Each has their own website covering the event...
Colin O’Brady:
https://www.colinobrady.com/theimpossiblefirst/
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Lou Rudd:
https://lourudd.com/2018/10/04/spirit-of-endurance-teaser/
How can it be SOLO if there are two of them? Unsupported yes, but SOLO?
Solo?
It can’t be “solo” if they are together.
Two words: Ernst. Shackleton.
I get the shivers just thinking about it.
GPS...
They both know that if there’s trouble, the cavalry will come and rescue them.
Both of these men will die.
Who pays for the rescue?
Messner Start (Ronne Ice Shelf) – South Pole – Leverett Glacier (Ross Ice Shelf)
Since a solo, unsupported and unaided coast to coast crossing of Antarctica has never been completed, the route is open to be trail blazed.
Colin will attempt to complete the route from North to South. He will be dropped off on the Ronne Ice Shelf, on the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent, at the Messner starting point. The beginning of this route is inspired by Reinhold Messner’s 1989 epic Antarctic crossing to the South Pole, for whom the starting point is named. Colin has long admired Messner, an Italian mountaineer, adventurer and explorer. Messner was the first to climb Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen with Peter Habeler, and the first to ascend all fourteen 8000 meter peaks.
Colin will traverse 566 mi (911 km) from the starting point to the South Pole and then continue South.
It’s another 360 miles (578 km) to reach the Leverett Glacier at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf on the opposite edge of the continent. A coast to coast crossing that has never been completed before.
UPDATE: Colin was dropped off at his starting point on November 3, 2018 around 3pm local Chilean time.
British Captain Louis Rudd is also attempting to complete a solo, unsupported, unaided crossing of Antarctica. Originally planned for a different route - Hercules Inlet to Leverett Glacier via South Pole - Rudd elected to change his route to the Messner Start, and as such Colin and Rudd were dropped off just miles apart from one another to begin their individual crossings. Best of luck!
At those constant temperatures with their bodies struggling to stay warm, and the physical activity of trudging through snow, how in the world are they going to carry with them about 5,000 calories of daily food to sustain them?
Wait. Different guy.
Or, they could stay home, but overdose an sleeping pills then go out running back and forth through the lawn sprinkler in the nude until they pass out.
At least they’ll be well-preserved for future discovery.
The one who started later can snack on some long pig along the way...