Alberta adventure cyclist en route across Antarctica, riding 1,200 km by fat bike
The ride, expected to last 30 days, will take Hank Van Weelden from the South Pole to Hercules Inlet.
If all goes according to plan, Alberta’s Hank Van Weelden — an adventure cyclist who’s no stranger to unique terrain — is marking this Christmas well on his way to meeting a particularly lofty goal, and one that defies even the hardiest of New Year’s resolutions: riding 1,200 km across Antarctica, from the South Pole to Hercules Inlet.
As Van Weelden’s Facebook page points out, the challenge is “not to conquer [and] not to win, but to explore his limits and journey within himself.”
The plan behind that challenge, the Alberta remote-housing CEO says, has been in the works for years. Initially little more than a long-standing dream, Van Weelden officially declared his intentions in 2015, then set about the task of preparing — whether that means training, or getting his Maine-designed, $17,000 custom fat bike ready to roll. Designed by Carver Bikes, it’s a rig made from the treads up for the unforgiving elements of Antarctica, outfitted with 25 centimetre-wide tires, 18 speeds and a strong, lightweight titanium construction. Retrofitted with a towbar hooked up to the back, the steed can also haul a lot of gear, pulled by a sled.
As Van Weelden makes his way through the driving, icy snow that separates the South Pole and Hercules Inlet, he’s going to need it all, especially if what he’s experienced thus far keeps up.
After arriving in Antarctica on Dec. 12, the Bangor Daily News reports, strong winds kept him at Union Glacier Camp for three days longer than expected, waiting for conditions to improve. Still, determined not to sit idly by, Van Weelden saw opportunity and took his fat bike out for training rides, facing down winds that topped out at 96 kilometres per hour. “I was flying over three and a half foot snowdrifts and loving life,” Van Weelden said. “And when I turned back into the wind, it was quite hectic to say the least.”
The ride, whose progress is being updated by Van Weelden himself en route, using a satellite phone, officially got underway on Dec. 15 and is expected to last 30 days.
Follow Van Weelden’s progress across Antarctica by checking out his Facebook page, ‘Hank’s Arctic Adventure.’
