List of Antarctic cycling expeditions

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Antarctic cycling expeditions were made possible with the development of fatbikes: fat tired bicycles designed for riding in snow and sand.

Expeditions

Expeditions in descending order of distance cycled.

NameMode of TravelDistance by BikeSupportNotes
Juan Menéndez Granados Ski and Bicycle775 miles (1,247 km) [1] Solo Hercules Inlet to South Pole, 2014
Daniel P. Burton Bicycle775 miles (1,247 km) [2] Solo, food dropsHercules Inlet to South Pole, 2013–14
Sean TaitBicycle560 miles (897 km)Solo
Omar Di Felice Bicycle445 miles (716 km) [3] SoloStarting at Hercules Inlet, 2023
Maria Leijerstam Tricycle396 miles (637 km) [4] Solo (partial logistical support)Followed the South Pole Traverse, 2013
Keith TuffleyBicycle and Skis385 miles (620 km)Unsupported, with two other team members on skisRoss Ice Shelf to South Pole via a new route on Reedy Glacier, 2016-17
Eric Larsen (Polar Explorer) Bicycle335 miles (539 km) [5] Solo, food dropsStarting at Hercules Inlet, 2012
Doug StoupBicycle200 miles (320 km) [6] SoloHeritage range, 2003
Helen Skelton Kite, Ski, Bicycle103 miles (166 km) [7] Motorized supportnon coastal starting location, 2012

Doug Stoup was the first person to undertake a cycling expedition in Antarctica. In January 2003 he rode 200 miles (320 km) on a specially designed "ice bike" around the Patriot Hills. [8] [9]

In 2012, Helen Skelton became the first person to reach the South Pole using a bicycle. The bike was custom built for her trip with 8-inch-wide (20 cm) tires. She also used skis and a kite to help her pull a sled containing 82 kilograms (181 lb) of supplies. [10] She covered 329 miles (529 km) by kite ski, 103 mi (166 km) by bike and 69 mi (111 km) by cross-country ski. Some of Skelton's claims have been challenged. [11]

In December 2012, Eric Larsen made the first attempt to undertake an expedition solely by bicycle to the South Pole. After covering 175 miles (282 km), a quarter of the distance to the South Pole, Larsen abandoned his attempt and cycled an additional 160 miles (260 km) back to Patriot Hills. [12]

On 27 December 2013, Maria Leijerstam became the first person to cycle from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. Her journey commenced from near McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf and accessed the Polar Plateau via the Leverett Glacier. Maria also established the human-powered speed record of 10 days, 14 hours, and 56 minutes [13]

Juan Menéndez Granados, calling himself "Juan Sin Miedo", started his bicycle and ski expedition at Hercules Inlet in December 2013 and finished on January 17, 2014. He traveled the full distance without being resupplied, surviving the last 4 days of the expedition drinking chocolate powder and sunflower oil. When it was not possible to progress by cycling, he used skis to make progress. He became the first person to cycle to the South Pole solo, unsupported and unassisted. [14]

Daniel Burton attempted a solo cycling expedition to the South Pole later in 2014, although there were four caches of food staged along the route, as well as an equipment cache. Burton traveled the full distance pedaling or pushing his bike (without skis such as Menéndez used). His effort took 5 days longer than Menéndez'. [15]

In 2026-17, Keith Tuffley became the first person to cycle a new route to the South Pole. He cycled from the coast of Antarctica on the Ross Ice Shelf to the top of the Reedy Glacier and through the Trans-Antarctic Mountains - this was first ever traverse of the Reedy Glacier. For the first 21 days of the expedition (distance of 377km, to an altitude of 2,846m), 81% of the distance was completed on the bike and 19% on skis. For the remaining 13 days (244km) to the South Pole, the majority was on skis. In total, he traveled 621km, 51% of which was completed by bike (315km), 49% on skis. The expedition was unsupported and unassisted (no food drops, no access to a compacted ice road or to vehicle tracks). He completed the expedition together with polar guide Eric Phillips and Robert Smith who were both on skis. [16]

