Snowsled
About Snowsled
Snowsled History
Over the years we have regularly supplied Nansen sleds, pyramid tents and pulks to many nations and organisations working in polar regions, including;
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Some of the orders along the way have included,
Summer 1988. Snowsled’s first order,
from British Antarctic Survey, for 2 Nansen sleds and other components, produced, as they still are today, from air dried ash boards (left) at least 13 ft long and 2” thick.
1989. Rob Swann’s International North Pole Expedition.
8 Kevlar pulks, specially designed by the expedition.
1990. Trans Antarctica.
Snowsled made two Nansen sleds for this journey led by Will Steger, of an international team of 6, including Geoff Somers from GB, which completed the longest traverse of the continent (6000 kilometres) in 7 months by dog-sled. A third sled made at the same time is currently in the Malcolm Slessor display at the Fraseburgh Heritage Centre.
1991. Sir Wally Herbert’s sled,
used during his epic 4-man 16 month long first surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean, by dog-sled, completed in 1969, was renovated by Snowsled, and can be seen in the polar exhibition at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.
1990. A 1/12th scale fully loaded model Nansen sled,
was commisioned by the British Antarctic Survey, to be presented to HM The Queen by the National Environmental Research Council, when she launched the last purpose built research vessel and ice-breaker, the RRS James Clark Ross. The boat is used to re-supply British research bases in Antarctica and to conduct ocean research in the far South.
1993. Iditarod
We made a dog racing sled for Keizo Funatsu (who was the Japanese member of TransAntarctica), when he competed in the race that year.
1996. Polar Race.
The first race, in 2003, to the 1996 position of the North Magnetic Pole, followed the successful televised trek in 1996 organised by David Hempleman Adams and Jock Wishart. It is now run every two years. Snowsled has supplied the plastic pulks and other equipment since it’s inception.
2000. Team Polar 2000
The four member team from the Royal Marines, led by Alan Chambers, successfully completed the journey to the North pole. ‘North Pole’ Kevlar pulks from Snowsled.
2001. British Army Antarctic Peninsula Expedition.
Pulks from Snowsled.
2001. Shackleton film.
Snowsled reproduced the Nansen sleds, dog harnesses and traces, and also the manhaul harnesses to the original designs, for this recreation film of Shackleton’s last Antarctic expedition in 1912, starring Kenneth Branner.
2005. Polar race.
Snowsled again recreated the Nansen and Amundsen sleds, pyramid tents, manhaul harnesses and other gear for the film portraying the 1912 race to the South Pole by Scott and Amundsen, filmed by Keo Films for Channel Four. Snowsled also made the Nansen sleds for the logistics parties.
2006. Hannah McKeand.
Fastest solo journey from coastal Antarctica to the South Pole - 690 miles in just over 39 days. Snowsled supplied her ‘Ice-cap 200 pulk’.
2006. Numis Polar Challenge.
A 5-member British expedition, recreating Scott’s 1912 journey to the South Pole. Snowsled organised all the equipment and clothing and manufactured most of it, to the original 1912 specification.
2006 Goliath Expedition.
In 1998 Karl Bushby started walking from the Southern tip of South America, and, by 2005, with an American Dimitri Kieffer, he had reached the Bering Strait, between Alaska and Russia. Snowsled supplied his ‘North Pole’ pulks for the winter journey up through Alaska to Cape Prince of Wales, and for the awesome crossing of the moving pack-ice to Russia in March 2006.
2007, March.
Stefano Miglietti from Italy, won the Yukon Ultra 300 mile race in Whitehorse, Canada, using a Snowsled Ice Blue plastic sled.
2008. 2300 Kms South to North traverse of Greenland Icecap
Using kites and Snowsled ‘Ice Blue’ plastic pulks. The small French party of three led by Michael Charavin completed the journey in 31 days.
2009. Norwegian Polar Institute.
Snowsled was commissioned to make a large komatik sled (4.5 m long X 2.2 m wide), to support a small ’magnetics’ hut during their 2200 Kms traverse in Antarctica.
2009. March. Chris Todd
Chris Todd from the UK, won the 6633 Arctic Ultra 350 mile race in Yukon, Canada, using a Snowsled Ice Blue plastic sled and wheel system.
Photo Martin Like. www.6633ultra.com