Ultimate North update: North Pole speed record on the line
Apr 25, 2005 17: 31 EST
36 days out and only 18.5 miles to the Pole, Tom Avery’s Ultimate North team is on the verge of making history…or changing it. The fastest expedition to the North Pole was Peary in 1909. Tom Avery has one day left to match Peary’s (supposed) 37 day speed record expedition to the North Pole, and maybe even break it.
Yesterday, Tom reported “At 89.25N, we are at the same latitude as Peary's most northerly campsite before he reached the Pole on April 6, 1909. Blessed with cold, clear weather, frozen leads, light sleds and fresh dog teams, he covered that final 35 miles in one long continuous march with his companions Matthew Henson and four Inuit men.”
Speedy expeditions of 2000
For a century, controversy has clouded the 1909 record. Did Peary even make it to the Pole? Are his reported speeds realistic? Besides Peary’s, the fastest expedition ever was Magnus Persson and Henrik Runell’s mission in 2000. They made it to the Pole in 41 days, totally unsupported for their travel. They had no re-supplies, and were aided only when one team member was evacuated. The fastest dogsled expedition (besides Peary’s of course) was Paul Landry and Paul Crowley’s 43 day trip in the spring of 2000.
As far as truly unsupported expeditions go, Børge Ousland’s 52 day solo journey from Russia to the North Pole reigns as the record.
Perfect conditions for big distances
Maybe Ultimate North’s expedition proves Peary’s Pole claims. Maybe it proves nothing beyond the skill and determination of the Ultimate North team. Or perhaps it just adds another angle to the ongoing debate. Some of the latest information from Tom Avery’s dispatches does weigh in Peary’s favor, though. In an update from day 36, Tom describes: “No pressure ridges, no leads, just flat hard-packed snow and the occasional frozen lead… these were just the conditions he (Peary) described in his journal. It's now very easy to see how he could have made the big distances he claimed.”
Having come so close to their goal, Ultimate North had to face something Peary never mentioned: Strong headwinds causing the ice pack to drift south. According to Tom, “Since last night and throughout the day today, the GPS has shown that we have been drifting south at a speed of 0.3 knots.” That adds up to a whopping nine mile southerly drift since the last camp.
Down to the wire
Regardless of Peary, Tom Avery’s team is on the cusp of completing a very fast mission. But for those of you out there who like to see records definitively broken, there is some good news. As of day 36, Ultimate North was 16.5 miles ahead of Peary’s pace. Good ice conditions, but negative drift. They’ve got 24 hours to knock off the remaining miles to the Pole. It’s going to be very tight.
Image of Tom Avery courtesy of Tom Avery
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