About

FAMILY ON THE MOVE

John kickstarted the idea already in 2017. Ski to the South Pole with his family! As all big projects, obstacles are part of the life. So  also for the Carlson family. And when it all seemed set for 2020 – the pandemic struck…

But hats off to John and his troops. They never gave up. They have impressed us at Ousland explorers immensely. And now we can finally set off to try to reach the Geographical South Pole.

The Last Degree Ski Adventure down there is no walk in the park. It is a trip so full of contrasts and challenges that it is a huge reward reaching the very bottom of the Globe.

Not only do we hit the cold straight out of summer in Chile. We will fly straight up to 89° South, and -30°C. And in Antarctica the wind always blows. It follows the terrain, from the high plateau towards the ocean. That means headwind. And if that is not enough, the Pole is a 2890m which is the equivalent of 3500-4000meters in the Himalayas. So, altitude is another huge factor.

As we pull our sledges of 50kg, we will ski, first slowly, then a bit faster and finally long days heading due south. After seeing nothing but the huge, white plains for a week or more, seeing this strange station on the horizon is one of the most special moments in life.

Wish us well!

7th & 8th dec: A HEADSTART

To fly in to Chilean summer as Christmas and cold weather engulfs the northern hemisphere is a bliss.

Well ahead of time, John flew in from LA, and on Wednesday 7th December he and Sebastian met up in Santiago. Sebastian is one of two guides joining the trip and jumped on the chance to get to know John a bit better before the gathering in Punta Arenas in Monday.

The next day they hit the trail on the longest mountain ridge in the world: The Andees!

This is what they sent us:

After meeting up, and  Sebastian had shacked of the Jetlag. We went up to Valle Nevado. It lays close to Santiago. It’s just about 1,5 hours from Santiago Centrum. It lays at 3000 masl. In the winter it is a ski resort with a lot of peaks above 3600 masl nearby. The trails are easy, this is something we can appreciate as we don't want to move in any complicated terrain to avoid injuries.

We hiked for about two hours up to Cerro Franciscano 3612 masl. And both of us was feeling good, no headache or problem breathing. The Old buck had no problem enjoying the view. The sun was brutal but luckily with a nice cooling breeze.

We had both hoped to see condors. And we got what we wanted. As we got down to the ski resort it was an amazing air show. It must have been about 15 to 20 Condors raiding the hot thermal air. Eagles are big but they look like a seagull compared to a Condor. Down at the resort beers and lunch followed. What a great day to get to know each other!

All the best John and Sebastian

9th dec: MERCADO CENTRAL

John and Seb have not only been testing altitude and stamina. Yesterday they took to town du have lunch at the Donde Augusto restaurant in the fabulous Mercado Central Market. That is an Ousland favourite. This is John’s review:

‘We were greeted by Rodolfo (has worked there for 35 years) as if royalty by saying Lars’ name….he proudly showed us his book, Unarmed to the South Pole. Drank copious beers, ate succulent shrimp in garlic and watched the Argie Dutch football match. Thank you’

10th dec: John & Seb s

So, the last couple of days me and John have had a couple of chill(ean) days in Santiago. We have been out shopping, having some walks around, stretching, swimming, using the gym and shopping some personal stuff for the trip. In between all of this we have enjoyed getting to know each other, eaten a lot. And talking about the trip.

Visualizing our self in the vastness of Antarctica:-) Nothing gets the explorerblood flowing like talking / shopping! We ended the day with a short documentary about Børge Ousland National Geographic lecture from 2013. John was just amazed!

We both look forward to meeting up with the rest of the team and family tomorrow.

11th Dec: meet ing up in santiago

So today started with Jack arriving early this morning followed by Jill a couple of hours later. Nice to finally see the team starting to form.

A little later tonight all participants of the Carlson family will be in Santiago (due to Tom arriving late). Jack found a nice pizza place and we headed for bed quite early. Tomorrow we leave for PUNTA ARENAS where we meet up with Vince and all team members will be together for the first time ever :-)

Let the game begin!

