Mikael Strandberg Gives Explorers Club President A Show of Support

Prior to taking a holiday-hiatus, I had written several times about an ongoing conflict that was brewing inside the Explorers Club. The gist of the story, which you can read about here, here, and here, was that some members of the club, particularly those on the prestigious Flag and Honors Committee, were dissatisfied with the leadership of the organization, with EC President Lorie Karnath receiving the brunt of the criticism. I won't rehash the entire story again, but would urge you to check out the links above to get the full background.

Today, EC club member Mikael Strandberg, who I coincidently wrote about yesterday, has written a message of support for the club, and President Karnath, on his blog. In an effort to offer a fair look at  both sides of the controversy, and because I respect Mikael greatly, I wanted to share a link to what he wrote and some of his thoughts on the current leadership at the EC.

In the post, Strandberg talks about his first impressions of the Explorers Club (they weren't good), and how those impressions changed after he became a member. He also talks about Karnath getting elected as President and all of the positive things she has done for the EC since she took over. He feels that Lorie has helped raise the level of awareness of the club internationally and has gone to great efforts to improve the financial status of the organization as well. Mikael goes on to share an internal e-mail from Barry Moss that went out to members of the British Chapter of the EC. That note gives a different perspective on some of the happenings inside the club and accuses Karnath's critics of trying to keep the club "more insular, conservative and New York centric."  He also says that they are undermining the club's integrity and hurting its reputation as a whole.

If you've been following this ongoing saga, which has been picked-up and documented by several other media outlets, you'll want to read Mikael's post as well, as it does provide a different perspective on some of the things that we've already heard.

Mikael Strandberg Explores Yemen By Camel

If you don't read Mikael Strandberg's blog on a regular basis, you really do need to add it to your list. Not only does he share plenty of insights into the world of exploration and adventure, he also posts some excellent stories on his own expeditions to the far flung corners of the globe. If you're not aware of Mikael's resume, he has traveled by bike from Chile to Alaska and Norway to South Africa. He has also explored over 3000km (1864 miles) of Patagonia by horseback and traveled down the remote Kolyma River in Siberia by canoe and on skis, just to name a few of his many adventures. He also happens to be a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club as well.

Mikael's latest expedition saw him traveling through Yemen on camelback from Zabid on the coast to the capital of Sanaa. The journey is roughly 380km (236 miles) in length, and offered a number of challenges ranging from the physical tot he political. Yemen is a country that he has come to know and love, and while it now struggles with internal conflict, not to mention misrepresentation in the western media, Mikael hoped to go there and with the hope of changing perceptions about the place.

Starting last week, Strandberg began posting a series of articles about his adventures in Yemen to his blog, sharing the details of what it was like to travel through the country by camel. The first of his posts, which can be found here, talks about the genesis of the plan and some of the logistics he had to overcome to get things started. The second post, which went up a few days ago, is focused on his first week in Sanaa, which was a challenge to get to in and of itself. Over the course of the coming days, Mikael promises to share two posts per week on his adventure, with about 13 additional articles to come. If the first two are any indication, they should be excellent to read.

Explorers Club Follow-Up: Clarification On Yesterday's Story

Yesterday I posted another story in the ongoing saga of the internal disputes that are taking place inside the Explorers Club, the 108 year old institution that has been at the forefront of exploration and adventure since its founding. In the story I quoted a New York Post article which stated that EC member Josh Bernstein, who also happens to be on the Club's Board of Directors,  was "censured and fined" because he accepted tickets to the Club's annual Patron's Dinner from the event's sponsor, Rolex. Turns out that isn't altogether accurate, and as with all things in this story, there is more to tell. 

Last night I heard from yet another source that Josh did indeed buy his own tickets to the event, but was invited to sit at the Eddie Bauer sponsored table, and not Rolex as the Post story indicated. As you would expect from a sponsor table, it was located closer to the stage, giving it a more prominent position at the event. That also means that tickets for that particular table actually cost more than a standard member ticket, which is what Josh purchased. It turns out Bernstein was disciplined not for receiving a free ticket to the event from a sponsor, but for the difference in price between the ticket that he purchased and the cost of one for the table where he actually sat. And remember, this so called inappropriate gift came about because Eddie Bauer execs in attendance at the event actually asked him to sit at their table in the first place. 

Of course, a lot of clubs and organizations have rules about what members and directors can accept in terms of gifts and comps, and they are usually spelled out pretty clearly in the bylaws. For obvious reasons, you don't want officers and board members having inappropriate relationships with donors/sponsors. But I'm told that in this case, it was not at all unusual for members and directors to sit at sponsor tables at events in the past, and no one thought twice about it. It wasn't until President Lorie Karnath called out Bernstein for accepting the invitation that this suddenly became an issue.

