Controversy Brewing Over Alleged South Pole Speed Record

There seems to be some controversy brewing over an alleged speed record for skiing to the South Pole. ExWeb is reporting that adventurer Martin Szwed has made claims to various media outlets saying that he broke the speed record for skiing solo across Antarctica. Apparently, Szwed is saying that he not only beat the current record held by Christian Eide, but that he did so by nearly ten days. The problem is, there doesn't seem to be any record of this amazing feat.

According to recent claims by Szwed, he was in the Antarctic this past season to climb Mt. Vinson and ski to the South Pole. His summit of Mt. Vinson has been confirmed to ExWeb by officials at ANI/ALE, who supported him on that venture. But after he finished climbing, Szwed says that he then launched his ski expedition – presumably from the Russian Novo station – which he was then able to complete in 14 days, 18 hours, and 43 minutes. Eide's amazing record, which was set back in 2011, is an impressive 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes.

To further cast doubt on his expedition, Szwed has told various media outlets that he skied 1192 km, 1280 km, and 1300 km. Those varying distances have further helped to call his story into question. He also claims to have used three supply depots along the way, which as ExWeb points out would invalidate his "solo" claim to any speed record.

To put this in perspective, in order to cover the distance that Szwed is claiming, he would have to cover more than 86 km (53 miles) each and every day in tough conditions, while pulling a heavy sled. That would be an incredibly difficult task for sure. ExWeb calls it "herculean," which seems fitting.


But that isn't all. ANI officials, who are pretty much the authority on what happens in the Antarctic, told ExWeb "Based on our contact with other operators and German officials, we have received no indication that the expedition took place. Umweltbundesamt / Federal Environment Agency Germany did not issue a ski expedition permit for him to go the South Pole and TAC [the logistics operator in Cape Town] did not provide him transportation following his Vinson ascent."

Furthermore, the staff at the U.S. South Pole Station, located at 90ºS, says that no one there has seen nor heard of Martin Szwed, nor has there been any arrivals at the Pole since ALE finished their operations three weeks back.

At this point, it seems like Szwed is trying to pull a fast one in order to bolster is reputation. Until he can provide any kind of evidence to support his claims, or someone else can step forward to act as a witness, all of his speed record claims should be viewed as false. So far, Szwed has not responded to ExWeb's inquiries.

It's a shame that these kinds of stories continue to crop up, particularly in an era when it is so easy to verify the information.

Shackleton and Scott Antarctic Huts Saved From Ruin

Three small huts used by Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott as part of their Antarctic expeditions have been saved from destruction thanks to a major conservation effort that began nearly ten years ago. A team of 62 experts from 11 countries have worked hard to preserve these 100+ year old relics that are described as time capsule from a bygone era of exploration. Now, those efforts have payed off, and the huts have been restored to a point that they are accurate representations of the structures that were used as shelters for some of the most important expeditions in history.

The huts were used to launch both Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova expedition as well as a for Shackleton's  famous Nimrod Expedition. They had been mostly abandoned and left alone for nearly a century until efforts to preserve them began in 2005. Two of the huts belonged to Scott – one at Cape Evans and the other at Hut Point – while the third was used by Shackleton at Cape Royds.

Without these conservation efforts it is likely that the three huts would have deteriorated so much that they would have been lost altogether. That is not surprising considering the conditions in which they have persisted for more than 100 years. It took a decade of work, and more than $6 million, to restore the huts, with the project being spearheaded by the Antarctic Heritage Trust - New Zealand.

Inside the shelters researchers found more than 18,000 artifacts including scientific instruments, notebooks, canned foods, and clothing. All of those items gave the team a glimpse into the past, and what explorers of that era had to endure in the Antarctic. That was something the restoration team got a taste of as well as they faced sub-zero temperatures while working on the exteriors of the three huts. That work included replacing the roofs, removing large chunks of ice, and waterproofing the walls against future damage. They also worked tirelessly to preserve most of the items found inside the buildings too, and placed them back in their original places to better restore the structures to their former glory.

