugi and Whiteouts Make for Tough Sledding

The skiers in the Antarctic continue to press on towards the South Pole, despite challenging surface and weather conditions. Most are preparing to celebrate the holidays out on the ice, as it has been a difficult season already, and they all have a long way to go before they reach their respective finish line. Here's a quick update on the proceedings.

Henry Worley has now crossed the 87th degree and has found himself in the middle of a massive sastrugi field. That's causing him to slow down some, but he's been making up for it by skiing a bit of extra time. On his 40th day out on the ice, he's feeling strong and confident however, which is about all you can ask for at this point of the journey. In his most recent dispatch, he reports that he is once again skiing in a whiteout, using just his GPS as a guide. Despite those challenges however, he continues to make good time, and still hopes to be at the South Pole for New Years. 

The team of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, and Sharom Abdullah continue making progress towards the Pole as well. They're approaching the end of their second week on the ice, and seem to have started to get their rhythm at last. Yesterday they skied an impressive 27 km (16.2 km) in high winds, which bodes well for their reaching their finishing point in a timely fashion. They did have a rare encounter with a bird while out on the Antarctic expanse as well. It isn't often that any birds fly into the interior of the frozen continent, but the team spotted one nonetheless. At the moment, they're steaming towards their first supply cache as well, which will give them some extra food and fuel for the remainder of the journey. 

ExWeb is reporting ath Luke Robertson is having issues with his solar panels functioning properly, and as a result he is conserving power in his electronic devices. He is able to receive messages sent his way, but he is limiting the number that he is sending back out. As a result, we're not getting as much info on his progress. He is doing well however, and seems to be skiing with high spirits. 

American Doug Tumminello is steal dealing with foot blisters and soft snow, but is continuing to knock off solid distances. Yesterday he reported 20 nautical miles, which equates to about 37 km or 23 standard miles. He did have a scare when he thought he was starting to develop frostbite on his toes, but was able to warm them and avoid it, at least for now. He suspect wet socks may have contributed to numbness in his feet, and will work harder to ensure he dries his socks properly each night. 

Carl Alvy and Emma Kelty continue pressing forwards despite the fact that Emma has frostbite on her inner thighs. The pair received a medical supply drop a few days back to provide some relief for the condition, which is painful to say the least. The pair have been skiing nonstop for ten days now, without a rest, and their legs are feeling it. But they have a long way to go yet to reach the South Pole, so they have to focus on covering some distance, particularly since they are now trying to make up for some lost time in the early stages of the expedition. 

Finally, Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo has finally found some wind, and as a result he has started to make up for some lost time too. Surface conditions are still challenging, and because he struggled early on he'll now avoid going to the South Pole of Inaccessibility, but will focus on reaching the Geographic South Pole instead. But, he's happy to finally be making forward progress after such a difficult start. 

That's all for now. More to come soon. 

Antarctica 2015: Rest Day For Henry Worsley, Change in Route for One Skier

It has been another very long week for the Antarctic skiers. With all of the teams now out on the ice, and making their way to the South Pole, it was a time to simply focus on covering plenty of miles and making progress towards their goal. That was never easy though, as weather conditions continue to cause issues for just about everyone.

We'll start with an update on Brit Henry Worsley, who has now been skiing for 35 very long days with an awful long way yet to go before he is done. Today, Henry awoke to a bad stomach ache and weak physical condition. He tried to break camp and hit the trail despite not feeling well, but after ten minutes of effort, he decided it was best to stay in the tent instead. The rest day was much needed after battling the elements for more than a month, but he'll have to try to make up the mileage in the days ahead. Worsley now hopes to reach the Pole before New Year, which would give him approximately three and a half weeks to ski to his finishing point on the Shackleton Glacier. That is hardly assured at this point, but he is pressing ahead as best he can.

Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo has announced a change in route for his expedition. He had originally planned to ski to the Pole of Inaccessibility, but since he has had such difficulty catching the wind since his arrival on November 19, he has decided to forego that leg of his journey, and instead head straight to the Geographic South Pole instead. From there, he hopes to continue his traverse by skiing to Hercules Inlet.


