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Published: 17.07.2020
Last Updated: 30.09.2021
US explorer Colin O’Brady managed to cross 932 miles of ice-covered ground in 54 days, completing the first-ever unaided solo trek of Antarctica.
Travelling alone and without any external help, O’Brady astonished the world with the details of his adventure, which he called an ‘Impossible First’.
Antarctica is not exactly the perfect place for trekking. Being fifth in size among the world’s continents, its landmass of around 5.5 million square miles is covered by a vast ice sheet.
The continent is roughly divided by the 1,900-mile-long Transantarctic Mountains, with the east consisting mostly of an ice-covered plateau, and the west of an archipelago of several islands covered and connected by a consecutive thick layer of ice.
Antarctica’s ice sheet represents about 90 per cent of the earth’s total, with an average thickness of 1.5 miles, making it a highly inhospitable environment.
Land life is limited to a handful of specially-adapted land plants and animals.
Besides, Antarctica is by far the most remote and inaccessible continent and its climate the coldest on Earth, making O’Brady’s feat all the more impressive.
Ground temperatures have been measured as low as −93.2 °C! The weather in Antarctica is also extremely dry.
Whilst in the last few decades, several mapping expeditions have broadened our knowledge of Antarctica’s landscape, a great number of glaciers, ranges and peaks remain still largely unknown.
In addition, the ice-choked and stormy seas surrounding the continent make it difficult for research vessels to remain in the area for long. Still, several agencies specialise in taking tourists in some of its more ‘genial’ areas, and interest for the region has never been higher.
Obviously, O’Brady’s idea of crossing unaided this frozen desert was met with disbelief and serious concerns about his health.
O’Brady wasn’t the first explorer to attempt this venture.
In fact, several others have successfully trekked the continent alone but were always supported with food supplies dropped along the route.
Others have made it using kites and the force of polar winds, thus saving energy and gaining speed.
O’Brady, on the other hand, made the trek without any external help whatsoever and using nothing but his own power.
The expedition was solo, unsupported, and unaided by the wind.
The dangers in such an undertaking are immense.
In 2016, a British explorer attempting a similar adventure almost died and was forced to ask for help just 30 miles before reaching the end of his journey. Another attempt ended the same way a year later.
Those efforts procured valued information and experience that helped O’Brady prepare his trip more efficiently.
A major issue for O’Brady’s team was, of course, adequate nutrition.
O’Brady would have to carry all the necessary provisions, which had to be calculated as precisely as possible, to avoid the burden of unnecessary weight.
He used a sledge to carry all his provisions:
His team of nutritionists estimated a consumption of around 10,000 calories per day, which, combined with the days required for the crossing, translated to a considerable overall packing weight, at least for the first few days.
O’Brady thought it would be a good idea to add some friendly competition to the whole endeavour – as an extra incentive as well as a psychological ‘crutch’ in times of mental and physical strain.
Louis Rudd, O’Brady’s friend and seasoned explorer, decided to embark on the same venture, travelling apart but communicating with each other.
Let it be noted that accepting any kind of help and material support after their departure would immediately nullify their claim of making the crossing unaided.
The two explorers wouldn’t be able to ask help even from the permanent scientific station based on the south pole, despite the fact that it would take them several days to reach it.
The two men set off together on 3rd November, and soon Rudd took the lead.
Yet, by Christmas Day O’Brady had left his friend around 80 miles behind.
Moving at a staggering pace, he reached the south pole on December 12th, having covered 572 miles of a thick-iced desert.
After a short break, he set off for the rest 360 miles of his journey.
The second part of his venture was, as expected, much harder.
O’Brady admitted that he pushed his body to its limit, battling loneliness, hunger, the freezing temperatures and the cold that penetrated his clothes.
Sometimes, the snowfall was so thick that forced him to push through with almost zero visibility, over a largely un-mapped terrain.
The excessive effort began to take its toll on O’Brady’s body. In one of his posts on Instagram, he admitted he had lost a ton of weight and was afraid to take a close look at his body.
The aggravated loss of weight made the freezing temperatures even more nerve-wracking. Eventually, O’Brady put black tape on his nose and cheeks to protect them from frostbite.
Still, there were moments of joy and beauty that helped to sustain and motivate him during his intense hardships.
O’Brady said that marvelling at a circular rainbow glistening over his head was a stunning sight, filling him with awe and inspiration.
On top of that, Paul Simon, the famed American musician, was thrilled when he learned that his album ‘Graceland’ was helping O’Brady make it through his arduous trek, that he decided to give him a call and encourage him further.
By Christmas, O’Brady was very close to his final destination – the Leverett Glacier on the Ross Ice Shelf.
While exhausted physically, his resolve was stronger than ever and decided to make a final push, covering the final 78 miles in just 32 hours – a trekking sprint without precedent in Antarctica.
His decision to keep on without sleep for more than a day worried his wife and expedition manager and other relatives and friends who monitored his progress and communicated with him frequently.
Finally, on December 26, his feat was finally complete.
Before falling asleep, utterly exhausted, he posted:
Images:
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