On December 9, 2024, Spanish adventurer Antonio de la Rosa embarked on one of the most extreme expeditions of his career: a 1,200 km solo journey from Hercules Bay to the Geographic South Pole. After 39 days of battling harsh conditions, he reached his goal on January 17, 2025, securing his place among the world’s toughest explorers.
A Titanic Challenge in Antarctica
From day one, Antonio had to pull a 70 kg sled loaded with supplies and survival gear, facing an initial climb of more than 1,000 meters in elevation. The journey was marked by windstorms exceeding 50 km/h, extreme temperatures as low as -45°C, and an unusual accumulation of snow, forcing him to constantly break trail with his skis.
One of the most critical moments came when snow blindness forced him to stop for three days in his tent to recover. Additionally, the terrain was full of sastrugis—hard snow formations over a meter high—which further slowed his daily progress.
The extreme conditions forced other expedition members to abandon their journeys, including Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her compatriot Akteigland, who had to be evacuated. However, Antonio persevered, maintaining an average of 30 km per day and enduring up to 13-hour days of skiing.
A Life of Extreme Adventures
This achievement is not the first for Antonio de la Rosa, who has completed solo expeditions across four oceans, skied across Alaska, Lake Baikal, and Lapland, and led one of the most successful adventure racing teams in the 1990s and 2000s.
His success in Antarctica is a testament to his relentless spirit and passion for extreme challenges. At SPS, we celebrate his incredible journey and continue to be inspired by those who, like Antonio, push the limits and conquer the impossible.
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