North2
A world record breaking expedition to the North Pole
Supported by Land RoverAbout the expedition
Ben Saunders
Photo: Martin Hartley
In 2008, Ben Saunders’ expedition to become the fastest man to walk solo and unsupported to the North Pole was thwarted after two weeks on the ice by a critical failure of his ski equipment.
From 16th March 2010 a fitter and more determined Ben will be reattempting the speed record, this time supported by Land Rover.
Aim
To set a new world speed record from Ward Hunt Island to the Geographic North Pole. The current record was set in 2005 by a guided team using dog sleds and numerous re-supplies in a time of 36 days 22 hours. Ben’s expedition will be solo and unsupported* and on foot. This route has only ever been completed once solo and unsupported, by Pen Hadow in 2003. Ben aims to halve his time and complete it in 30 days.
* Unsupported — No assistance for the entire expedition (all food & fuel is pulled in the sledge.)
Latest news from the ice
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30Mar2010 For a Biscuit
For a number of reasons, some outside my control and some entirely down to me, I’ve decided to postpone restarting this expedition until the spring of 2011 .
Without wishing to sound too much like a recorded pre-flight safety announcement, the thing I’m most concerned about when I’m planning, organising and carrying out expeditions is my own safety. Convincing sponsors, the media, the audiences I speak to, my girlfriend and my mum that solo expeditions without support over several weeks in one of the least hospitable places on the planet aren’t inherently reckless has at times been difficult. And while I suspect I have a healthier appetite than most for challenge, solitude, hardship and risk, outright danger is something I’ll go out of my way to steer clear of.
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27Mar2010 Pitch and Toss
I’m sat on a bed and typing this on a laptop. Neither are things I expected to be doing this Saturday afternoon. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that one of the two plastic five-litre fuel containers in the back of my sledge broke, at some point on Wednesday, contaminating nearly all of my food bags with Coleman fuel. I’m still reeling from the shock of discovering this, on the morning of the third day of the expedition, and sat here in a world that is suddenly too comfortable -my skin itches when the heating is on, my toes have pins and needles, my fingers are puffy like sausages and my lips are numb- I’m still planning my next move.
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Andy Ward
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