British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who has made a career trekking in colder regions of the planet, is preparing for what could be his difficult issue to date. According to the BBC, 68 Fiennes are planning to visit the South Pole on skis in the dead of winter, something that has never been done before.
The expedition will begin on March 21 next year, the exact time of the onset of winter in the southern hemisphere. Sir Ran and his team of six people then embark on a (2000 miles) journey of 3200 km will start and end at the Ross Ice Shelf to the South Pole, which serves as the point of turnaround. On the way, they expect to face temperatures in the neighborhood of -90 / -130ºF as they climb 3000 meters (9,842 feet) on the polar plateau.
As usual, Fiennes and his teammates will be on skis, dragging sleds loaded with supplies and equipment with them as they move. But because of the extreme nature of this trip, two bulldozers also joined dragging "industrial" sleds behind them containing all their supplies and additional fuel. This will allow delivery to be self-sufficient on their way to the pole and does not require supply drops, but it is certainly an unconventional approach. Again, traveling to the South Pole in the heart of winter is not exactly conventional no matter how you look.
Fiennes and his team have already begun testing speed for shipping and logistics are working on the road. The equipment used must be the best ever created because many can not withstand the brutally cold temperatures of the Antarctic winter. Skiers also lead hang ground-penetrating sonar with them to alert vehicles behind them to hidden crevasses in the snow and ice. Vehicles, if it is necessary, make other complications, as well as how to keep the engines from freezing when not moving.
Obviously, it will be a great expedition that will continue once it launches next year. It should take about six months to complete the trip, it will be challenging to say the least.
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