In an ordinary race, the one who crosses the finish line first wins. In Antarctica, more than one person can be first, as is shown by the story of an American, a Brit and a Norwegian.

The American, Colin O’Brady, had just finished university; he was enjoying life and seeing the world, ending up at the Thai island of Koh Tao. Every month, the locals organize the Full Moon Party on the beach. It’s not about any kind of tradition, ritual or anything like that; you just have to give the tourists an excuse to spend money, drink by the bucket (literally) and party all night. Fire shows are one of the attractions. They’re done by professionals, but there’s also an element of audience participation. O’Brady jumped over a flaming skipping rope held by two locals. Today he says it wasn’t the smartest idea, especially as he wasn’t wearing shoes, but at the time, in a haze of alcohol and other substances, there was no tomorrow. He missed one jump. The line fell between his legs, and O’Brady started to burn. Before he made it to the water, 25% of his body was burnt. After eight operations, the doctors told him he most likely would never walk normally again. They were wrong.

In the name of Amundsen and Scott

“A race? What do you imagine mountain climbing looks like?” says Adam Bielecki, a top Polish climber, when asked whether he’s excited by the race to be first to climb K2 in winter. “Everybody wants to climb somewhere where nobody’s ever been. But it’s not a rivalry in the strict sense. I don’t like that; as a child I competed in climbing competitions and