Let me preface this by saying I don't want to diminish what these guys are doing at all... this is an incredible feat, no matter what.
However, I'm genuinely curious, and I'm sure other people are as well: Looking at the map, the definition of "across" Antarctica seems a little bit squishy to me. Does crossing one small portion of one side of the continent count as going "across" it? Is this the New York Times trying to grab attention with the headline? Is there some known definition among these types of adventurers as to what counts as "across"? Will there be debate later?
I suppose Charles Lindbergh didn't exactly fly across the widest part of the Atlantic either... still, I'm just intrigued.
The journey they are attempting is a known route first attempted by Ernest Shackleton, and is now reffered to as shackletons crossing. It has been attempted several times but never completed. For more backstory on the history of the route, reading David Grann's excellent New Yorker article will fill in a lot of the gaps.
However, I'm genuinely curious, and I'm sure other people are as well: Looking at the map, the definition of "across" Antarctica seems a little bit squishy to me. Does crossing one small portion of one side of the continent count as going "across" it? Is this the New York Times trying to grab attention with the headline? Is there some known definition among these types of adventurers as to what counts as "across"? Will there be debate later?
I suppose Charles Lindbergh didn't exactly fly across the widest part of the Atlantic either... still, I'm just intrigued.