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In December 2009 Cory Jones First Aid Academy Director will set out on the expedition ‘Footsteps of Shipton: Patagonia
2009', which will set out to retrace Eric Shipton's original route.
Eric
Shipton the distinguished British mountaineer is more commonly known
for his Himalayan exploits. His mountaineering feats span across the
globe and it was his extraordinary expedition across the Southern
Patagonian Ice Cap that has captured our imagination.
The region of Patagonia spans the border between Argentina and Chile.
The Patagonian Ice Cap is divided into two, the Northern and the
Southern. The Southern Patagonian Ice Cap is the larger of the two, and
has only been crossed in a north to south direction on seven occasions.
The
first was between December 1960 - January 1961 when Shipton and his
three companions embarked on an expedition across the Southern
Patagonian Ice Cap. The expedition started from Canal Baker in the
north and ascended onto the ice cap by way of the Jorge Montt Glacier.
Hauling massive sledges loaded with equipment they trekked over the ice
for 48 days passing the famous Fitzroy mountain range. Shipton and his
team then descended off the ice sheet via Upsala Glacier to finish at
Estancia Cristina on Lago Argentino. The total distance of the journey
was 210km.
In
addition to retracing Shiptons route, the expedition aims to collect
information to support the monitoring of climate change. This includes
making daily meteorological records, significant ice features and
geographical points will be recorded using GPS technology. This data
will contribute to answering the question of whether or not the ice cap
is expanding or retreating. Previous research has shown conflicting
evidence.
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