Polar Quest
The expedition, codenamed Polar Quest, began in March 2006, with a 6-strong team of Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Sea Cadet Corps personnel trekking 300 miles to the 1996 magnetic North Pole position.
The team negotiated a frozen sea of over 200 miles to make there way to the 1996 location of the magnetic North Pole. Whilst the team was equipped with modern equipment and navigation aids they also had to haul a 150lb sledge containing individual and team supplies
The risk of Polar Bear was high and the sea ice could have cracked under the weight of the team but the team successfully completed their trek to the magnetic North Pole.
And Stage Two? In November 2006 another team headed south to Antarctica to complete the longest polar journey in British Antarctic history (1,500 miles) and become the first Naval expedition to the South Pole since Capt Scott in 1912.
Shaun Chapple
Paul Mattin
Craig Hunter
Andy Brown
For more than six weeks, the team – Captain Shaun Chapple, Major Paul Mattin and Marine Craig Hunter of the Royal Marines, and Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Andy Brown of the Royal Navy – spent up to 14 hours a day pulling 20-stone sledges across the Antarctic wastes, and on Wednesday 27th December 2006 became the first service personnel to reach the South Pole for nearly 100 years.
On the way they encountered giant frozen waves of snow, known as sastrugi, and all suffered frost bite to the hands and face.
Polar Quest team at the South Pole
On reaching the pole, they flew the flags of the United Kingdom, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and a replica of Captain Scott’s flag and informed the world of their success.
THE POLE AT LAST
27 Dec, 06 - 03:30
0089.9999S,0082.0000W,3185M
MESSAGE SENT TO
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF FLEET
OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED. POLAR QUEST EXPEDITION REACHED GEOGRAPHICAL SOUTH POLE 0218 Z 27 DEC 06. TEAM MEMBERS WELL AND IN HIGH SPIRITS. FURTHER DISPATCH AND IMAGES TO FOLLOW ONCE POLE CAMP ESTABLISHED.
SEAN CHAPPLE
CAPTAIN, ROYAL MARINES
EXPEDITION LEADER
Expedition leader Captain Shaun Chapple said:
`As I stood at the South Pole I was unable to contain the feeling of relief and my eyes filled with tears’.
Man-hauling
`I had reached the end of the most physically and mentally demanding journey of my life and it was as if my body had given up after 45 days of relentless exertion’.
And so another illustrious chapter in naval history is written…
Further information on Polar Quest can be found at www.polarquest.co.uk
|
Polar Quest Navigation
Quick Facts
Introduction
Searching for the ends of the Earth
The North Pole
Exploration & Discovery of Antarctica
Race to the South Pole
Polar Quest <<
|
