Norwegian adventurer Rune Gjeldnes, who set a world record for the longest unsupported ski trek in history on January 9 after a 3880 kilometer (2425 mile) trek, arrived at his goal by the Terra Nova Bay Friday February 3rd.
6/28/2006 :: "Meeting people is going to be great," the 32-year-old explorer told Aftenposten. "I've increasingly been craving some real human contact recently."
Which shouldn't really come as a surprise: Rune Gjeldnes has skied for 90 days straight, covering a distance of 4800 kilometers (3000 miles). In comparison, the distance between New York and Seattle is approximately 2840 miles.
Rune Gjeldnes has made extreme expeditions and innovative use of equipment a lifestyle, and neither frost bite nor blizzards have detered him from crossing the South Pole. Using a kite to gain speed, Gjeldnes was able to cover up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) every day, roughly equal to the distance between Los Angeles and San Diego.
He started his expedition - "The Longest March" - on November 3rd in Novolasarevskaja, venturing into Queen Maud's Land. After having skied for 48 days, covering 2207 kilometers, he reached the South Pole on December 20th. This makes Gjeldnes one of the very few explorers who have reached both geographical poles unsupported.
The kite Gjeldnes uses is similar to the ones used by kite surfers. By taking advantage of the icy cold winds of the antarctic, the kite propels Gjeldnes across the ice. With the kite he has been able to cover up to 180 kilometers a day across the Antarctic ice.
"Kiting is extremely fast," says Gjeldnes. "I reached speeds up to 20 miles per hour."
On day 68 of his Antarctic adventure, he beat the record held by fellow countrymen Eirik Sønneland and Rolf Bae, after they trekked 3,800 kilometers across the South Pole.
The disadvantage of the kite, however, is that he does not use his feet as much as he would by traditional skiing, increasing the risk of freezing. Even though it is technically high summer in the Antarctic, Gjeldnes has endured extreme cold, giving him severe frost bite on four toes.
Still, for Gjeldnes, the extreme sub-zero conditions is not the main problem. "As a social person it is going to be a challenge to be all alone," Gjeldnes told TV2 Nettavisen. "I really like to go in trips with other people to share the
experiences. You have nobody to talk to, and you have to make all decisions yourself."
Born in 1970 and growing up by Trollheimen, one of Norway's most scenic mountains, Gjeldnes has been an adventurer, writer and lecturer for the last five years. He has a background as a SEAL in the Norwegian Navy.
Royal Norwegian Embassy / Thor Englund