While obviously none of the huts will see that many visitors, the conservationists felt that it was still worth all of the effort to preserve these historic places. These huts were a part of an important time in human history, and they will now continue to stand as monuments to the need for humans to explore our planet, and beyond.

Antarctica 2014: Final Team Safely Back at Union Glacier

Yesterday I noted that the final Antarctic ski team had reached the finish line at Hercules Inlet after skiing for 74 days straight. Stéphanie and Jérémie Gicquel, along with guide Are Johnson, had set out from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf back in November and had managed to traverse the Antarctic continent via the South Pole. By the time they wrapped up their journey yesterday they had covered 2045 km (1270 miles), pushing through the last 45 km (28 miles) in a grueling 18 hour dash to the end. The trio had been racing against the clock to catch the last plane out, and fortunately they had made it just in time.

When they reached Hercules yesterday the trio of skiers were exhausted, weak, and hungry. Low on supplies, all they could do was crawl into their tent, rest, and wait for a plane to come pick them up. That happened earlier today when they were plucked from the ice and flown safely back to the camp and Union Glacier. According to their final dispatch they arrived just in time to enjoy a fine pancake breakfast. Something I'm sure was greatly appreciated.

Stéphanie, Jérémie, and Are now await a flight back to Punta Arenas, Chile, which will bring an end to their Antarctic adventure. That flight could come as early as today depending on weather conditions. Their departure from the frozen continent will bring an end to the current season there, as the weather will now take a turn for the worse, making travel impossible. But as I write this, other explorers and adventurers are already planning for the next Antarctic expedition season, which will get underway in November of this year.

The 2014 season was a relatively quiet one compared to recent years. But still, there were some terrific milestones achieved. In addition to the impressive traverse from this trio, we also saw Frédérick Dion kite-ski to the Pole of Inaccessibility before continuing on to the South Pole as well. Frédérick would eventually traverse the continent too, using the wind to pull him along. Equally impressive was Newall Hunter's efforts in the Antarctic. He managed to complete a solo-ski to the South Pole before heading over to Mt. Vinson to summit that peak while he was in the neighborhood. Not a bad effort on his part either.

Now, the curtain falls on the 2014 season and we'll turn our attention elsewhere. It is a bit of a quiet time in the world of outdoor adventure, but the spring Himalaya climbing season looms, and it should be a good one.

Antarctica 2014: Final Team Reaches the Coast

The 2014 Antarctic season is nearly over, and the last plane is scheduled to fly out of Union Glacier tomorrow, weather permitting. The final few weeks have not been easy for the last team out on the ice, as they have raced against the clock to get back to Hercules Inlet in time for departure. Their struggle was compounded by poor weather, deep snow, and harsh winds, but today they have completed their journey, and are now ready to head home at last.

The trio of Stéphanie and Jérémie Gicquel, and guide Are Johnson, have completed a 2045 km (1270 mile) round trip journey from the coast to the South Pole, and back again. Their expedition took them 74 days to complete, and has left them exhausted, but extremely proud and satisfied with their efforts.  The final dispatch announcing their arrival at Hercules was posted earlier today and it reads as follows:

WE MADE IT !!!
74 days, 2045km. A lot of new records set. 45km in 18hrs the last day... 

A lot more on the blog in the days to come. (Text-pics) just have to sleep a little first.. 

Thanks to all of you who have followed the blog. 

Cheers from Are

As you can see, they had an extremely tough final day skiing 45 km (28 miles) over an 18 hour stretch just to get to the finish line. They are reportedly very low on food and extremely weary, and are now in their tent resting while they wait for a plane to come pick them up. That aircraft will shuttle the team, and their gear, back to Union Glacier where they'll catch another flight out to Punta Arenas, Chile before they head home.

Congratulations to Stéphanie, Jérémie, and Are for an amazing adventure. Their efforts in harsh conditions on the frozen continent are an inspiration to all. Hopefully they'll soon get plenty of good food and have a warm bed to sleep in before returning home.

