And he’s off…
Published on 06.04.2009 - General Info
Frenchman Charles Hedrich is underway on his amazing adventure that will take him from the North Pole to the South Pole and then on to New Zealand. Arnaud Tortel will be accompanying him on the 'Arctic' leg of his expedition.
Charles Hedrich and his guide Arnaud Tortel (who is based at Dieulefit in Drôme and has many times been the dietician for Alain Hubert's expeditions) departed on 2nd April for Longyearbyen, capital of Svalbard.
Three days later, their support team sent the following dispatch: "Charles has just called in from Longyearbyen, the most northerly city in the world at 78° North. Their flight to the Barneo drifting Russian base is scheduled for today. Charles and Arnaud are ready to go, test beacon included. The temperature is minus 35°C. The streets are bustling with scooters, driven by people with rifles strapped across their backs, which is more de rigueur than wearing a crash helmet. The drop-off for the Pole should be shortly afterwards. They will be in the zone this evening at around eight o'clock... Bivouac and then tomorrow, Monday, it's off to work and they'll be on their way..."
And on 5th April, Tortel informed the back-up team that they were due to leave Longyearbyen at around 5.00 pm, with the plane dropping them off on the pack-ice two and a half hours later. Then off by plane again to the North Pole, where they intend sleeping overnight Sunday. "It's minus 35°C at the pole," wrote Arnaud on Sunday evening. "Good ice, fine weather. We've got rations for 70 days..."
