NEWS

News in this edition:
40-01. Death Mars 'Mission Antarctica' Season.
40-02. Yacht Beset, Damaged, North Of Adelie Land.
40-03. Trekkers Miss 'Khlebnikov', Position, Plans Unknown.
40-04. No Formal Arrangements Made By NAE For 'Khlebnikov' Pick-Up.
40-05. Peninsula Trekkers, Kayakers, Make Good Progress.
40-06. Wind, Snow Conditions, Dogg 'Your Expedition' Pair.
40-07. Multi-Hulled Race Boats Crossing Sub-Antarctic Waters.
40-08. Last Of Season's Traverses Reach Pole.
40-09. Bicycle Attempt Deferred, Further Adventures Proposed.
40-10. 'Southern Challenge' Group Commences Mount Roots Attempt.
40-11. Fourth Antarctic Marathon Set For Next Week.
40-12. World Flight Targetting November-December for KGI Visit.
40-13. Coming Events Relevant to Non-Government Activities.

IN READING PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is produced in the interest of improved information sharing in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic community. Inclusion of information in it should not be taken to imply endorsement, by the publishers of ANAN News, of any company, program or associated activity that is listed, nor that the activity has necessarily completed all environmental impact assessments required under the legislation of the 'home' nation concerned.

A crew member of the 'Mission Antarctica' yacht '2041' collapsed as the vessel was crossing the Drake Passage on 25 January en route to King George Island (KGI) in the South Shetlands. Despite the efforts of the eleven others on board, and medical advice received from the U.K. via satellite telephone, the women, Philippa Gregory, 26, died later that day of what some media outlets have speculated was natural causes, although until a post-mortem and coronial inquest are completed the precise reasons for her death will not be known.

At the time of the incident, the twenty-two metre '2041' was headed south on the second of three voyages from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctic Peninsula planned for this austral summer season by 'Mission Antarctica'; its first stop being the Russian national program station Bellingshausen on KGI which is the focus of the group's current activities. The yacht first visited KGI in March 2000 and it had returned to Ushuaia early this month following further operations in the north-west Antarctic Peninsula region in December (ANAN-38/06, 3 January 2001).

Following Ms Gregory's collapse, a distress call from the yacht was answered by the British Royal Naval ship 'Endurance' which was in the general vicinity. A Doctor from 'Endurance' was flown to the yacht by helicopter soon after in whatwere said to be difficult conditions, however on arrival he found that Ms Gregory had already died.

Reports indicate the body was subsequently taken by '2041' to Bellingshausen and that it was flown from Chile's Tenente Marsh airfield on KGI to the Falkland Islands on 26 January on a specially chartered aircraft.

The other nine passengers on the yacht were flown from Marsh to Punta Arenas, Chile, the following day, and they are believed to have since returned to their homes in Australia, Canada, Columbia, and Ireland. All were members of the world-wide Royal and SunAlliance insurance company which is one of Mission Antarctica's major sponsors.

This was the second time 'Mission Antarctica' has been involved in an evacuation by air this season, the first being in early December when a passenger on the yacht dislocated his elbow in a fall and on medical advice was flown to Ushuaia from Marsh.

Following the departure of the insurance company's staffers, '2041' subsequently left KGI on the 29th bound for Ushuaia with only its professional crew of three on board. Mission Antarctica told ANAN today that the yacht is scheduled to set out from Ushuaia again on 18 February on the group's third and final voyage of the season.

A key part of Mission Antarctica's aims is to assist the Russian Government in its efforts to remove and recycle some 1,000 tonnes of rubbish from Bellingshausen. Ms Gregory's death comes at a time when the group is developing detailed plans to undertake the work involved early in 2002.

Six people associated with the non-government group, including its Managing Director Adrian Evans, staffer 'Bronco' Lane, and representatives of some of Mission Antarctica's other corporate sponsors in the U.K. and The Netherlands, visited Argentina, Chile and Bellingshausen between 5 and 20 January to undertake a range of discussions and assessments prior to final plans being drawn up for next January's proposed operations. One of those involved was from the Dutch shipping company Wijsmuller, operator of a fleet of 140 vessels world-wide which are engaged in salvage and off-shore support, deep-sea and anchor-handling, and port operations.

'Mission Antarctica' said in an announcement on its web site that during their visit to Buenos Aires the group was to investigate 'the implications' of transporting the Bellingshausen rubbish to the Argentinian capital from KGI as well as its storage there. The statement went on to say that discussions were to be held with waste management companies in Buenos Aires to try and ensure that the rubbish was recycled and disposed of in a 'safe and environmentally sound way'.