Omar Di Felice attempted a solo cycling expedition to the South Pole first in November 2022 but it was forced to come back home after a week due to family problem. After winning the Trans Am Bike Race in June 2023, he decided to come back trying to reach the South Pole starting from Hercules Inlet in November 2023. He started on November 20th and after 48 days of riding he was forced to stop and cycle back to be picked up in Thiels Corner (85°05' South on the Hercules Inlet - South Pole track). His attempt called "Antarctica Unlimited" is also part of the project "Bike to 1.5°C" to raise awareness on climate change. The distance he covered is the second longest ever cycled in Antarctica [17]

Related Research Articles

Transport in Antarctica has transformed from explorers crossing the isolated remote area of Antarctica by foot to a more open era due to human technologies enabling more convenient and faster transport, predominantly by air and water, but also by land as well. Transportation technologies on a remote area like Antarctica need to be able to deal with extremely low temperatures and continuous winds to ensure the travelers' safety. Due to the fragility of the Antarctic environment, only a limited amount of transport movements can take place and sustainable transportation technologies have to be used to reduce the ecological footprint. The infrastructure of land, water and air transport needs to be safe and sustainable. Currently thousands of tourists and hundreds of scientists a year depend on the Antarctic transportation system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Børge Ousland</span> Norwegian polar explorer, photographer and writer

Børge Ousland is a Norwegian polar explorer. He was the first person to cross Antarctica solo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patriot Hills Base Camp</span> Antarctic Camp

Patriot Hills Base Camp was a private seasonally occupied camp in Antarctica. It was located in the Heritage Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, next to the Patriot Hills that gave it its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Pole</span> Southernmost point on Earth

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipodally on the opposite side of Earth from the North Pole, at a distance of 20,004 km in all directions. It is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface.

Tarka Michel Bernard L'Herpiniere is a British explorer, ultra-endurance athlete, motivational speaker, and filmmaker who holds several endurance records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Copeland</span> British-American-French photographer, polar explorer, author, lecturer, and activist

Sebastian Copeland is a British-American-French photographer, polar explorer, author, lecturer, and environmental advocate. He has led numerous expeditions in the polar regions to photograph and film endangered environments. In 2017, Copeland was named one of the world's top 25 adventurers of the last 25 years by Men's Journal. He is a fellow of The Explorers Club. His documentary Into the Cold was a featured selection at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD timed to Earth Day 2011.

Hercules Inlet is a large, narrow, ice-filled inlet which forms a part of the southwestern margin of the Ronne Ice Shelf. It is bounded on the west by the south-eastern flank of the Heritage Range, and on the north by Skytrain Ice Rise. Hercules Inlet marks the southern end of Zumberge Coast and the northwestern end of Queen Elizabeth Land. The inlet was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for the LC-130 Hercules aircraft used by the U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, as a photographic and load carrying plane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Glacier Camp</span> Antarctic seasonal camp

The Union Glacier Camp is the only private seasonally occupied camp site located in Ellsworth Land in Antarctica. The camp is located in the Heritage Range, below the Ellsworth Mountains, on Union Glacier, that gives the camp its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felicity Aston</span> British adventurer/climate scientist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatbike</span> Style of bicycles with oversized tires

A fatbike is an off-road bicycle built to accommodate oversized tyres, typically 3.8 in (97 mm) or larger and rims 2.16 in (55 mm) or wider, designed for low ground pressure to allow riding on soft, unstable terrain, such as snow, sand, bogs and mud. Fatbikes are built around frames with wide forks and stays to accommodate the space required to fit these wide rims and tires. The wide tires can be used with inflation pressures as low as 34 kPa; 0.34 bar (5 psi) to allow for a smooth ride over rough obstacles. A rating of 55–69 kPa; 0.55–0.69 bar (8–10 psi) is suitable for most riders. Fatbikes were developed for use in snow or sand, but are capable of traversing diverse terrain types including snow, sand, desert, bogs, mud, pavement, or traditional mountain biking trails.

