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Ski or fly to the South Pole

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SKIING to the South Pole in 65 days or getting there via a comfortable aircraft are among the offerings from Adventure Network International (ANI)based in a Salt Lake City.
Ski South Pole All the Way is the company’s most demanding journey not to be undertaken by the inexperienced. As with all the Ski South Pole expeditions, it should only be considered by committed Antarctic adventurers willing to undertake a long, rigorous daily training schedule before the start of the expedition. This adventure spans an entire season, with participants covering 1,170 km from the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent to the Geographic South Pole.
Clients experience 24 hour daylight, intense solitude and will not see any plant or animal life. The expedition last about 65 days depending on weather, snow conditions and group experience. Clients ski for about 7 to 9 hours a day, hauling a sled weighing 50 to 60 kilogrammes.
All the way to the South Pole ski trips for the 2009 season are available on November 8 this year to January 10, 2010 (64 days) costing $65,950, and on November 20 to January 10 2010 (52 days) for a cost of $55,450.
Ski South Pole Messner Start is a shorter alternative to the above trip, being a being a 40-45 day expedition covering 934 km. Ski Last Degree captures the essence of polar exploration in a 2 to 3 week trip, ideal for those who want the serious challenge of a polar expedition but do not have the time.
Other experiences are available, including the more accessible to average travellers South Pole Flights programme. This is suited to anyone with an average fitness level and a sense of adventure. While not particularly strenuous, participants will walk on uneven, slippery, snow and ice surfaces and experience walking at altitude - an elevation of about 12,000 ft (3,700 metres).
Programme highlights include a flight by private charter jet to the Antarctic interior and the ANI expedition base camp at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains some 1,076 km from the South Pole. An especially equipped ski aircraft takes clients to the Geographical South Pole, a 1,076 km journey over the polar plateau.
South Pole Flights cost $37,850 and departures are available on December 3, December 10, December 29 and January 4, 2010.
The maximum number of clients that can visit the South Pole per season is 44, according to Debra Taylor of Adventure Network International. “In 1988, ANI flew the first tourists to the South Pole and they are still the only company offering this opportunity. We haven’t had much interest from the Middle East and we haven’t as yet had a chance to market ourselves properly in this area,” she said. Visit www.adventure-network.com

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