EXPEDITION NEWS
Running any expedition is a long process. Both Amundsen and Scott spent several years planning and preparing - and they were only going to one place.
Running multiple expeditions to glaciers and ice caps all over the world is not entirely trivial. We may fail.
We will endeavour to share our progress, or lack of it, on this page and our associated social media feeds.
These are the continuing expeditions of the Global Atmospheric Plastic Survey
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3rd June 2025- In possibly the most exciting development yet, GAPS announces a partnership with world-renowned guiding company Ousland Explorers. This not only vastly extends the reach of the GAPS programme and allows us to sample regions not otherwise accessible but it also allows Ousland’s clients the opportunity to contribute to the first ever survey of microplastic and nanoplastics in the atmosphere. |
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29th May 2025- Online B2B publication Carbon Pulse, which provides news and intelligence on carbon markets, greenhouse gas pricing and climate policy, published a long-form article on the G.A.P.S. project. |
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29th April 2025- If you're trying to accomplish something that hasn't been tried before and it involves glaciers then it doesn't do any harm to enlist the help of two of the world's best polar explorers. At the end of April, Borge Ousland and Vincent Colliard set off on a 1000km traverse of Ellesmere Island as part of their Ice Legacy project. Carefully packed in their pulks was a customised light-weight version of one of our science kits enabling them to sample on behalf of GAPS. |
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4th April 2025- Led by experienced expedition leader, Tom Harding, a team of four left for Baffin Island in the high Canadian Arctic. During an unsupported multi-week ski-pulking expedition through territory which is rarely visited even by polar standards, they aimed to make a number of first ascents as well as undertaking scientific work on behalf of GAPS. |
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15th March 2025— Our most multinational team yet, comprised of French, German, British and Norwegian ski-pulkers undertook a multi-glacier traverse to sample southern Svalbard with the guidance of Sindre Sivertsen of Ousland Explorers. |
7th March 2025— A team of young Scottish explorers who'd trained with the Polar Academy undertook our first Arctic expedition, collecting samples in south east Greenland. . |
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9th February 2025— A five person team of ski-mountaineers from Poland headed out to do some sampling on the glaciers of northern Georgia. Calling themselves in tribute to Poland's long history of arduous mountaineering, they succeeded despite having a ski boot break mid-glacier. |
4th February 2025— The GAPS project features in British newspaper the Guardian. in a piece by well-known journalist Damian Carrington. |
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January 2025— Oliver Graves and Brendan O'Ciobhain ski-pulked into the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica where they made two first ascents. On the way in they took samples for GAPS. |
13th January 2025— Research based on samples gathered by precursor expedition HLR 2022 was published as a Nature Scientific Report. This demonstrated that atmospheric microplastics can be measured using volunteers with good mountaineering or polar skills and that this can be done without suffering too much from the sample contamination which had plagued previous attempts. |
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January 2025— Veterinary surgeon turned adventurer, Helen Spencer, skied the last degree to the south pole along a different route. As well as supporting GAPS, she was also raising money for a charity combatting Parkinson's disease. |
December 2024— Taiwanese mountaineer, explorer and artist Grace Tseng skied the last degree to the south pole. This was the first GAPS sampling in a polar region and served as a test bed for our polar sampling SOPs. |
24th October 2024— The Antarctic 'Season' starts. As with all the best seasons, this one has both experienced veterans (such as world class logistics organisation ALE, some debutantes and even a few debutants...) |
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2 November 2024— A sixteen person team from the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) made the first ascent of Himlung Himal (7,126m) in Nepal by a British Army expedition. After five successful summits, showing immense discipline after more than three days at altitude, two of their number delayed their descent to take samples for GAPS. |
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October 2024— The GAPS project is endorsed by the Scientific Exploration Society (SES), a British grant-giving charity dedicated to exploring and conserving the planet. |
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7 September 2024
— Experienced polar explorers Gareth Andrews, Andrea Hordern and Richard Stephenson set out for the Allah and Eden glaciers in New Zealand. They had a film crew with them as this was a training expedition for something more ambitious next year. Storms, snow and avalanche risk meant they had to change their objective, but they still manage to collect some samples for us in the vicinity of Mount Cook. You can hear more about their previous exploits here.September 2024
— DHL manages to get a package of scientific equipment from London to Sydney in record time so as to catch an expedition heading to New Zealand. Science….delivered by DHL – tag the bejeesus out of it in case we want to proposition them.
August 2024— Mountaineer, polar explorer, submariner and astronaut Vanessa O’Brien agrees to help GAPS recruit and liaise with professional mountaineering and polar teams. While completing the Explorer’s Grand Slam (link) she met climbers and ski-pulkers from all over the world which will be invaluable. We need teams everywhere. Find Vanessa at @vobonline and instagram.com/vobonline/ |
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July 2024
— Alex Hyde, a graduate student at Newcastle University studying how glacial lakes affect glacial recession in the Himalaya, did some sampling for GAPS while acclimatising for a climbing trip in the Pamir.July 2024
— Alpine Club aspirant member, Michael Edmonstone, led a team to summit Mount Kazbek which straddles the Russia=Georgia border. His was the first team to notice a manufacturing issue with some of the sample jars.
July 2024— Expedition and mountaineering fitness guru, Joe Bonington, volunteers to connect GAPS with expedition teams he’s training. His training company, Joe’s Basecamp in Sydney, Australia trains and coaches some of the world’s best mountaineers so this could be very helpful. He also provides more basic programmes and some ‘free stuff’. You may see us using this with our less experienced climbers. Find Joe at @joebonington and instagram.com/joethebucketlistcoach/ |
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July 2024
— Our science lead, Dusan Materic, and his team submit the first paper from the precursor ‘HLR 2022’ expedition to a scientific journal. This is the first paper discussing the use of ‘citizen scientist mountaineers’ to measure microplastics.20 June 2024
— US businessman, politician and mountaineer Wayne Pettigrew left his native Oklahoma to lead a small team into the Rwenzori (Mountains of the Moon) between Uganda and Congo. Managed to collect samples despite the airline losing the equipment for a week.1 June 2024
— UK-based Tom Davis-Merry and Karen Frake led the Alpine Club’s ‘meet’ in Bolivia. Despite a political coup part way through the expedition they still managed to get samples.
April 2024— Expedition leader Al Gill invited to speak about HLR and GAPS at the AAC(UK)’s AGM. |
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November 2023— We attend the Expedition Symposium at the world famous Plas y Brenin Outdoor Centre in North Wales. Sponsored by the Arctic Club, the Mount Everest Fund, the Alpine Club and the BMC, this was not only helpful but also a fantastic place to meet potential team members. |
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November 2023— Expedition Leader, Al Gill, gives a talk about the HLR 2022 Expedition at the Royal Geographical Society's annual Explore Weekend and announces GAPS 2024-25. |
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September 2023
— Expedition Leader Al Gill and Scientic Lead Dušan Materić meet in Leipzig to discuss possibilities. When it comes to scientific expeditions it seems there are always possibilities.
February 2023— We deliver an expedition report and a talk to our sponsors, the Austrian Alpine Club (UK). Expedition leader, Al Gill says he has absolutely no intention of organising another expedition when he accidentally discovers that China has some extraordinarily pretty mountains while at a festival of Chinese food and culture in London. |
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June 2022— HLR 2022 Expedition takes place in the European Alps. |
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