The team's visit to and from KGI was made by air from Punta Arenas, Chile (ANAN-17/03, 15 March 2000). While at Bellingshauen the six were to 'review the current state of the waste [and] conduct further discussions with Russian personnel regarding [its] removal'.

Since its return the group involved has had little chance to focus on detailed planning for 2001-02 operations and the loss of Ms Gregory soon after its arrival back in the U.K. would have further delayed consideration of the issues involved at this time.

[ANAN-40/01]

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The yacht 'Spirit of Sydney', which was beset in pack ice north of Adelie Land for several days early this week, was released late on Tuesday following an easing of ice conditions. The nineteen metre craft, which was on a voyage from Commonwealth Bay in George V Land to Hobart, Australia, suffered damaged during the besetment and it is expected to rendezvous with the French national program vessel 'L'Astrolabe' late today Australian time as a precautionary measure.

'Spirit', which is owned and operated by the Australian company 'Ocean Frontiers' (ANAN-36/06, 6 December 2000), left Hobart on 11 January with ten people on board on what is her eighth voyage to Commonwealth Bay in the last six years; eight of the crew paying some $US5,000 to take part in the voyage. A difficult time was experienced en route south due to weather and sea conditions, and it took two weeks, or five days longer than has been normal, to reach the vicinity of the Antarctic continental shelf north of Commonwealth Bay where the first pack ice was encountered.

A further four days were needed to penetrate some eighty kilometres of pack ice of up to nine and ten tenths concentration before open water in Commonwealth Bay was reached. After a very short stay there, during which no landings were made on the continent, 'Spirit' headed north for Hobart last Sunday but soon encountered heavy ice and was quickly beset, although the exact nature of the ice in the vicinity of the craft at the time is unclear.

In the first few hours after it was immobilised, the yacht suffered damage to its steering system and propellor, and small leaks were later reported to have developed in its ten millimetre thick aluminium hull due to ice pressure, although the yacht's pumps were able to deal safely with the situation. Soon after it became beset the crew prepared safety and survival gear on the deck of the yacht in order that they could abandon 'Spirit' at short notice should the need arise.

An emergency beacon was set off by the yacht late on Monday evening due to concern on board that the craft was then in imminent danger as ice conditions had deteriorated further. At around the same time the satellite communications link between the yacht and Ocean Frontier's Headquarters in Australia failed, and there was concern for a short time that the vessel may have foundered and that its occupants were on the ice. The satcomm link was restored very shortly after however and the beacon turned off as the danger had eased, however the yacht was still unable to move.

Soon after 'Spirit of Sydney' got into difficulties, 'Ocean Frontiers' contacted the Australian Search and Rescue Centre (AusSAR) in Canberra to advise of the situation. AusSAR is responsible under several international agreements for the management and coordination of search and rescue responses over vast areas of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans.

AusSAR quickly assessed the potential sea and air assets that might be available to assist the sticken yacht. Fortuitously the French national program vessel 'L'Astrolabe', which was on a voyage between Hobart and Dumont d'Urville station on the coast of Adelie Land, was only two days travel away, and AusSAR requested that it head for the yacht's position. The tourist vessel 'Kapitan Khlebnikov' is also due in the area but not until around 5 February (see ANAN-40/04 following), however normally there are only spasmodic visits made by vessels to that region of the Southern Ocean, even at the height of summer.

Following a report that 'Spirit of Sydney' was taking water late on Tuesday, AusSAR placed a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Hercules aircraft on standby in case an air drop of emergency equipment was required. Simultaneously the search and rescue body request that the Australian Antarctic Division prepare appropriate survival equipment for such an eventuality. This was done late on Tuesday evening and the materials were flown from Hobart by chartered aircraft to an RAAF base near Sydney for preparation into suitable drop packages.

The ice situation quickly changed for the better late on Tuesday however and following an easing in pressure 'Spirit' was released and was then able to slowly manouevre northwards. Reports today indicate that partial repairs have now been made to its steerage system such that it can manouevre at sea, but that additional work to further improve that system is underway. All engine systems are said to be working well and the craft has normal power supplies, however the propellor has been damaged and the yacht will have to operate under sail only for the remainder of its voyage. All sails and sail systems are reported to be fully operational. The leaks in the hull have reportedly been sealed, although precise details are unavailable.

Further assessments of the Spirit's condition will be made during the time it is with 'L'Astrolabe' over the next day or so, and decisions taken on how the yacht's voyage will proceed from there.

