“We must always remember with gratitude and admiration the first sailors who steered their vessels through storms and mists, and increased our knowledge of the lands of ice in the South” – Roald Amundsen
Since the first successful expedition to the South Pole by Roald Amundsen and his team of daring adventurers in 1911, hundreds of people have attempted to follow in his footsteps, all with varying degrees of success.
With a multitude of attempts comes a variety of routes, as each keen explorer tries to put their own stamp on crossing Antarctica. This variation has sparked some debate amongst what constitutes a ‘proper’ crossing of the continent. Should specific regulations or requirements be in place? Should crossings follow a set route that clocks a certain number of miles?
The answer? We invited Polar Guide and Expeditions Manager for ALE Steve Jones to explore some of these ideas for us at the 2019 World Extreme Medicine Conference, where he examined the difference in routes and the attempts made over the years before asking, what really makes an Antarctica Crossing?
The essentials:
Who: Steve Jones
What: ‘Making it into the record books – what makes an Antarctica Crossing?’
When: Day 1 (Saturday 23rd November)
Where: Biosphere
Join us this year where for the first time in WEM history, we’re hosting #VirtualWEM20 a virtual conference on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020 – so you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). Book your place today!