Elsewhere, the international squad of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, and Shahdom Abdullah are now a week into their expedition to the South Pole, and are still struggling to find their rhythm. Yesterday they skied in whiteout conditions for the entire time. Mostafa says that when the blizzard arrived overnight he couldn't sleep at all until he put some earplugs in. That helped to a degree, but skiing for eight hours in a sea of white frays the nerves and makes for a difficult day. He reports that everyone is in good spirits however, although they have already started to lose weight.

American solo-skier Doug Tumminello continues to press on towards the South Pole, although it has been far from easy. Almost since the beginning he has suffered from sore feat due to nasty blisters, but now that he has solved that issue, he's been dealing with whiteout conditions over the past few days. That has made progress tough, but he has managed to cross the 81st degree. With nine more still to go however, he didn't take any time to celebrate the accomplishment.

Scottish skier Luke Robertson is also caught in the whiteout. He reports poor conditions for the past few days, including heavy snowfall. Fresh snow is troublesome for the skiers, as it make it much harder to pull their sleds. The packed, icy surface is much better for covering distances.

Finally, Emma Kelty, traveling with guide Carl Alvy, is also experiencing whiteouts. She says that skiing by compass can be incredibly disorienting, even throwing the balance off. But they continue to make good progress, knocking off 9.34 nautical miles (17.3 km/10.75 miles) in just 6 hours of skiing. That is a great pace, and should have the team at the Pole in no time if they manage to get some good weather along the way.

That's all for today's update. We'll check in with the skiers next week to see how they are progressing.

Antarctica 2015: One Skier Calls It Quits, Vinson Team Heading Home

It has been another busy couple of days in the Antarctic since we last checked in on the progress of the explorers and adventurers who are making their way across the frozen continent. Most of the teams continue to battle difficult conditions as they make their way towards the Pole, with some making steady progress towards their goals. But realty has set in for one skier, while a group of stranded climbers is now on its way back home.

We'll start today's update with the Madison Mountaineering team. The group of five climbers, which includes team leader Garrett Madison, reach the summit of Mt. Vinson back on December 7. But when they attempted to descend the mountain they found themselves pinned down by high winds, and were forced to stay at High Camp for three days while they waited for conditions to improve. They were finally able to descend on December 10, and flew back to Union Glacier the same day. They remained at the ice camp there for an additional four days before catching a flight out to Punta Arenas yesterday. They are all now safe back in Chile, catching their breath, and preparing to head home. The expedition was a very successful one, even if the weather extended the schedule by a few extra days.

Meanwhile, South Pole skier Khai Nguyen has revealed that he will be abandoning his attempt to reach 90�S. Over the weekend he posted a dispatch that indicated that while he had prepared for the difficult journey, it was proving to be more challenging than he had suspected. In fact, he found that he couldn't keep up the pace and still have a hope of reaching the finish line before the final flight out of the season, which takes place on January 27. So, rather than slow down his teammates � guide Carl Alvy and fellow skier Emma Kelty � Khai has decided to go home. It appears he was picked up on Sunday, and very well may have caught the same flight out to Punta Arenas that the Vinson climbers did. For her part, Emma reports that the team is now approaching their first degree, and that they are picking up the pace and finding a good rhythm.


British polar explorer Henry Worsley continues to press ahead, despite whiteout conditions and increased sastrugi. He has now been out on the ice for more than a month, and is methodically knocking off the distances he needs to complete his solo traverse of the Antarctic continent. He has now passed the 86th parallel and seems to be picking up speed. As of yesterday, he has skied 333 nautical miles (616 km/383 miles), which is a very respectable distance. But considering how much further he has to go yet, it seems inconsequential to the man who actually has to cover those distances.

The international team of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, and Shahdom Abdullah were the last team to hit the ice, and have only been skiing for about five days now. They're taking the Messener Route to the South Pole, and so far have found it rough going. Whiteout conditions the first few days have taught them how to navigate by compass in the Antarctic, while sastrugi have slowed their progress to a degree. Still, they are all in good spirits and enjoying the challenge so far, although they know that they are already on a tight schedule due to their late start. Salameh and Abdullah will ski to the Pole and fly back to Union Glacier, while the other two members of the team hope to kite ski back to their starting point.

Speaking of kite skiers, Italian explorer Michele Pontrandolfo has finally found some wind. He has struggled with his attempt to traverse the continent by kite ski almost from the start mostly due to a lack of wind to help pull him along. Progress has been very slow over the past few weeks, but it appears that things could be improving. Michele indicated that the weather is good, and that he is enjoying winds that now approach 40-50 knots (74 km/h /46 mph). Those are some strong winds, but if his kite can handle them, he should be able to make up some serious distances while they last.

