If you think that great adventures are limited to fictional heroes like Phileas Fogg and historic explorers like Ernest Shackleton then it’s time to think again! Modern day adventurers have achieved some incredible feats of endurance and exploration, and they deserve as much admiration as the all-time greats. Here’s a run-down of some of the most outstanding recent Antarctic adventures:
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Mike and Lilliana
Mike Libecki is a seasoned explorer, seeking out those parts of the globe that remain wild and unexplored. With over 50 expeditions under his belt, he decided to do things a little differently on his 6th Antarctic trip – by taking his 11 year old daughter along with him. The father-daughter team hope to make it to every continent before Lilliana turns 13, and describe skiing through the Antarctic snow as their ‘best trip yet’.
Eric Larson
Between November 2009 and October 2010, Eric Larson carried out a unique expedition – reaching all three points of the Polar Trifecta within one year. That’s the North Pole, South Pole and the Summit of Everest, each a fantastic achievement in its own right. As if this grand adventure wasn’t difficult enough, Larson simultaneously collected scientific data and filmed a documentary about his travels. All this was done in the name of raising awareness about the dangers being faced by polar landscapes, in a project he named ‘Save the Poles’.
Robert Swan
A keen ecologist, Swan is another adventurer to pair his love for exploring with an effort to save Antarctica. Since 2003 he has been leading expeditions designed to show people first-hand the many effects that climate change has had on the region. These expeditions allowed him to build the E-base – an Antarctic education station in which he and his team lived for two weeks powered only by sustainable energy.
Borge Ousland
Photographer and writer Borge Ousland boasts the first unassisted Antarctic solo crossing, made in 1996. To date he holds the record for the quickest unsupported journey to the south pole – just one of a number of records that he has under his belt. He has continued exploring the polar regions throughout the decades that followed his first incredible feats.
These heroes are some of the finest explorers of the modern age, not only inspiring us with their thirst for adventure, but also displaying a dedication to helping the environment. Do you have any favourites that we’ve missed? Why not let us know in the comments below!
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