Àlex Simón i Casanovas

Àlex Simon i Casanovas (born 1960 in Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona) is a Catalonian mountain guide, climbing teacher, outdoor instructor and logistic. He has climbed in the Pyrenees, Alps and the Dolomites, as well as in U.S., Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia, Australia and Antarctica, and crossed by bicycle sections of the Simpson Desert (Australia) and Atacama Desert (Chile).

Àlex Simon i Casanovas
Àlex Simon i Casanovas
Born (1960-11-08) 8 November 1960
Barcelona, Catalonia
OccupationPolar Guide and sport events organisation
Websitewww.polarguide-logistics.com

Àlex Simon was the mountain guides team leader at the Spanish Antarctic base of Juan Carlos I in 2001–06, carrying out extensive field work on Hurd Peninsula, Huron Glacier area, Byers Peninsula, and Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.

Since 2007 he lives in Finland. Currently he organizes sports events and a different kind of polar traverses: ski, husky dogs, fatbike and snowmobile. Agreeing to these activities, he participated as a logistician and guide on the Professor Multanovskiy ship during the 2009–2010 Antarctic summer and, as well in Antarctica, on the Ocean Nova ship during the 2010–2011.

Sport events organisation

Since 2012 Àlex is organizing the Rovaniemi 150 Arctic Winter Race www.rovaniemi150.com. Rovaniemi150 (150 km) is the first, and still the only one (2017) polar winter ultramarathon in Europe which combines three categories: fatbike, ski and run.

Since 2014 he also organize the Lapland Extreme Challenge www.laplandextremechallenge.com, 1000 kilometers in Finnish Lapland in winter.

Since 2015 Rovaniemi150 have two more different challenges: Rovaniemi66 (66 km) and Rovaniemi300 (300 km).

Climbs in Antarctica

First ascent of Mount Bowles (839 m), Livingston Island on 5 January 2003.[1]

First ascent of Burdick East Peak (735 m), Livingston Island on 20 November 2003.

Honour

Casanovas Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named for Àlex Simon i Casanovas.[2]

Publications
  • Article "Bajo el sol del desierto". Solo Bici nº7. Dec. 1991.
  • Article "La motoneige et moi-une expérience en Antarctique". Motoneige Quebec. Dec 2009.
  • Article "Sueños gélidos, sacos para frio extremo". Desnivel. Dec 2002.
  • Àlex S. Casanovas. [The Snowmobile Bible: Progressive safety over dangerous terrain]. Lulu Inc., 2008. 112 pp. ISBN 978-1-4092-2363-4

Sport activities

In March 2011 he finished the 350 milles Iditarod Trail Invitational by bike. He was the first Catalan who participated in this race and finished it.[3]

References
  1. American Alpine Journal, 2003. p.333. ISBN 0-930410-93-9, ISBN 978-0-930410-93-3
  2. Casanovas Peak. SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica
  3. Fatback Website
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