New South Pole Speed Record Confirmed!

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday I posted a story about Todd Carmichael, and his expedition to the South Pole. I mentioned that he had set out to break the solo and unsupported speed record from Patriot Hill, along the Antarctic coast, to the Pole itself, but as of that writing, it was unclear as to whether or not he had actually done so. An update on Todd’s website this morning confirms that he did indeed break the record.

The previous speed record, held by British adventurer Hannah McKeand, was 39 days, 9 hours, 33 minutes, set back in 2006. Hannah was also solo and unsupported. The new record, set by Todd, is 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes. That difference of 1 hour and 44 minutes comes up to a difference of less than .2% of their time out on the ice, or as ExplorersWeb put its: “If the same difference was applied to a 100 meter dash, it would equal less than 0.02 seconds”.

Congratulations to Todd on this impressive achievement. He as become the first American to reach the South Pole solo and unassisted, and did it faster than anyone else. He is reportedly resting and recovering at the research station at the South Pole, and awaiting extraction to warmer climes.

Five things to do when things go bad

by Brenda Yun on

I opened the front door to my apartment yesterday evening to find an early, unwelcome, and unpleasant Christmas present waiting for me inside: my power had been turned off. Apparently, the Hawaiian Electric Company finds it completely acceptable to turn off your service when you are a new tenant in the building — and gives you NO warning, by email or otherwise, as to when or why it is happening.

What made this matter worse is that my friend came over to cook steak on my electric stove. We were hoping to drink a bottle of Merlot, and watch “Superbad” on DVD. Instead, we both showered by candlelight, ate out at a mediocre Vietnamese pho restaurant, went to Walmart to stock up on more candles, and are calling it a night.

There are, however, some awfully good lessons to be learned from such an experience as this. If you’re one of the many travelers stuck at an airport in the northern U.S., an unhappy backpacker in the middle of nowhere, or a peeved resident living in a city serviced by an incompetent and unresponsive electricity company, then please resist the urge to cry about it. Here are a few things you could try to get your life back on track when things go bad.

  1. Be creative: If you’re not having fun in your current situation, find a way to make it fun. As long as there’s gas in it, your car can be one of the most enjoyable tools for happiness. Turn up the heat in your Chevy, take a road never traveled, and slowly find your way back home. If you don’t have a car, use your feet. You’ll be surprised how much you never noticed about even the most familiar of surroundings.
  2. Reach out to a loved one: So, you’re all alone in some backward country that you thought you’d love, but it turns out you hate it. Think positively: things will not be this bad forever. Take out a piece of paper and write a letter to a loved one, using your pen as an outlet for frustration, anger, sadness, and expression. Or, if you can get to a phone, give that person a call and tell him/her how much s/he’s missed.
  3. Strike up a conversation with a stranger: I love making new friends in the most random places. The conversation starter here would be your current, shared, miserable experience/existence. My best friend met her husband while waiting for flight in Albequerque. It’s amazing how much a light conversation can ease your inner tension. If nothing else, your little debate can pass the time.
  4. Indulge in your favorite food: Forget that Weight Watchers diet. Take out that stash of Baskin-Robinns Peanut Butter ‘n Chocolate ice cream (sorry for the food plug here, it’s my one weakness) and go to town. At least your belly will thank you.
  5. Get some zzz’s: Sleep is one of the best cures for whatever crisis you might be in. Shrug off your problem for a few hours with a little shuteye.

I hate the sight of frustrated tears, and I particularly detest angry protests by customers upon innocent flight attendants (though, I must confess, I too have instigated such arguments). The best thing you can do in rough times is grin in bear it. Things always get better in time.

American Explorer Todd Carmichael Reaches The South Pole

by Kraig Becker on

American Todd Carmichael reached the South Pole yesterday, becoming the first person from the U.S. to make that journey solo and unsupported.

Carmichael set out on November 12 from Patriot Hills, the traditional drop off point on Antarctica for explorers arriving from Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city of it’s size in the world. His intention was to break the speed record to the South Pole, currently held by Hannah McKeand of the U.K., who made the same 690 mile journey back in 2006, in 39 days, 10 hours, and 33 minutes. At this time, there is no word if he succeeded in breaking the record, but Carmichael also arrived on his 39th day out.

