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Expedition list up
10:22 a.m. EDT Oct 10, 2003
14:08 p.m. EDT Sep 23, 2003
Check out the brand new expedition list for Antarctica and the Arctic 2003/04.
The Britt's rule the South Pole this season with several unsupported attempts for the pole.
In addition, the ladies are the focal point right now with no less than three unsupported attempts, two of them solo from the coast - a world's ladies first.
The first lady to ski alone and unsupported to the South Pole was Norwegian Liv Arnesen.
The second woman to reach the SP unsupported from the coast was Tina Sjogren together with husband Tom in the Swedish couple's goal to reach both poles back to back and unsupported. The couple's expedition was also highly tech oriented and gave birth to the Contact 2.0 expedition communication solution with the first live pictures and dispatches transmitted daily from the entire journey to both poles.
If any of the British women manage their goal, they'll become the first British ladies to reach the South Pole alone and without support from the coast.
Liv recently announced that she and American Ann Bancroft plan to try an Arctic crossing in 2005. No words yet if the plan includes air support and sails.
If so, they will again follow in the footsteps of Norwegian Borge Ousland (who is crossing the Patagonia ice cap just now). Borge has made an Arctic supported crossing and he also made an Antarctica supported crossing years earlier, just as Liv & Ann.
Liv and Ann attempted an Antarctic crossing with support, but after filling up their sleds at the South Pole station the winds died down and the women who depended on sails for progress had to abort the crossing close to - but short of their goal destination - the edge of the ice. They did however cross Antarctica coast to coast in this supported attempt.
No person has yet managed to cross Antarctica without support. Only two people have managed to cross the Arctic ocean without support. In 2000, Norwegian Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larsen made the epic trip that almost took their lives in 109 days.
Nearly 100 years after the Amundsen/Scott battle for the South Pole, the Britt's and the Norwegians are still the most frequent players in the area. Check out the new generation of the next season and the new human frontiers about to be crossed. Except names and challenges to be continuously added to the expedition list.
Update on Liv's solo trip Sept 30, 2003
Image of Antarctica ice cap ExplorersWeb files
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