INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Driving across Antarctica in the footsteps of a legend
A modified Hyundai Santa Fe has become the first wheeled vehicle to follow in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s footsteps
Hyundai recently made history when a modified Santa Fe became the first passenger vehicle to be driven across the continent of Antarctica from Union Camp to McMurdo and back again. It was driven by Patrick Bergel, the great-grandson of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The journey, which took place in December 2016, was timed to commemorate the centenary of Shackleton’s heroic Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914 to 1916. The 30-day expedition saw the vehicle, which was modified to accommodate giant low-pressure tyres, take on almost 5,800km of icy terrain in bitter conditions. It not only had to cover extreme distances at temperatures down to -28°C, but it had to plot new paths on floating ice caps that have never been travelled by a wheeled vehicle before. "The journey was incredible and the car was a pleasure to drive," said Bergel. "Sometimes it felt less like driving and more like sailing across the snow. It was a proper expedition with a challenge to accomplish tha...
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