Polar Explorers in Race Against Time!
Polar explorers Cas and Jonesy are just days from marching into the record books. James Castrission, 29 and Justin Jones, 28 are in a race against time to become the first polar adventurers in history to trek to the South Pole and back unsupported. This means they are without kites or any outside assistance — they have to carry their own food and supplies for the duration of the 2,200km journey.
So far the Australian pair have trekked almost 2,000km in 80 days across one of the most inhospitable places on earth. They’ve battled sub zero temperatures, ferocious katabatic winds, up to 20kg each of weight loss, exhaustion and injury in their bid to make it back in time. But having fallen behind schedule they still have to make a marathon a day to reach their starting point of Hercules Inlet and complete their historic adventure. (Latest distances can be found at www.casandjonesy.com.au).
A highlight of the journey was reaching the South Pole on December 31st after 62 days of man-hauling their sledges, which weighed 160kg at the start. Despite the elation, the pair had no time to celebrate, knowing they were only half way. They simply turned around and set off once more into the hostile white desert.
The adventure comes exactly 100 years after Capt Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen raced to the South Pole. Amundsen famously beat Scott, who then tragically died of exhaustion with his men on the return march.
Speaking from their latest video clip, the pair said the physical toll is finally catching up with them:
“We’re racing the clock now and we’re trying to do over a marathon a day. It’s really starting to hurt — the half-rations, the hunger, the pain in our bodies and the fact that we’ve probably lost about 40kg between us. It’s full-on, and hopefully we can make it,” they said.
Despite the physical beating they are both taking, their morale remains high. Jonesy’s feet are extremely painful while Cas is also suffering from blisters, chafing and digestive problems that do not make him popular in the tent. But the temperature is much warmer — minus 10 degrees and it’s all downhill to the finish.
The adventurers are equipped with the Suunto AMBIT, the first true GPS watch for explorers, which is to be launched at the international trade show, ISPO at the end of January. It is equipped with all the features for a modern-day explorer, including full featured GPS, altimeter, 3D compass and heart rate monitoring.
Cas and Jonesy have until the end of the month to complete their journey and enter the record books. It is a race against time.
About Cas and Jonesy
Cas and Jonesy made history in 2008 when they became the first people to kayak from Australia to New Zealand. The pair met in high school and despite having ‘proper jobs’ (Cas is an accountant and Jonesy is a scientist), have dedicated their lives to adventure and exploration. Follow their adventures live on www.casandjonesy.com.au, and use the hashtag #casandjonesy for Twitter, or visit their Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/casandjonesy.