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Eirik Sønneland and Rolf Bae, the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (NAE) pair who are involved in a surprise attempt to trek across Antarctica, had not arrived at Ross Island by the time the tourist vessel 'Kapitan Khlebnikov' left the area yesterday (see ANAN-40/04 following). Despite numerous attempts over the last two weeks by national program representatives from several countries and others including ANAN to obtain up-dated information on the venture, nothing is known at this time about the location of the two men, their status, or their travel arrangements for departure from Antarctica at the end of their trek.

Satellite communications and positioning equipment which Eirik and Rolf are carrying with them have only been giving spasmodic position information since mid-November, with only two reports having been received via those systems since the 22nd of that month.

All that is known is that neither of the men have set off their emergency beacons and it is assumed that they are therefore still on their way to Ross Island. It is now 102 days since the pair left their wintering base Troll in Dronning Maud Land and their supplies will therefore be getting low if their journey is, as they have indicated previously, being undertaken without resupply en route (ANAN-33/07, 25 October 2000).

The last report on the pair that was provided by NAE headquarters in Norway was, as reported in ANAN-39 two weeks ago, on 11 January. It suggested that they were then at the top of the Axel Heiberg Glacier and were probably about to travel down it to the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), from where they would ski the final 600 km of their journey to Ross Island (ANAN-39/09, 17 January 2001). Sønneland and Bae had surprised everyone when they unexpectedly continued past the Pole towards Ross Island late last month (ANAN-38/02, 3 January 2001).

Over the past week or more, automatic weather stations operated by the U.S. national program on the RIS in the vicinity of the two men's route have indicated that winds in the area have generally been light. This suggests that the men have probably only been able to use their parasails infrequently, if at all. As a result, they would have had to make progress primarily by man hauling, and thus would have only been able to travel 25-30 km a day rather than the 70-100 km or more that would have been possible had parasail use been possible on a regular basis (ANAN-36/01, 6 December 2000). The pair needed to average 40-50 km travel per day over the last two weeks if they were to be able to arrive at Ross Island in time to board 'Khlebnikov' (ANAN-39/09, 17 January 2001).

While it is very difficult to estimate just where Sønneland and Bae are at this time, it seems likely if all is well, that they could arrive at one of the national program stations on Ross Island anytime in next week to ten days. Should they be able to achieve that they would be there before the scheduled arrival of New Zealand company Heritage Expedition's tourist vessel 'Akademic Shokalskiy' on 14 February and the Australian company 'Ocean Frontiers' 'Sir Hubert Wilkins' ('SHW') around 20-22 February. No other non-government vessels are expected to be operating in the Ross Island area for the remainder of the current austral summer.

The operators of both vessels say they still have no knowledge of the Norwegian's intentions or requirements regarding transport from Antarctica, and a spokesperson for Heritage Expeditions told ANAN today that their vessel was already at its SOLAS limit for the voyage.

In addition both vessels are ice strengthened but are not icebreakers and are thus unlikely to be able to get close to either McMurdo station of Scott Base, although 'SHW' carries a single Hughes 300 helicopter while 'Shokalskiy' has on board two as yet untried all-terrain vehicles for transport over fast ice if conditions are suitable (ANAN-17/04, 15 March 2000).

Reports indicate that it has been a particularly heavy season for ice in the Ross Sea this austral summer (ANAN-39/02 and 39/03, 17 January 2001). The German company Halpag-Lloyd's vessel 'Bremen', which was to visit the Ross Sea as part of a circumnavigation from New Zealand to South America (ANAN-37/06, 20 December 2000), is believed to have abandoned its plan to visit the area in mid-month because of the ice conditions that then prevailed as it approached the region from New Zealand.

The only other option that appears to be available by which Sønneland and Bae could leave Antarctica prior to winter setting in is if they are flown from Ross Island to Christchurch, New Zealand, on aircraft operated by either the U.S. or N.Z. national programs. While in the end they may have little choice but to provide such transport, U.S. authorities have made their policy on such matters very clear for many years, and it is almost certain in such a situation that the NAE would be required to pay for the costs involved.

Such a scenario would also be likely to result in a detailed consideration of such issues within the wider Antarctic Treaty System over the next six months or more.

[ANAN-40/03]

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No formal arrangements were ever agreed to between by the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (NAE) and the U.S. tour operator Quark for its ship 'Kapitan Khlebnikov' to retrieve trekkers Eirik Sønneland and Rolf Bae from Ross Island this week according to a spokesperson for the tour company. Using advice provided by the company, ANAN reported in its last edition that the expedition had 'arranged to be picked up from Ross Island by ['Khlebnikov']', however Quark contacted ANAN yesterday to clarify its position on the matter.

