Expedition Timeline
Shackleton Epic Expedition (2012-2013), In planning
Sir Douglas Mawson’s Antarctic Journey (2007)
Lake Eyre (2004)
Tim Jarvis and Ben Kozel made the first unsupported traverse of the Warburton River and Australia’s largest salt lake, Lake Eyre in northern South Australia, in 2004. The expedition involved paddling 200km down the normally dry Warburton and manhauling all supplies across the salt crust of the dry lake a further 100kms to a road access point. Tim and his expedition partner Ben Kozel were awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Spirit of Adventure Award for 2004 for the expedition.
North Pole Expedition (2002)
In 2002, Tim undertook an unsupported trek to the North Pole, crossing approximately 400 kilometres of the frozen Arctic Ocean, enduring unwelcome attention from polar bears and extremely low temperatures.
Great Victoria Desert (2001)
“The team experienced visitations by dingoes, as well as disturbing several snakes during the hotter weather in the second half of the trip, and temperatures ranging from the mid thirties during the day to as low as minus 5 degrees at night.”
Tim completed the first unsupported crossing of Australia’s largest desert, the Great Victoria Desert (spanning an area of almost 350,000km²), in June 2001. The crossing is not only the longest unsupported Australian desert crossing but is also thought to be the longest unsupported journey undertaken in Australia by modern definition. The total distance of the expedition was 1,100km in 29 days.
Transantarctic (1999-2000)
“Frostbite, extreme exhaustion, zero visibility, and the threat of being swallowed up by the ice forever make Antarctica a reasonably unattractive destination for the average holiday-maker. This is what attracted us to it.”
Tim Jarvis achieved records for the fastest unsupported journey to the South Pole (47 days) and longest unsupported distance covered (1,580kms) on his 1999 Expedition to Antarctica. The expedition enjoyed the patronage of John Howard and Tony Blair and was a $650,000 exercise. It also raised thousands of dollars for The New Children’s Hospital at Westmead, NSW.
Sir Douglas Mawson’s grandson gave Tim Sir Douglas’ famous balaclava to take to the South Pole in his honour.
Spitsbergen (1996)
In 1996, Tim, along with an expedition co-member, traversed Spitsbergen Island in the northern Arctic Ocean. This was an unsupported crossing of 500km of a crevassed ice sheet across the frozen Arctic Ocean.
“We aimed to cross the island man-hauling all provisions, fuel, equipment and a 303 rifle for protection against bears in pulks or sleds weighing some 230lbs each… Visitation by bears, storms that threatened to blow us off the ice sheet, extreme cold (down to –40C), fatigue and weight loss caused by the daily effort was all worthwhile when we arrived back in Longyearbyen over a month later. It was a great trip, with the camaraderie between Ed and I being a real highlight. Without any doubt, it was this expedition to the wilds of the Arctic that began an ongoing relationship with polar regions that continues to this day.”