American solo-skier Doug Tumminello has had a lot of pain in his feet almost since his expedition started. That has limited his distances each day as he wrestled with hot to improve the situation. Even applying bandages only brought a small amount of relief. But yesterday he removed the insoles from his boots, and discovered that it helped immensely. With that problem solved he was able to ski 11 nautical miles (12 miles/20.3 km), and now hopes to pick up the speed even further.

Finally, Scottish solo-skier Luke Robertson is also making good progress. His dispatches don't include a lot of information, but a few days ago he managed to ski more than 18 miles in a single go. That is excellent speed for the Antarctic, and should have him covering the distance to the South Pole in no time. He has now been out on the ice for 10 days, and seems to be enjoying the experience immensely.

That's all for now. More news soon!

Antarctica 2015: Climbers Pinned Down on Vinson, Worsley Enters the Sastrugi Field

We have more news from Antarctica today, where the season is progressing rapidly already, even though the teams still have a very long way to go before they reach the Pole. The weather continues to be the top story, although at this time of the year the explorers just need to make the most of it, and take what they can get. Still, there are some interesting things to report as these intrepid adventurers press on with their expeditions.

We'll start today with news from Mt. Vinson, the tallest peak on the continent at 4892 meters (16,049 ft). December and early January are popular climbing seasons the mountain, with a number of teams arriving as climbers go in search of the Seven Summits. Earlier in the week we had our first successful summits of the season, with at least 18 people topping out. But one squad has been stranded at High Camp on Vinson over the past few days due to extremely high winds.

The Madison Mountaineering team reached the summit on Monday, and after a brief celebration at the top, the five members of the squad descended back their campsite. But the winds picked up as they moved down, so they decided to stay put rather than risk a tricky descent in poor weather. The winds haven't abated for the past four days however, so they have been stuck in place, waiting for conditions to improve. Reportedly the wind speeds were in excess of 50 knots (57 mph/92 km/h), which is simply too dangerous to try to move in. There is good news on the horizon though, as the winds are expected to die down later today, giving the team a chance to descend at long last.

Other than these stranded climbers, Vinson is apparently empty at the moment. The latest dispatch from the Madison Mountaineering team indicates that they have been the only ones on the hill over the past few days. It's likely that the high winds are also keeping other climbers from arriving at Base Camp, although that will soon change too I'm sure.


Elsewhere, Henry Worsley is closing in on the 85th degree and is expected to cross that point later today. It won't be easy going however, as he reports that he has now entered a large sastrugi field, which making progress very difficult. Sastrugi are hard ridges of snow and ice that form on the surface in Antarctica. Some are small enough to ski over, but they require a bit of extra effort and can be tough on the body. Others grow so large that they have to be skied around. They are a common obstacle for anyone skiing to the South Pole, but they are annoying and frustrating as well, slowing progress and taking a mental and physical toll on the body.

Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo is still waiting for the winds he so desperately needs to appear. He has gone days without seeing much of a breeze at all, which has forced him to lug his two sleds behind him, instead of pulling them along with his kite. His original intention was to ski to both the Geographic South Pole and the Pole of Inaccessibility, while making a traverse of the Antarctic continent. He still has time to complete that journey, but he will need to make up some serious distance if and when the wind does finally appear.

The team of Carl Alvy, Khai Nguyen, and Emma Kelty has seen the whiteout conditions pass and the sun return. They have had strong winds in their face for much of the journey though, which is making progress slow at this point. They report better surface conditions however, and after just five days on the ice, they're still finding their rhythm. Still, everyone seems in good spirits and morale is high as they head south to the Pole.

American solo-skier Doug Tumminello continues to struggle in whiteout conditions, but is forging ahead nicely. He's hoping for conditions to improve today as well. Scottish skier Luke Robertson is in a similar boat, although he did report the sun putting in a brief appearance yesterday.

That's all for now. More news as it is warranted.

Antarctica 2015: Whiteouts Make for Tough Going, First Summits on Vinson

While I was off romping around the Caribbean last week, more explorers and adventurers hit the ice in the Antarctic and have now begun their journeys towards the South Pole. But as usual, the frozen continent is not making it easy on anyone as surface and weather conditions test their patience and resolve.