Quark spokeswomen Erica Wikander told ANAN that while her company had been approached some time ago about carriage of the trekkers from Antarctica on 'Khlebnikov', and that it had replied with 'in principle' approval provided satisfactory arrangements could be agreed to with the NAE, no further communications have been received from the expedition about its requirements.

NAE headquarters have clearly indicated on several occasions, without stating a name, that a ship that was to be off Ross Island in late January was expected to carry its trekkers from Antarctica. 'Khlebnikov' was the only non-government vessel scheduled to be in that area at that time. By the time the ship left McMurdo station yesterday afternoon however the two men had not arrived and both Quark headquarters and ship-based personnel, as well as national program representatives at McMurdo station and Scott Base, had received no indications of the men's location, status or plans (see ANAN-40/03 preceding).

Erica went on to say that in the limited correspondence that took place between her company and the NAE, Quark had made it clear to the expedition group that in any event the nature of tour operations was such that 'Khlebnikov' would not be able to wait at Ross Island for the pair should they not be there, or very close by, when the ship was ready to leave the area.

Since leaving McMurdo station yesterday, the ice breaker has travelled north and was anticipating being in the Cape Hallett area some 600 km north of Ross Island today. By early next week it is scheduled to be even further away off the coast of George V and Adelie Lands (see ANAN-40/02 preceding), and will then head for Hobart, Australia, via sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island to complete its three-voyage season in Antarctica.

[ANAN-40/04]

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Reports indicate that two small expedition groups, one which is attempting to undertake an unsupported sledging journey along the spine of the Antarctic Peninsula, and the other a 700 km kayak traverse down the Peninsula's west coast, have started their programs and that both are currently making good progress as they head south.

The sledging journey is being conducted under the title 'Expedition Antarctic Peninsula' and involves two Australians, Jay Watson, Peter Bland (ANAN-33/08, 25 October 2000), while the kayaking venture is being undertakn by three New Zealanders, Graham Charles, Marcus Waters and Mark Jones (ANAN-35/06, 22 November 2000).

Both groups commenced their journeys from Hope Bay on the north-east tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Australians, who travelled south on the commercially operated yacht 'Tooluka' (ANAN-33/13, 25 October 2000) were landed there on 12 January, while the Kiwis arrived there on the schooner 'Seamaster' on the 16th (ANAN-35/07, 22 November 2000).

The last report available on Watson and Bland's progress which was dated 25 January, said that the two men had just reached, or where about to reach, the north-eastern tip of the Detriot Plateau, and that they were preparing to start the trek south over the relatively flat terrain from there.

Jay and Peter's route from Hope Bay involved man hauling their kayaks as sleds up the Depot Glacier and down the Mondo Glacier to Duse Bay. There they started out over the fast ice before changing to kayak mode as water opened up in front of them, however the pack then thwarted their progress and change rapidly, necessitating what was described as 'a desparate overnight paddle to reach Vega Island', which was then the nearest land.

After camping on Vega Island, the pair island-hopped from there towards the Victory Glacier on the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Wary of their previous troubles with the pack ice they man hauled most of the night to ensure they reached the mainland before any further changes in ice conditions occured.

The first three days of the climb up the glacier towards the Detriot Plateau involved relatively easy going and it was straight-forward to skirt around what were described as the glacier's 'enormous crevasses'. The final push onto the plateau itself was not so easy however and it took two 'arduous days' using packs and a pulley system to relay loads of equipment up near vertical ice falls before both men and their equipment weresafely on the plateau.

Soon after they completed that work a sixty knot blizzard pinned the men down and they were unable to move for at least several days.

The New Zealanders set off on their journey on 17 January after a day-long visit to Argentina's Esperanza station in Hope Bay.

Over the next week the three men paddled along the coast of the Peninsula, visiting Gourdin Island, the Chilean national program station Bernado O´Higgins, the Cockerell Penninsula, Duparc Rocks, Lancaster and Curtis Bays and Cuverville Island. The landing at Duparac Rocks was described as a 'lucky' landing in swell, at Lancaster Bay surfing conditions were experienced, while at Cuverville Island conditions were good enough for the kayakers to have a swim. The last report available says that Sprightly Island in Hughes Bay was reached on the evening of 29 January and that the half-way point of the proposed Peninsula journey had been passed.

A report on the expedition's web site says that the men are finding the long exposed sections of the route quite 'nerve wracking' for the weather frequently changes with snow and high winds often being experienced, however the boats are said to be performing well, although the three layers of kevlar in their bows 'is taking a hammering in the ice'.

During the journey to date, which has involved days as long as fourteen hours, the kayakers have had to deal with a variety of ice conditions. They were forced to wait a day at Gourdin Island after the bay off-shore of where they camped filled with ice overnight making departure impossible, and they were also said to have had to push through five kilometre of heavy brash ice to reach Sprightly Island where 'Tooluka' established a food depot for them on 16 January.