So why was Josh Bernstein singled out in this case? Should he have been called on the carpet for not having paid full price to sit at the Eddie Bauer table, particularly when they asked him to be there? Or is there some truth to the stories that Karnath made the move to fine and censure him in an effort to prevent his re-election to the Club's Board of Directors in 2012. That's exactly what member Ken Kamler told the Post yesterday in their story. 

Either way, I wanted to clarify the situation, as it varies slightly from what the Post reported, and I repeated yesterday. When these details ware conveyed to me, I thought it was important to pass them along.

Explorers Club Infighting Hits New York Post

One of the stories I've been following over the past few weeks has been reports of serious infighting going on at the Explorers Club, an organization that has been around for more than a hundred years and has counted such notable explorers as Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary amongst its ranks. Today, a story appeared in the New York Post that gives us a further glimpse at what is going on behind closed doors at the venerable institution.

You can read the Post article by clicking here, but in a nutshell it shares some details of a completely different internal struggle from the one that I've been writing about. It seems that club leadership (read President Lorie Karnath) saw fit to bring disciplinary actions against one of its board of directors for accepting free tickets to the club's annual spring dinner. The tickets were provided by the sponsor of the event, Rolex, and were given to Explorers Club member Josh Bernstein, who the Post says was "censured and fined" over the incident.

I'm sure more than a few of you have seen Josh on his popular television shows Digging for the Truth and Into the Unknown. Bernstein, who has always been an explorer first and a television personality second in my mind, didn't offer comment on the affair, but his lawyer says that it has "resulted in unwarranted criticism of his character and integrity" inside the organization.

EC member Ken Kamler, who is also a club director, is actually much more candid in his assessment of the situation however, saying that the disciplinary action was taken as more of a vindictive move by Karnath over Bernstein. Kamler says that Josh is a potential candidate to be a future president of the Explorers Club, and is a direct threat to Karnath, who is up for re-election in 2012. Berstein's position on the board is also subject to re-election next year too, and the censure and fining could be used as a way to cast him in a bad light, with club elections just around the corner. Kamler concludes his statements by saying that under Karnath, the EC has become a "rich person's travel club," as the current president seems more interested in "rubbing shoulders with explorers while promoting cronies."

That last statement plays more into the controversy that I had been writing about recently. (You can read my previous reports here, here, and here.) As you may recall, my coverage of what was happening at the club started a few weeks back when I received word that 10 of the 12 members of the prestigious Flag and Honors Committee resigned when their selection process for awards and medals was openly questioned by nominees who had no business even knowing they were nominated, let alone the process that took place to select the eventual winners. My sources tell me that some of those nominees were put forward by the President, or her closest advisors, and that they were not happy when the Committee decided to select other winners.

As a result, the entire process was called into question at a board meeting in St. Louis, resulting in attacks on the integrity of the Flag and Honors Committee itself. I'm told it was quite a heated discussion, that went on for some time, and afterwards 10 of the 12 members of the Committee sent a letter to the Board asking for an investigation into the breach in confidentiality over their final nominations, and an over all look at how the awards were being given. The implication was that some of the EC leadership were using the awards for political gain or to reward friends, some of which had done little to earn such an honor. The letter asked for the investigation to be completed ahead of the next board meeting on January 27th, and that if such an investigation didn't take place, the 10 members would resign from the F&H committee. Rather than wait for the board to respond however, Karnath chose to accept the resignations immediately. By the way, the only two members of the Committee to not sign the letter to the Board were Karnath and her husband.

These two stories, the move against Josh Bernstein and the actions with the Flag and Honors Committee illustrate what some are saying are moves by the President, and her closest confidants, to consolidate power at the Explorers Club to ensure that Karnath stays at the helm of the organization for years to come. In her defense, she did guide the organization through a very tough economic phase and she found ways to keep the organization from hemorrhaging money. She has been credited with "bringing the EC into the 21st century" in a number of ways. But these current inside stories seem to hint that there is a high level of nepotism going on as well, which flies in the face of the values on which the Club was founded.

I'll finish this post with a direct quote from the article by the Post.

Fellow director Jim Clash added,“What is happening there now is truly insane. Sir Edmund Hillary, our late honorary president, is probably rolling over in his grave.”

Explorers Club Follow-Up: Flag and Honors Committee Members

Last week I posted a couple of stories about some strange rumblings coming out of the Explorers Club and an internal dispute that resulted in ten members of the prestigious Flag and Honors Committee either resigning or being dismissed, depending on which side of the story you believe. You can read both of my posts here and here.

