A Chinese adventurer, Liu Shaochuang, left Beijing Thursday for
Moscow to start his solo Arctic trip.
Liu said that the trip across the Arctic ice is a scientific
expedition, which will help fill in a gap in China's North Pole
studies.
If
the 1,000 km trek is successful, the 39-year-old scientist will be
the first Chinese adventurer to complete an unaided trek across the
ice from the tip of the Asian Continent to the North Pole.
An
academician with the Remote-Sensing Application Research Institute
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Liu took part in China's first
Arctic expedition in 1995. The seven-member team covered over 200
km to reach the North Pole from Canada.
This time, not only will the trip be longer, but it will be
traveled alone. The solo tour is scheduled for March 1st, and Liu
has taken out an insurance cover of 100 million yuan.
"Spring is an ideal season for an Arctic adventure," he said. "It
is too cold to travel on the ice in winter, and some of the ice
surfaces may become unstable if the weather is too warm."
He
expects the temperature to be as low as 30 degree Celsius below
zero during the trip.
Although Liu is taking only the bare essentials he will still have
to pull over 160 kg in the sledge he bought from Britain.
In
order to train for the sledge pulling, Liu has spent several months
getting fit by pulling heavy tires.
He
said that he is confident of his physical strength. The only worry
will be to have nobody to talk to on the journey, which would be
"shattering."
Most of the necessities are food and fuel. The food, which is
mainly chocolate, beef jerky, ham and oatmeal, will guarantee the
explorer 6000 calories daily and Liu says that he will cook twice
daily.
Liu will bring with him an Iridium satellite phone to keep contact
with the outside world. He is expected to arrive at his destination
around May 1st, and will meet a camera crew from China Central
Television and the Phoenix TV, which will take him home back by
air.
Another two foreign expedition teams may be on the same route at
that time. They will each independently finish the trip.
Russia's polar research departments have set up an emergency rescue
base in Khataga to provide rescue backup for the expeditions, in
case of an accident.
Men started adventures to the North Pole as early as 1900s.
Scientists and explorers from many countries arrive in the polar
region by various means every year.
(
February 22, 2002)