Original plans were for that depot be placed on the Whittle Peninsula however the yacht, which is currently shadowing the two Australian trekkers and is also monitoring the kayaker's progress, was blocked by ice conditions and Sprightly was selected as an alternative for the depot.

Communications between the paddlers and the outside world is limited to radio calls to passing ships using 'emergency and pre-arranged frequencies' where possible, although 'Tooluka' is known to have a regular radio schedule with the kayakers, although how often that occurs is not known.

'Tooluka' is scheduled to pick up the kayakers at the end of their journey late next month and return them to Ushuaia, Argentina (ANAN-33/13, 25 October 2000).

[ANAN-40/05]

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Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen, the two members of the 'Your Expedition' venture who are attempting to trek cross the Antarctic continent this austral summer, have been dogged by light winds and soft snow conditions since they left the Pole on 18 January. While the two women could still complete their trek before the end of the current season, they face a formidable task as temperatures fall and the weather deteriorates with the approach of the Antarctic winter.

The two women reached the Pole on 16 January (ANAN-39/08, 17 January 2001), and left after a stay of just under two days. During their time there they were reported to have had showers, talked to the world media via their Iridium satellite telephone, picked up a resupply of food, fuel and equiment depoted there earlier this season by commercial air operator Adventure Network International (ANI), and, like the Norwegians trekkers Eirik Sønneland and Rolf Bae in late December, provided the staff at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station with a talk about their experiences during the journey from DronningMaud Land.

When Bancroft and Arnsesen left the Pole after the resupply, their sleds were reported to have weighed close to 109 Kg, which is only slightly less than the 113 Kg they pulled from 'Blue 1' at the start of their trek (ANAN-35/01, 22 November 2000). When they left 'Blue 1' their trip to the Pole was scheduled to last sixty days (it actually took sixty-three days), while the journey to Ross Island is put by the pair's expedition headquarters as requiring in the order of forty days.

Ann and Liv had by Tuesday evening travelled 312 km north from the Pole at an average of twenty-eight kilometres a day, which is about half the speed they need to maintain if they are to reach Ross Island before season's end. On six of the eleven days involved there was insufficient wind for them to use their parasails effectively, and the distances achieved on those days was made primarily by them hauling their sleds behind them. Since last Sunday however, sufficient wind has been available for the pair to use their parasails, and 172 km was made from then to Tuesday evening, the best day being Monday when ninety-two kilometres were covered.

On Tuesday evening the two women were still on the continental plateau at an elevation of 2,960 m above sea level and had a further 1,091 km to travel before they reach Ross Island. As a result of advice provided to them by a number of people familar with the area, the two women have decided to descend from the plateau to the Ross Ice Shelf via the Shackleton Glacier. Previously their plan involved using the Axel Heiberg glacier, however the Shackleton is considered by their advisors to be a safer route with less crevasses and it is felt they will be able to travel down it more quickly.

Ross Island must be reached by 22 February, for if even if their chartered ice-strengthened ship the 'Sir Hubert Wilkins' ('SHW') is able reach the Ross Island vicinity next month, the ship cannot remain in the area beyond that date as ice and weather conditions are likely to make operations in the area particularly challenging. It has been a season of heavy ice in the Ross Sea and given the ship's limited power, pack ice conditions will play a key role in dictating its movements while in the region.

If they are to meet that deadline Bancroft and Arnesen must now travel an average of at least fifty kilometres a day over the next three weeks. Like the two Norwegians ahead of them (see ANAN-40/03 preceding and ANAN-39/09, 17 January 2001), the two women must get sufficient wind in order that they can use their parasails on a regular basis. Unlike the Norwegian pair who appear to have no transport arrangements in place by which they can leave Antarctica however, the two women have in addition to the 'SHW' a back up-plan whereby ANI would fly them from Antarctica should it become necessary (ANAN-39/08, 17 January 2001).

'Sir Hubert Wilkins', which is operated by the Austraian company 'Ocean Frontiers', is due to leave Hobart for the Ross Sea on 4 February. The ship will be monitoring Bancroft and Arnesen's progress closely on its way south, and the vessel is expected to head north should it become clear that the skiers are unable to reach Ross Island by the 22 February deadline.

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The five yachts that currently make up the fleet of 'The Race', an around the world event for multi-hulls, are now crossing sub-Antarctic waters and the leader 'Club Med' is currently on course to pass through Cook Strait between the South and North Islands of New Zealand sometime in the next few days.