So who were these rebel committee members that resulted in the first mass resignation in the history of the century-old organization? Are they some wild band of misfits? On the contrary, the group consists of numerous Explorers Club award winners, past presidents, and board members. Between them, they have over 200 years of membership in the club, in some cases dating back decades. The list includes:

John Bruno (President Emeritus)
Leroy Chiao (Astronaut)
David Concannon (Expedition Diver)
Constance Difede (Vice President of the Committee)
Lindy Elkins-Tanton (Research Scientist)
Max Gallimore (Explorer/World Traveler)
Ken Kamler (Expedition Doctor)
Mike Manyak (Expedition Doctor)
Lee Talbot (Environmental Specialist/Geologist)
Don Walsh (Oceanographer)

While some of those may not all be household names, these are men and women who are highly esteemed in their fields. Additionally, the serving on the Flag and Honors Committee is an honor within the EC as well.

At issue here isn't the fact that these committee members were let go, but that it happened as part of a larger dispute in which these ten people were asking for the Board of Directors to review the processes for which Explorers Club awards and medals are given out. The implication is that those awards are being used for political gain within the organization, and were not necessarily being awarded to people who had earned them by doing scientific research or ground breaking exploration. For an organization as highly regarded as the EC, this is a very serious issue to say the least.

Of the 12 members who sit on the Flag and Honors Committee, only the Explorers Club President and her husband, declined to offer their resignation over this still developing situation.

Explorers Club Follow-Up: More Details Emerge

After posting my previous story last night on the unusual happenings at the Explorers Club, I've now had a second source come forward to fill in more of the details and I've also spoken with an official from the Club itself. This is definitely an evolving story right now, with two very different perspectives of this situation. I'll try to best relate the details as they have been conveyed to me from both sides.

First, I'll tell you what I heard back from the Club itself after I placed a phone call yesterday looking for comment. This morning, I received a call back from Explorers Club Executive Director Matt Williams, who understandably couldn't share a lot of details. He did say that the dispute came about when the Club's Board of Directors requested specific information from the Flag and Honors Committee and that the committee refused to provide that information. When the Board pressed them for the requested documents, 10 of the 12 committee members threatened to resign, and when that happened, President Lorie Karnath chose to accept their resignations immediately.

Matt didn't share exactly what information the Board was requesting, nor is the reasoning behind why the committee would refuse to provide it, simply stating that it wasn't something for public knowledge. Williams also noted that this dispute is an internal one, and that the Club wished to resolve it privately and with respect to the history and stature of the organization.

Some of what the Executive Director told me runs a bit counter to what I'm hearing from my second source however. I've been told that the dispute began prior to an October Board meeting that was held in St. Louis, when a list of nominees for the Club's prestigious awards was leaked to several of the people who had been nominated. Some of those nominees had been backed by Club Directors, and when the Flag and Honors Committee held their confidential vote, those nominees were ultimately left off the short list of final candidates. I'm told that this didn't sit well with the Directors who nominated them and caused quite a stir at the Board meeting. The integrity of the F&H Committee was called into question, as were their policies and procedures they employed. Some even suggested that the final list of candidates for the awards be thrown out altogether.

As a result of these proceedings, 10 of the 12 F&H Committee members drafted a letter to the Board asking them to investigate the breach in confidentiality in the Committee's process for selecting award winners and the use of the awards for political gain. Those members said that if such an investigation didn't take place prior to a Board meeting scheduled for January 27, 2012 in San Francisco, that they would resign their positions.

This letter in question was sent to the Board approximately ten days ago and echos some of the same concerns that were part of a separate report from the Club's Ombudsman that was the result of an independent  assessment of how the Club operates. The two documents were on the agenda for a special Board meeting that was held on Monday of this week, but despite their urgent nature, and the possibility of high ranking club members resigning, I'm told that neither of them were discussed.

On Wednesday, the President notified the 10 members of the F&H Committee that she was accepting their resignations immediately and without any discussion with the Board on the matter. They were, in effect, let go from their positions on the Committee, without receiving a proper response to the letter that expressed their concerns over how the Club is being run.

According to one of my sources, this is the first time in the Club's 107 year history that there have been mass resignations from any committee. It is also unclear whether or not the President acted within her purview in accepting the resignations, as all committee members and chairs are approved by the Board of Directors.

In regards to the story that the Committee members were let go because they refused to provide information requested by the Board, my sources say that this is untrue. I'm told that the Board didn't request anything from them, although the President and two Directors did ask to see documentation showing deliberations by the F&H committee on the nominees who failed to win the awards. This came after the Board of Directors accepted the Committee's nominations. Apparently, members of the Committee didn't feel comfortable handing those documents over to anyone other than the Board, citing prior issues with keeping the information confidential.

The Explorers Club is an organization with a long and storied history, and for more than a century its members have been some of the biggest names in exploration and adventure. It is clear that there is an internal dispute going on right now over how the organization is being run and where it is headed in the future. While the story clearly has two sides, I can tell you that the two sources that I have spoken to on this topic have a deep respect and admiration for the Club and its members, both past and present, and they fear a tainting of the organization's reputation due to the use of some of the Club's institutions for political gain.

How will all of this play out? For now, we'll have to wait and see. The details to the story are still emerging at this time.

Are Things Amiss At The Explorers Club?

