Word has just come in tonight that Todd Carmichael has reached the South Pole, becoming the first American to make the journey solo and unsupported. The latest dispatch from his home team can be found by clicking here.
Todd has been going all out to try to reach the Pole in record time, and it's been a couple of days since there has been any concrete updates. It turns out that both of his satellite phones failed in the last two days, preventing him from sending detailed updates back to the world.
At this point, we don't have any word on whether or not he set a new speed record when he reached his goal. What we do know is that he made it on his 39th day, with the last 30 of those days on foot. The bindings of skis broke early on, and were beyond repair, and yet Todd still persevered to the end in an amazing display of endurance.
The dispatch notes that there is a storm raging at Patriot Hills so Todd will remain at the Pole for a few days until the weather clears and a plane can be dispatched to pick him up. There are a few others closing in on 90º S, so perhaps he'll have company soon. More details on the past few days will follow.
Congratulations Todd! Thanks for taking us all along for the ride with you. Now rest up, you've earned it.
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