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North Pole Update: Ben at pole Tuesday, Mike Horn has a lot more in store
May 11, 2004 17: 35 EST
Ben is making plans to pass the Pole on Tuesday; “I'm camped at 89'52.3", which leaves 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 km) to the Pole. At this rate, that's half a day's skiing...I should pass [the Pole] on Tuesday - I'd planned to cover the last degree a little faster, but the whiteout has made speedy progress impossible.”
Mike Horn, high speed circumnavigation of the Arctic, reports; "Wooh! It's been a great week. I've been going like a rocket. I've done almost 250kms in the last three days! I was hoping to move like this because I know the ice melt will start soon and if I don't get to Khatanga before this starts I'll be in big trouble.
I've been using my kite and have been skimming across the flat tundra over the Lena Delta. The temperatures with wind-chill have been around -25°C which is good but at my speeds I must still be careful of frostbite. Yesterday I arrived at Ust Olenek. Seems to me that there are only 4 people in this village. Like most of the northern Arctic villages in Siberia, it was bigger once, but gradually the people are all leaving, heading down south in search of a better life."
Five expeditions set out for a North Pole expedition this year, all from the Russian side. Wave Vidmar to be the first American to ski solo and unsupported to the North Pole. Frédéric Chamard-Boudet to do the same for France. British Ben Saunders was to attempt a first solo, unsupported crossing. Danish/French duo Bettina Aller and Jean Gabriel Leynaud to ski to the pole with support and French/Finnish woman Dominick Arduin to attempt the first solo, female North Pole trek with support.
A big open water lead just off the starting point posed the first immediate problem for this years expeditions. Two solo skiers, French/Finnish woman Dominick and Frenchman Frederic decided to ski/paddle across the huge, 55 km semi open water area, in an attempt for a clean North Pole expedition (which must start from land). The other teams opted for an air drop onto thick ice.
Frederic Chamard-Boudet, fell in the water and was rescued. He is treated for severe frostbite. Dominick is missing since March 5th. Her tracks were found disappearing in an open water section, which she had planned to paddle over. No traces of Dominick, her kayak, sleds or other gear have been found.
Ben Saunders expedition status has changed to supported - he has opted for air resupplies. Wave Vidmar was airlifted off the ice and heads for home. Bettina and JG have reached to Pole.
Mike Horn, the South African who traveled around the equator in 2000, is back for another circular adventure. This time, however, Mike is going into colder climates; the Arctic Circle, an area he has little experience with. His plan is to travel around the Arctic, just within the Arctic Circle, by boat, kayak, ski sail and on foot. He left in august of 2002 and is today about half-way from his starting point Nordkapp, Norway.
Image of Mike courtesy of mikehorn.com.
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| OneWorld expedition: It's over Jun 3, 2005 | | Vancouver to Moscow - 1 year anniversary! Jun 2, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: The Single ski Weight Watchers Greenland program Jun 1, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Rain and world record May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | 12 year old doing well on Greenland ice cap crossing May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Polar hygiene, and Napoleon on ice May 26, 2005 | | Contact GEO hits Greenland May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
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2004
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