The Moon/Regan Expedition has crossed the entire Antarctica
Published on 16.12.2010 - Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition
Moon/Regan Expedition team at the South Pole
© Moon/Regan's website
It's a success for the Moon/Regan Expedition which has crossed the Entire Antarctic with vehicles safely. They left Union Glacier to reach the bottom of the Leverett Glacier and the Ross Ice Shelf, making a stopover at the South Pole.
The Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition team have just completed the fastest ever vehicle crossing of the 6th Continent. The 10-man team left Union Glacier on 25 November and arrived on the Ross Ice Shelf on 9 December. The total distance covered was 1,945.9 kms and the total time taken was 303 hours.
Here is how they felt when they arrived on the iceshelf : "... We continued to descend through the glacier, watching the altitude drop from over 2,500m to less than 300m. Sasstruggi appearing towards the bottom of the glacier, brought in freshly by the latest storm - another reminder to us of the power nature holds here. As the glacier levelled out, we headed for our marker-post, on the floating Ross Ice Shelf, and the end of the Antarctic continent. We enjoyed the last few kilometres, delighted that at the end luck was on our side and we had made good progress once the storm had relented. The team jumped out the trucks, hugging and congratulating each other on making it and completing the Expedition’s primary goal, to cross Antarctica in wheeled-vehicles. ..."
"A personal goal for several of the team members, and particularly the Principal’s, Andrew Moon and Andrew Regan, was to cross the Ross Ice Shelf to McMurdo to visit Scott’s Huts. On this Expedition this goal eluded them, the huge delays and trying snow condition, coupled with the risk that the ice bridge to the fuel cache at Marble Point could have melted, meant that we stopped here. With the greatest will and planning in the World, Antarctica ultimately dictates the schedule and we leave this adventure for another day. ..."
For the time being the team is making his route back to the Union Glacier ALE's base camp. They drove only 31 hours at a speed of 25 km/h to reach the South Pole when they left the Leverett Glacier. On December 16th, the expedition was in the neighbour of the last cache of fuel and food put at a place called Institute. Within two or three days, they should be back at Union Glacier base camp.
