Italian Pair Abandon Trek Across North Pole
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MILAN, Italy — Thwarted by adverse weather conditions and incidents, two Italian brothers on Thursday abandoned their attempt to cross the North Pole on foot.
Explorers Reinhold and Hubert Messner gave up their quest to cross the Arctic from Siberia to Canada after fewer than three days.
A spokesman in Milan said the Messners encountered cracks in the ice fields and lost a sled with vital equipment and food. A Russian helicopter rescued them.
Reinhold Messner, who has climbed the world’s tallest peaks, reported by telephone from a Russian military base that strong winds, bitter cold and cracking ice proved insurmountable.
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