INTERNATONAL COMPOSITE
ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION TO THE SOUTH POLE
"MILLENNIUM EXPEDITION"

The idea of expedition program “Toward to 21 Century”

Antarctica is a unique place on our planet with its severe beauty and primordial state. It is the only continent which territory still withstands civilization rush and remains the property of whole humanity. It doesn’t consider any state borders and only accessible for man’s scientific and now sport activity.

Exactly 40 years ago Antarctica Treaty was signed by the governments of 12 countries. This treaty became the basis of international cooperation guarantee of Ice Continent protection. Due to this international treaty Antarctica remains the only continent demilitarized and devoid of nuclear weapons. The scientists of the whole world worked out great number of ways that allow to preserve the unique nature of Antarctica – key of vital importance to the fragile ecosystem of our planet.

We are the authors of this expedition program and we hope that our expedition - last expedition of the 20th century – will attract the attention of all people who think of our planet’s future: politicians and scientists, businessmen and art and culture representatives and also common people dealing with manufacturing owing to whom human civilization is advanced in progress.We aspire to promote the human extent of realization the brittleness of ecological balance on Earth. We convinced that our expedition will help to realize people the global ecological problems.

Members of the expedition are representatives of all races and different nationalities and social positions. They’ll pass more than 1500 km all over Antarctica to reach South Pole on cross-country vehicles (CCV). This people will be real guides for the ideas of careful and humane treating with our Planet for those who will be our successors in the New Millennium.

Expedition organizers and members

The Millennium Expedition was prepared and worked out by the Expedition Center "Arctic" from the Russian Geographical Association with the support and help of the Russian Federation Ministry of Extreme Situations, Russian Antarctic Expedition, Russian Geographical Association and the Association of Russian Polar Explorers.

"Arctic", was established for the scientific-sport expedition in 1992, which prepare for expeditions and travel to the regions of the planet that are hard to achieve, mainly on the extreme north of Russia, including the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica.

Since 1982 the Center has carried out composite and unique expeditions for adventure loving people.

During these years more than 25,000 kilometers were skied, along the arctic coast islands, the archipelagoes and drift ices of the Arctic Ocean and also through the eternal snows of Antarctica.

Three outstanding international parachute expeditions to the North Pole were successfully carried out. The first in April 1992 being a parachute-ski expedition to the North Pole called "Rainbow over the Pole".

In 1994 a ski team of 8 people managed to reach the North Pole being completely self sufficient without any outside help, achieving a first and a world record.

In 1998 a team of 4 people from the Expedition Center managed to ski from the Russian coast to Canada over the point of the North Pole. This new world achievement of Russian travelers was praised as the most unique expedition of the 20th Century by experts in the field of the extreme expeditions and the world sport community.

The Center's activity is supported by famous Russian travelers, polar explorers and scientists, Arthur Chilingarov, Yuri Sencevich, Vitali Volovich and others.

Great admiration was paid to the Center's activity by world famous foreign travelers such as Tour Heerdal (Norway), Edmund Hillary (New Zealand), Jeff Sammers (UK), Reinhold Messner (Italy) and others.

The Expedition projects of the Center are supported by the "Explorers Club" (USA).

Preparation of the expedition program "Towards the 21st Century" is carried out under the patronage of the Deputy Speaker of the Russian Parliament and President of the Russian Polar Explorers, Arhtur Chilingarov. The adviser of the expedition is the Vice-Director of the Institute of Arctic and Antarctic and Chief of Russian Antarctic Expedition, Valeri Lukin.

The expedition program leader, Vladimir Chukov, an honoured sports masters is the President of the Expedition Center "Arctic", an active member of the Russian Geographical Association and President of the Russian department of the "Explorers Club" (USA). He is also the chief of 3 autonomous polar ski expeditions 1989, 1990 and 1994.

Another leader of the expedition is the Vice President of "Arctic", Evgeny Bakalov, being sport master, world champion of parachute sport, extreme conditions survival instructor, organizer and operator of parachute jumps into oceans, volcano in Kamchatka and Caucuses Mountains. A leader of 3 international parachute expeditions to the North Pole, he has also participated in more than 10 films and is a member of the Russian Stuntmen Association.

Members of organization committee of international expedition “Millennium Expedition” are:

Vladimir Drabo - President of Byelorussin support fund of extreme expeditions “Pole”, Byelorussia;
Bob Christ - President of “Forum Expedition” company, USA;
Stefan Jean - France;
Nathalie Chudiak - Skydiving Expeditions, Holland;
Joachim Arndt - China;
Graham Hoal - Africa.