Antarctica 2014: A Race Against Time at the Bottom of the World

The 2014 Antarctic season is scheduled to come to a close this Wednesday, January 28. That's the day that the last plane is scheduled to fly out of Union Glacier on its way back to Punta Arenas, Chile, carrying the remaining climbers, explorers, and South Pole skiers – as well as the support team for their efforts – home at last. While most of those teams are comfortably waiting in camp, another remains in a desperate race against time to get back to Hercules Inlet in time for their flight. And while it looks like they are going to make it, it is going to be close. 

Stéphanie and Jérémie Gicquel, along with guide Are Johnson, have now been out on the ice for 73 days. They started their journey way back in November, and were able to ski to the South Pole in time for the holidays. Since then, they've been attempting to complete the return trip to Hercules Inlet, where they'll end their epic excursion at long last. The journey back to the coast has not been an easy one however, as they have had to maintain a steady pace the entire time, even as poor weather has hindered their progress, particularly in these final days. 

After spending much of the end of last week in complete whiteout conditions, the trio had better visibility over the weekend, although high winds still made it challenging to proceed. They were able to catch a glimpse of some mountains on the horizon however, which broke up the endless plane of white that they have been staring at for days on end. Deep snow has made it difficult to pick up any speed however, but they still struggled forwards, as they really don't have any choice at this point. 

Yesterday the managed to knock of an impressive 44.8 km (27.8 miles), which leaves them with just 43.9 km (27.3 miles) to go tomorrow. That is a sizable distance to cover on the final day, particularly when the team is reportedly very tired, weak, and hungry. They are starting to run low on supplies, and have been conserving rations for a few days now, which has taken its toll some on their spirits too. 

Despite these challenges, it seems that Stéphanie, Jérémie, and Are should arrive at the finish line tomorrow on schedule. It will be a long day, but considering their current pace, they should be able to wrap things up provided unexpectedly bad weather doesn't arrive on the scene. The forecast does indicate that conditions could take a turn for the worse, but at this point that is likely to hinder their return flight more than their final push to the coast. 

I'll keep an eye on the team's progress over the next few days and post updates. Hopefully they'll reach Hercules tomorrow and will be able to get picked-up for a flight to Union Glacier where they can enjoy some good food and warm accommodations. From there, it is just a matter of time before they head back to Chile, and eventually home. 

Antarctica 2014: Tough Going for Final Antarctic Team

As mentioned earlier in the week, the 2014 Antarctic season is swiftly drawing to an end. One team remains out on the ice, struggling to reach the finish line before the last plane prepares to fly out. Their deadline is now January 26, which is Monday, and covering the final miles over the next three days isn't going to be easy.

The team of Are Johnson and Stéphanie and Jérémie Gicquel have been out on the ice for 70 days now, and have long since reached the South Pole and began their return trip to Hercules Inlet along the coast. At this point, fatigue has set in and they are doing their best to cover the remaining distance as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the weather isn't being all that cooperative however, and yesterday they skied in white out conditions. In fact, in their most recent update, it was revealed that they couldn't see more than 3 metes in any direction at all. As a result, they struggled to cover their required distance, reaching 35 km (21.7 miles) over 11.5 hours, while battling sastrugi along the way too. 

Today doesn't look like it will be much better either. The trio expects to be skiing in a whiteout once again, and have prepared themselves for another tough go. Conditions are expected to improve however, so there is a literal light at the end of the tunnel.

Still, even with better weather, the last stretch is going to be a tough one. As of now, they have to average 43.5 km (27 miles) over the next four days to arrive back at Hercules in time. That isn't impossible, but it is going to be very difficult. To make matters worse, they are also starting to get low on food too, which will have an impact on the final stage of the journey as well. 

By the time they are finished, the team will have covered approximately 2300 km (1430 miles) and will have become one of only a handful of squad to make the journey to the South Pole and back under their own power. With any luck, the next time I post an update on their progress, they'll have finished.