Stay tuned for prep in Punta.

Update from punta arenas

So Hello everyone! 

So there have been radio silence from us a couple of days. And let's just put the reason why right on the table. John tested positiv to covid!

So this has resulted in John been quarantined and a lot of prioritising. It has been a really hard pill too swollow. It couldn't come at a worse time to be honest. Imagine the disappointment! You have worked for this since 2017 and close famely has put work, time, energy and money on line to be abel to do this project together. Suddenly so close to been realised the whole dream is crumbling under your feet, because of a little virus. 

It was a real punch in the face. It has been tears, doubt and frustration. But we have also used these days to pack our food and do other simple preparations. 

A big shout out to the ALE doctor Martin and one of the managers Mike from ALE. Who has visited us and presented our possibilitys.

With this information togheter with our back office help Lars, and som famely counsels, a lot of logistical back and forward. We have finally ended up with prosponding the trip until the 29th of December. Hopefully John will be well and we can fly out together as ONE team to Union Glacier. 

We will keep you updated on the situation and how we are using our time in PUNTA. This area has a lot to offer! So we should be able to incorporate some adventure while we are waiting for our flight. Thanks to ALE and Lars for helping out in every way possible🙌

We stay positive! 

All the best from John, Jill, Jack, Tom, Vince and Sebastian. 

below: The covid man sneaking out of the house - and the others on a training run

COVID DUEL IN PINTA

John was first out. But Sebastian, as the loyal companion he is, did not hesitate and in deep sympathy got covid right after the great master.

The duel is all about who draws the clean test first?

The road to recovery is on. The flight to Antarctica was luckily pushed out from the 18th to the 29th December. But is that enough to get everybody ready for this daunting trip?

Feliz navidad!

After first Seabass (read Sebastian) and then Tom also tested positive to covid six days ago. We had to readjust to the situation once more. Tom, John and Seb have had the house for themselves during the quarantine and Vince, Jill and Jack have stayed separated in hotel and Airbnb.

We are happy to share that Tom and Seb has had almost no symptoms and feel fine. John is starting to feel stronger and have started pulling tiers and doing walks.

Looking forward to Christmas eve when we can all be together again. Good food, and drinks and presents.

ChristmasDday  (25th dec / 1. juledag) we take our rental cars and head for stunning Torres del Paine for some hiking and sightseeing.

All the best from the south! Skål

CLEAN! IN THE NICK OF TIME

Tuesday everybody tested negative! Even John!!! As he put it:

Negativo…… a sweet Christmas gift.  Want to thank you all for your generous gifts of time, lots of your time, therapy, lots of therapy and your concern and care. Now, one more gift, please, stay healthy and let me serve you. See you at Union Glacier…..

 Today, WEDNESDAY THE 28TH everybody will be tested again a last time by the flight operator. Then all equipment, food etc will be brought to the airport to load up the plane.

AND if the weather is ig good, they fly out to Antarctica tomorrow the 29th December!!!

TORRES DEL PEINE

After the Covid mess with half the team with and half the team without covid, the team finally got back under one roof and preparations could recommence.

There were a lot get in order, but they also found time to explore some of the wonders in the region. Just outside Punta Arenas is the fabulous Patagonia with stunning mountains, peaks, glaciers, and scenery.

As part of getting back in shape both mentally and physically they went to see for themselves. Judge for yourself, but it seems like they enjoyed it :-)

THE DAY BEFORE ANTARCTICA

Then all is set. Equipment and luggage is on the plane. The last covid test is behind them. AND they have the ticked for Antarctica in hand!

Now we hope for good flight-weather tomorrow!

TAKEOFF!

05:58 New York time they called in and the plane was out on the runway! Weather at Union Glacier in Antarctica is great, and the flight is GO!
-15°C, sunshine and a breeze from South East will greet them in 3 hours when they land.

UNION GLACIER

They arrived safely in Antarctica. After landing they were transported from the ice runway to the camp where they pitched their tents and set camp.

