Yemen to South Pole

Polar Training Course in Finse,Norway 2018


                              TASLEEM MULHALL

When Tasleem ran away from home as a teenager to escape a forced marriage, she just wanted to get as far away as possible; never in her wildest dreams did she think that she’d end up at the South Pole. Tasleem has harnessed that same courage to overcome the oppression of her parents, her culture and the social pressures around her.

She has gone on to become a respected campaigner against child marriage; One of the most vocal and forthright protestors on FGM; A courageous speaker against forced marriage; Tireless social campaigner for many charities and political parties.

“I don’t just want to conquer the South Pole to prove to myself what I’m capable of; I want to do it to show oppressed women all over the world what they are capable of. I want them to know that the world is full of possibilities and they don’t have to settle for a forced marriage, there is an alternative."


                    SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION 2018


In November 2018 Tasleem will embark on a journey to the South Pole which will test her endurance to the limits. This expedition is one of the last great challenges left to mankind and is the ultimate test of human survival. In a team of 5 explorers, she will traverse across over 900km of Antarctic ice from the Ronne Ice Shelf on the edge of the continent to the geographic South Pole, a journey which will take nearly two months, under their own power.

Tasleem will be the first British Yemeni to undertake this feat and, on behalf of her country, will place Yemen’s national flag at the geographic South Pole.

Tasleem will undergo months of training, including a Polar Training Course in Norway over January and February 2018 during which she will participate in a six day expedition between the remote mountain village of Haugastol on the edge of the Hardangervidda plateau and Finse.

The expedition to the South Pole will involve flying to Punta Arenas in southern Chile where she will meet with other members and guides of the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions team and prepare for the flight to the Union Glacier camp and on to the Ronne Ice Shelf where the ‘Messner’ expedition, which is inspired by Reinhold Messner’s 1989 epic Antarctic crossing, will start.

The expedition team will skirt the western flank of the massive Foundation Ice Stream and the Transantarctic Mountains then turn south toward the South Pole. Skiing for seven to ten hours a day, Tasleem will pull a sled of supplies weighing 60 to 80 kg and be exposed to all types of weather, face constant winds, fields of sastrugi and white out conditions.

The actual route takes up to 50 days and climbs gradually to more than 10,000ft. Days will be filled with 24 hour daylight and an intense solitude and tranquility that cannot be found almost anywhere else on Earth. At the South Pole, temperatures will range from -25C to -40C with wind chill down to -50C.


QUOTES:

“Tasleem is taking on a huge challenge, and I wish her all the luck in the world. She is an extraordinary individual, and has my full support.”

Zac Goldsmith
MP Richmond Park and North Kingston


“Tasleem is a role model for many women and I am very proud to have had the chance to support her.”

Yann Borgstedt
Womanity President


" Tasleem is a woman of immense courage and determination. Many people just talk about what they are going to do - but Tasleem gets up and just does it! I admire her commitment to making the world a kinder and better place, especially in relation to young girls' rights (child marriage, FGM). I urge everyone to support Tasleem in her latest challenge."

Guy Holloway
Headmaster, Hampton Court  House



Help Tasleem today by donating to next challenge ...

The South Pole.