I received an interesting tip today of big things brewing at The Explorers Club, the venerable institution that has played a vital role in promoting the exploration of our planet. It seems that over the past day or so, 10 of the 12 members of the organization's Flag and Honors Committee have resigned over disagreements within the Club. I'm told that members of that committee sent a letter to The Explorers Club Board of Directors expressing concerns about the direction the Officers and Directors were taking the organization. The letter reportedly requested the Board take action to address their concerns by their next meeting, scheduled for January 27, 2012, or the committee would resign. Rather than address those concerns however, President Lorie Karnath elected to accept their resignations effective immediately.

Since its founding in 1904, the Explorers Club has remained at the forefront of the research and exploration of our planet. The organization now boasts more than 30 chapters around the world and its grant programs remain instrumental in helping scientists, explorers, and adventurers achieve their goals. Over the years, the Club has had a number of famous and distinguished members, including Sir Edmund Hillary, Roald Amundsen, Robert Peary, and Neil Armstrong.

Exactly what is at the heart of this internal dispute isn't exactly clear, but I can tell you that the members of the Flag and Honors Committee are certainly not rank and file members. I'm told that their ranks include several Sweeney Medalists, winners of the Citation of Merit, a senior Past President, nine former Board Members, and the current Honorary President. Collectively, these committee members have more than 200 years of club membership amongst them.

For these members to take a stand of this nature, there must be some serious issues that need to be resolved. Earlier today, I called the Explorers Club in New York to give them an opportunity to make an official statement on the situation, but those calls, as of now, remain unreturned. I guess we'll have to wait to see how this plays out, but it seems that things are definitely amiss at the Explorers Club.

Antarctica 2011: Rest Days Due To Weather and Health

While I prepare to head out to tropical climes in the Caribbean tomorrow, the Antarctic teams are experiencing a decidedly different environment than I'm about to enjoy. Weather has been better and overall progress has been good, but for most of the South Pole skiers, there is still a very long way to go before they reach their goals.

The Aussie explorers Cas and Jonesy spent a second straight rest day in the tent, which is the last place they want to be at the moment. Progress on their Hercules to the Pole and back again, expedition has been slow thus far, and progress has been hampered by a series of nagging injuries as well. But Cas has contracted a nasty skin infection which is making it very difficult for him to proceed at the moment and from the sounds of things it is quite painful. Hopefully this isn't going to threaten the expedition as a whole, but the infection isn't likely to get better until after they're off the ice. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the boys will at least have a chance at the first unsupported there-and-back-again ski expedition to the Pole.

Richard Weber's team has been experiencing great weather conditions, with plenty of blue skies and light winds. The temperatures have even been quite warm by Antarctic standards, which has made the entire team happy. They did run into a bit of a snag yesterday however, when they came across a rather large crevasse field. That danger forced them to turn west, rather than south, as they navigated around the potential problem. Despite the detour, the skiers managed to knock off 24km yesterday and crossed the 83ºS latitudinal line, earning themselves some extra chocolate for the day.

Weber is taking his team to the Pole on skis, but they'll kite back to Hercules at the end of the expedition. Joining them will be South African Howard Fairbank, but until they unite, Fairbank is skiing solo and unsupported to the Pole himself, via the Messner Start. Already 8 days into his adventure, Howard notes that he is now finding his rhythm and is as determined as ever to make it to the Pole, despite a few equipment issues and persistent cold and biting winds. Yesterday, while covering nearly 30km of distance, he managed to break one of his ski poles, which made for an awkward journey, but gave him something to do when he stopped for the day. Howard has now repaired the pole and seems optimistic that it will hold up for the remainder of the expedition.

Following their day of rest the South Pole 1911-2011 team was ready to get back out on the ice and continue their progress to the Pole. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for them as high winds and bitterly cold temperatures confined them to the tent for another day today. Sitting in the tent hasn't been easy though, as the men are feeling the effects of the altitude and the lower air pressure that is found at the Poles of the planet, which makes every movement an effort, even while acclimatized after weeks on the ice.

Felicty Aston was also hit with the high winds and colder temperatures as well. Because of the strong headwind, she was only able to cover about 5 miles (8km) yesterday, and rest was elusive in the tent last night. No word if she hit the trail again today or elected to stay tent bound as well, but it appears that the weather is very hit or miss depending on your location.

That's all for the Antarctic updates for this week. After I return from my excursion, I'll post a progress report on where everyone sits. Hopefully the explorers will have good weather and snow conditions, allowing lots of progress in the days ahead.

Antarctica 2011: Dixie and Sam Will Restart

The 2011 Antarctic season is proving to be a particularly rough one for a number of the explorers that are now out on the ice. While it is still early in the austral summer, the weather has remained fickle and teams have struggled at times to make progress. One of those teams, the Antarctic ICE squad of Dixie Dansercoer and Sam Deltour, have even made the decision to restart their expedition altogether.

