Norwegian extreme athlete Kristin Harila announced the cancellation of her South Pole expedition on December 30. Back problems forced Harila to end her record attempt unsuccessfully.
On December 8, Kristin Harila her expedition to the South Pole. Her goal was to reach the South Pole on her own on the 1-kilometer route. "It was a fantastic and incredibly beautiful journey that exceeded all my expectations of this mythical continent. I am grateful that I got this far and was able to experience so much of the journey. It definitely awakened my desire for more," says Harila.
The decision to abandon the expedition after 20 days was not an easy one for Harila. After a difficult start with a lot of deep snow, Harila found her rhythm and pace. The plan was to make long day hikes, some over 50 kilometers, with an average of 48 kilometers in the last seven days. But constant back problems left Harila no choice but to stop.
I was hoping the pain would go away, but it doesn't.
Kristin Harila
When Harila ran out of painkillers, she decided to abandon the expedition.
Is Harila aiming for the record?
Even though Harila did not officially speak of a record attempt, the concept of the expedition and its speed suggested that the Norwegian was aiming to beat the record of the British Preet Chandi Chandi holds the record for the longest polar expedition undertaken alone by a woman. Chandi completed a 70-kilometer journey to the South Pole in 16 days and 1 hours, breaking the records of Anja Blacha and Henry Worsley.
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Credits: Cover picture Kristin Harila