SNICKERS SOUTH POLE SOLO – 2003/04

Royal Patron HRH The Prince of Wales

In aid of Special Olympics GB

Rosie skied solo and without resupply to the South Pole. In 2004 Antarctica was still a man’s world and this challenge had only once before been undertaken by a woman, Norwegian Liv Arneson. Rosie, hauling a sledge of 120 kilos, more than twice her body weight for over 1000 km, reached the Pole in 43 days 23 hours to find herself pipped to the pole by hours by ‘fellow’ Brit, Fiona Thornewill.  Nevertheless, having both smashed all previous years’ speed records by 7 days, they remained loyal friends.

They had both travelled through ground storms, hurricane-force winds, and temperatures in -40c, serial white-outs (fun for crossing crevasses), with Rosie arriving at the Pole weighing a whisker over 6 stone. “All par for the course”.

She travelled through ground storms, hurricane-force winds, temperatures in -40c, serial white-outs (fun for crossing crevasses), and arrived weighing a whisker over 6 stone. “All par for the course”.

During the expedition, Rosie gathered both meteorological and physiological data which has been published as a scientific document on sports performance by Professor Andrew Lane.

Images copyright © Martin Hartley. All rights reserved.