Given the weather conditions that have prevailed, the fleet has chosen to stay in the area between Latitudes 45° and 50° South as they travelled east, passing close to the Prince Edward and Crozet Islands, and Kerguelen. While 'Club Med' is approaching Cook Strait however, the tail ender 'Team Legato', is some 10,000 km behind and has only just passed the Prime meridian. The race leader and the second craft 'Innovation Explorer', have made very good time over the last two weeks, average around twenty-five knots during that time; although at times they are believed to have exceeded thirty knots when conditions were favourable.

Following their compulsory passage through Cook Strait, the fleet will head off towards Cape Horn and then up the Atlantic to the finishing line of the 42,000 km event off Marseilles, France (ANAN-38/01, 3 January 2001). Race organisers said before the event started that the winner of the race could complete the around the world journey in just sixty-five days.

The event's dedicated rescue boat 'Watcher', which is being stationed in South Ocean waters during the time the fleet is in that region, left Cape Town, South Africa on 25 January The boat, which is being skippered by Hervé Laurent a participant in the single-handed 'Vendee Globe' around the world race of 1997, will trail the fleet to Cape Horn and will be used by race organisers to respond should any of the multi-hulls run into difficulties.

Meanwhile only five of the yachts who are involved in this year's 'Vendee Globe 2000' event remain in Southern Ocean waters (ANAN-39/13, 17 January 2001). The last which has the name 'Modern University for Humanities' appears on course for Melbourne, Australia, another 'Aquarelle.com' is currently rounding Cape Horn and the three others are spread out between there and mid-Pacific sub-Antarctic waters.

Yachts in the third race to cross sub-Antarctic waters this season, the 'BT Global Challenge' (ANAN-30/04, 13 September 2000), are currently in Wellington, New Zealand, and are preparing for the next leg of the race.

[ANAN-40/07]

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The last two of the seven traverses that reached the South Geographic Pole (SGP) overland this austral summer arrived at their goal almost simultaneously on 20 January. The seven groups were made up of a total of at least thirty one people, although the distances they skied to Latitude 90° South varied from 100 to 1,800 km (ANAN-39/10, 17 January 2001).

The two groups who arrived on 20 January were Adventure Network International's (ANI) 'Ski South Pole' commercial group, which is thought to have been made up of three or four people, and the three remaining members of the 'Challenging Horizons' team of Jon Cook, Doug Stroup and Damien Gildea, the latter two being ANI guides.

The Horizon's group took sixty-two days to man-haul the 1,100 km from Hercules Inlet, and the ANI party probably started from the Patriot Hills although that has yet to be confirmed. Cook, Stroup and Gildea received one resupply by air during their journey, while the ANI party probably received at least two deliveries of food, fuel and other equipment on the trek south.

Altogether nine groups attempted Pole traverses this season, however two of them, Stane Klemenc who was attempting a cross of Antarctica but was quickly forced to abort his journey (ANAN-36/01, 6 December 2000), and the Wearables pair of Thomas and Tina Sjorgen (ANAN-35/05, 22 November 2000), failed to complete their planned journey to Latitude 90°. In addition blind skier Miles Hilton-Barber was also forced to withdraw from his expedition group before they reach the Pole (ANAN-38/03, 3 January 2001), and Doug Stroup had to defer his proposed bicycle attempt well before it was due to start (see ANAN-40/09 following).

The Sjorgen's were picked up by an ANI aircraft when still 260 km from the Pole on 21 January as Thomas's medical problems had not improved and the end of ANI's normal season of operations on the Antarctic plateau were fast coming to a close (ANAN-39/10 and 39/01, 17 January 2001). The pair, who were planning to undertake a trek to the North Geographic Pole this northern spring (ANAN-35/05, 22 November 2000), indicated on their web site this week that they propose to return to Antarctica late this year and will make another attempt to reach the SGP.

With the exception of the two trans-Antarctic attempts that are still underway (see ANAN-40/03 and 40/06 preceding), all other persons involved in this season's high plateau traverses have now left Antarctica.

[ANAN-40/08]

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U.S. adventurer Doug Stroup's proposal to ride his specially-designed, two-wheeled, 'polar ice bike' overland to the South Geographic Pole (SGP) from the Patriot Hills in Ellsworth Land will not go ahead this austral summer. Despite this sources indicate that the bicycle attempt remains on Stroup's agenda for a future season, and that he is also working on the development of a number of other adventure activities which might be undertaken in the southern regions between now and mid-decade.

