Cycle South will be a world-first bicycle journey across the Antarctic continent to the South Pole. Covering nearly 750 miles, the route will traverse from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole, and if conditions permit, 750 miles back to the coast again. The goal of the Cycle South expedition is to combine adventure and advocacy to demonstrate the many ways in which people can use a bicycle to protect our environment as well as improve the quality of our lives.

In 2009, renowned Polar Explorer Eric Larsen begian an unprecedented journey to the top, bottom and roof of the world. During a continuous 365-day period, Larsen mounted major expeditions to the North and South Poles and an expedition to the summit of Mt. Everest. Larsen is the only person to have completed this trio in one year. To date, only 15 other people (and no other Americans) in history have been to all three 'poles'.

In preparation for climbing Everest, I spent a lot of time in the mountains of Colorado, Washington and Alaska. In the summer of 2009, Ryan Waters, Mark Sheen and I traveled to Talkeetna, Alaska to attempt to climb Mt. McKinley (Denali) North America's highest peak. Concerned about gaping crevasses common in late season climbing, a large snowfall prior to our departure to base camp provided a substantially improved snow surface. Once on the Kahiltna Glacier, we were able to make steady progress to 14,000' camp. After a rest/acclimatization day, we climbed up the headwall on our way to lay a cache at 17,200' camp. Noting the calm conditions, we decided at the last minute to take advantage of the great weather and head for the summit. All told we climbed Denali in six days and were back in Talkeetna after eight total days.

Guiding for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), I would lead a diverse group of four clients to the South Pole via the route originally pioneered by famed mountaineer, Rheinhold Messner. Starting from the edge of the Antarctic continent on the Filchner Ice Shelf, our team skied 580 miles (934 km) to the Geographic South Pole. We covered the entire distance in 43 days arriving on January 3, 2009.

To date the only successful 'summer' North Pole expedition. In early May 2006 , Lonnie Dupre and I departed Cape Discovery, Ellesmere Island on what was to be one of the most physically demanding and mentally challenging expeditions of my life. Traditionally, Arctic Ocean expeditions had been launched during the coldest time of year while the ice is still thick and stable. Yet freeze-thaw conditions, dangerous shifting ice floes, slush and melt water pools had prevented even the most experienced explorers from even attempting a summer North Pole Expedition. We spent nearly four years planning and preparing and even developed specially modified canoes that could be pulled like sleds and paddled like boats. After a failed attempt in 2005 from Siberia, we achieved the North Pole on July 2nd, after 62 days on the ice. Initially, we had planned to return to land, but due to Lonnie's increasingly worrisome medical condition, we rendezvoused with a Russian Ice Breaker at the North Pole.

Eric Larsen © 2013

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