By Xinhua
Stockholm : Two Norwegian women have reached the South Pole after skiing unaided nearly 1,300 km in over 50 days, setting three records for Antarctic expeditions.
Rita Glenne, 42, and Ine-Lill Gabrielsen, 38, skied 1,289 km across the Antarctic snowfield without sails or any other support before arriving at the Pole, marking the longest distance for women’s unsupported Antarctic skiing, Norwegian News Agency reported.
The two expeditioners, who set out for the South Pole Dec. 5 after scaling Mt. Vinson, the highest on Antarctica, pulled their supplies on sleighs during the trip.
During the adventure, Glenne and Gabrielsen covered 1,128 km within 37 days, travelling an average of 30.5 km a day, nearly 3 km more than the previous record set by British skier Hannah McKeand, said the report. It said that they also set a record by traversing 41 km within 11 hours in a single session.
The two skiers returned to the Patriot Hills base camp, waiting for a flight to leave the snowy continent.