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LINKS
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It's over: Christina Franco off the Arctic ice
Posted: Mar 05, 2009 02:43 pm EST
(ThePoles.com) Polar explorers often state that the North Pole is a much harder nut to crack than the South Pole. Last year, the only two expeditions attempting to ski to the North Pole both aborted within 8-13 days (SP-solo speed-record holder UK Hannah McKeand suffered an injury and UK Ben Saunders had gear failure).
This year, Christina Franco was airlifted to the Arctic ice on Tuesday and has already aborted her attempt, due to gear failure.
"Very sadly I sustained a double failure on my Stove and I was no longer able to heat the tent or to heat water to make food and drink," she reports on her website. "There was a plane in the area at the time of the failure and as it was -50c we took the decision to be lifted from the ice. With no way of warming myself or making hot food frostbite would set in quickly at these temperatures."
Go to Christina's website for the full report.
Christina Franco (42) a UK resident from Italian descent attempted to ski to the North Pole with one resupply. She departed form Ward Hunt Island, Canada, March 3, 2009, to ski the 775 km to the Pole and was airlifted back on March 5.
In 2008 former South Pole solo record holder, Hannah McKeand (UK), attempted a North Pole solo, unsupported, but was injured and had to be evacuated after 13 days on the ice.
In 2007 Rosie Stancer, also a Brit, skied with resupplies to the North Pole, but was evacuated after 84 days on the ice, 89 nautical miles from the Pole.
The first woman in history who has skied unsupported without resupplies to the North Pole is Swedish Tina Sjogren in 2002, followed by Cecile Skog from Norway in 2006. Both women made the South Pole and North Pole unsupported and back-to-back.
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