Team Blind Skis to South Pole

PolarExplorers is proud to announce that Team Blind has successfully completed their 60-nautical mile Last Degree Expedition to the South Pole. Team Blind consists of Arne Christensen, a 70 year old 100% blind Danish cross country skier, and his ski partner, Claus Geleff. 

The expedition is being led by PolarExplorers guide Taylor Sweitzer, who has accomplished the Explorers Grand Slam, climbed the Seven Summits and skied to the North and South Poles. 

Team Blind began the 60 nautical mile ski expedition on January 6, and they reached the Pole
on Saturday, January 13. En route to the Pole they experienced temperatures of -20 Fahrenheit
and frigid headwinds at an altitude of roughly 9,000’.

Undertaking ambitious ski objectives is nothing new for Christensen. He is a five time Paralympian in cross-country skiing and biathlon. He has completed the 90km Vasaloppet cross-country ski race in Sweden, the 54km Birkebeineren in Norway, and the 160 km Arctic Circle Race in Greenland. Christensen and Geleff also completed PolarExplorer’s Polar Expedition Shakedown Training in Svalbard, Norway in 2018. 

Christensen has been a devoted advocate and trailblazer for blind athletes. On the subject of his motivations for the South Pole expedition he writes:

“I want to promote the sighted’s knowledge of what blind people can do and be a role model for other blind people. I want to show that it is important to work with objectives if you want to achieve your personal goals. Sports are moving more and more towards extreme sports, and I want to show the world that blind people can also take part in that movement.”

You can read more about Team Blind’s expedition on the PolarExplorers blog.