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Richard and Tessum Weber
Tessum Weber on an ice bridge
Richard Weber with a big step
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Special: Speed record to the North Pole!
The most experienced polar explorer on the planet, Richard Weber from Alcôve, Quebec, has just beaten the speed record with his 2010 Canada North Pole expedition, guiding two clients as well as being accompanied by his 20 year old son, Tessum. Tessum Weber will also make history by becoming the youngest person ever to complete this exciting achievement.
This year, eight international expeditions left Ward Hunt, in northern Canada, to complete the entire route. It normally consists of trekking or skiing on the ice field. There polar winds force huge ice pans together and create pressure ridges, crisscrossed by open leads of glacial water that open and close with the ice movement. It is a very technical expedition that demands several months of preparation. The expedition takes 55 to 60 days to complete, at temperatures around -50 C. The adventurers pull all their material and the food they need to survive, with a typical daily calorie intake of around 10 000 calories.
The previous record was established a few years ago by a Norwegian team. Rolf Bae and Cecile Skog had completed the route in 49 days. Richard Weber and his team left Ward Hunt Island on March 2nd. On April14th 7h00, after 41 days 18hrs and 52 minutes, they reached the North Pole. A Russian airplane came to pick them up and bring them back to Barneo, a Russian station about a 100 km from the Pole. All team members were exhausted, but very happy and proud of their accomplishments.
Click here to know more about the model BCX Europa 99 Crown Richard and Tessum Weber skied the speed record to the North Pole with. "The performance for skiing on the drifting pack ice was amazing. We had grip to pull our sleds even on the old frozen corn snow from last summer" said Richard Weber about the BCX Europa 99 Crown. "Tessum and skied all the time."
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