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Previous crossings and attempts to cross
1911-12: Wilhelm Filchner.
The German explorer, Wilhelm Filchner organised an expedition to
see whether the Ross and Weddell seas were separated by a land bridge
or by frozen seas. But no sooner was his equipment unloaded on to
the ice shelf, it began to break up. The men only just managed to
save enough material to build a new cabin further away and at a
higher point. They were forced to spend the winter there, but were
unable to undertake their perilous attempt to cross the continent.
1914-17: Ernest Shackleton.
The first attempt to cross the whole Antarctic continent on foot
by the Irish explorer, Ernest Shackleton. He failed because his
ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the ice of the Weddell Sea.
1957-58: Vivian Fuchs.
Successful crossing with sno-cats in 99 days by the New Zealand
explorer, Vivian Fuchs. The expedition was supported by ultramodern
equipment (20 tons of material transported by six tracked vehicles),
including re-supply posts, the construction of relay cabins, planes
and a support team directed by Sir Edmund Hillary (conqueror of
Everest in 1953) which left from the other side of the continent
(Ross Sea) to meet up with the team that left from the Weddell Sea.
1980-81: Ranulph Fiennes.
The madcap project of a Briton who took it into his head to go round
the world via the two poles. And so to cross Antarctica by skidoo.
Ranulph Fiennes, Charles Burton and Oliver Shepherd left the Sanae
base to go to the South Pole before going back down to the American
base at McMurdo. This was the first successful motorised crossing
achieved without outside help; it lasted 67 days.
1989-90: Jean-Louis Etienne and Will Steger.
The French doctor, Jean-Louis Etienne and the American explorer,
Will Steger, along with 4 companions, made the longest entire crossing
of the 6th continent using support from the air and dog sleds. Their
route took them from the Antarctic peninsula to the Russian Mirnyy
research station (Wilkes Land) via the South Pole, making a total
journey of 6400 km in 213 days.
1989-90: Reinhold Messner.
Reinhold Messner and Arved Fuchs crossed Antarctica in 92 days using
supplies dropped by plane, from the Ronne ice-shelf to the Ross
Sea, making 2400 km in all.
1992-93: Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud.
This time, Fiennes was attempting to cross Antarctica with Mike
Stroud, without assistance, going from Berkner Island to McMurdo.
They were forced to abandon their attempt on the Ross ice-shelf,
500 km from their objective. This adventure led to the best-selling
book, Mind over Matter.
1995-96: Børge Ousland.
Starting from Berkner Island, the Norwegian adventurer, Børge
Ousland, managed to reach the South Pole alone without help. Soon
after leaving the South Pole to make the whole journey across to
McMurdo, he was forced to give up.
1996-97: Marek Kaminski.
The Pole, Marek Kaminski, who left Berkner Island alone to cross
the entire continent, was forced to stop at the South Pole having
covered 1400 km on skis in 53 days.
1996-97: Ranulph Fiennes.
An attempt to make a solo crossing without fresh supplies from Berkner
Island. Had to abandon his attempt due to health reasons after 15
days.
1996-97: Børge Ousland.
Succeeded in making the first full crossing of the Antarctic on
foot, skis and by parafoil, although the route taken by Ousland
is shorter than the one to be taken by Hubert and Dansercoer. Ousland
went from Berkner Island to the Ross Sea, covering 2845 km in 64
days, without fresh supplies. |
