Polar explorers Cas and Jonesy are due to march into the record books today (26 Jan 2011). James Castrission, 29 and Justin Jones, 28 are on track to complete the first unsupported return trek to the South Pole (without kites or outside help). By the time they reach their starting point of Hercules Inlet they will have completed a journey of 2,274km, the longest unsupported polar journey in history.
It is an incredible achievement, but only made possible by an extraordinary display of comradeship. The solo Norwegian explorer Aleksander Gamme, 35, their arch rival for the title, who was ahead by 200km, has stopped to allow them to catch up.
“All three will cross the finish line together,” says Cas & Jonesy expedition manager Rebecca Riel. “A friendly rivalry has turned into an adventure of friendship.”
It is a unique demonstration of the spirit of adventure almost unprecedented in recent polar history. It comes exactly 100 years after the polar legends Amundsen and Scott raced to the South Pole — a battle that for Scott and his men ended in disappointment, tragedy and death. The climax of Cas & Jonesy’s polar expedition has turned into a fitting tribute to the 1912 race that captured the world’s imagination.
So far the Australian pair have trekked almost 2,205km in 86 days across one of the most inhospitable places on earth, battling sub zero temperatures, ferocious katabatic winds, up to 20kg each of weight loss, exhaustion and injury in their bid to make it back in time.
On a recent Facebook post, their support team reported: “Cas has sores on his lips and gums that cause a huge amount if discomfort when eating. Jonesy's toes are getting worse by the day.”
A highlight of the journey was reaching the South Pole on December 31st, after 62 days of man-hauling their sledges, which weighed 160kg at the start. Despite the elation, the pair had no time to celebrate, knowing they were only half way. They simply turned around and set off once more into the hostile white desert.
Speaking from their latest video clip earlier this week Cas reported that they were on the brink of physical exhaustion:
“We’re not sleeping enough, we’re not eating enough. We’ve lost about 55kg between us. It’s probably been the toughest couple of months of our lives. We’re absolutely shattered, we’re falling apart. Our bodies are hurting like they’ve never hurt before and are deteriorating at a significant rate. Everything is crumbling. We’re in a world of hurt. It’s not going to be pretty but we’re going to push on. We’re determined to make it.”
The adventurers are equipped with a prototype Suunto Ambit, the first true GPS watch for explorers, which will be launched at the international trade show, ISPO at the end of January. It is equipped with all the features for a modern-day explorer, including full featured GPS, altimeter, 3D compass and heart rate monitoring.
Cas and Jones have just 30 km left to complete their journey and enter the record books. Check out their latest position at casandjonesy.com.au.
About Cas and Jonesy
Cas and Jonesy made history in 2008 when they became the first adventurers to kayak from Australia to New Zealand. The pair met in high school and despite having ‘proper jobs’ (Cas is an accountant and Jonesy is a scientist), have dedicated their lives to adventure and exploration. Follow them live on casandjonesy.com.au, and use the hashtag #casandjonesy for Twitter or visit their Facebook fanpage www.facebook.com/casandjonesy.
For more information, contact:
Tarquin Cooper (zooom productions)
Felderstrasse 12, 5330 Fuschl am See, Austria
tarquin.cooper@zooom.at,
Phone: +43 6226 8848-25, cell: +436645449241
About Suunto
Suunto was founded in 1936 by Tuomas Vohlonen, a Finnish orienteer and inventor of the liquid-filled field compass. Since then Suunto has been at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers and instruments used by adventure seekers all over the globe. From the top of the mountain to the bottom of the sea, Suunto physically and mentally equips outdoor adventurers to conquer new territory.
Suunto's headquarters and manufacturing plant is in Vantaa, Finland. Employing more than 400 people worldwide, Suunto products are sold in over 100 countries. The company is a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation along with its sister brands Salomon, Arc'teryx, Atomic, Wilson, Precor, and Mavic.