This just in from Alpina -
The Alpina Ice Legacy Project has started in the Svalbard Archipelag o!
The Alpina Ice Legacy Project has started in the Svalbard Archipelag
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Courtesy of Alpina |
Polar explorers Borge Ousland and Vincent Colliard start
their Ice Legacy project by crossing the Main Spitsbergen Glacier in the
Svalbard Archipelago.
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Courtesy of Alpina |
Polar explorers Borge Ousland and Vincent Colliard start
their Ice Legacy project by crossing the Main Spitsbergen Glacier in the
Svalbard Archipelago.
Borge
Ousland and Vincent Colliard will start their epic journey - which will bring
them to cross the 20 largest glaciers in the world over the next ten years - by crossing the Main Spitsbergen
Glacier in the Svalbard Archipelago in Norway beginning of August 2014, the ice
legacy project aims to raise public awareness about the importance
for mankind of preserving the glaciers and the ancestral ice, and to collect data
for the scientific community.
By
supporting the IceLegacy project by Borge Ousland, the only man to have crossed
the North and South poles alone, and Vincent Colliard, young adventurer and
Borge Ousland's partner, Alpina Watches wants promote the protection of the
glaciers, an environmental and climate issue that is dire yet little known, yet
of enormous importance for the future of our planet. Borge and Vicent will also
test their Alpiner 4 watches in extreme and magnetic field conditions during
the next glaciers. This will give Alpina information for further technical
development of the model.
The project combines athletic
prowess, human adventure and the sharing of knowledge about the polar
environment with as many people as possible, so that future generations may
enjoy the fascinating and priceless legacy of glaciers and icecaps: believe,
preserve, transmit.
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Courtesy of Alpina |
The
Crossing
The distance Borge and Vincent will cross on
the ice is around 180 km and total duration of the journey
is 3 weeks. Borge and Vincent will leave Longyearbyen 2nd of August -
capital of Svalbard - and sail for about two days to a place called
Verlegenhuken, in the Hinlopen strait. The skiing start point on the north-eastern
part of the island is estimated to approx 79°49' N and 17°50'
E. Here they will go ashore and start the ascent up to the glacier, and cross
the main Spitsbergen glacier from North to South. On the way they will attempt
to climb the Newton peak, highest mountain on Svalbard. They will exit the
glacier around Tempelfjorden at around 78°25’ N and 17°20’ E, and be picked up
by boat from here and go back to Longyearbyen.
It will be possible
to follow the crossing the expedition day-by-day. .Borge and Vincent will hold
a daily expedition journal - map positions, texts, photos - which the public will be able to access
on icelegacy.com, alpina-watches.com, Icelegacy ‘s and Alpina’ s Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
The Glacier
The main Spitsbergen glacier, located in the
Svalbard archipelago, is one of the highest glaciers in the Arctic Ocean.
Located Half way between the North
Pole and continental Norway, Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in
the Arctic Ocean.
The group of islands range from 74° to 81°
North latitude, and from 10° to 35° East longitude.
The largest island is Spitsbergen,
followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. About 60% of the archipelago is covered by ice, it also features many
mountains and fjords. Located on the largest Island of the
Svalbard archipelago, main Spitsbergen glacier is one the 20 biggest glaciers
on the planet.
The archipelago features an Arctic climate, although with
significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The flora takes advantage of the long period of midnight sun to compensate
for the polar night. Svalbard is a
breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer, and marine mammals. Polar bears are the iconic symbol of Svalbard. They
are marine mammals and dependent on sea ice for food. There are about 3000
polar bears in the Barents Sea region.
About the Legend and the Successor: two extraordinary adventurers
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Courtesy of Alpina |
Borge Ousland – The Legend
"Borge Ousland is undoubtedly the most experienced living polar
explorer," National Geographic Adventure
With more than 20 years of record-breaking
Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, Norwegian Borge Ousland became the first
explorer to complete a solo expedition to the North Pole without resupplying.
As a Nansen and Amundsen heir, he was also the first to cross the Antarctic
continent alone. Borge is also a renowned photographer and documentary
filmmaker who has already received numerous international awards for his films
and expeditions.
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Courtesy of Alpina |
Vincent Colliard – The Successor
"Vincent Colliard is a young adventurer, energetic and with a
strong character, who has the unique ability to forge ahead when anyone else
would give up." Borge Ousland
Frenchman Vincent Colliard, 28 years old, is
an experienced adventurer, having participated in expeditions across Norway,
Patagonia, Alaska and the Himalayas. In 2010, he was a crewmember aboard
"Northern Passage" with his mentor Borge Ousland during the historic
first expedition/circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean ever completed in a single
season. Once again with his mentor, he completed the first crossing of
Nordauslandet glacier in Spitsbergen in 2012.
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