Five expeditioners made the record books 5 a.m. local time Dec. 23 when they became the first Taiwan team to reach the South Pole by cross-country skiing, according to organizer Taipei City-based nonprofit Gamania Cheer Up Foundation.
Enduring grueling conditions, the party set off Dec. 6 from 87 degrees south latitude, hiking around 350 kilometers at altitudes averaging 2,545 meters above sea level to reach the southernmost point on the Earth’s surface 17 days later.
The group was led by the nonprofit’s founder Albert Liu, with ultramarathon athlete Tommy Chen and actor Chris Wang serving as team coach and mentor, respectively. The foundation selected two 20-year-olds, Sherry Lin and Gary Wu, to join the polar quest, while renowned director Yang Li-chou accompanied them by vehicle to film the journey.
Blizzards caused the party to abandon their original plan to trek 660 km along a route that followed the world’s first-ever expedition to reach the South Pole and take a shorter but more difficult path. Antarctic conditions rendered the altitude equivalent to 4,000 to 5,000 meters above sea level, according to the foundation.
Chen wrote in a Facebook post that the greatest challenge was the rapidly changing weather but that the team triumphed due to their determination and trust in each other.
The foundation is hosting an exhibition on Antarctica and the two-year preparations for the expedition through Jan. 31, 2019. Yang’s film on the journey is expected to be broadcast on the Discovery Channel next year.
Established in 2008, Gamania Cheer Up Foundation conducts projects and offers grants aimed at inspiring and helping youth achieve their dreams. (CPY-E)
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