Antarctic Quest 21

The Antarctic Quest 21 team is now safely back in Argentina after a very challenging month on Antarctica. The eight strong team started off from Portal Point in December 2021, venturing into the untrodden regions of the Antarctic Peninsula to undertake essential science and exploration!

Team Ethos is proud to have funded such an intrepid group of explorers on their extraordinary 300km challenge. We are also delighted that our newest gold sponsor, Microsoft, helped to support this scientific endeavour which reflects Microsoft’s passion for sustainability and education.  The core purpose of this expedition was to contribute to the scientific understanding of Antarctica’s solid Earth, ice, ocean and atmosphere, and what recent and future environmental changes mean to every one of us.

Lt Cdr Paul Hart RNR – Expedition Leader stated: ‘Having spent five weeks on the white continent, this amazing and unique environment has worked its way into our hearts and souls. Despite all the battles with the weather and the terrain, it’s simply true that Antarctica is bewitching and gains a hold on you. It’s for this very reason we came down here, to do work that will help us protect and preserve this wonderful environment and, hopefully, the wider world.  We are now on our way back to civilisation but our minds remain also rooted in Antarctica. We thank all of you who have followed us for your support, help and assistance.’

Maj Gen Lamont Kirkland, CEO Team Ethos/Team Army said: ‘Understanding climate change matters to us all. So we are very proud to have supported an adventure with real purpose. This intrepid group of explorers travelled into the untrodden regions of Antarctic to undertake essential scientific research and exploration to help understand what recent and future changes to the environment mean for us all. Their expedition to the Forbidden Plateau in Antarctica should not only inspire but also inform and educate all ages about science and exploration.’

Operating in this region is no easy task, with considerable climatic and environmental challenges. The only mechanism of movement across the unforgiving terrain is by manually hauling all that is needed for the team’s survival, as well as all the scientific equipment. ‘Man-haul’ is very much in the spirit of Shackleton’s heroic and historic achievements and the expedition team held a moving commemoration service in his honour on 5th January 2022. This took place on the East Coast of the Peninsula, overlooking the Weddell Sea, and the site of Shackelton’s legendary Endurance Expedition.

In the 201st Anniversary year of the discovery of Antarctica, the team faced extreme weather conditions crossing the Forbidden Plateau from Portal Point to Foyn Point to put in place and start scientific equipment that will transmit data used in climate research in real time. The team then travelled down the spine of the Peninsula to continue their data gathering for scientific research on climate change, meteorology, geology and glaciology. Of special importance is the team’s collection of samples to research microplastics, metal and nutrient content of the snow on the Peninsula, revealing just how we are affecting the most remote areas on the planet.