November 15, 2011 (Punta Arenas, Chile) – On November 16, 2011 a team of six adventurers will fly to the continent of Antarctica. The team consists of Canadian, Richard Weber, internationally renowned North Pole adventurer; Britain, Chris De Lapeunte; Americans Kathy Braegger and Ruth Storm; New Zealander Michael Archer and South African Howard Fairbank. The entire team will start skiing from the Filchner Ice Shelf at a location called the “Messner Start”, 900 km from the South Pole. The team will pull all their supplies in sleds. Howard Fairbank will ski off on his own, for a solo attempt. The journey to the South Pole should take about 35 days.

At the South Pole, they will receive a re-supply; the skiers will change boots, skis and sleds. Ruth Storm will fly back. Howard will re-join the team. Then the team will kite-ski 1,100 km back to the edge of the Antarctic continent at Hercules Inlet. The South Pole is at an altitude of almost 10,000 feet. Cold air flows from the Pole down toward sea level. Using this wind, the team should reach Hercules inlet in about 15 days. The team is scheduled to fly out of Antarctica on January 12, 2012.

Despite numerous South Pole expeditions these days, a round trip to the South Pole has only be completed twice in history. Once by Amundsen in 1911, and another team in 2004, but never on this route. The expedition blog will be posted here at skitrax.com – and on WeberArctic.com… check back regularly for updates.

Richard Weber is a world leader in polar expeditions. He has trekked to the North Pole more than anyone in history. In 1995, he completed the only expedition to reach the North Pole and return with no outside assistance. He is in the Guinness Book or records for the fastest North and South Pole expeditions.