Posted on 12/25/2016 12:04:51 PM PST by nickcarraway
A Swedish woman has skied to the South Pole 10 hours quicker than any other woman has ever done.
"What a journey, it feels amazing to be here," Johanna Davidsson tells The Local from the middle of Antarctica.
The 33-year-old nurse arrived at the South Pole on skis from Hercules Inlet after 38 days and 23 hours - in other words, ten hours faster than the previous female record holder did it.
The journey, which was over 1,000 kilometres, finished on Christmas Eve.
"There have really been some ups and downs in this journey, but I was so glad to arrive here and not to have to ski anymore," she says.
"And there is a chef here who will cook whatever I want."
The Swede, who documented the trip on her blog, said that she hadn't actually planned to break the women's record, and had packed a heavy sled full of food.
"When you're having fun you don't notice the time, it was pure happiness that made me go so fast," she said.
While she has missed Christmas at home (there's still the trip back to go, too), she says the thing she most looks forward to it is seeing her family again.
"And having a proper shower," she adds.
So why didn't the Swede head to the North Pole, considering it's Christmas after all?
More from The Local Eight horrible Swedish words that get on my nerves Recipe: How to make Swedish Christmas rice porridge 12 things you only get if you've celebrated Christmas in Sweden "The south pole is more interesting and not many people ski here. Plus there are no polar bear. And of course there's the fact that I don't believe in Santa Claus," she says with a chuckle.
The Swede trained for the solo expedition in Norway and Greenland, a video of which can be seen below.
Davidsson is the first Swedish woman to make the trip alone.
She planted a flag at the pole that read: "Connect with your inner explorer".
She now will begin the journey back to the coast, which she estimates will only take two weeks thanks to the help of a kite and favourable winds.
His head is pointing the wrong way! ;)
(q: anyone know how to flip a picture using HTML?)
Can’t say I blame her for trying to get as far as possible away from her own country.
But, both hands are pointing North.
You just gave me an idea. Since there are no Muslim rapefugees at the South Pole then we should send them all there. A win for everybody. Well maybe not for the rapefugees but we can send a reporter down there in a few months or years to ask them how it worked out.
Just trying to avoid the lutefisk
She headed straight south for 38 days, then instantly reversed course.
They never show the compass as they move around it.
Good for her, but that figures out to a shade over 1% better. Not sure that is “smashing”.
There are many people who believe the South Pole does not exist
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