Manitoba teacher completes expedition to south pole

From Mt. Everest to the Sahara, a Manitoba teacher has taken on some of the world’s toughest terrain. Dalip Shekhawat just recently returned from an expedition to the south pole and brings his experiences back to his students.

“The temperature with windchill was minus 45 to minus 55. It was a big challenge mentally and physically,” said Shekhawat.

The 47-year-old special education teacher, says only 45-60 people attempt the 12-day trek to the south pole a year and only half of those finish. All seven of those in his group made it to the end.

“We had our sleds to haul, they weigh about 45-75 kilos. The trek is 12 days but we did 25 kilometres on average each day and we finished in eight days.”

Going from Winnipeg’s 250 metre altitude to 3,400 metres caused altitude sickness, and 24-hour sunlight caused confusion and exhaustion, not to mention frostbite from just seconds of skin exposure.

“We were confused, exhausted, fatigued, the morale was pretty low in the few days when we started,” explained Shekhawat.

“You can see my nose, there was frostnip because of the cold. You lift your mask to drink water, and that small exposure every hour to sip and eat a snack got all of us.”

It sounds like a nightmare, but Shekhawat says there is no inner peace and enlightenment like conquering these journeys.

“Reaching the pole gives you the feeling that you’ve reached the bottom of the world where only a few have dared to come. That sense of accomplishment and doing with a team is very empowering, I felt very strong. Wherever I go, I find that connection with nature and size myself up with the universe and I feel better.”

Shekhawat returns after each expedition and shares slideshows with his students to encourage them to build connections with nature. His next goal? A marathon at the north pole.