Way back in June we told you about Todd Carmichael, the american adventurer who was planning an attempt on the solo, unsupported speed record to the South Pole. Now, months later, we can update the story with the news that Todd did indeed break the record. 

The attempt was dubbed Expedition Earth and on November 12, 2008 Carmichael set out from Patriot Hills in the Antarctic in pursuit of his goal. There were set backs almost from the start. Bad weather slowed his progress, and by the end of the first week, the bindings on his skis were broken, and beyond repair with what little equipment he carried with him. Things looked grim, and the prospect of actually walking all the way to the South Pole, rather than skiing, didn’t seem all that promising. But walk he did, dragging his heavy sled behind him the entire way. 

The old record for the solo, unsupported South Pole Trek was 39 days, 9 hours, and 33 minutes, set back 2006 by British adventurer Hannah McKeand.  Todd arrived at the South Pole on December 21st, exactly 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes after he had started. After nearly 40 days out on the ice, he broke the record by 1 hour and 44 minutes, a difference of just .2% of their total time out on the ice, the equivalent of a photo finish for this type of endurance challenge. 

Congratulations to Todd on this amazing achievement. Not only has he become the first American to go solo and unsupported to the Pole, but he also did it record time.

Long distance paddler Roz Savage completed the first leg of her trans-Pacific, solo-unsupported row earlier this week, according to the most recent post on her personal blog, aptly titled “Aloha!”.

According to the post, Roz arrived in Hawaii at 5:55 AM local time on the 1st of September. The first stage of her journey took 99 days, 8 hours, and 55 minutes, and the last few hours were marked by a very rapid row into shore. In fact, it was so rapid that Roz beat her estimates and arrived in the wee hours of the morning, before any of the press were there to welcome her. She says that she arrived in Hawaii in much the same fashion as she had spent her time at sea, namely, all alone.

With this stage behind her, Roz will now return home, rest, and recuperate, before beginning the second stage of her journey, sometime next year, when she’ll set out from Hawaii and make way for Tuvalu Island, a distance of some 2,620 miles. Then, in 2010, she’ll complete the Pacific crossing by rowing from Tuvalu to Australia, an additional 2,324 miles.

Roz is now the first woman to row solo from California to Hawaii, and for that she should be incredibly proud. But I also know that this is only step one towards her goal, and it won’t be long until she’ll be looking ahead to her next stage. Congrats Roz! Job well done!

A hundred years after Ernest Shackleton’s famous expedition to the South Pole as part of the Nimrod Expedition, a British team is preparing to recreate that epic journey, and they just might want you to come along for the adventure.

According to this story, over at the Guardian, the Matrix Shackleton Centenary Expedition is looking for someone to join them later this year, as the six team members, who include Shackleton’s great-grandson Patrick Bergel, will walk in the famous explorers footsteps. But, they’re also looking for someone to join the team. Someone with a zest for adventure, a love of life, and the ability to work with the team. You’ll have to be in tremendous shape and be prepared to endure the challenging Antarctic conditions. To apply to join the team, just head over to this website for more information and to apply.

The journey will begin in October, and it is expected to last about 80 days. The team will fly to the Ross Ice Shelf from Punta Areneas, where three of them will set out to cover 900+ miles to reach the point where Shackleton and his team turned back. At that point, the four other team members will join them, and they’ll attempt to continue on to the Pole, completing the journey that Shackleton was unable to finish.

Hmm… they’re looking for someone with a sense of adventure, is in good physical condition, and works well as part of team. Sounds like an adventure racer to me. I’m sure any number of racers from Montana could fill the position. Perhaps this is your chance to go to the South Pole as part of a historic team.

My favorite part of the Guardian article is in the first paragraph, where they publish the original message that Shackleton posted when looking for crew members for his original expedition. I’ve quoted it below. Great stuff!

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success”

In a recent edition of Adventure In 60 Seconds, a regular feature at the National Geographic Adventure Blog , they mention that two young British explorers, Rob Hooper and James Gauntlett, have recently sailed into Sydney, Australia, completing their 26,000 mile, 395 day journey from the Magnetic North Pole to the Magnetic South. ThePoles.com has also covered the expedition as well.

Along the course of their journey, Rob and James had to, at varying times, employ the use of sledges, bicycles, and sailboats. The used the sledges in the polar regions, traded them in for bikes when traveling through warmer climes, and then transitioned to the ship when out on the open water. Their journey brought them plenty of challenges, as Adventure notes, they faced “a fall through the ice, king-sized storms, and a capsized boat” along the way.

Check out the expedition’s official website, which is extremely well done and offers all kinds of information about the trip. The slick interface alone is worth the trip over, but you’ll also find a well done, interactive map, a blog of the journey, information on the team, and a whole lot more. Seriously, this site should be the model for all expedition websites. Really great stuff.

Congrats to Rob and James for completing their journey. Well done guys. Now enjoy a much deserved rest. (Photo courtesy of ExWeb)

The Appalachian Assault got underway earlier this week, as ultra-runner Karl Meltzer attempts a speed run on the Appalachian Trail. The plan is for Karl to complete the entire length of the AT, all 2,174 miles of it, in just 47 days, averaging more than 46 miles per day in the process. Karl hit the trail Monday morning, and so far he’s been hitting his daily goals for mileage. After three days on the AT, he’s now completed 122 miles. 

To follow his progress, head over to WheresKarl.com, where you’ll find daily blog updates, a photo gallery from the trail, and satellite tracking provided by SPOT, whose Satellite Messenger was featured so prominently at Primal Quest Montana. 

Good luck Karl. Just 44 more days and 2,052 miles to go!

The Badwater Ultramarathon went down a few weeks back, with some amazing endurance athletes racing 135 miles across Death Valley and ending halfway up Mt. Whitney. The following two videos are from the event. The first video recaps the race and gives a bit of insight into what it’s like, while the second video is an interview with Lisa Smith-Batchen, who we mentioned a few weeks back and now through the first section of her 810 mile journey to raise money and awareness for orphans in Africa.