[img]http://resources2.news.com.au/cs/newscomau/v2/_shared/base/css/images/icons/homepage-title.png[/img] Source: [url]http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/aussie-pair-reach-south-pole-on-foot/story-e6frfkp9-1226233887467[/url]
[img]http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/12/31/1226233/880253-justin-jones-and-james-castrission.jpg[/img]
Justin Jones and James Castrission have made it to the South Pole. Source: Supplied
[release] • Duo reach South Pole after travelling 1150km on foot
• Couple now racing to catch last flight of the season home
• [url=http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/best-apps-for-travelling-like-a-local/story-e6frfq80-1226230554177]10 best apps for travelling like a local[/url]
[B]THEY have reached the South Pole, now Australian adventurers James Castrission and Justin Jones are in a hurry to catch the last flight out of the continent ahead of winter storms.[/B]
But first they have to ski 1100 kilometres back to the coast.
The duo, who set out to be the first to trek to the South Pole and back again unsupported, planted an Australian flag at the bottom of the world about 7am (AEST) today.
The achievement came 61 days after pulling 160kg of gear through 1150km of "incredible white expanses" and "blizzard after blizzard," Castrission told AAP via a satellite phone today.
The blizzards meant they reached the halfway mark of their journey about 10 days later than anticipated, resulting in a rationing of food supplies and just 28 days to ski another 1100km back to the coast.
If they don't make it in time, they'll miss the last flight of the season out of the icy continent.
"We'll have to average close to a marathon a day just to get back," Castrission said.
"It's a real race against the clock. We don't know if we are going to make it, but we are going to give it everything we've got."
Both men beefed up about 20kg each in preparation for the gruelling trip, and were eating the calorie equivalent of 15 beef burgers a day until a delay in reaching the South Pole forced them to ration their food supplies.
"We're down to half rations so it's really going to be quite a difficult journey to get back," Castrission said.
He estimated the pair had lost 15kg each since setting out on the expedition, and their clothes had consequently become loose.
Jones, 28, was constantly complaining of hunger, and wouldn't stop talking about the decent steak and beer he intended tucking into when he got home, to replace the energy replacement powder and nuts the men were surviving on in the meantime.
He had also endured considerable pain from several toes that had become infected.
In 2008, Castrission and Jones, who have been best mates since attending Sydney's Knox Grammar, made history by becoming the first people to kayak from Australia to New Zealand.
Castrission may have been pining for warmer conditions when he said the Antarctic expedition had made the Tasman trip seem like "a family holiday" in comparison.
"This place has really ripped us apart," he said. "It really has been the hardest we've ever had to push ourselves."
Soaking up the sun on a beach back home was often on his mind, and he couldn't wait to see his fiance, dietitian Mia Ballenden, whom he plans to marry on a beach in Thailand in early 2012.
But there were unexpected rewards associated with being at the bottom of the world.
This morning the sky was blue and there was "a beautiful circular rainbow" that went "all the way around the sun", Castrission said.
The illusion made it appear there was a double sun, he said.
"We're low on food, we're low on fuel, our bodies are definitely hurting," he said.
"But there isn't anywhere in the world I'd prefer to be right now. We're stoked."[/release]
They must be holding the camera upside down. :v:
That sounds like a grand adventure.
They must have heard there were no giant spiders on the South Pole.
[img]http://i.cubeupload.com/OA45md.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=CubeManv2;33978157][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/OA45md.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Doesn't work, they're at the South Pole, everything is already upside down, including the camera
Santa lives on the other end. Dumbasses.
[img]http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/41701_100001671554535_2454136_n.jpg[/img]
Fuck'n spot on Justin an' James
They walked across an ocean?
That's really quite impressive. Too bad the north pole isn't that solid, else they could have a race or a twin pair to do the it.
You...you got something on your face...
Just hope they don't run into any ancient aliens.
[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;33986509]Just hope they don't run into any ancient aliens.[/QUOTE]
Or Nazis.
Really glad these guys were able to make it to the top of the globe, nice job!
[QUOTE=OvB;33986674]Or Nazis.[/QUOTE]
Or ancient nazi cyborg alien zombies from Uranus.
[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;33986705]Or ancient nazi cyborg alien zombies from Uranus.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O606tj1oKSc/ToP8MSNDASI/AAAAAAAAAlM/p2IwG7m_UMM/s1600/Ancient.jpg[/img]
Did they fall off?
[img]http://images.smh.com.au/2011/12/31/2866857/art-trekkers-420x0.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/rainbow.png[/img]
And isn't Australia completely surrounded by water...?
[QUOTE=Noth;33978188]Doesn't work, they're at the South Pole, everything is already upside down, including the camera[/QUOTE]
why is everybody rating this guy dumb? he's right...
[QUOTE=zzzz;33988360]why is everybody rating this guy dumb? he's right...[/QUOTE]
It was a joke.
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;33987299][img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O606tj1oKSc/ToP8MSNDASI/AAAAAAAAAlM/p2IwG7m_UMM/s1600/Ancient.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
There's no proof ancient nazi cyborg alien zombies from Uranus [i]don't[/i] exist!
Or maybe they were reanimated neo-nazi alien mechanoid assassin skeletons from Alpha Centauri all along? We just don't know.
[QUOTE=Rapist;33988493]It was a joke.[/QUOTE]
yeah its a shitty joke, if you're upside down i dont know why you would hold the camera right side up like the joke implies
They seem like pretty [i]cool[/i] guys.
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