The Three Poles Challenge: My Synopsis

When I joined the ranks of Bank Audi as Corporate Ambassador, in early 2007, the idea was to continue the journey I had begun with the only institution that had backed me from day one, but while doing so, to be cautious of losing my sense of adventure in the comfort of an office and a freshly brewed espresso.

With that in mind, I decided that as long as my legs, heart, mind, and spirit can take me, I should take on a challenge at least once every two years.

It's been almost 18 months since my return from Everest. It is time to grab my pack, and hit the road again (jack).

But where to?

On Planet Earth, I cannot possibly climb any higher than the summit of Everest, and I’ve already stood on the highest peak of every continent and more, so what’s next?

After much deliberation - perhaps space, or even the moon - I decided on a project that builds on the success of the Seven Summits, and leads to territories as barren as the surface of the moon.

I dubbed this project: “The Three Poles”

South Pole, North Pole, & Everest.

Everest is often referred to as the Third Pole, and although I have skied to both Poles, North and South, I have only done so along the Last Degree - from 89 to 90 degrees North and South (90 degrees is the pole).

A Brief Technical Explanation:
One Degree equals 60 Nautical miles; one Degree also equals 60 Minutes.
Thus one Minute is equal to a Nautical Mile.
One Nautical mile equals 1.15 Statute miles (aka normal miles), and one Statute mile equals 1.6 kilometers.
Nautical miles are used in polar travel, and expeditions in general, because of their equivalence to Minutes.

To do this the proper way, one has to ski from the coast all the way to the Pole. This should be done Without the use of a Twin Otter (ski equipped plane used in Antarctica) or an Antonov / Sikorski (plane / helicopter respectively used in the Arctic).

That’s exactly what I intend to do!
I'll be skiing all the way from the Western edge of Antarctica to the South Pole. That’s 10 degrees of Latitude from 80 to 90 degrees South, which comes to 600 Nautical miles, or 1110 km!

All across the most inhospitable continent of all: Antarctica.

Antarctica - A Brief Overview:
Antarctica is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest, and emptiest place on earth. An ice sheet covers approximately 98% of Antarctica’s 14 million square kilometers (over 1200 times the size of Lebanon!). At its thickest point the ice sheet is 4,776 meters deep (deeper than the peak of Mount lebanon). This ice is approximately 90% of all world’s ice (by volume) and 70% of all the world’s fresh water (if all this ice were to melt, the ocean levels would rise by 60 meters!).

Fascinating!

Last I was there, I called it “a different planet on Earth”, and I clearly stated my desire to return “for a longer adventure”.

The time has come for this longer adventure, and I intend on completing it the hard way - Unassisted and Unsupported.
Unassisted means without the use of dogs, motors, or sails, and unsupported means without any re-supplies. I will therefore have to start off at the Hercules Inlet with a sled containing 60 days' provisions of food and fuel for the journey, which comes to 110kg at least, diminishing by one lone kg every day.

Inside my sled, I will have an Iridium Satellite phone, solar panels, and the necessary equipment to relay text and photos in real time, which allows you - for the first time - to join me along my journey, from right here, on The Three Poles Blog.

Stay Tuned!