Pole success for Antarctica expedition

A BRITISH-led Antarctic expedition raising money for an Exmoor charity has celebrated making history by becoming the first people to reach the continent’s Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance.
The pole marks the centre of Antarctica and is the point on the continent furthest from any coast and was only previously reached by a Russian team in 1958, who took a year to make the journey using tracked snow vehicles.
The British team, called N2i, reached the pole after 49 days using only skis and kites to help pull themselves and their 18 stone/120 kg pulks (sledges) on the 1,100-mile journey in temperatures down to minus 52C.
They were approached to raise money for the Exmoor-based Calvert Trust by the trust’s council president, the Countess of Arran, who is a family friend of some of the explorers.
It is hoped they will raise £150,000, which will meet the cost of a new sports hall for the charity, which provides specially-adapted facilities to enable people with disabilities and of all ages to experience outdoor adventure activities.
On reaching the pole, the team was met by a giant bust of Lenin (pictured) which had been left by the Russians who set up a meteorological station before abandoning the base.
Team N2i comprises Henry Cookson, aged 31, Rory Sweet, aged 39, and Rupert Longsdon, aged 34, all from Gloucestershire, and guide Paul Landry, who is Canadian.
In a log entry sent from the pole, the team said: “It is hard to believe we not only travelled to the centre of a continent which easily envelops Australia, but with the vast majority of our 1,100-mile adventure being in temperatures averaging below -20 degrees Celsius and at an altitude over 3000m.
“What is even harder to get our heads around is the endurance of the human body.
“We are not superheroes, nor any different from the average person (well maybe a touch stubborn).
“We merely had the inclination and the right set of circumstances which enabled us to set out on our journey.
“The comfort of Western modern life does not seem set the human body the tasks of which it is potentially capable.
“What we do know, is that four people of very different physiques and personalities endured in those last 25 hours of travel temperatures consistently below -45 degrees C with 18 hours hard, solid kiting, covering 250 km at an altitude equivalent to over 4,200m (14,400 ft). It certainly does make one wonder…”
The expedition began at the start of December from Novo, and they have now been picked up by an aircraft to be taken to the Vostok research station - the location of the world’s lowest recorded temperature - from where they will travel to a Russian base on the coast, Molodezhnaya, and leave on a scientific ice-breaker called the Akademik Feodorov.
They will be taken to Cape Town, in South Africa, and expect to fly back to Britain early in February.
Further information about the expedition at http://www.teamn2i.com/ and about the Calvert Trust at www.calvert-trust.org.uk.

• The team photo above taken at the pole shows (left to right) Rory Sweet, Henry Cookson, Paul Landry, and Rupert Longsdon. Photos submitted.

Exmoor charity benefits from Antarctic expedition

AN Exmoor charity stands to benefit from £150,000 sponsorship which is being raised by a British expedition on the verge of making history by becoming the first people to reach Antarctica’s Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance.
The four men who make up Team N2i are currently about 150 miles from the pole, after trekking for 44 days and covering almost 1,000 miles.
They hope by the weekend to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility, which marks the centre of Antarctica and is the point on the continent furthest from any coast.
Team N2i comprises Henry Cookson, Rory Sweet, and Rupert Longsdon, from Gloucestershire, and guide Paul Landry, who is Canadian.
They are raising money for the charity because the Calvert Trust Council’s president, the Countess of Arran, is a family friend of Henry Cookson and Rory Sweet.
Rory told The Crier: “Lady Arran approached us about fund-raising six months ago and we liked what the trust was doing and thought it tied in quite well with what we were doing, ie extreme sports.
“We really like the idea of helping people with disabilities to participate in challenging outdoor sports.”
Henry said: “Most of us are fortunate enough to have to the opportunity to participate in sports and activities unaided - extreme or not.
“Unfortunately, for nine million people in the UK - that is one-in-seven people - this is not a realistic possibility.
“The Calvert Trust offers those with disabilities a chance to participate in a variety of adventure-driven outdoor activities that will help develop a sense of achievement that will carry through into their every day life.
“For us, this expedition, despite the hardships we will inevitably face, will be the adventure of a lifetime.
“It would be great to be able to facilitate giving something back and enable those not so capable a chance to experience a taste of their own individual adventure.”
The expedition began at the start of December from Novo, on the coast, and they are using only skis and kites to pull special sledges known as pulks, which weigh 18 stone (120 kg).
They have had to face wind chills lower than -50C (-58F) while working at altitudes of 12,500 feet.
The only other people to reach the pole was a Russian team using tracked snow vehicles in 1958, who set up meteorological observation equipment and left a bust of Lenin before abandoning the outpost.
The Calvert Trust runs a 40-acre outdoor activity centre on the edge of Exmoor for people with disabilities.
Its specially-adapted facilities aim to challenge disability through outdoor adventure and enable people of all ages and with all types of disability to benefit from the ‘Calvert Experience’, an opportunity which leads to real personal achievement.
Activities such as horse riding, carriage driving, abseiling, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, archery, and orienteering are offered, together with caring qualified staff to ensure visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Team N2i's fund-raising target of £150,000 will cover the cost of a new sports hall development for the charity.
Further information about the expedition at http://www.teamn2i.com/ and about the Calvert Trust at http://www.calvert-trust.org.uk/.
Photos submitted.