ExWeb interview with Alex Hibbert on South Pole 2007 plans: “We don't want to follow in others’ footsteps”
"There are numerous routes up single mountains, but yet only a few to the pole — we don't want to follow in others' footsteps," Alex said (click to enlarge).
"We have done numerous climbing expeditions to the Himalaya, Alps, Denali and in South America. Andy is actually attempting Everest as we speak." All images courtesy of the expedition's website (click to enlarge).
09:48 am CDT Apr 13, 2007
(ThePoles.com) By the age of 21, Alex Hibbert is planning to lead an unsupported, four-person expedition to the South Pole. In addition to breaking an age record for the youngest British SP team, Alex, teaming up with Richard Smith, Adam Griffiths, and Andy Wilkinson, has set sights on a new 1,000 mile route from Halley base. Despite some months to go, Alex is already hectic with preparations, training — and his finals at Oxford University. However, he took a minute to chat with ExWeb about his plans for the upcoming trek.
ExplorersWeb: Tell us about the route you'll be following from Halley. You plan to start at the 'real' coast — meaning you'll be setting off right by open water? Has this route been attempted before? Why did you pick this way to the Pole instead of the usual starting point at Hercules inlet?
Alex: Yes, we plan to start at the true coast, where the ice meets open water near the British Halley Station. This route has not been tried before. We believe that though the Hercules Inlet route is a great challenge, it is time to break the mould and try something longer and new. We also believe that the coast should strictly be seen as where the ice meets water — this avoids any controversy. Antarctica is an enormous continent and it seemed strange to us that expeditions had been restricted to a handful of routes such as Berkner, Hercules and Blue 1. We believe that we can really push boundaries by traveling past the 1,000-mile barrier fully unsupported. Also, there are numerous routes up single mountains, but yet only a few to the pole — we don't want to follow in others' footsteps.
ExplorersWeb: How are the preparations going? How do you feel?
Alex: Preparations are going very well, all the different components of the expedition are starting to slot into place. The advantage of a four-person team is that we can split the work so that everyone has their own area. We have gathered a large amount of advice and goodwill from the exploration community and public as a whole. However, I have my finals at Oxford University in 10 weeks so it's a challenge to balance my responsibilities until they're over. Then I'll focus on the search of the necessary funding.
ExplorersWeb: What kind of training are you following? Do you guys plan to do any ski/man-hauling trips as preparation?
Alex: We are all athletes, and Andy and Rich are Royal Marines Commandos, so the physical preparation for the expedition is simply an escalation of our existing schedules. I personally train up to 12 sessions a week so it's a case of emphasizing work on the correct muscle groups. We are planning a long period in Greenland in July in order to refine our daily routine and get used to hauling.
ExplorersWeb: What's your previous experience in polar areas — ski trips?
Alex: The team has a variety of previous experiences in cold conditions. This collectively includes Spitsbergen, Iceland, Norway (with the Royal Marines) and numerous climbing expeditions to the Himalaya, Alps, Denali and in South America. Andy is actually attempting Everest as we speak.
ExplorersWeb: Have you asked other polar explorers for advice — what have they told you?
Alex: We have been in contact with a number of explorers — they have a wealth of information and to ignore them would be crazy. We have spoken to Geoff Somers, Sean Chapple of Polar Quest and Steve Bull, amongst many others. They have helped us develop the framework within which to design the expedition, and also little helpful hints for use on the ice — such as using washing up gloves when operating buttons on the camera!
ExplorersWeb: You guys are going unsupported. In case (let's hope not) things went wrong and you ran out of supplies — would you ask for an airdrop, or would you abort and then try any other time?
Alex: We are prepared for a number of contingencies, and this is obviously one of them. Given the time (over two years) and sheer money that goes into the expedition, I believe it would be extremely selfish for us to abort the expedition under those circumstances. I would call in an airdrop and we would lose the unsupported status. The pole is the pole and we would still have opened a new route.
Briton Alex Hibbert, 21, intends to guide an unsupported team of four to the South Pole in 2007 and therefore become the youngest Briton to ever reach the South Pole. His experience is varied, and includes a completion of the 125 mile Devizes to Westminster Kayak Ultra-Marathon at the age of only 15. Alex passed preliminary tests for Royal Marines Commandos at age 16. He will be retested after expedition for entry in Autumn 2008.
Also in the team will be Richard Smith, 36 (a cancer survivor), Adam Griffiths,24, and Andy Wilkinson, 31.
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