The First Full Unsupported Ski Crossing of Antarctica
2600 km in 110 days pulling 200kg sleds
A World First Crossing of Antarctica
“Support our campaign, help us cross Antarctica, make a significant contribution to combating climate change and inspire a generation to protect this fragile wilderness into the future.”
Imagine skiing 2600km, the same distance as from London to Moscow!
Now imagine the journey is across snow and ice, up glaciers and through unexplored mountains. The temperature around you will average from -10°C to -60°C with wind chill. Storms are frequent and dangerous with wind speeds that can exceed 150km/hr, lasting for days.
The sled you drag behind you is your life raft, packed full of all the gear and food needed to survive this 110 day expedition. It weighs over 200kg. To make it you must average a distance of 24km per day. Bad weather or storms cannot hold you up, or the food will run out. There are no rest days!
That is what doctors Gareth Andrews and Richard Stephenson from The Last Great First, will be doing. They are planning to change polar history by being the first to ski unsupported acrossAntarctica from coast to coast, in the same way the great Sir Ernest Shackleton wanted to do.
Our aims are to complete the crossing, support our community and undertake scientific climate change research for the benefit of all humanity – and we need your help to fund this historic world first.
In exchange for your pledges, we are offering you a broad range of ways in which you can support the expedition, including:
- Having your photographs printed on our sleds
- Adding your smile to The Last Great First Expedition flag
- Wearing the Expedition patch and pins
- Owning a unique Expedition coin and planning map
- Enjoying a limited-edition Expedition photobook
- Framing prints by polar artists
- Drinking Exploration inspired coffee
- Displaying a sculpture of a Emperor Penguin cast in silver
It is hard to imagine, but we can actually call ten generous supporters from the South Pole!
The Last Great First team wants to achieve far more than the first unsupported ski crossing of Antarctica.
Through our work with the Antarctic Science Foundation and Scouts Australia we will make a significant contribution to Antarctic climate change science and conservation while inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders and adventurers.
This expedition will further our knowledge of rarely traversed sections of Antarctica; how humans perform in extreme conditions and our continuing impact on this most pristine of environments.
It will bring the future into focus for a new generation, underlining the importance, majesty and fragility of Antarctica and its pivotal role in our survival on this planet.
The Last Great First Expedition will be the ultimate test of resilience, tenacity, meticulous planning and risk management while highlighting the urgent need to protect the fragile, pristine wilderness of Antarctica now and into the future.
Along with your pledge we invite you to become a part of our network and community, receiving constant expedition updates and information as the expedition progresses.
You will also receive links to our documentary film and web-based reality series focusing on our Crossing of Antarctica as they become available.
If during this campaign we are successful in reaching our target, we ask that you keep supporting us as long as slots are available, and the campaign is live.
We look forward to you joining our Expedition family, thank you for your support.
___________________________________
Previous Expeditions
2019: Iceland Expedition
The team successfully completed the first unsupported ski and raft crossing of Iceland. Skiing across the vast Vatnajokull Icecap then rafting through the wild and desolate high volcanic interior of this harsh and desolate land. A truly multidisciplinary expedition, it involved skiing pulling sledges, load carrying huge 50kg packs, and rafting wild uncharted glacial rivers. Success was a testament to toughness, adaptability and determination.
Please Follow the link to see video content: #TLGFiceland
2016: Greenland Expedition
Please Follow the link to see video content: #TLGFgreenland
To View the daily vlogs from this expedition please follow the link: #TLGFgreenlandVlog
2014: Magnetic North Pole Expedition
Battling polar storms with temperatures down to minus 60 deg centigrade and dodging hunting polar bears, the team skied for over three weeks across the frozen Arctic Ocean to reach the 1996 Magnetic North Pole. This remarkable location marks the point of confluence of the Earth’s magnetic field out on the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean.
___________________________________
Expedition Updates on Indiegogo
Through out this fund raiser we will be posting links to blogs, images and various video series from our social media channels to the UPDATE section of our Indiegogo Campaign.
If you do not know where to find this please click here to navigate to it UPDATE LINK
___________________________________
We have been training and planning for this expedition since 2019. Currently the greatest challenge we face is the global restriction on travel. As discussed with our partners and sponsors, in the instance of the COVID-19 pandemic restricting our travel, the expedition will be postponed to the following Antarctic Season (Oct-Feb) and will not be cancelled. We are wholeheartedly committed to completing this 110 day, 2600km coast to coast crossing of the “White Desert” and we thank you for your continued support.