Henry Worsley has started to pick up the pace some, in part because the snow beneath his skis has become more firm, allowing him to glide along a bit more efficiently. The British polar explorer also seems to be finding his rhythm after more than three weeks on the ice, which is helping as well. A few days back he crossed the 84th parallel, which means he is now nearing the halfway point to the Pole. But considering the fact that he aims to traverse the continent, he is actually only about a quarter of the way done. As of now, he has skied about 240 nautical miles (444 km/276 miles), with the last couple of days being completed in whiteout conditions. That type of weather can truly test the spirit, but Henry continues to press ahead as best he can.

Worsley isn't the only one dealing with whiteouts at the moment. The three-person team consisting of guide Carl Alvy and his clients Khai Nguyen and Emma Kelty also have been skiing through the soup the past couple of days. After being delayed at Union Glacier due to weather, the trio finally hit the ice this past Saturday, and have been making solid progress at the start. But the weather conditions do test their mood as they press on towards the South Pole.


Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo continues to struggle due to a lack of wind. Progress has been incredibly slow mostly because he can't break out the kite to help haul him and his heavy sleds across the Antarctic expanse. He is hoping to traverse the continent as well, but unless he finds some wind soon, he may run out of time before he can accomplish that goal. That said, if he does get some strong winds, he can also make up a tremendous amount of time, so don't count him out just yet.

American adventurer Doug Tumminello is now two days out from Hercules Inlet on his solo and unsupported journey to the Pole, and is already reporting tough conditions. He says that high winds and sastrugi � hard ridges on the ice � are making it tough to get going. Throw in the long, uphill slog that starts at Hercules, and his first few days have been challenging to say the least. But, as with most Antarctic skiers, he'll find his ski-legs within a few days, and will be steaming along before we know it.

Similarly, Scottish solo-skier Luke Robertson got underway this past weekend as well, and has already spent the better part of three days on his route to the South Pole as well. He reports whiteout conditions as well, making it tough to see the horizon and navigate. He's climbed up to 800 meters (2624 ft), but still has a ways to go before he reaches the polar plateau, but so far everything seems to be going well, and he remains in great spirits.

Meanwhile, over on Mt. Vinson we've seen our first summits of the season as well. Reportedly 12 climbers � including three guides � topped out over the weekend, setting the stage for others to follow in the days ahead. They were followed yesterday by the Madison Mountaineering squad, who also placed five climbers on the 4892 meter (16,049 ft) summit. High winds are keeping those climbers at High Camp however, where they are reportedly resting comfortably. They'll descend as soon as conditions improve, and start the process of heading home.

The climbing season on Vinson should continue for a few more weeks, typically culminating right around the start of the new year. We can expect a number of other teams to summit in the days ahead, as numerous people look to bag another one of the Seven Summits.

That's all for now. More updates to come soon.

Antarctica 2015: More Teams Hit The Ice, Weather Having an Impact on Everyone

Weather continues to be the big story in the Antarctic, where the teams skiing to the South Pole are seeing their schedules impacted by high winds � or lack there of �, whiteout conditions, and cold temperatures. All of this is to be expected of course, but it is keeping progress to a minimum, and preventing some from truly getting underway.

We'll start with an update on Henry Worsley, who the last time we checked in on was tentbound due to a raging blizzard. Things have improved since than, and he has resumed the first leg of his journey to the South Pole. He's now been out on the ice for 18 days, and has covered 165 nautical miles (305 km), so despite some challenges in the early going, he is making solid progress. There is still along way to go to the Pole of course, and that is just the halfway point of the journey, but as December arrives, Henry is feeling good about his progress so far.

Elsewhere, Italian kite skier Michele Pontrandolfo is facing a completely different problem. He arrived at the Novolazarevskay base ten days ago, and set out on his attempt on a solo, kite-assisted traverse of the continent. But unfortunately Michele hasn't had steady winds as he anticipated, which has resulted in very slow progress thus far. He has been skiing each day, but covering far less distances than he had hoped, which is putting his expedition in jeopardy, even in the early stages. Hopefully the wind will pick up soon and he'll start to travel further and faster. But for now, he is dealing with lost of frustration.

