Return trip Novolazarevskaya - South Pole using all-terrain vehicles
Published on 28.11.2010 - Arctic Trucks Expeditions 2010
Times change, techniques too. Today, you can travel from the Antarctic Coast to the South Pole and back in an all-terrain vehicle. The round trip takes about a week!
The first expedition that is making use of the Arctic Trucks logistics this season is an Indian scientific exhibition that is believed to be taking regular readings of the thickness of the snow all along the route – i.e. from the Russian Novolazarevskaya Base (on Queen Maud Land) to the South Pole and back.
For this journey, four specially prepared and equipped Hilux AT44 vehicles are being used. As this is the third year that the Arctic Trucks Company is operating on the 6th Continent, they have obtained the Russians’ permission to park the vehicles that they don’t repatriate for possible mechanical alterations at their Novo base for the winter.
Having left on 13 November with the Indian researchers on board, they arrived at the Pole on the 21st, after refuelling twice. They have covered an average of 400 kilometres per day, have had few breakdowns and have travelled at an average speed varying between 25 and 50 kph.
The only accident was a minor collision between two vehicles (on the way back from the Pole); the 4x4 in front having suddenly stopped in such a way that the one behind had been unable to slow down in time.
Perhaps before long we’ll have to get the polar researchers to draw up a Highway Code just for the 6th Continent! Not certain that the volunteers would be breaking down the door….
On Sunday, 28 November, the convoy was not yet back at Novolazarevskaya.
