Polar Update: Teams n2i Greeted As Heroes!

ThePoles.com has another update from Antartica today, with the news that Team n2i has returned to the Russian Progress Base, where they set out some 50 days ago. Upon arrival, they were greeted as heroes. The team became the first group to make it to the Pole of Inaccessibility without the aid of a motorized vehicle. Of course, the Russians were the first to go there back in 1958, and were more than happy to offer the team a hearty congrats.

Things aren't looking as good for John Wilton-Davies who has agreed to abandon his journey to the South Pole and be plucked from the ice tomorrow by the last flight out of Antarctica. But that doesn't mean John can sit on his laurels. His current location is not suitable for the plane to land, so he'll have to find an area where the can come pick him up. To make matters worse, John only has three days worth of food left, although a supply drop has been sent his way, but is more than 28nm away. Lets just hope the weather cooperates, and John can get off the ice, safe and sound.

The strangest news of the day comes from 7 Summits Climbing Club who returned to Chile only to find their visas had expired thanks to several delays in getting off the ice. Passports were confiscated, and services were arranged, so it looks like an International Incident will be avoided. The climbers should be glad they weren't deported back to Antarctica though. ;)

Over on Vinson itself, Ray is still struggling through his "Next Fun Trip". After skiing to the South Pole with his wife, he know attempting to summit Vinson as well. Latest reports have him in Camp 2, with the hopes that a weather window will stay open long enough for a summit bid in the next day or two.

Finally, Outside Online has posted their own news brief about Team n2i making it to the Pole of Inaccessibility. But more interesting to me was the note about Sir Edmund Hillary, who at the age of 87, returned to Antarctica one final time, to commemorate the completion of Scott Base, which he helped to build fifty years ago. Hillary, along with Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to summit Everest in 1953, and just two years later traveled to the South Pole himself. I sure hope that when I'm 87 I'm still going on these kinds of adventures!