Expedition is held under the patronage of the French President, Jaques Chirack.

Candidatures of participators of the expedition will be examined until 15.11.99.

There is an opportunity to take part in the preparation and advertising of each stage of the expedition to achieve greater efficiency for founders and general sponsors of the project "Millennium Expedition" the expedition program "Towards 21st Century".

Expedition projects and problems

• To apply new technology in transport and maintenance for expedition exploration in Antarctica;

• To make the 2000 km return journey across Antarctica on cross-country vehicles (CCV) on wheels of ultra low pressure in Antarctic conditions;

• To land parachutists and cargo at the South Pole region;

• To work out operations in Antarctica using new methods of transport and parachute technology, delivering search groups equipped with CCV's;

• To deliver cargo weighing up to 20 tons by parachutes to the "Vostok" station;

• To carry out balloon flights in Antarctic conditions;

• To make scientific observations throughout the journey in accordance with the science program "Ecology of the Planet", run by experts of the Moscow State University and Institute of Earth's Geography;

• To create a number of video films about the last greatest Antarctic polar voyage of the 20th Century and about the history of exploring the high latitudes of the planet, nature and ecological problems of this region, due to man's activity;

• Mountaineers to go to Mount Vinson, (more than 5000 meters) which is the highest mountain in Antarctica;

• New Year Eve celebration at South Pole.

Expedition organization

The International Antarctic expedition “Millennium Expedition” will take place from 17th December 1999 to 10th January 2000.

The stages of the Expedition are laid out below in chronological order:

17.12.99 The IL-76 will leave Moscow to fly to Minsk to pick up Snow bugs;

18/19.12.99 Stop in Madrid to pick up hot air balloons;

20.12.99 Arrival of IL-76 to Punta Arenas;

21-23.12.99 Arrival of participants to Santiago. Training jumps in Santiago (a program of details for staying in Santiago is provided upon request);

22.12.99 Meeting point for Balloonists and participants going to Patriot Hills only;

23.12.99 IL-76 departs Punta Arenas en route to Patriot Hills (Antarctica) with balloons, "Snow Bugs" and all necessary equipment. Set up camp at Patriot Hills;

27.12.99 Skydivers arrival to Punta Arenas, Il-76 leaves for Antarctica;

28.12.99 Departure of "Snow Bugs" group, including 10 cars with 20 trailers on route: Patriot Hills - South Pole. Their mission is to set up 2 intermediate refueling stations and making camp in the geographical point of the South Pole;

30.12.99 "Snow Bugs" group arrival to the South Pole;

31.12.99 - 01.01.2000 TV program, Ecological program, Celebration of New Year 2000;

02-04.01.2000 South Pole camp removal. Trip of participants from South Pole to Patriot Hills camp by the "Snow bugs";

05.01.00 Departure of participants from Patriot Hills to Punta Arenas by IL-76 aircraft;

06-10.01.00 Transport of all camps, "Snow bugs", expedition equipment and waste from Patriot Hills to Punta Arenas by IL-76;

11.01.00 Departure from Punta Arenas via Europe to Moscow.

Individual payment of participant:

1) Participation in South Pole program:

2) Participation in Patriot Hills program:

3) Participation in traveling on cross-country vehicles from Patriot Hills region to mountainous massif Winson (5140 m), by duration 5 days:

The payments for participation in the expedition should be remitted to the organizer in the following order:
25% till 15.09.99, 50% till 01.10.99 and 100% payment till 15.10.1999.

To forward a request and facilitate processing of entry and authorization papers please send us the following information about the participants:

1. First and last name (as written in the passport);
2. Number of passport;
3. Date of birth (day/month/year);
4. Country of origin (citizenship);
5. Certificate (for parachutists, tandem-masters, balloonists);
6. License (for parachutists, tandem-masters, balloonists);
7. Personal weight and weight of equipment;
8. Insurance;
9. Contact address, fax, telephone number, e-mail;
10. Necessary clothes;
11. Necessary equipment;
12. Readiness to pay registration fee.

The acquisition or manufacturing of warm clothes and equipment by the personal ordering can be made through the Russian company "BASK"

Organization committee of the expedition program address:

P.O. Box 40, 117246, Moscow, Russia, Regional public fund of expedition activity support “ARCTIC” of Russian geographic association

Name:	tel./fax:	e-mail:	Web-site:
V.Chukov	007 (095) 203-60-69	chukov@arctica.msk.ru	http://www.ec-arctic.ru