You may recall that Dixie and Sam traveled to Antarctica to embark on a three-month long journey that would have them exploring a chunk of the continent that has seldom been visited by man. They plan to use kites to cover longer distances – they estimate they'll cover about 6000km, while also taking weather readings to record the impact of climate change on the region.

As of now, they've been out on the ice for a total of nine days, but due to very challenging conditions, they've decided it is for the best that they be picked-up and transported to a safer starting point. Over the course of their first week in the Antarctic, they've managed to cover just 27km (16.7 miles) in large part because they've encountered large chunks of ice and rubble that are seldom seen on a journey in this part of the world. Dixie, who is a veteran of both the North and South Pole, says that he has never seen conditions such as these in the Antarctic. He compares them to what he would expect traveling to the North Pole, where the arctic ocean creates more unstable and unexpected issues.

Those strange conditions aren't the only thing the pair have been dealing with. The weather has been less than cooperative as well, and temperatures have been far colder than expected. Frostbite has been a major concern so far, and while neither man has had any real issues with it yet, they have been battling "frost nip" on their nose and cheeks. High winds have dogged their progress as well, exhausting their physical strength and playing havoc with their tent.

Today, the duo announced that they have chosen to have ALE pick them up and take them to a safer place to restart their journey. Before that can happen however, they have to clear off a section of the ice to allow a plane to land. That could take a day or two, which will also give them time to discuss where exactly they'll go next, as they are moving through uncharted sections of the continent and could encounter similar conditions again. Dixie and Sam are quick to point out that there first week wasn't a total loss, as they are now well acclimatized and have their gear tuned properly for the expedition ahead.

We'll have another update from Dixie and Sam in the next few days, most likely after they've been transported to their new starting point. It seems their spirits remain high and they're eager to get their journey properly underway, despite the setbacks they've endured so far.

Dutch Adventurer Explores Remote Siberia

Dutch adventurer Yuri Klaver recently competed a 45-day, 1000km (620 mile) solo journey through a remote region in Siberia. Along the way, he explored the Indigirka River between Oymyakon and Belaya Gora, not far from the Arctic Ocean. Klaver also spent a lot of time climbing in the Porozhny Mountains, exploring a part of the world that is seldom visited by westerners.

Yuri has started to post updates on his website, sharing his experiences from this journey, which began back in August. During his time in Siberia, he embarked on the first solo descent of the Indigirka River. It had been years since anyone else had traveled that direction, so Klaver was unsure of what to expect on the river, which featured dangerous whitewater, along with plenty of rocks and debris. He also discovered the region had unpredictable weather and plenty of wild animals, including regular encounters with wolves and bears.

The Dutch explorer intends to make a documentary of his adventure, sharing plenty of footage from his time in the wild. You can get a sample of that in the video below, which was shot in the early days of the expedition, but still gives you an idea of the conditions there and how beautiful and remote the region truly is.



Part 1 An early surprise at Suntar River from Yuri Klaver on Vimeo.

CheapTents Interviews Explorer Rafał Król

My friends over at CheapTents.com have continued their string of great adventure interviews, this time turning their microscopes on Polish explorer Rafał Król. Król has been on a number of epic expeditions, including a solo crossing of Spitsbergen and a traverse of the Greenland icecap in horrible weather conditions.

In the interview, which you can read here, Król discusses what inspired him to become an explorer, how he asses risk while on an expedition, and what he feels his biggest accomplishment to date is. Król answers the last one by saying his biggest accomplishment is that he is still alive, which will make you chuckle at first, but after you read about some of the conditions that he has endured, you understand why he says this. Rafał goes on to offer some great practical advice for those planning their own expeditions, while also sharing his favorite gear items. He also briefly touches on his plans for future adventures as well.

The CheapTents interviews have become an excellent source of information on some really interesting people who are on the cutting edge of exploration and adventure. I always enjoy reading what these explorers have to say and every interview provides some nugget of insight or information that I find fascinating. I like picking up those pieces of information and storing them away for my own future use, and this particular interview has plenty to take in.

Antarctica 2011: Its Always About The Weather

The more things change in the Antarctic, the more they stay the same. After spending nearly two weeks stranded in Punta Arenas due to bad weather, the teams were finally able to hit the ice last week. Now that they're actually there however, they have to deal with that weather themselves.

Case in point, Aussies James Castrission and Justin Jones have been on the move for a week now and they started their journey under sunny skies and good (albeit cold!) conditions. What a difference a few days can make however, as they've now been battling 50kph (31 mph) winds and whiteout conditions, which have dropped their visibility down to a few meters at times. They've also started to encounter plenty of sastrugi (hard, irregular ridges in the snow), which has slowed progress to a crawl at times. The duo are still making their way up to the Antarctica Plateau, and according to their most recent update, are now at 760 meters (2493 ft) above sea level. They have a long way to climb yet however, as the Pole if located at 2835 meters (9297 ft). So far, the boys have covered 96km (60 miles), and still have 1039km (645 miles) to go on their there-and-back again journey.

