A polar adventure for the determined

Become part of an elite group of polar explorers who have completed one of the most challenging expeditions imaginable and arrive – on foot - at the Geographic South Pole, an endeavour that tests strength, endurance and resolve to their limit.

Ski South Pole All the Way is Adventure Network International’s most demanding journey, spanning an entire Antarctic season (November through to January) and traversing 730 miles (1170km) from the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent to the Geographic South Pole. In 2009, the guided expedition will be led by experienced polar explorer, Hannah McKeand, who set a new world record in 2007 for skiing solo and unsupported to the Pole.

For the true adventurer for whom training, challenge, teamwork and perseverance sweeten the goal, Ski South Pole All the Way is an incredible expedition – with tremendous rewards!

The route for ‘Ski South Pole all the Way’ starts at Hercules Inlet on the Antarctic coast and climbs gradually to more than 9300 ft (2800 m) as the guided group make their way south over the ice cap’s mountain passes and sastrugi (fields of windblown snow).

Days are filled with 24-hour daylight and an intense solitude and tranquility; no plant or animal life is seen this far south, just snow, ice, rock and sky. The trip takes 50-60 days depending on weather, snow conditions and group strength. Participants will ski for 7-9 hours a day in all types of weather and in challenging terrain, hauling a sled weighing 110-130 lbs (50-60 kg). As on all expeditions, success is a team effort and participants help to set up camp and prepare meals at the end of the day.

Those who prefer a slightly shorter route to the South Pole can choose Adventure Network International’s ‘Ski South Pole Messner Start’ from the Ronne Ice Shelf on the edge of the continent. Inspired by Reinhold Messner’s 1989 epic Antarctic crossing, this 40-45 day, 580 mile (934 km) expedition embodies the true spirit of polar exploration, following a steeper more committing route through remote, unexplored terrain.

The participants’ journey begins in Punta Arenas, Chile where they spend 4-days with the team and guide reviewing the route and expedition plan, preparing food and equipment and staying fit through training sessions. The 4.5-hour flight from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, Adventure Network International’s expedition base camp in the interior of Antarctica, is by private charter jet. After acclimatizing for a couple of days at Patriot Hills, the group boards a ski-equipped aircraft for a short flight to the start of the expedition.

‘Ski South Pole’ 2009 will be led by the experienced explorer Hannah McKeand. Hannah finally fully committed herself to her passion for exploring in 2004, having spent the previous 7-years as Head of Touring for the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. Hannah made her first expedition to the South Pole in 2004, skiing the 730 miles from the coast of Antarctica to the geographic South Pole batting with physical and mental exhaustion, frostbite, hunger and some of the lowest temperatures on earth.

Undeterred, Hannah returned to Antarctica in November 2006 and once again skied from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole, but this time solo and unsupported. She set a new world record for the journey of 39 days 9 hours and 33 minutes. In between times Hannah has explored and trekked to some of the most remote parts of the world including an attempted solo journey to the North Pole, one of the last great expeditionary firsts.

"Today at each stop I lie back on my pulk to drink in the sky with my eyes, intoxicated by the blue. All my senses seem heightened here and a shock of colour can be as intense to my consciousness as the taste of coffee or the smell of wood smoke or the sound of music, and so my whole day today is about the joy I feel at this intense, rich, blue of the sky, and it is enough. Everything is stripped away by this white world…I have never felt so totally within each moment as I do now.

“I recall the time before the journey and I can imagine the time after and I know that once it is over, it will be over and I will never be able to have exactly this experience again. So, although the days are hard, although my body hurts, I savour every step and today, all day, I look at the colour blue." Hannah McKeand, Ski South Pole All the Way, 2004

Expeditions require a high level of fitness, strength, endurance and resolve. Adventure Network International will advise each individual/team on the most appropriate program for them and will support each intrepid adventurer as they realize their dreams.

Departure Dates & Prices

Ski South Pole all the Way (Hercules Inlet start)
12 November 2009 – 10 January 10 2010 / 60 days / US$65,960 per person

Ski South Pole all the Way (Messner start)
27 November 2009 – 16 January 10 2010 / 51 days / US$55,450 per person

Prices include:

• Briefing in Punta Arenas, Chile, one day prior to departure
• Transfers to and from airport for Antarctic flights
• Round trip flights from Punta Arenas to Antarctica
• All programmed flights within Antarctica
• Meals and accommodation while in Antarctica
• Group camping equipment, sled, and harness for expedition
• Celebration dinner after achieving the Pole
• Expedition Guide and support of staff physician throughout the journey

Prices do not include:

• Commercial flights to and from Punta Arenas, Chile
• Meals and accommodations in Punta Arenas, Chile
• Airport transfers other than those for Antarctic flights
• Personal equipment and clothing, skis, boots, poles
• Insurance coverage – personal, medical, evacuation or otherwise

Adventure Network International is a US based company that specialises in running programs and providing access for expeditions to Antarctica. For more information, visit adventure-network.com.