Two extreme adventures, Colin O’Brady, an American athlete, and Louis Rudd, a British Army captain, are racing across Antarctica in an attempt to become the first person to cross the frozen continent unsupported and totally alone.
In a few days the pair will hit the 50-day mark with O’Brady currently in lead by some 35-plus miles. Rudd, 49, has been waking up early in attempt to catch up to his competitor who is 16 years his junior and a day ahead of him, The New York Times reports.
Snow has dumped on the men for weeks, making it nearly impossible to move their 300-pound sleds across the seemingly endless whitewashed landscape of the Earth’s harshest environments. The men continue to push forward.
The Transantarctic Mountains are in the distance, which could be cause for concern as the slopes are steep, the temperature is well below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and exhaustion is sure to be setting in as the pair approach the final leg of their race.
The thrill seekers started their journey from Mount Rossman on a Twin Otter ski plane. A short 90-minute flight later and the men had arrived at the Ronne Ice Shelf where they embraced and wished one another good luck.
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