Sticking with Antarctic news, another expedition is preparing to hit the ice soon, with an eye on finishing what Ernest Shackleton started. A century ago, the famed British explorer came within 100 miles of being the first person to reach the South Pole, turning back when supplies began to run thin, and the weather took a turn for the worse. Now, a team led by Mike Thornewill, of Polar Challenge International, will look to finish that final leg.
Dubbed Shackleton's Unfinished Journey 2009, the expedition will commence from 88.23ยบ South, the same latitude from which Sir Ernest turned back. From there, the team, which includes 17-year old Katie Walter, will don their skis and begin the long journey to the Pole. Katie and Mike will be joined by Shally Suri, age 56 years, Ian Berry (43), and Wendy Kidd. (53) If successful, Katie will become the youngest person to ever trek to the South Pole.
The team arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile over the weekend, and they have been sorting their gear and doing last minute prep work ever since. If everything goes as scheduled, they'll be jetting off to Antarctica in the next few days to begin their journey, and to finish what Shackleton couldn't back in 1909.
This should be another fun expedition to watch unfold.
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