Meanwhile, one team has been putting those high winds to good use as they continue to chase Amundsen's ghost. The South Pole 1911-2011 expedition broke out the kites over the weekend and as a result, were able to make good time. The team is hoping to arrive at the South Pole on December 14th, exactly 100 years to the day after Roald Amuundsen was the first person to reach that spot on the map, but due to their delayed start, they were two weeks and hundreds of miles behind the Norwegian's pace. Thanks to the kites however, they were able to narrow the gap by more than 20km in a single day, although they admit that they were forced to give up their sails in favor of good old fashioned skiing late in the day in order to stay on course. The team also reports that despite the solid winds, they haven't had to deal with some of the other poor weather conditions thus far.

The two teams of the Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race also continue their slog towards the Pole, although they report that the temperatures have dropped significantly. They're currently dealing with -24ºC (-11ºF) temperatures while they battle some tough conditions as well. One of the team members who released their audio dispatch today, described it as "like pulling a sumo wrestler through custard." As a result, they notched just 5.7 nautical miles today. They also shared insights into their nutritional requirements for the expedition, as they estimate that they are burning in the neighborhood of 6000 calories per day at the moment. That's pretty typical for a polar expedition, particularly at this stage of the journey when the sleds are heavier and the explorers are tending to move up hill.

The weather is expected to be generally poor throughout the Antarctic over the next week or so. Heavy snows are forecasts and they tend to bring high winds along with them. Teams are expecting whiteout conditions to prevail, and when things to do eventually clear, temperatures are likely to drop once again. All part of the fun of an expedition to the South Pole.

There will soon be a couple of new teams out on the ice as Felicity Aston left for Punta Arenas this past weekend, and presumably arrived in good shape. She'll be attempting to become the first woman to cross the Antarctica solo via the South Pole. Polar legend Richard Weber arrived in Chile yesterday as well, and once he gets his gear organized and prepped, he'll be set to go as well. Richard will be leading a team on a 35-day adventure that begins at the Filchner Ice Shelf and ends at the South Pole.

Finally, one other expedition officially launched today as well, as Dixie Dansercoer and Sam Deltour set off on their three month long survey of Antarctica. The two men will use kites to cover a distance of approximately 6000km (3728 miles) in what will become one of the longest self supported journeys in Antarctica history. Dixie and Sam arrived on the ice on Saturday, but were flown their starting line today. That's going to be one long, cold expedition. Good luck boys!

Antarctic History: Scott Heads South

While we're on the subject of Antarctica this morning, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge another  important date in the history of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Race. A couple of weeks back I wrote a piece about Amundsen setting off on his journey, and today marks the 100 year anniversary of Robert Falcon Scott beginning his fateful trek to the South Pole as well.

When Scott set off from England to start his polar journey, he actually had no idea that he would end up in a race with Amundsen. In early 1910, the Norwegian had yet to declare his intentions regarding the South Pole, and in fact had spent the previous few years exploring the north polar regions. Scott didn't know that Amundsen had started south until October of that year, when he received Amundsen's telegram declaring "Beg to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic -- Amundsen." If with that news however, Scott felt that he had a head start on his rival, and would still beat him to the pole.

A series of misfortunes doomed the expedition in the early going however, as Scott's ship, the Terra Nova, spent twenty days trapped in the pack-ice and harsh weather conditions hampered preparations for the start of the journey. On top of that, Scott had elected to put his faith in ponies, which were sturdy pack animals in other environments, but didn't adapt well to the cold and snow of the Antarctic.

Still, Scott remained undaunted and prepared to start as planned. He knew he faced a formidable rival in Amundsen, but the Norwegian had elected to take a new, unexplored route, to the Pole, while Scott himself was traveling along a path that had been pioneered by his countryman Ernest Shackleton a few years earlier. He felt that the knowledge of the trail would mean that he could travel faster and with fewer obstacles.

When he left for the Pole on November 1st, 1911, Scott took with him a mix of motorized transportation, dogs, and horses. All of these modes of transportation traveled at different rates of speed however and their exact roles in the final push for the Pole remained unknown. These logistical issues would later prove to be a problem for the entire team, but at the out-set of the expedition, Scott and his men were optimistic and hopeful that they would plant the British flag at the Pole for the honor of the entire Empire.

Little did he know that his story would become one of the most tragic in the history of exploration and adventure.

Antarctic History: 100 Years Ago Today

As we prep for the start of the 2011 Antarctic season to begin, it is a perfect time to reflect back to 1911, when the epic race to the Pole between Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and Britain's Robert Falcon Scott took place. Over the next few months, I'll be sharing important dates for events that took place during that season, which saw the first two expeditions reach the Pole, but only one made it back home.

