Alex Hibbert's and George Bullard's 113 day return journey across Greenland covered 1374 miles (2546 km) as the crow flies. The second last day they reported, “Skied hard as possible toward our helicopter extraction from coast tomorrow. Both finding lack of food tough.” Image courtesy of tisogreenland.com (click to enlarge)
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Alex and George very hungry at the end of long, unsupported trek on Greenland
Posted: Jul 22, 2008 10:52 am EST
(ThePoles.com) The last days of this long, unsupported sledge-hauling trek on Greenland were tough, going on ¼ rations and skiing in deep snow with low visibility. Alex and George succeeded in their aim, though “18kg lighter (which over 113 days I'm pretty pleased with!) and with a large beard!” an elated Alex says in a letter to ExWeb.
The two Britons, Alex Hibbert and George Bullard, started off with 180 kg sleds and made depot’s along the way to the Northwest coast where they turned around to their starting point at the East coast.
Their last week’s text messages from the Icecap:
10 July: “Another low visibility, snowy day provided little visual stimulus. Miles are clocking up and coast not far away!”
11 July: “Skied long hours and can see coastal mountains. Critically low on food and preparing to push for the glacier.”
12 July: “Night change successful – surface improved as result. Low calorie intake leaves us feeling weak and dizzy.”
13 July: “ Situation worsened. Over a foot of snow makes progress very slow. Weak on 1500 kcal per day.”
14 July: “Dramatic change in surface gives us great miles on ¼ rations. Both so excited about home at end of week.”
15 July: “Skied hard as possible toward our helicopter extraction from coast tomorrow. Both finding lack of food tough.”
16 July: “Expedition completed at 08h32! Hauled for 1374 miles (2546 km) as the crow flies in 113 days. This is the longest fully unsupported polar journey.”
Statistics 15 July 2008
Temperature: -4°C
Wind speed: 16 mph (25.7 km/h; 13.9 knots)
Miles covered today: 20.3 miles (37.6 km)
Total miles covered: 1354 miles (2509 km)
A few previous long distant treks
In 1911 Amundsen and his team, Bjaaland, Wisting, Hassel and Hanssen, did a 2700 km return journey on Antarctica with dog support part of the way.
Richard Weber and Mikhail Malakov did an unsupported, unassisted return trip from Ward Hunt, covering 1550 km.
In the Spring of 2000 Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larsen made a gruelling, unsupported, unassisted crossing of the Arctic ocean in 109 days and covered 1725 km (from Cape Arktichesky to Cape Discovery)
In the Southern summer of 2005/6 Rune did a 4804 km unassisted, kite supported traverse of the Antarctic continent.
Alex and George started their expedition on 26 March, pulling 180 kg sleds. Their aim to traverse Greenland and return, unsupported, unsupplied via a new route from the Nagtivit glacier on the East coast to Baffin Bay on the West coast and back (1400 miles / 2250 km).
Alex Hibbert (21) grew up in Hampshire, was educated in Dorset and read Biology at the University of Oxford. 2007 - Elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the home of British exploration - Greenland climbing and manhauling expedition - Selected for the 2008 Royal Marines Young Officer Batch after first passing selection at 16 years old.
George (19) is on a year out between high school and university. Having returned from South Georgia and the Falklands with BSES, he was been bitten by the ‘exploration bug’. This expedition is an ideal opportunity to further develop his polar experience after leaving Eton College where he gained A-Levels in Biology Chemistry and Russian and an AS in Maths. He has been sailing down in the South Atlantic and exploring one of the most pristine environments on planet Earth, South Georgia.
Biographies courtesy of tisogreenland.com
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