Altro flooring heads off on an icy adventure

Altro flooring will make a journey to one of the coldest environments on earth as part of an exploration lead by Sir Ranulph Fiennes to cross Antarctica in winter – one of the last remaining polar challenges.

The flooring will be tested to the very extreme being used in specially designed cabooses (sledge-mounted living quarters) which will also be used for storage and as a base for scientific work as part of The Coldest Journey, the first-ever trans-Antarctic winter expedition.

Previously, the furthest any expedition has ever ventured into Antarctica during the winter is 60 miles. On this journey, Sir Ranulph and his team of five will cover 2,000 miles in six months, crossing the polar plateau at an average height of 10,000ft above sea level.


Sir Ranulph Fiennes, said: “This will be my greatest challenge to date. We will stretch the limits of human endurance. Britain and the Commonwealth has a strong heritage of exploration, from Captain Cook 300 years ago to the present day. As such, it is fitting that a Commonwealth team should be the first to fulfil this last great polar expedition.

“It is a unique opportunity to carry out a number of scientific tasks in the extreme polar environment, which will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the true effects of global warming on the Antarctic continent.”

Using the very latest technological innovations, the expedition team will be equipped with high-tech equipment, including battery-powered heated clothing and specially designed breathing apparatus to enable them to survive at temperatures as low as -70°C and, possibly -90°C.

Permits for winter expeditions in Antarctica have not previously been granted as they are deemed to be too dangerous; a testament to the sophistication of all the equipment needed for this traverse.

Altro’s Stronghold and Altro Suprema II are the two brands chosen for the icy adventure.

Talking about the flooring, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, said: “There was no choice of other flooring – all of our research with the British Antarctic Survey pointed at Altro, which is why I called them before anyone else.

“Flooring is particularly vital as there isn’t a day, never mind many times during the day, that people are not going in and out, in darkness, with blizzards outside. You have heat and snow, therefore, liquid and, therefore, slipperiness. If you don’t have a superb flooring you are asking for trouble.”

Setting sail in the South African ice-strengthened research ship, SA Agulhas, the expedition departed from The Thames on 6th December 2012 to the Lazarev Sea where the traverse will take place between the two seasonal equinoxes, 21 March to 21 September 2013.

The expedition will be undertaken mostly in complete darkness in extremely low temperatures where the team will undertake a number of scientific tasks to provide unique data on glaciology, marine life, oceanography and meteorology.
The Coldest Journey will attempt to raise over £6 million for Seeing is Believing, a global charitable initiative to fight avoidable blindness.


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