Then they had a meeting with the staff at thus unique camp to plan for the flight out to drop-off point. It looks processing for the needed whether window tomorrow, Friday 30th December. Fingers crossed

Union glacier is ALE’s (Antarctic Logistics & Expedition) main camp in Antarctica. It is based around an ice field where they clear whatever snow may be there, and land their big cargo and passenger jets in pure ice!

Some kilometers away they have their tented camp and a skiway for the small Twin Otters to operate from. These are on skis and are used to deploy scientists, explorers and tourist to their camps, drop-off, penguin camps, mountains and of course the South Pole.

The camp itself is big tents for restaurants, kitchen and staff with smaller tents as living quarters.

It is situated in the beautiful Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica and is today the main gateway to this continent. For explorers the main target is the South Pole and climbing Mount Vinson which is part of the coveted Seven Summits.

GOING IN!

The team finished briefings and preparations Friday morning, and at 11:30 eastern time they boarded their little Twin Otter and headed out towards their drop-off. On the way they probably refueled out in the snow at a fuel depot at Thiel Mountains. That is the last nunataks sticking up of the ice. After that it is just white planes all the way to the South Pole.

The guide on this trip is Vincent (Vince). He is an extraordinary explorer. He is married to Caroline. And she is right now on her way to the South Pole, solo. Knowing her position, they managed to find her from the air and circled around her! The whole team has followed her progress and it must have been extremely emotional to see her all alone with her sledge down there in this waste landscape. Vince describes it as the most beautiful moment of his life! – We do believe him.

Follow her progress her!

 At their designated dropoff, they unloaded the plane slowly. They are no at 2750m (3000 feet) so altitude is very much part of the game. They did not ski the first day as they were quite late and wanted to slowly get used to the daunting -28°C, cold breeze from the plateau and the altitude.

THE HARD WAY

The mental, physical and geographical shock of starting a Last Degree should not be taken lightly. The swing of some -50°C from summer in Punta to Polar extreme snow landscape, from sea level to what is equivalent of 3.500m up, from a hotel to a small tent – in bit more than a day – and then pull everything you have in a sledge.

It is a test like nothing else. And with the altitude it is impossible to know beforehand who adapts and who does not. The first day out there they did 6km. Does not sound like a lot. But believe us, that is actually a longer than predicted.  Not only do we have to start very slowly, but there is a lot to learn. The first 2 days is all about getting comfortable and learn how to protect oneself, operate in the cold, organize inside and outside the tent, how to find your rhythm while skiing, how much clothes to wear, how to get enough food and fluids etc etc.

So, it is very much back to school. The first day or two is so important before the distances will stretch.

They have -28°C (82,4°F), a gentle breeze in their face partly cloudy.

They camped at 89° 3.752'S 82° 25.360'W

Leaving Union glacier for 89°

We had our first day in the tent together. A lot to get used to.
Keeping things organized is a must to avoid frustration and wasting energy.
We all hoped that we could leave for Union Glacier at noon. And after confirmation from ALE. They informed us that we would be abel to leave with the legendary Twin Otter. We had pack everything down and be ready in 4 hours.

A epic flight. We landed at Thiel for refueling and we signed the famous toilet book. After leaving Thiel we wanted to fly over Caroline, Vince's Wife (she is currently doing a record atemt at the moment) and sure we found the needle in the haystack. We flew directly over her and the pilots even gave her a wave with the wings. We could see her waving back. It was a beautiful moment for Vince, and we were all happy to share in it.

We landed on the plane's skis and got out battle ready for the - 30 C (-21 F). We found beautiful, sunny,still conditions (4 m/s wind chill). It felt like a moon landing.

