Bike to the South Pole - can it be done?

[jeremy11]

Just an idea......
Maybe somebody should start with a short bikepacking trip in Antarctica?
Going to the South Pole, you couldn't carry enough food, and doing it supported would be an ethical compromise and a logistical headache.
While you're at it, packraft to Antarctica from South America....... 

[Pivvay]

You're seen Mike's setup to go to Nome unsupported right?

[Jilleo]

I was in contact for a little while with a woman who was from Wisconsin who worked through the summer at the South Pole a few years in a row. She thought it was completely feasable to ride the ice road from the coast to the pole. We never got too deep into a discussion of equipment or logisitics, but people have skied and hiked to the pole dragging sleds with all of the gear they needed. Why not rig up a fully self-supported system for a bike? Chris mentioned Mike's Nome setup with the panniers. Definitely doable. I'm sure it takes an ungodly amount of planning, not to mention a fair chunk of discretionary funds that include an emergency rescue plan, but it does seem fully possible for the hardcore types. I believe the distance is in the 900-mile range? Maybe 3-4 weeks, depending on conditions.

The packraft, on the other hand, is suicide. You've read Shackleton, right?

[jeremy11]

I've read Shackleton.  Most EPIC adventure EVER, at least in recorded history.

I've seen Mike's setup for Nome.

There is an ice road from the coast to the pole?!

Hmmm.... maybe National Geographic and the North Face will sponsor Mike C..... 

[jeremy11]

and, somebody needs to make a good and accurate movie of Shackleton, although the book is better
not to hijack my own thread or anything

[Pivvay]

Yea Shackleton is epic for sure Haha. Wintering repeatedly with no outside communication. We're so soft these days.

The question on the south pole is just how bad is the terrain that's not rideable and how much does it slow you down. And I guess can you haul a bike through it instead of skis/sledge. Figure an addition of roughly 3lbs per day, every day it takes. The longer you go the worse and worse that load gets. Temperatures might be slightly worse too. I'm thinking the lack of easy bailout certainly plays into consideration. Bulk really starts to be a PITA on a bike at some point too.

MC said before on MTBR I think that the Poles weren't what the Nome trip was "training" for but maybe he'll chime in anyway. All I've ever seen are a few pictures and read books about it so for now, it's only an idea.

[Jilleo]

The ice road is called the McMurdo-South Pole Highway. They leveled snow and filled in crevasses, and it's marked by flags, and is frequently traveled by cats and tractors, so it's probably fairly well packed, although storms and wind I imagine have the potential to make much of it unrideable. Definitely makes South Pole travel decidedly more cush, although certainly not easy by any stretch of the imagination. But I think this road is what makes it possible for a person to take a bike to the pole. I'm not sure if anyone has done it yet on the road, however. But trying to travel overland with a bike ... yuck. Just thinking of breaking down a 150-pound bike to haul it over an ice block or around a crevasse makes me shiver. I'd pick skis for sure.

[Pivvay]

I've found at least 2 attempts in a lazy searching this morning, in 1999 and 2003, both unsuccessful. Neither is using the road as it wasn't complete. Looking at the pictures, overland doesn't seem that much worse but I know nothing about actually being on the ground there. 900 miles of decent surface sure seeeeems doable.

[Slowerthensnot]

bigger question...   1 way or out and back

[Pivvay]

Haha. Let's focus on step one, out. Out and back was just accomplished on skis unsupported and even then they dropped caches on the way out for the way back. And they nearly starved to death at the end...

[Slowerthensnot]

Haha. Let's focus on step one, out. Out and back was just accomplished on skis unsupported and even then they dropped caches on the way out for the way back. And they nearly starved to death at the end...

Just had to ask?  Starving and freezing are diff on my not to do list...   still think all you snowbikers have a few screws loose   in awe but still think that way

[Pivvay]

It is downhill all the way back...sort of. The ice is over 9k feet at the pole even though the land is at sea level more or less!

[Slowerthensnot]

It is downhill all the way back...sort of. The ice is over 9k feet at the pole even though the land is at sea level more or less!

aahhh then maybe do as a shuttle ride

[jeremy11]

Somebody should start by riding from the pole to the coast.  It would still be rather impressive.
Reading about the ice road, it takes them 20 days going to the pole, uphill with cargo, and only 10 days coming back to the coast.

[Pivvay]

It sounds like a good idea. But for my $45k plane ride, I'd have to go the "accepted" way. I'm years away from such a challenge but if someone doesn't snipe this one, I consider it a worthy goal.

[Jilleo]

Chris, be sure to invite me if you ever find the desire/time/funding. ;-) This woman, Claire, and I chatted quite a bit, mostly jokingly, about setting up a women's expedition to the pole. Since she worked at the pole, and knew people there, she believed she could set up some kind of support system as long as we could find enough sponsors, because it obviously would cost a fortune. Self-support is certainly much more interesting in terms of logistics and costs. 

So you couldn't find any successful bike trips from the coast to the South Pole? I just assumed it had been done before, road or not. I'll have to dig around one of these days to see what I can find. That would almost seem strange to me if no one has ever ridden/dragged a bicycle to the South Pole.

[Pivvay]

The two failed reports I found seem to indicate that no one had yet gone the distance. Logistics are pretty simple from the getting there, getting home standpoint, just a very expensive call to ALE. Estimates I've seen would be $100k each for a pair to go unsupported round trip from home.

Obviously that's just a ballpark but you're talking about $100k in airfare alone for two and then you've got to have bikes, trailer or sled, gear and a ton of food. The Pole record is something like 39 days unsupported. A bike could seemingly be faster but not having been there and seen only limited pictures, I really can't say that at this point.

Just brainstorming I can't imagine the trip without a recon mission and sponsors. That type of money is pretty hard to wrap my head around by myself. That's like spending (for two) what my house cost. The recon could maybe be eliminated with extensive talks with some experienced polar skiers but sponsors would seem to be a necessity for those with a monster trust fund

I've got the time and desire. The experience and funding are still lacking. Talk to me again in mid March and we'll see where my passion lies

[Pivvay]

Heh. I just found a mention of MC's. To paraphrase "I have no interest in the pole. Too much open water and bears and ..."

That sounds like the North Pole to me.

[jeremy11]

Pivvay, are you trying the Iditarod this year?
So,.... Mike C only said no to the North Pole.  Hmmm.....

[Pivvay]

Yep.

MC appears to only have said no too the North Pole...