The Willis Resilience Expedition was a scientific and exploratory program in Antarctica from November 2013 to January 2014. The goal of the expedition was to gain a better understanding of the changes to Earth's climate due to global warming and weather-related phenomenon. Announced in August 2013, the expedition was led by explorers Douglas Stoup and Parker Liautaud, a polar adventurer and environmental campaigner. The expedition was underwritten by the Willis Group, a risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker.

Sobral Scientific Base was a permanent, all year-round and now only partially active Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station named after Argentine polar explorer and scientist José María Sobral. It is located on the Filchner Ice Shelf.

Ryan Waters is an American mountaineer, mountaineering guide, and polar skiing guide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Burton</span> American bicycle enthusiast

Daniel Paul Burton is an American bicycle enthusiast from Eagle Mountain, Utah, and the first person to complete an expedition from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole by bicycle.

Eric Larsen is an American Polar adventurer known for his expeditions to the North Pole, South Pole, and Mount Everest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Leijerstam</span> British polar adventurer (born 1978)

Maria Leijerstam is a British polar adventurer. In 2013 she became the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent. Leijerstam started her expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf at the edge of the Antarctic continent, and cycled for 10 to 17 hours each day with no rest days, and the total distance cycled was 638 km (396 mi). Leijerstam's cycle was a three wheeled design, and she reached the pole faster than any previous skiing expedition.

Luke Robertson is a British and Scottish explorer, adventurer, endurance athlete and motivational speaker.

Juan Menéndez Granados is a Spanish adventure cyclist known for solo bicycle expeditions in remote locations around the world. As a youth, Juan had a passion for adventure. He has pedaled his way through the Amazon jungle, the Australian desert, the Siberian tundra, the Andes, the Canadian Arctic, and Antarctica. Later on, as well in Atacama Desert, Mongolia, Patagonia, United States and Australia again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preet Chandi</span> British Army officer, explorer (b. 1988/89)

Harpreet Kaur "Preet" Chandi is a British physiotherapist and British Army medical officer who completed a solo expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole, finishing on 3 January 2022. In January 2023, she recorded the longest ever solo and unsupported polar expedition.

References

  1. ↑ Cathy Allred - Daily Herald (2014-01-29). "Eagle Mountain man first to ride bike to South Pole". Heraldextra.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  2. ↑ "South Pole Epic by dpburton at Garmin Connect - Details". Connect.garmin.com. 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  3. ↑ "Omar Di Felice termina la traversata in Antartide | Antarctica Unlimited". RaiNews.it. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  4. ↑ "IceCycle | World first cycle to the South Pole 2013". Whiteicecycle.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  5. ↑ "Polar explorer falls short of South Pole cycling goal but sets world record". GrindTV.com. 2013-01-16. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  6. ↑ Winterman, Denise (2012-01-03). "BBC News - Polar challenge: How do you cycle to the South Pole?". Bbc.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  7. ↑ "BBC News - Blue Peter's Helen Skelton reaches South Pole". Bbc.co.uk. 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  8. ↑ "Douglas Stoup".
  9. ↑ "BBC News - Polar challenge: How do you cycle to the South Pole?". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08.
  10. ↑ "Helen Skelton plans South Pole mission". BBC News. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  11. ↑ "Explorersweb".
  12. ↑ "Longest bicycle journey in Antarctica: Eric Larsen breaks Guinness world record".
  13. ↑ "Home". whiteicecycle.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  14. ↑ "¡Reto superado! Juan Menéndez Granados llega al Polo Sur en bicicleta". 18 January 2014.
  15. ↑ West, Cycling (5 June 2014). "Utah's Daniel Burton Becomes First Person to Ride to the South Pole - Cycling West - Cycling Utah" . Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  16. ↑ "Why Keith Tuffley decided to cycle to the South Pole". Australian Financial Review. 2017-02-09. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  17. ↑ "Italian ultra-endurance cyclist returns to Antarctica crossing where isolation is the enemy". TheGuardian.com . 4 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
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