Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Arctic Update: Yes, They're Still Out There!


I haven't posted an update on the North Pole teams in awhile, but we've got a good update today from ThePoles.com where they are reporting that Alain and Dixie are steaming towards the finish line. You'll recall that these two started off in Sibera, and have traversed over the Pole to reach Greeland. They are currently 1302km into their expedition with a mere 354km to go before they reach their final destination. They've picked up speed over the past few days as well, as their sledges have lightened up and good weather has made for better travel.

Thomas Ulrich and Børge Ousland are also making great progress as the two arctic legends attempt another journey together. They reached 86° 4’ N and are reporting lots of open water in their area. Their expedition, unlike most, BEGAN at the North Pole, with the idea that they would then travel by skis, kayak, and sailing ship over more than 1500km as they head to Franz-Josef Land, in Siberia, then continue on to Cape Flora, then sailing back to Norway, where they'll trek to Oslo on foot.

Unfortunately, things aren't going so well for Rosie Stancer who has been trying to close in on the Pole, but suffered setbacks yesterday due to open water and negative drift. After struggling with high winds all day, and moving in a more westerly direction to avoid rubble, Rose made camp only to discover that she had not gained any ground for her efforts. Hopefully today she's making up for lost time, and is making her way North at a good pace.

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