The team that includes Khai Nguyen and Emma Kelty flew to Union Glacier a few days back to start their expedition to the South Pole. Unfortunately they are unable to fly to their starting point at Hercules Inlet due to a massive storm front moving through the area. The team is all set to depart, their sleds are packed and ready to go, but until the storm passes, they'll stay at the camp waiting for an opportunity to begin. It looks like they'll have to stay where they are for a couple more days though, as the storm is actually building in intensity and getting worse than originally projected.

Similarly, Jordanian adventurer Mustafa Salameh, along with his teammates, are also at Union Glacier and preparing to set out. They're in a holding pattern as well while they wait for the weather to improve.


The Madison Mountaineering squad that has traveled to Antarctica to climb Mt. Vinson has reached the mountain, and has already made a bit of progress. High winds kept them in place yesterday, so they took the opportunity to rest and prepare to move higher when the weather improves. They're currently camping at about 7000 feet (2133 meters), and hope to move up to 9100 feet (2773 meters) when the weather permits.

Finally, there has been a change in plans for the Ice Project team that was trekking across South Georgia Island along the same route that Ernest Shackleton took nearly a century ago. The risk of avalanche along their intended path was far too great for them to proceed safely, so they elected to take an alternate route instead, which made for some great skiing. They have now arrived at the town of Grytviken and are visiting the Shackleton museum there before they explore other parts of the island. They will eventually sail back to their starting point in the Falklands.

That's all for today. More news from the Antarctic as these teams get an opportunity to proceed. As usual, the weather will determine when that happens.

Antarctica 2015: Bad Weather Has Everyone in a Holding Pattern

The 2015-2016 Antarctic season is slowly starting to get rolling, but bad weather is once again causing problems for a number of teams. In the case of some of the South Pole skiers, it is preventing them from even reaching the ice, while others are struggling to make progress towards their goals. It is a long season though, and these delays are not completely unexpected, although they are never the less frustrating.

Henry Worsley is experiencing this to the fullest at the moment. Not only did he have to patiently wait out a long delay in Punta Arenas before he could even begin his solo traverse of the Antarctic, he is now caught in a massive snowstorm on the continent itself. For the second day in a row he is tentbound while he waits for the weather to calm down. Considering the fact that he is already on a fairly tight schedule, and only has enough food and fuel to barely get him through the 80 days he expects are needed to complete his expedition, any days spent in one place are costing him time and resources. Hopefully the storm will fade out later today, and he can return to skiing towards the South Pole, and finishing the first stage of his expedition. He still has a very long way to go.

Meanwhile, several other teams are still stuck in Punta and waiting for a flight out. The four-man squad of the Shackleton 2015 Live team loaded their gear on a plane on Saturday, but continue to wait for the call letting them know that it is time to fly out the Union Glacier camp. Similarly, the three-person team that includes both Emma Kelty and Khai Nguyen are in a holding pattern too. In an updated posted to his blog yesterday, Khai reports that conditions at the camp are good enough for planes to take off, but not for landing. So, they wait for an opportunity to fly to the frozen continent and begin their expeditions to the South Pole.


Yesterday, the Ice Project team arrived on South Georgia Island after sailing 1200 km (745 miles) from the Falklands. They'll now do a bit of prep work before they set out for their traverse of the island, following in the footsteps of Shackleton, who did the same thing back in 1916 as he made a last ditch effort to save all of his men who had been stranded in the Antarctic after their ship � the Endurance � became stuck in the ice and was later crushed by the pressure, before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The Ice Project crew will recreate that historic march across South Georgia, while bagging a few peaks along the way. They should get underway very soon, and will eventually sail back to the Falklands as well.

As December approaches it is now time for the climbing teams to start arriving in Punta Arenas too. Most will be traveling to Mt. Vinson, the tallest peak on the continent at 4892 meters (16,050 ft). They'll face the same weather delays and challenges, although flights out to Union Glacier tend to become a bit more regular as the austral summer rolls along. To that end, the Madison Mountaineering squad is already en route to South America, and will be gathering in Punta Arenas over the next few days, and will spend some time there before departing for the frozen continent. We'll keep an eye on their progress in the days ahead too.

That's the news from the Antarctic for today. Weather delays continue to be the major story, but hopefully things will improve soon. It is time for more teams to hit the ice, but Mother Nature keeps getting in the way. Perhaps we'll have more to report later in the week.