Stroup, who over the last two months has been working as a guide for the 'Challenging Horizons' group which completed a trek to the Pole on 20 January (see ANAN-40/08 preceding), had planned to undertake his ride at the conclusion of that venture (ANAN-36/04, 6 December 2000). It became obvious in late December however, around the time blind skier Miles Hilton-Barber was forced to leave the group (ANAN-38/03, 3 January 2001), that Stroup and his two companions could not make the Pole early enough for the bicycle attempt to be completed before the end of summer on the high plateau of Antarctica.

Stroup's 'Ice Axe Expeditions' web site is currently indicating that in addition to the bicycle ride, he is developing ideas for at least three other adventures in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions over the next four to five years. One report received by ANAN has suggested that he has already attracted sponsorship interest in at least some of his plans, although considerable more work is believed to be needed before they are brought to fruition. Doug first visited Antarctica in the 1999-2000 season when he climbed and snow boarded down Vinson Massif, and later undertook similar activities in the north-west Antarctic Peninsula region (ANAN-17/02, 15 March 2000).

One of his ideas is referred to on the web site as "Beyond Endurance... 6 men, a ship, a frozen island and a mission". It is said to involve eight to ten people travelling to South Georgia on a commercial yacht followed by climbs and ski-board descents of Mounts Padget and Nordenskjold. Stroup is believed to currently be assessing all aspects of the proposal, including whether expedition activity can be relayed via streaming video on the internet, although the technical and logistics factors involved of the latter seem likely to present a major challenge.

It is understood that no approach has been made to South Georgia authorities about such a program at this time. Under arrangements put into place last year, programs like the one Stroup is considering have to be assessed by an independent group which provides advice to The Government of South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands' (GSGSSI) on the viability of activities proposed, although the GSGSSI has the final decision regarding the actual issue of the approvals that are required for such operations (ANAN-36/07, 6 December 2000).

Another venture currently listed on the web site is called "The Cold War... Antarctica Adventure Race" and is thought to involve a race of some 1,100 km overland between either the Patriot Hills or Hercules Inlet in Ellsworth Land to the South Geographic Pole by individuals either man-hauling or using some other means of limited propulsion such as parasails. A Russian non-government expedition that was proposed for the current season but failed to conduct operations, included in its prospectus plans for such an event using 'dune buggy' type vehicles (ANAN-39/01, 17 January 2001).

The third and final idea Stroup has publicly mentioned to date goes under the name "Snow Rock and Steeps... The Quest for Solar Gold". It is believed to involve activities in the Queen Fabiola Mountains of Dronning Maud Land which include climbing and snow boarding, as well as a hunt for meteorites which are believed to be the 'solar gold' referred to in the venture's title.

Meanwhile another meteorite-related venture is being proposed in early 2002 by the U.S. based, privately funded, non-profit Planetary Studies Foundation. The Foundation, which has twice before organised meteorite-related visits to Antarctica, and early last year collected twenty from the vicinity of the Patriot Hills and Thiel Mountains in Ellsworth Land (ANAN-18/04, 29 March 2000), is according to a report in the on-line newsletter 'Expedition News' (EN) late last year, currently attempting to raise around $US525,000 for the proposed program. If funds can be obtained, commercial air operator Adventure Network International seems likely to be contracted to provide the logistics support involved.

The venture's head, Professor Paul Sipiera, was reported by EN as indicating that the expledition's focus would be on an area near the Patriot Hills, and as saying that geologist and Apollo 17 astronaut Dr Harrison Schmitt, who also had a brief career as a politican in the U.S. Senate, would be a member of the field group involved. According to the EN item, Sipiera is keeping the precise area where he plans to concentrate any search in a secret, and was quoted as saying 'We have rivals [and are] afraid commercial organizations might beat us there if they knew where we were going'.

The Queen Maud Land International Expedition which has been underway over the last six weeks has also indicated that it might conduct a search for meteorites in Orvin Mountains area (ANAN-39/06, 17 January 2001), although it is not known at this time if such an activity was actually carried out.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) tabled a Working Paper at the Special Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (SATCM) held in The Hague last September (ANAN-25/04, 5 July 2000), which expressed serious concerns about the potential for 'unrestricted collection of meteorites by private expeditions'. It is understood that the SATCM agreed with SCAR's concerns and it is believed that the meeting indicated that unregulated collection of meteorites might constitute a violation of several parts of the Madrid Protocol.

At the meeting the New Zealand Delegation offered to arrange for the issues involved to be examined, and the Committee of Environmental Protection requested that it do so and reportback to its 2001 meeting on the matter. That meeting is scheduled to be held in late May and early June in St Petersberg, Russia, however as yet no firm dates for it have been announced.

