In stark contrast to his home on Australian’s Gold Coast, multiple world record-breaking adventurer Dr. Geoff Wilson, 49, made history when he completed his solo Antarctic trek on January 7th, skiing into Russia’s Novolazarevskaya Station in the early morning. The 3,300-mile journey took 58 days and included heavy winds, rugged terrain, chilling temperatures, and a race around the clock. He completed the trek with over five weeks rations remaining and was nicknamed “Fastman” by the Russians who checked in with him by radio daily.
With nothing but his supplies, a kite, skis, and a sled, Wilson faced cyclonic winds, deep crevasses, oxygen deprivation, and auditory hallucinations. He propelled himself with a wind kite, which dragged him at speeds of up to 50km, and on one occasion he was dragged 30 meters by his runaway kite. Wilson said that “the wind grew in intensity” and, at times he felt “out of control, ripping along too fast while scouting for crevasses, cliffs, and drop-offs at the same time.”
Setting out in November from Thor’s Hammer, he took 23 days to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility – the furthest away from the earth’s oceans than any other place on the planet – becoming the first Australian to do so, unsupported. He also became the first human to scale Dome Argus, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, unsupported. The Dome, which stands 4093 meters above sea level, is one of the coldest places on earth, with temperatures that can plummet to almost -100 degrees.
“I was thrilled to be alive, overjoyed to be done, and the waves of relief washed over me as I stood almost stunned in a colorful, isolated Russian outpost, the wind screaming through it.” – Dr. Geoff Wilson
Dr. Wilson’s expedition was inspired in part to support breast cancer awareness and raise funds for The McGrath Foundation. You can read more about his incredible adventure on his blog The Longest Journey!