Antarctica 2015: Shifting Weather Taunts Henry Worsley, Others Prepare to Begin

As expected, the 2015-2016 Antarctic season is now starting to ramp up. Weather conditions at Union Glacier remain spotty at times, but regular flights to and from the frozen continent are expected to resume shortly. That means more expeditions will be setting out very soon, and over the next few days a number of explorers will be putting the final touches on their prep work before starting towards their goals at long last. But first, an update on Henry Worsley, who has now been skiing for a full week, and has yet to reach the Antarctic coastline.

As you may recall, Worsley has set the unenviable task of making the first solo and unsupported traverse of the Antarctic continent. His journey is expected to take upwards of 80 days to complete as he sets out from Berkner Island with the intention of skiing to the Ross Ice Shelf, via the Geographic South Pole. Along the way, he'll cover 1100 miles (1770 km) while hauling a very heave sledge behind him all the way.

The past few days have not been easy ones for Henry, as the weather has been extremely challenging. For nearly two days he skied in almost complete whiteout conditions, with low hanging clouds creating a shroud around him in all directions. That makes navigation difficult, and can be hard on the spirits too, but he has managed to perceiver and continue pressing forward. But today, the sun came out, lifting his spirits even as temperatures plummeted. The British explorer reports that it was his coldest day yet, with the mercury dipping down to -30�C/-22�F, although Henry is generating enough heat from his physical labors that he hardly noticed until it was time to make camp.

To give you a sense of scale for the Antarctic, Worsley set out from Berkner island last Saturday, and has been making good progress most days so far. After a week, he is now on the Ronne Ice Shelf, and can see the Pensacola Mountains in the distance. But it will still be four more days before he even hits the actual coastline and gets off the frozen sea ice. From there, he'll be steadily heading south on his way to the Pole. There are still many hundreds of miles to go before he reaches that point however, and even then he'll only be half-way to the finish line.


Italian polar explorer Michele Pontrandolfo hasn't shared his exact whereabout yet, but it would seem that he is currently approaching the Antarctic and should begin his expedition soon too. He'll be setting off from the Novolazarevskaya station with plans to kite ski to both the Pole of Inaccessibility and the Geographic South Pole, before finishing at Hercules Inlet, covering some 3620 km (2250 miles) en route.

Meanwhile, South Pole skier Emma Kelty is in Punta Arenas, and has begun sorting her food and gear for the upcoming trip across Antarctica. Weather permitting, she'll fly out to Union Glacier on Saturday, along with her teammates and several other teams as well. She'll be part of three-person squad that will be skiing together to the Pole, with the expedition set to begin soon after they arrive in the Antarctic.

The Shackleton 2015 Trans-Antarctic team will also be on the flight. This four person team consists of Brit Stew Edge, Canadian Devon McDirmid, Jordanian Mostafa Salameh, and Malaysian explorer Shahrom. The four will ski together to the South Pole along the Hercules Inlet route, where Mostafa and Shahrom will fly back to Union Glacier, while Stew and Devon will switch to kites and ski back to their starting point.

Finally, the Ice Project team has set out on their expedition to South Georgia Island, where they will be attempting to follow in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton who made a harrowing traverse of that island in a last ditch effort to find help for his stranded men back in 1916. The squad, which consists of polar veterans Mike O'Shea and Clare O'Leary, along with Tom Ruane, Sean Murphy, Keith McDonnell, and Aiden Forde, got underway yesterday as they'll first sail to South Georgia from the Falklands Islands. They'll aim to reach King Hakkonn Bay, where they'll begin their trek, which will include bagging a few peaks along the way. Once they've finished the traverse, they'll then sail back to the Falklands, making this an 1800 mile (2896 km) round-trip voyage.

That's all for today. It won't be too long before we'll be having regular updates from the Antarctic on the progress of all of these teams, and more yet to come. It looks like it'll be an exciting year, with plenty of news to come.

Want to Ride a Bike to the South Pole in 2016?

The 2015 Antarctic season is just barely getting underway, but there is already a reason to start looking ahead to next year. That's because TDA Cycling � a company that specializes in long distance trips by bike � has announced the first ever guided bike expedition to the South Pole.