Antarctica traditionally sees a lot of traffic in November of each year. While in the northern hemisphere, the temperatures are falling, and autumn begins to give way to winter, in the southern it’s spring time, and the best opportunity for explorers and adventure travelers to visit the region. Temperatures can still be quite cold however, and Carmichael endured blizzards, sub-zero wind chills, and whiteout conditions on his way to his destination.Making a solo and unsupported journey to the Pole is far from easy. The landscapes are quite desolate and mostly featureless, with dangerous crevasse fields, which has led previous explorers to remark on the lonliness they felt on a solo expedition. The unsupported tag means that the person making the trip will carry everything they need with them as they go, pulling it behind them on a heavy sled as they ski the 700 miles south. That sled weighs hundreds of pounds at the start, although it does lighten up as the supplies are consumed.

In Todd’s case, he faced all kinds of adversity along the trail. Besides the inclidment weather, he also broke the bindings on both of his skis within the first week. Unable to make repairs, he was forced to make the journey on foot, dragging his sled behind him, and yet he still managed to flirt with the new speed record, and may have achieved it. in the past few days he has also been out of communications thanks to the failure of both his primary and back-up satellite phones.

Traditionally, a plane would now be dispatched form Patriot Hills to pick Todd up and return him to Punta Arenas, but a storm has been raging in the area and he is not expected to be picked up for a couple of days. During that time, I’m sure he’ll get lots of sleep, and dream of tropical locals. Congrats Todd!

Photo of the Day (12.21.08)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

This looks like one of the more curious staring contests I think I’ve ever seen. Flickr user JKEvgen was in Antarctica when he captured this “close encounter of the penguin kind.” There’s a lot of great things about this image. First, I love the situation – it’s one of those photos that makes you stop and take a second look to try and process what’s happening. Second, I’m happy that JKEvgen had the presence of mind to take this photo in the first place. You could take a million static landscape photos perfectly and never even come close to the viewer reaction you’ll get from something like this. As much as photography is about composition, it’s also about knowing how to tell a story with your image and being in the right place at the right time.

Have any great wildlife shots from your own travels? How about sharing them with the world by uploading to the Gadling pool on Flickr? If we like your shot we might just pick it as our Photo of the Day.

Argentine cruise ship runs aground on iceberg near Antarctica

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Imagine you are an entrepreneur who runs a cruise ship company offering tours of Antarctica. You ferry people down to one of the world’s last remote continents, running your vessel and its passengers through some of the roughest waters on earth.

Now imagine that your Antarctica-bound cruise ship encounters a freakishly out of place iceberg (icebergs near the South Pole? No way!) and suddenly runs aground, stranding the vessel and 89 of its passengers in the middle of the ocean.

This exact scenario came to pass on the Argentine cruise ship Ushuaia this past Thursday just off the Antarctic peninsula of Wilhelmina Bay, according to the BBC. Though no passengers were hurt by the collision, the ship was said to be leaking fuel into the surrounding ocean. Passengers were eventually rescued by a ship from the Chilean Navy.

According to the piece, tourism to Antarctica has risen five-fold in the last 15 years, as travelers look to get that increasingly exotic “notch in their belt” and visit one of the world’s last unspoiled destinations. However, the sort of iceberg collision that plagued the Ushuaia is a “chilling” reminder that a visit to Antarctica is not without its hazards, both for tourists and for the environment of Antarctica itself. Ships and passengers are confronted with rough seas, chilling temperatures and a shifting obstacle course of icebergs. Not to mention the fragile environment and wildlife that calls Antarctica home which is threatened by the increasing tourism to the continent.

As more and more visitors head south to check out Antarctica, these sorts of environmental concerns are increasingly aggravated. Make sure if you’re considering a visit you investigate your vessel/tour company thoroughly before booking, and that they are taking care to ensure a safe and environmentally responsible visit.