On October 19th, 1911, exactly 100 years ago today, Amundsen, along with his team (Olav Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, and Oscar Wistling) set out on their attempt to the South Pole. They had four sleds and 52 dogs with them when they got underway, along a route that had previously been unexplored. That route ran across the Axel Heiberg Glacier, which would eventually lead them up to the Antarctic Plateau.

At this point, Amundsen was hoping to use a bit of surprise and speed on his rival Scott, who had set out for the Antarctic earlier, but due to a series of set backs, hadn't arrived on the continent yet. In fact, Scott didn't even realize he was in a race with Amundsen until the Norwegian sent him a telegram saying simply: "Beg to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic -- Amundsen," which arrived after the Brit has already set sail himself.

The Fram was Amundsen ship of course, and he had departed Oslo in June of 1910, first arriving in the Antarctic in January of 1911. From there, he and his team used their time to build supply depots and recon their route in preparation for a serious attempt on the Pole.

Their first attempt came in September of 1911, with Amundsen and his squad setting out on the 8th of that month. But generally poor weather and extremely cold temperatures forced a retreat, and the team returned to the Fram until the 19th of October, when they would make a second attempt.

By this point in his career, Amundsen had spent quite a great deal of time in the Arctic, where he had explored the Northeast Passage and learned a lot from the indigenous people that live there. From them, he learned to use seal skins for warm and sled dogs for travel, both of which would serve him, and his men, well on their way to the South Pole.

This is just the start of the story of course and there is plenty more to come. I'll continue to unravel the tale over the days and weeks ahead, as it is both a heroic and tragic one.

Antarctica 2011: More Delays To Start Of The Season

Yesterday I mentioned that there were delays to the start of the 2011 Antarctic season, but ALE was hoping to get their first plane out to the ice today. Turns out there won't be any flights today either, as weather is continuing to cause problems for the teams hoping to head south soon.

Earlier today, James Castrission and Justin Jones tweeted an update from Punta Arenas, where they are preparing to set out on the Crossing The Ice expedition. The two Aussie lads were expecting to head out to Patriot Hills on Sunday, but snow covered the runway in Antarctica, so the flight was delayed until today. Apparently the runway has now been cleared, but a cold front has moved into the area, causing ALE to scrub all flights out today as well. There is no word on when they hope to make another attempt, but I know there are teams that are anxious to get started.

Meanwhile, ALE has posted a good rundown of all the expeditions for this season on their website. You can get a look at them by clicking here. You'll see several "Centenary" expeditions, which are all a nod to the fact that 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the Amundsen-Scott Race to the Pole that resulted in the Norwegian becoming the first man to reach that point, while the Brit met a tragic end. There will be plenty more to share on that story in the weeks ahead, but it appears that there will be no shortage of teams celebrating the anniversary this year.

Unfortunately, none of those teams are able to get underway just yet. Perhaps tomorrow the weather pattern will change and flights can get underway, but I have feeling it will be another two or three days before things officially get underway.

Antarctica 2011: First Teams Prepare To Hit The Ice

The 2011 Antarctic season was scheduled to officially get underway yesterday with ALE's first flight to Patriot Hills and the Union Glacier camp. Unfortunately, things aren't quite ready yet, so the flight has been delayed until tomorrow. In the meantime, this slight delay has given the teams that are already in Punta Arenas and opportunity to finish their last minute prep work and rest up for the start of their journey.

One of those teams is the Crossing the Ice squad consisting of Aussie adventurers James Castrission and Justin Jones who sent an audio dispatch yesterday detailing their delay. Apparently, all of their gear was loaded on board ALE's big Ilyushin IL76 aircraft, and the boys thought they were ready to go, when they received word that the runway, which is built out of ice, was not ready to start receiving traffic just yet. ALE told them that it would be a few days before they could go, and projected tomorrow (October 18) for the date of the first flight.

For those who don't know, ALE stands for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. The company operates out of Punta Arenas, Chile and organizes most commercial flights to Antarctica. They operate a couple of camps on the continent themselves, and many adventurers hire them to deliver them, and their gear, safely to the frozen continent, where they can begin their journey to the South Pole, Mt. Vinson, or whatever other destination they're headed toward.

It is still early in the season, so a few days delay shouldn't disrupt the schedule much at all, and barring any major storms moving into the area, its likely the first flights will get underway tomorrow as expected. Over the next few weeks, we'll see a steady stream of explorers heading out onto the ice, as we celebrate 100 years of Antarctic exploration over the coming months.

There will be a lot of traffic at the bottom of the world this season, so expect plenty of good updates on their progress.

Antarctica 2011: Calm Before The Storm

With the fall Himalaya season finally winding down (There were a few late summits on Manaslu), the adventure community will next turn its eyes to the Antarctic, where things are just now starting to ramp up. Over the course of the next few weeks, explorers, both solo and in teams, will descend on Punta Arenas, Chile, where they'll take care of all of their last minute preparations before hopping a flight aboard an ALE plane to the frozen continent.