The new trip will launch in December of 2016, and will cover the last degree to Pole. Riders will be flown to the 89th parallel to begin their journey in Punta Arenas, Chile where they will first spend four days prepping for the challenges they'll face out on the ice. After that, it'll be on to Union Glacier Ice Camp for a brief stay before proceeding to the 89th parallel, which is where they'll start pedaling to the Pole. It is expected to take nine days to cover the distance to 90�S, with the team covering approximately 20km (12.4 miles) per day.

The ride will be conducted on fat bikes, which are the only ones that are suitable for the Antarctic terrain. These types of bikes are big, and heavy, but the wide tires are very forgiving on snow and ice. There have already been a couple of people who have ridden to the South Pole, so the usefulness of the fat bike has already been proven in these conditions.

Before you can sign up for this one-of-a-kind tour, TDA is requiring all participants to first take part in a training ride in Lake Winnipeg this coming February. That tour will be used to get everyone accustomed to riding in the snow, and get acquainted with their bikes. Successfully completing the training ride will demonstrate to the TDA guides that you are ready for your polar expedition.

As you can imagine, a trip like this one doesn't come cheap. The price is $70,000, which doesn't include flights to Punta Arenas, travel insurance, gear, the Lake Winnipeg training session, or even a bike. In other words, this is one expensive adventure. But if you have the cash, it looks like it would be the experience of a lifetime.

Check out this tour, and all of TDA's cycling expedition, on the company's website. And watch the video below for more information.

Antarctica 2015: Worsley Underway, Others to Soon Follow

After a slow start to the 2015-2016 Antarctic season, things are beginning to pick up steam now. Improved weather has allowed Union Glacier station to become full operational, with more flights now scheduled to the camp to begin delivering explorers and adventurers to the ice. Soon, there will be a number of teams skiing to the South Pole, with a busy season ahead.

First out of the starting gate is Henry Worsley, who has now been on the trail for three days, and is already making good time. His starting point at Berkener Island has been left behind as he cranks up the milage despite warm temperatures making the surface soft and slushy. That isn't great for skiing, but Henry will enjoy the warmer weather while he can. As you probably recall, Worsley is attempting to traverse the continent solo and unassisted. His journey will take him to the South Pole and than out to the Shackleton Glacier near the Ross Ice Shelf. It is expected to take him about 80 days to wrap up the entire journey, which will cover more than 1770 km (1100 miles).

Just a few days into the expedition and he has already hit his first milestone. Today, Henry skied past the 81st degree, which means just nine more degrees to go before reaching the Pole. Not all of those will come so quickly though, and it'll probably be awhile before he reaches the 82nd degree. Still, he'll take the progress and is enjoying a small celebration at being out on the ice at last, and making his way south.


Meanwhile, Italian polar explorer Michele Pontrandolfo is preparing to embark on his Antarctic expedition for this season. ExWeb says that he'll attempt to kite-ski across the frozen continent, starting at Novolazarevskaya Station, and then proceeding to the South Pole of Inaccessibility, before going on to the Geographic South Pole, and eventually ending at Hercules Inlet. The route will cover approximately 3620 km (2250 miles) which he'll do solo, but wind assisted of course.

Michele has been in Cape Town for several days now and is waiting a flight out to Novolazarevskaya. Poor weather has kept the aircraft grounded however, so it is unclear when he'll actually get to start. The hope is that he will be able to travel to Antarctica sometime this week.

Yesterday, the Shackleton 2015 team arrived in Punta Arenas, where they are now organizing their gear in preparation for the expedition ahead. As the name of the team implies, they'll be following in Shackleton's footsteps in the Antarctic by traveling for more than 2100 km (1300 miles) as they ski from Weddell Coast to the South Pole, and back. The trip is expected to take about 60 days to complete. There is no indication of when they'll fly to Union Glacier, but if the weather holds it could be within a few days.

Finally, Mustafa Salameh, the first Jordanian explorer to summit Everest, is also preparing to ski to the South Pole. He is putting the final touches on his preparation now, and departed Amman yesterday to embark on this journey. As with the other teams, there is no word yet on when he'll fly to Antarctica, as he'll need time to pack and organize his gear, and catch a flight when the weather permits. But we'll be keeping a close eye on his progress throughout the season ahead.

As you can see, things are starting to crank up now. It won't be long until the season is well underway with numerous teams speeding towards the South Pole. Expect much more news to follow in the days ahead.