Young Norwegian sets new record with solo journey to the South Pole
Karen Kyllesoe, a 21-year-old Norwegian, reached the South Pole solo, becoming the youngest woman to accomplish this feat.
Karen Kyllesoe, a young Norwegian, has made history as the youngest woman to reach the South Pole solo. She announced her success in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
An extraordinary feat by the young Norwegian
Kyllesoe skied a distance of 1,130 kilometres without any assistance. Her route included elevations reaching approximately 2,800 metres above sea level. During the expedition, she experienced breathing problems, which required her to use a mask to warm the air.
She planned to complete the route in 60 days but finished in a shorter time of 54 days. On average, she covered 31 kilometres per day. On the final day, she started at 10 AM GMT, and just before midnight, she announced she had reached her goal. Geographical coordinates confirmed her achievement.
Following in the footsteps of Norwegian heroes
Kyllesoe followed the path that Liv Arnesen took alone to the Pole in 1994 at the age of 41. Arnesen completed the journey in 50 days, leaving her mark on the history of polar expeditions.
"It's fantastic. I really want to congratulate Karen," said the now 72-year-old Arnesen in an interview with "VG" journalists.
The Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, also expressed his admiration for the young polar explorer.
"She follows in the footsteps of the greatest polar explorers and writes history, he says to VG."
The first person to reach the South Pole was Roald Amundsen, who led a Norwegian expedition in December 1911.
The history of heroic polar expeditions
Karen Kyllesoe's expedition is reminiscent of the long history of heroic polar expeditions, such as the tragic expedition of Robert Falcon Scott, who died with a group of five adventurers in 1912 on the way back from the South Pole. Their wives only learned they were widows a year later.
