Àlex Simón i Casanovas (born 1960 in Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

) is a Catalonian

Catalan people

The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...

 mountain guide

Mountain guide

Mountain guides are specially trained and experienced mountaineers and professionals who are generally certified by an association. They are considered experts in mountaineering.-Skills:Their skills usually include climbing, skiing and hiking...

, climbing teacher and outdoor instructor. He has climbed in the Pyrenees

Pyrenees

The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...

, Alps

Alps

The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....

 and the Dolomite

Dolomite

Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....

, as well as in U.S.A, Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia, Australia and Antarctica, and crossed by bicycle sections of the Simpson Desert

Simpson Desert

The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....

 (Australia) and Atacama Desert (Chile).

Àlex Simón was a team leader for the mountain guides at the Spanish Antarctic base of Juan Carlos I

Juan Carlos I Base

Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base, named after the king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, is a seasonal scientific station operated by Spain, opened in January 1988...

 in 2001–06, carrying out extensive field work on Hurd Peninsula

Hurd Peninsula

Hurd Peninsula is the land between South Bay and False Bay on the south coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The Spanish Antarctic base Juan Carlos I and the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski are situated on the west coast of the peninsula.The feature...

, Huron Glacier

Huron Glacier

Huron Glacier is a 7.7 km long and 3.5 km wide glacial flow on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The glacier is bounded by Bowles Ridge to the north, Wörner Gap to the west and Tangra Mountains to the south, receiving ice influx from several tributary glaciers...

 area, Byers Peninsula

Byers Peninsula

Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. It occupies , and includes the small freshwater Basalt Lake. The area was visited by early 19th century American and British sealers who came almost exclusively from New England,...

, and Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula is an ice-covered peninsula on the north coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica that is bounded by Hero Bay to the east and Barclay Bay to the west. It extends 13 km in length in north-south direction and is 8 km wide...

 on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands

South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...

.

Since 2007 lives in Finland. Currently organizes polar traverses and expeditions, snowmobile

Snowmobile

A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...

 and huskies expeditions and ski traverses. 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.

Climbs in Antarctica

First ascent of Mount Bowles

Mount Bowles

Mount Bowles is an ice-covered mountain of elevation 822 m, the summit of Bowles Ridge in eastern Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Situated 3 mi north of Mount Friesland to which it is linked by Wörner Gap. Coordinates and elevation given according to 2003 Australian GPS survey...

 (839 m), Livingston Island on 5 January 2003.

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

Honour

Casanovas Peak

Casanovas Peak

Casanovas Peak is the ice dome rising to 325 m at the base of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Surmounting Etar Snowfield to the northwest, Berkovitsa Glacier to the northeast and Verila Glacier to the south....

 on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands

South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...

, Antarctica is named for Àlex Simón i Casanovas.

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