[ANAN-40/09]

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The U.K. expedition 'Southern Challenge', which is attempting to climb 2,244 m Mount Roots the highest unclimbed peak on South Georgia, arrived at the island on 12 January, however as yet no word has yet been received as to whether the venture has been successful. Plans released by the expedition prior to its departure for South Georgia suggest that the attempt on the mountain should be winding down about now, although as is the case in all such ventures that time-line may have been changed for any number of reasons once the climb got underway.

A report posted on the expedition's web site on 13 January indicated that the twelve members of the expedition had arrived at King Edward Point, South Georgia, on the yacht 'Ice Maiden' on the previous day. Despite encountering two easterly gales, 'Ice Maiden' made the 1,300 km voyage to South Georgia from Stanley in the Falkland Islands in just seven days. She left U.K. for the venture last September, and was sailed to the Falklands in preparation for the program at South Georgia by a variety of crews.

The 13 January web site report also said that if conditions were suitable the climbing party were hoping to be deployed on the Nordenskjold Glacier at the base of Mount Roots later that day to start the climb (ANAN-36/07, 6 December 2000). Of those on board the yacht around half are believed to be assigned to climbing activities, while the others were to circumnavigate South Georgia in 'Ice Maiden' in the two weeks that had been allowed for the Mount Roots attempt.

Once the attempt on Mount Roots and circumnavigation were completed, if time then allowed the mountaineers were also hoping to make an attempt on Sir Ernest Shackleton's historic crossing route from King Haakon Bay to Stromness in the first week of February.

'Ice Maiden' is a three year old, seventeen metre, steel hulled sloop. She has a beam of just over six metres, weighs some twenty-eight tonnes, and was designed specially for long ocean passages. Since her construction she has sailed in several tall ship events, and made two visits to Spitsbergen in the Arctic. The yacht, which has berths for twelve persons, is on chartered from her owners for the 'Southern Challenge' expedition.

The yacht is due to leave South Georgia on 8 February, arrive back in Stanley on the 20th, and is to be sailed back to the U.K. sometime after that by other crews.

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Over 100 people who are expected to take part in the fourth Antarctic marathon and half marathons scheduled for 5 February, were due to leave Ushuaia, Argentina, late today South Americian time on the Canadian company Marine Expeditions' tourist vessel 'Lyubov Orlova'.

This year's races, which are to take place on King George Island in the South Shetlands off the Antarctic Peninsula on 5 February, have again been organised by Marathon Tours, a U.S. based company which specialises in the provision of travel and related arrangements to those interested in taking part in long-distance running events world-wide.

Next week's races are to start and finish at the Uruguayan station Artigas and pass through Russian (Bellinghausen), Chilean (Presedentie Eduardo Frei), and Chinese (Great Wall) facilities. Marathon has indicated previously that staff from the stations operate way points on the courses, provide water, medical assistance and 'supportive cheers' to participants, while some also take part in the events.

The company recently set 30 January 2002 as the date for the fifth Marathon and Half Marathons which will also be held on KGI (ANAN-25/10, 5 July 2000). Previously the races have been held bi-annually however demand by clients has led to the decision to run the event again next year.

[ANAN-40/11]

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The 'Antarctic leg' of a proposed 200,000 km, round-the-world flight which is being organised by a Saudi Arabian group, is now expected to be conducted next November-December according to its pilot Amer Khashoggi. The operation, which is to involve a round-trip flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Chile's air field on King George Island (KGI), is to be undertaken in a single-engined Cessna Grand Caravan 208B aircraft. Separate U.S. and Australian groups undertook similar visits to the Antarctic Peninsula area in the 1999-2000 season (ANAN-29/05, 30 August 2000). Khashoggi and up to three companions are currently expecting to start their world flight on 1 June.

[ANAN-40/12]

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YEAR 2001

5 February (King George Island, Antarctica)
Fourth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon.
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gilligan)

13-14 March (Cape Town, South Africa).
IHO Hydrographic Committee for Antarctica.
Contact: dir2@ihb.mc (Commodore John Leech)

May [Date to be set](St Petersburg, Russia)
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXIV

9-12 July (Washington, D.C., United States).
IAATO year 2001 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).

17-21 July (St Petersburg, Russia).
Antarctic Geodesy Symposium 2001.
Contact: aerogeodezia@actor.ru (Dr Alexander Yuskevitch)

20-24 August (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
COMNAP XIII (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).

YEAR 2002

February [Date to be set](King George Island, Antarctica)
Fifth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon.
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gilligan)

July [Dates/location to be set] (Europe).
IAATO year 2002 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).

13-18 July (Shanghai, China)
COMNAP XIV (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).

YEAR 2003

July [Dates to be set] (Seattle, United States).
IAATO year 2003 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).

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