Mike horn launches, pangaea, four-year global expedition in the presence of hsh prince albert of monaco to inspire young people to clean-up the planet
• Pangaea Expedition to cover 100,000 km and reach North and South Poles
• Young adults to take part in unique worldwide environmental mission
• HSH Prince Albert present as expedition yacht, Pangaea, is baptised in Monaco
• “Together we can tap the world’s most powerful energy source-the younger generation” , says Mike Horn
One of the most remarkable voyages of exploration ever undertaken – a four-year trans-navigation of the globe by sea and by land – is launched by South African adventurer-explorer Mike Horn.
The expedition, named ‘Pangaea’ after the supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago (and an acronym for his Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Action), will cover 100,000 kilometres, reaching the North and South Poles and crossing all the continents and the oceans. His mission is to unite the continents again through the Young Explorers Program, with a powerful environmental message, to share his knowledge and to initiate environmental solutions for future generations.
Mike says: “I want to share my experience with future generations, providing the stimulation for them to find solutions and ultimately a sustainable balance between nature and mankind. This is the most exciting venture I have undertaken. It is a treasure hunt to uncover the solutions I know are there. By working together with, ingenuity, drive and resourcefulness, the energies of our individual efforts can complement each other and create a collective momentum to inspire change. Together we can tap the world’s most powerful energy source – the younger generation.”
Mike Horn, arguably the world’s greatest modern-day explorer in all terrains, conditions and climates has undertaken exceptional feats of endurance, determination and courage which have extended the boundaries of human achievement. Among his exploits have been Latitude Zero, an 18-month circumnavigation of the Earth around the Equator, the Arktos Expedition, a solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle lasting 27 months and the North Pole Winter Expedition, the first ever night expedition to the North Pole, starting from the northern most point of Russia and ending two months later at the North Pole.
After 15 years of exploration, Mike Horn, in partnership with his sponsors, has committed to share the wealth of knowledge and experience he has acquired from past expeditions on a new Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Awareness. The aim of the Pangaea expedition is to cultivate respect for the environment and to protection of its resources for the sake of future generations.
At the heart of the expedition is ‘Pangaea’, a 35-metre yacht, which has been purpose-built to incorporate numerous state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. These include , hydrogen fuel cell technology, solar panels, recyclable materials and numerous other features. Pangaea’s unique eco-friendly design and construct embodies the central philosophy of Mike Horn’s previous expeditions, all of which were undertaken using natural resources and human power.
Pangaea has been designed to navigate all oceans and conditions from the arctic to the tropics. It is also equipped with cutting-edge communication and conferencing facilities to broadcast progress from the most remote corners of the planet. Pangaea will serve as a unique mobile platform to support environmental research and educational projects at its various ports of call around the world.
At various stages throughout his journey, employing the Young Explorers Program, young adults from each continent, aged 13 to 20 will be invited to join Mike on this amazing odyssey. Horn will walk, kayak, cycle, paraglide, ski and sail across all terrains including oceans, rivers, lakes, mountains, desert, jungle, tundra and ice fields. During each leg of the expedition educational specialists will join the young adults, sharing their knowledge about fauna and flora and helping them to understand the fragile and important interaction between man, nature and the elements. They will also invite participation to lobby youth support globally and provide a forum to help find sustainable solutions for a world in peril.
An additional objective will be the establishment of youth and environmental projects in selected regions that Pangaea visits. There will be a focus on:
Water Projects – emphasizing the need to study and monitor the oceans, their bio-diversity and the impact humans have on them The projects will also engage in ocean clean-ups, debris removal and the cleaning of coastlines and water sources
Biodiversity Projects – studying, understanding and appreciating flora and fauna, and the importance of a balanced ecosystem, with roadmaps as to how to achieve these
Social Community Projects – aiding and educating local communities on optimizing water supplies in villages, improving sanitary and hygiene conditions and becoming self-sustainable from an environmental perspective
In order to achieve its goals, Pangaea has partnered with leading innovators in various fields. As partner and main sponsor, Mercedes-Benz has underlined its commitment to sustainability by enabling the implementation of social and environmental projects with state-of –the art technologies. “ Mike Horn and Mercedes-Benz are both pioneers in their fields and they both use their expertise and resources to protect our natural environment and our climate, explained Dr.Olaf Göttgens, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. “TrueBlue Solutions is an ambitious strategy which has led to the development of pioneering technologies that will contribute to the achievement of emission free mobility.”
Joining Mercedes Benz was Mr. Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai, a long-time supporter of Mike Horn and presenting partner of Pangaea. Mr.Bonati said “It is a great pleasure supporting Mike and the Pangaea expedition, it is not only a personal challenge, but one that will bring great benefits to world through generating awareness of the current state of our planet. Officine Panerai honours men of value and stands behind Mike’s values of tradition, innovation and respect for the environment.”
Among the guests present at the launch in Monaco to support this groundbreaking environmental initiative was Mrs Gaynor Rupert, wife of Mr Johann Rupert, Executive Chairman of Richemont SA , who has agreed to be the ‘Godmother’ of Pangaea.
Mike Horn said: “I would like to thank our sponsors and partners for their support. They have given us the power to share our vision and accomplish our mission. Our team extends heartfelt gratitude to those who believe in our project as strongly as we do. This is a journey we will take together, fuelled simply by mutual passion and common goals. And one which we know will make real steps towards ensuring our planet can be respected and appreciated by all future generations.”
The baptism in Monaco begins a four-month road show that will take Pangaea from Monaco to Barcelona, Hamburg, Iceland and London, ending in Lorient.
The Pangaea Expedition begins on October 9 when Mike Horn sets sail from Punta Arenas in Chile on the first stage of his epic journey to Antarctica, where Horn will trek to the South Pole. Then his route will take him through Australasia, China, Russia, to the North Pole, then across Greenland, North and South America and back to Punta Arenas.
