In 54 days he has crossed the South Pole from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

The 33-year-old American announced to the world via Instagram that he had accomplished the feat of making it 160 miles across the snow- and ice-covered continent unaided, dragging a large sled behind his skis.

Some days the visibility has been so poor that it has been barely possible to see the surroundings and the cold has been constantly present, with an average temperature of almost -30 degrees below zero.
”"Although the last 32 hours have been some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have also honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," he writes.

Spontaneous ultramarathon
The crossing took 54 days and ended with what the American describes as an ultramarathon of 129 kilometers, something he spontaneously decided to do.
”"As I was boiling water for my breakfast porridge, what seemed like an impossible thought popped into my head. I wondered, would it be possible to attempt to take the entire last piece in a row?" O'Brady wrote on Instagram 18 hours into the attempt.

Not harmless
It has been a battle to be first, but Briton Louis Rudd, who started at the same time as the American, is a couple of days behind O'Brady. Norwegian adventurer Børge Ousland crossed Antarctica in 1996–1997, but had the help of a kite sail.
Crossing Antarctica alone is far from safe. Two years ago, Briton Henry Worsley died in an attempt. He was forced to call for help after falling ill, and later died in Punta Arenas, Chile. Rudd, who was close friends with Worsley, has described making the attempt as a way to honor his friend, according to National Geographic.

FACTS
Facts: The expedition
Colin O'Brady began the expedition in early November, carrying 180 kilograms of equipment in a sled.
He started at sea level on the Rønne Ice Shelf in East Antarctica and made his way via the South Pole to the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, where the ocean meets the ice. The journey thus went from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
In total, the crossing, which could be followed via Instagram and a blog where his position was updated in real time, was around 1,600 kilometers.
Sources: Colin O'Brady, AFP

Source: TT