Some of those explorers will be headed to the South Pole of course, while others will travel to Mt. Vinson, the tallest mountain on the continent. A few will venture off the beaten path to some other peak or take an unexplored route into a seldom visited, little known area of the Antarctic.

One of the first teams to arrive in Punta Arenas in the Crossing the Ice squad of James Castrission and Justin Jones, affectionately known as Cas and Jonesy. The boys touched down there a few days back, but have been recovering from jet lag and organizing their gear, as they get ready to hit the ice in just a few days time. They are a bit earlier than most, but they're going to need all the time they can get, as they intend to make the 2200km (1367 mile) journey from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole, and back again, on foot and unassisted. If successful, they'll be the first to accomplish that feat.

This year will be a special one in the Antarctic, as it will mark the 100th anniversary of the famous (infamous?) race to the Pole that was waged by Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Britain's Robert Falcon Scott. There are a few teams that will be following in the footsteps of those explorers and plenty of stories about their heroics. For those that don't know, the two men were locked in a struggle to become the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen ended up getting their first, 35 days ahead of his rival, and Scott and his party suffered mightily, before dying on the return trip.

The full story is a sad one, and I'm sure I'll be sharing more details of it over the coming days, starting next week, when we'll mark the start of 100 year celebration with the anniversary of the start of Amundsen's expedition.

Because of this big anniversary, the Antarctic is going to be a very busy place this year.

Adventure Interviews: Ripley Davenport and Louis-Philippe Loncke

We've got a couple of more interesting interviews courtesy of our friends at CheapTents.com and Adventeer.com, both of which have been cranking out some great content recently.

First up, CheapTents has posted an interview with Louis-Philippe Loncke, who recently completed his kayaking tour of Belgium. In the interview, he discusses that expedition of course, but also touches on some of his other adventures, sharing thoughts on what inspires him, what he has planned for the future, his favorite gear items, and his worst injury ever suffered on an expedition. Warning! The last one is not for the faint of heart.

Not to be outdone, the Adventeer team has an excellent interview with Ripley Davenport, who has spent a great deal of time in desert environments, including the  Namib Desert, Kara-kum, and, in recent years, the Gobi. Ripley discusses the allure of those places, which of the deserts presented him with the biggest challenges, the indigenous people he has met in his travels, and much, much more. He also offers advice to those seeking to pursue their own adventures and gives us some hint son what he plans on doing in the near future as well.

Both are good interviews to start off your day and provide a little adventurous inspiration. Thanks to both CheapTents and Adventeer for sharing!

Antarctic 2011: First Flights Into McMurdo Station

In one of the sure signs that the impending Austral Summer is not far off, and the looming Antarctic Season with it, McMurdo Station had its first seasonal flight arrive yesterday. According to The Antarctic Sun, the first plane safely landed at the research facility after being delayed a day by an early summer blizzard. It is the first of 63 scheduled flights to McMurdo, which is located at Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island.

The station consists of 85 buildings and includes a runway, helicopter pad, and harbor. That harbor will be opened soon by a Russian icebreaker, which will allow more supplies and personnel to arrive on location, some of which will continue on to the South Pole itself. The U.S. has more than 100 research projects planned for the 2011-2012 season, so it'll be a very busy year at the bottom of the world for all of the scientists and researchers in the Antarctic.

Meanwhile, Aussie adventurers Justin Jones and James Castrission, who I told you about here, have left Sydney and are preparing for their epic Antarctic expedition. The pair plan to travel on foot to the South Pole, starting at the Union Glacier Camp, and then back again – a journey that has not been accomplished before. They are now in Punta Arenas, Chile where they'll complete their last minute prep work and secure their gear, before officially starting out on October 16th.

Updated: A slight correction on this article. I received a not over the weekend from James Castrission who corrected me on the route he and Justin will be taking to and from the South Pole. They're not leaving from Union Glacier, but will instead set out from Hercules Inlet. Either way, it's going to be an epic adventure to say the least!

Expect to hear more about them in the weeks ahead.

Polartec Accepting Challenge Grant Applications

Polartec is now accepting applications for their 2012 Challenge Grant program, which strives to encourage low-impact adventures around the globe. The organization is looking for worthy adventurers who display a respect for the cultures and environments that they visit, while also serving as an inspiration and role model for other outdoor enthusiasts.

Past winners of the Challenge Grants include Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Steve House, and many more. Polartec has supported these adventurers as they have traveled the globe exploring new places, making first ascents, and pushing the envelope in terms of what can be accomplished. For a list of last year's winners, click here.

If you're interested in getting your expedition funded, you'll find the application form on the Polartec website by clicking here. Deadline for entry is December 1st, with winners being announced on January 19, 2012.