Polar Update: One Team Already Done!


ThePoles.com has posted one of their Arctic Wrap-up articles with news on the North Pole teams and other arctic expeditions underway. The sad news is that Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen have been evacuated from the ice. The two were attempting an unsupported North Pole expedition, but Liv suffered frostbitten toes after just a few days on the ice and some of their gear was damaged by a plane that landed near them last week, making it difficult to proceed. On top of that, extreme cold has set in, dropping as low as -58 F, causing them to fear for their safety even more.

It’s a shame that their expedition was put into jeopardy so early on, thanks to a plane load of tourists landing too close and sliding into Ann’s sledge. It has to be frustrating for them to end the expedition before it’s even gotten started. Hopefully they can regroup for next year and come back for a second attempt.

Meanwhile, the father and son team of Gerhard and Christian Hampel are preparing to set off from Tiksi in Sibera, to reach the Kotelny Islands by dog sled. Fellow Siberian explorers on Conrad Dickinson’s team are off and running as well, with their goal being to become the first team to kite ski across Lake Baikal, the World’s largest lake. Baikal is approximately the size of France, and reaches more than 1630 meters in depth at it’s deepest point. Don’t fall in gang!

Kraig Becker

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