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Another British Polar Explorer to Attempt Solo Antarctic Traverse

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By: Kraig Becker
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Another British polar explorer will attempt a solo, unassisted traverse of Antarctica later this year. Veteran adventurer Lou Rudd has announced his plans to follow in the footsteps of Henry Worsley by setting out to cover more than 1770 km (1100 miles) across the Antarctic continent. Rudd has vowed to complete the job that his friend could not, becoming the first person to finish this epic journey completely on their own.

In an interview with Explorers Web, Rudd says that the expedition is scheduled to begin in November of this year and wrap up sometime in January of 2019. He says that he has already begun training for the journey and will tap into his experience in the Antarctic as well. Back in 2011 he took part in the Scott/Amundsen Centenary Race, which is where he first met Worsley. That group traveled more than 1290 km (801 miles) across he Antarctic to reach the South Pole. Then, in 2016/2017 he was part of another six-man team that skied across the frozen continent once again. Now, he’s looking to go completely solo on his third visit to Antarctica.

Worsley famously attempted this same journey back in the 2015/2016 Antarctic season, losing his life in the process. This year, Ben Saunders gave it a go as well, but pulled the plug when he reached the South Pole. That leaves the solo, unassisted traverse still open for someone to become the first to finish, Rudd thinks he’s the man for the job.

In the interview with ExWeb he touches on what draws him back to the Antarctic, what he learned from Henry while they traveled together, and his overall goals for the expedition, which may include the use of embedded medical sensors to track his biometrics. He also shares some details on his training and what will be on his music player/reading list while he’s in the Antarctic.

We’ll of course be keeping a close eye on Lou’s expedition later this year and bring regular updates on his progress once he gets underway. November is still a ways off, but for him it’ll be here before he knows it. You can find out more about Rudd and his plans on his official website.

Kraig Becker
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