Week 2 – Crossing Antarctica, A 1000 miles alone
Team Army is proud to be sponsoring Lou on this record breaking quest. This is the second week of the expedition in his own words:
Nov 10th – Day 8 in Antarctica. Lou faces his hardest day so far. Strong head-on winds pick up to around 25-30mph, whipping into spindrifts. Temperatures drop to the low -25s. Lou’s face mask freezes and moulds around his face, making eating and drinking difficult. Still he’s made 11.8 nautical miles and reached 2,750ft. Having served in the Army for 33 years, and lost a lot of friends, Lou will be pushing on through Remembrance Day today thinking of his lost comrades. >> READ MORE >>
Nov 12th – Day 10 in Antarctica. After a break in communication we’re now back with Lou as he hits double digits for days spent on the ice. It was a day of heavy sastrugi, light wind and plenty of snacking. After 10 hours of hard pulling and cheek packing, Lou makes 14.3 nautical miles – an extra three miles on top of yesterday. The pulk is now 12kg lighter…
Nov 13th – Day 11 in Antarctica. Lou spends ten hours in frozen fisticuffs with some brutal sastrugi. He also describes another chance encounter with some Stars and Stripes and finally ends his stop-start day back in his sleeping bag, having managed 12.3 nautical miles.
Nov 14th – Day 12 in Antarctica. Whiteout conditions leave Lou in two minds about whether to wait it out or push on. He opts to carry on across the sastrugi field, blindfolded by the incoming blizzard. After 10 hours and 7 nautical miles he calls it a day and reflects positively on his decision to stick it out.
Nov 15th – Day 13 in Antarctica. Two years since Lou was dropped at Hercules Inlet with the SPEAR17 team, Lou hits day 13 in Antarctica. The sun is out and the whiteout has lifted, offering clear visibility and a chance for Lou to choose his lines and thread a path through the larger sastrugi. Lou also catches sight of the Pensacola Mountains as he closes in on Thiels Corner – about 15 nautical miles away.
Nov 16th – Day 14 in Antarctica. It’s a hard morning as Lou feels the weight of the last two weeks without rest. After lunch his mood upturns and Lou strides out hard for the rest of the day. In total he travels for 10 hours and achieves 12.3 nautical miles. >> READ MORE >> https://shackletonlondon.com/blogs/lou-s-journal/tale-of-two-halves-log-14
Nov 17th – Day 15 in Antarctica. Brutal headwinds drive temperatures down to around -30C as strong gusts tumble down from the Polar plateau. Lou pulls out the big guns: face masks, goggles, gloves and pogies… He makes 12 nautical miles in 10 hours of hauling and hits an altitude of 4117ft – 5000ft below the pole. For inspiration, Lou recalls a happy memory of he and his daughter waking early and watching a live rocket launch in Cape Canaveral… >> READ MORE >>
Expedition Facts
Capt Lou Rudd MBE is attempting to become the first person in history to complete a solo crossing of Antarctica, unsupported and unassisted. He will travel for 70 days over a distance of 1,500km, from Messner to the Ross Ice Shelf via the South Pole.
When: 1 Nov 18 to late Jan 19
Total Distance: 1,500km
Duration: 75 days
Hauling 140kg of food and equipment
No Resupplies/wind/ vehicle assistance/ outside help
Avg Temp: -30c
Calories: 6,000 per day
https://shackletonlondon.com/pages/expedition
PRE-EXPEDITION LOGS – https://shackletonlondon.com/blogs/pre-expedition