Over the weekend North Pole explorers Matvey Shparo and Boris Smolin brought an end to one of the most amazing expeditions in recent memory by becoming the first men to achieve the North Pole completely in Winter. The pair of Russians set off back on December 22nd of last year, and have made slow, but steady progress toward their goal since then.
Anyone who has followed their travels is aware of the amount of suffering the two men endured while on their way North. The extreme cold was so bad at times that it actually froze the down lining of their suits. Day time temps were often in the -45° F range, and to make matters worse, they had to contend with large patches of open water and ice thin enough that they fell through more than once. They were stalked by polar bears and pushed to near exhaustion as they drug their heavy sledges across challenging terrain. And to top it all off, they did it all in complete darkness, as the Sun still hasn't risen at the Pole.
But at long last, Matvey and Boris have reached the Pole. 90° North has been achieved. Now someone go pluck these guys from the ice and get them to a tropical island ASAP. Congratulations guys! You've done an amazing thing, and you've earned yourselves a nice long, warm break. It's been a real pleasure following along on your adventure.
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