After landing at 89, we pitched our tents again and began acclimatizing to the altitude. We could all feel it.
Good to finally start the real trip.
All the best from the Carlson's, Vince and Seabass

Day 2 breathing day

We started the day with waking up at 0800, we used 4 hours getting ready. Full battlegear on. It was - 28 °C with about 5 m/s head wind. We did 4, 5 legs (45 min skiing and 15 break). We covered 7 km. We can all feel the altitude. But we look forward to start skiing in 2023. Happy New year from Antarctica!

First day of the new year!

Beautiful whether. The thermometer was showing -22°C with just a gentle breeze coming from our destination and the sun was intens. We did 6 legs and covered 11 km.
We pawed the 100 km "marker" Routines are getting better and everyone is coping better with the altitude. All the best from the Carlson Vince and Seb
Lets go babydolls!

Jan 2 - Day 3 South Pole Carlson

0800, the alarm rings. 0813, the stove runs. 

It is day 3. We are the Carlson / Ousland Explorers team… somewhere at 89 degres South. It is all white. 

John, Jill, Jack, Tom, Sebastian and I are in a line, trying to find our marks in a space where the ground and the sky are one on the same. The wind gives us something to chew on. We are improving on our routine and ski 13km. No reason to push at that stage! We are still acclimatizing. 2700m isn’t a high number but the atmosphere layer above us guarantee a slight headache in the first days. 

We are now 80km away from the Pole. It is 1921, time for a macaroni cheese. 
Bonne nuit! 

Dagbok 5

We woke up with the wind and temperatur reminding us that we need to put on full battle gear. But first breakfast with porridge coffee. Drink and eat a lot is a must. Preparation the day before is mandatory. We check all gear, brush of all snow and frost from our clothes and boots. Shortcuts can easily give us big problems at this stage.

The day started out with whiteout. The clouds gave up at our 7th and last leg. A welcoming sun in camp. Warming up our tents. We are 16 km closer to the south Pole.

All the best
Jill, Tom, Jack, John Vince and Sebastian

CLOCKWORK

The start was mega hard for the team. Not only coming out on the back of a bout of Covid in Punta, but they were thrown straight in at the harshest condition. Big altitude, very cold, and windy.

It took them all some time to get their heads around the task of being a polar explorer. But after some days they got the hang of it. The distanced grew to from 4km to 15+km pr day. That is a very good sign.

A last degree is given 9-10 days to make it to the Geographical South Pole. That is very tight. With the last days’s distances they have set themselves up nicely to reach the pole Sunday  - or even Saturday evening if they do a mega push.

THEY DID IT! UPDATED

Late last nigh (20:56 NY Time) it ticked in a message: We did it! So they went for a maga push the last day and did 24km! Amazing.
They arrived 21:15 (Chilean time) at the Geographical South Pole. They were pretty spent by then but were invited into ALE’s big tent for an excellent dinner. Just sitting on chairs at a table getting served put big smiles on their faces. As if the pride of making it hadn’t already gotten them over the moon.

But the best was still to come. After dinner they were giver real beds in ALE’s luxury tents! That must have been a dream come through!

Today Sunday (15:00 New York time)  they left and flew the long way back to Union Glacier. Tomorrow they will fly back to Punta Arenas – if the weather is good.

POST SCRIPT FROM VINCE

Made it to the Southern most point on earth!  
On our last day, we skied 24km. Our record distance day! After 8 days, skiing in cold temperature down to -30c, the Carlson family, Sebastian and I made it to the South Pole! 

Congratulations guys for pushing and believing in Seabass and I. We will remember this amazing experience as a great team effort. Union makes strength! 

John, Jill, Jack, Tom and Sebastian flew out from the South Pole towards Union Glacier and on their way back to Chile. Thinking a lot lof you guys. Let the Pisco Sour flows in the Shackleton bar! Santé les amis! 

Guys! One simple question: what’s next? Life is short :-)

As for now, I am still at South Pole, waiting my lovely wife  and partner in crime Caroline Côté Colliard who might add one page to the Antarctic history book by breaking the female speed record. 

Big up to our dear “weather wizard” Lars Ebbesen and Rune Krogh back in Norway for the support. 

Cheers! 
Vince