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In a press conference held at Bank Audi Plaza on May 6, 2009, Maxime Chaya, Bank Audi’s Corporate Ambassador, announced that he had successfully accomplished his quest to reach the Geographic North Pole from Ellesmere Island – Canada, when he rooted the Lebanese flag and Bank Audi’s name at 90 degrees North on April 25 (at 5:22 PM Beirut time), after skiing unsupported for 53 days across the world’s harshest environment.
Commenting on the problems faced during his voyage, Chaya said: “My two teammates and I – who formed the Peary Centennial North Pole Expedition – endured temperatures of -60ºC, and, besides the ever-present threat of polar bears, had to overcome a myriad of obstacles including pressure ridges, open water, marginally thin ice, and relentless westerly winds which brought exceptional negative drift.”
Chaya admitted there were moments when they thought they wouldn’t make it on time; “We had to fight our most discouraging rival – what explorers call the ’polar treadmill’ or ‘transpolar drift’, which is the strong current that constantly shifts the ice southwards from the pole like a giant conveyor belt, while we were striving to ski in the exact opposite direction: north…”
“Challenges were faced on a constant basis, but we always strived to overcome them one day a time, while remaining hopeful and reminding ourselves that ‘tomorrow is another day’. Although the mercury was slowly rising with the longer days, things did not get any easier”, added Chaya. “Our journey turned into a nightmare when our resupply fell short of the necessary calories that we planned to receive, and consequently made us run out of food only three days from our elusive goal. By then, we all had lost a considerable amount of weight and power, despite ingesting the daily 8000 calories needed to fight the cold and pull a sled up to 15 hours per day. Even our shadows looked skinny, but fortunately, we managed to stock up on more food from a nearby dog sledding expedition in order to complete our journey and reach our destination before the April 26 deadline.”
This feat represents the last of “The Three Poles” project which Chaya challenged himself to achieve. After climbing Everest in 2006 and skiing all the way to the South Pole unassisted in 2007, Chaya tested his stanch determination yet again with success. This latest triumph, added to the South Pole and Seven Summits achievements, places Chaya as the 16th adventurer worldwide on the “Three Poles” list, and only the 4th ever to achieve both “Seven Summits” and “Three Poles” (with Lebanon now third on the list, after South Korea and Great Britain).
Chaya regularly sent photos and podcasts via satellite from the ice, and his odyssey was consequently followed with passion and enthusiasm by the public in Lebanon and abroad (over 3 million hits worldwide). Indeed, the blogger’s numerous messages of solidarity, encouragement and support flowing daily on www.thethreepoles.comgave Maxime the strength to persist, especially during the tougher stages. He therefore seized the occasion to thank it for its continuous loyal backing.
“It is with great emotion and an immense sense of relief, satisfaction, and pride that I share with you this success. Although I always prepare for the worst while hoping for the best, this particular expedition was without a doubt even tougher and more dangerous than I had imagined. A great deal of planning and preparation went into the project on my part, but it is a fact that, without Bank Audi’s extraordinary vision and unwavering support, I would not have been able to “Grow Beyond My Potential”, and would not be standing here today, on behalf of Audi Saradar Group, offering this success to the nation and the Arab world.”
Commenting on the problems faced during his voyage, Chaya said: “My two teammates and I – who formed the Peary Centennial North Pole Expedition – endured temperatures of -60ºC, and, besides the ever-present threat of polar bears, had to overcome a myriad of obstacles including pressure ridges, open water, marginally thin ice, and relentless westerly winds which brought exceptional negative drift.”
Chaya admitted there were moments when they thought they wouldn’t make it on time; “We had to fight our most discouraging rival – what explorers call the ’polar treadmill’ or ‘transpolar drift’, which is the strong current that constantly shifts the ice southwards from the pole like a giant conveyor belt, while we were striving to ski in the exact opposite direction: north…”
“Challenges were faced on a constant basis, but we always strived to overcome them one day a time, while remaining hopeful and reminding ourselves that ‘tomorrow is another day’. Although the mercury was slowly rising with the longer days, things did not get any easier”, added Chaya. “Our journey turned into a nightmare when our resupply fell short of the necessary calories that we planned to receive, and consequently made us run out of food only three days from our elusive goal. By then, we all had lost a considerable amount of weight and power, despite ingesting the daily 8000 calories needed to fight the cold and pull a sled up to 15 hours per day. Even our shadows looked skinny, but fortunately, we managed to stock up on more food from a nearby dog sledding expedition in order to complete our journey and reach our destination before the April 26 deadline.”
This feat represents the last of “The Three Poles” project which Chaya challenged himself to achieve. After climbing Everest in 2006 and skiing all the way to the South Pole unassisted in 2007, Chaya tested his stanch determination yet again with success. This latest triumph, added to the South Pole and Seven Summits achievements, places Chaya as the 16th adventurer worldwide on the “Three Poles” list, and only the 4th ever to achieve both “Seven Summits” and “Three Poles” (with Lebanon now third on the list, after South Korea and Great Britain).
Chaya regularly sent photos and podcasts via satellite from the ice, and his odyssey was consequently followed with passion and enthusiasm by the public in Lebanon and abroad (over 3 million hits worldwide). Indeed, the blogger’s numerous messages of solidarity, encouragement and support flowing daily on www.thethreepoles.comgave Maxime the strength to persist, especially during the tougher stages. He therefore seized the occasion to thank it for its continuous loyal backing.
“It is with great emotion and an immense sense of relief, satisfaction, and pride that I share with you this success. Although I always prepare for the worst while hoping for the best, this particular expedition was without a doubt even tougher and more dangerous than I had imagined. A great deal of planning and preparation went into the project on my part, but it is a fact that, without Bank Audi’s extraordinary vision and unwavering support, I would not have been able to “Grow Beyond My Potential”, and would not be standing here today, on behalf of Audi Saradar Group, offering this success to the nation and the Arab world.”
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