HERCULES INLET, ANTARCTICA (BRAIN)—Utah retailer Daniel Burton has left his base camp in Antarctica in an attempt to be the first person to ride a bicycle to the South Pole. If he succeeds, he’ll cover 1,500 miles roundtrip from the coast inland to the pole and back. Burton hopes to ride at least 20 miles per day and complete the trip in 50 to 60 days.
Burton, the owner of Epic Biking in Saratoga Springs, Utah, has been planning the expedition since February. He campaigned to raise money to cover the cost of the trip via crowdfunding sites GoFundMe.com and Kickstarter. When his fundraising goals fell short, Burton took out a fast easy loan in order to pay for the trip.
According to Burton’s blog, SouthPoleEpic.com, two other parties are currently attempting to travel to the South Pole by fat bike. Past expeditions have proven unsuccessful, including that of experienced mountaineer, skier and cyclist Eric Larsen who abandoned his mission in 2012 due to a slower-than-expected pace that meant food rations would not be enough to sustain the trip.
Burton is updating his blog daily from Antarctica via satellite phone. He hopes to use the expedition to promote cycling as a path to healthy living.
Bicycle Retailer originally reported on Daniel Burton’s expedition in the July 15, 2013 issue of the magazine.
