South Pole Pictures!

First off, enjoy these pictures our team at the South Pole!

Celebration, reflection and relaxation, that's been the order of the day for the team during their stay at Union Glacier. One of the unexpected perks of travelling to the remote ends of the earth is meeting all kinds of interesting people. Seems strange to make so many friends in such, for the most part, uninhabited areas, but it's the way these trips always go. As more and more people return to Union Glacier from the South Pole, our team's celebration of their own successful expedition has steadily become a base-camp-wide celebration of a successful South Pole season.

The team expects to fly from Antarctica to Patagonia sometime in the next day or so. The transition from base camp to small Chilean city will further their reintegration to "normal" society. Hot air hand driers truly are things of beauty after weeks of rubbing warmth back into your hands out on the ice!

Return to Union Glacier

Today the team woke up at the South Pole. For the first time in over a week, the team took it easy after finishing breakfast. Instead of breaking camp, strapping on skis and making miles, they toured the Amundsen-Scott Research Station, a scientific research facility located just a few steps from the Pole.

After the tour the team enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then hopped on a plane bound for Union Glacier. At the moment, it looks like they will remain at base camp until the 19th, when they'll fly from Antarctica back to Punta Arenas in Patagonia. For now though, the team will enjoy a nice leisurely change of pace as well as a huge drop in elevation.

Stay tuned for more expedition pictures. Thanks for following!

90 Degrees South

As expected, the team reached the South Pole today! They can't go any further south. If they take a step in any direction, they'll be heading north. Reaching the South Pole is an exceedingly rare and special accomplishment. The team achieved this great goal in spite of the whiteout conditions (or, "white hell", as Len would say) that were the meteorological theme of the expedition.

As usual, the team made 8 nautical miles in about 6 hours in overcast, windy conditions. Despite the blustery conditions, the team was able to see the South Pole for most of the day. The team ditched their sleds about 200 meters from 90 degrees south, and sprinted, unencumbered to the expedition finish line!

They took plenty of photos, celebrated and circumnavigated the world's time zones at the Pole before retiring to the heated "welcome tent"--a most welcome luxury. The exhausted team agreed to continue the celebration tomorrow, but, for now, they wanted a good night's rest more than anything.

In addition to more celebration, tomorrow the team will tour the Amundsen-Scott Research Station in the morning, and possibly catch a flight back to Union Glacier. Thanks so much for following and supporting the team during their expedition! Stay tuned for final wrap up entries.

One Ski Day Left?

As expected, the team made another 8 nautical miles in 6 hours in pretty challenging weather conditions. To illustrate the total lack of contrast in the whiteout conditions the team had today, Keith reported that they were "skiing the milk jug all day long". Even so, after 8 miles, their current position is S 89*52', W 068*42'.

If not for the whiteout conditions, the team would've had a nice view of the South Pole today. In fact, during a short spell of clear weather, the team caught a glimpse of the Amundsen-Scott Research Center just next to the South Pole.

Despite the difficult conditions, the team is charged up, and plan to stand on the bottom of the world tomorrow! Stay tuned for the final stretch!

Two Days Away, Game On!

Once again the team made 8 nautical miles in just under 6 six hours today, and that brings them to S 89*44', W 078*02'. Since there are 60 minutes (equal to 1 nautical mile) in every degree of latitude, at 44' of the 89th degree, the team is just two of their typical travel days away from reaching the South Pole!

The difficult weather that the team expected to hit didn't quite hit as hard as originally predicted. They skied under sunny skies, though the wind picked up and the temperature dropped toward the end of the day.

The team is, as you might expect, in great spirits, but remained focused even though the goal seems so close. They aren't taking anything for granted, and are looking forward to putting in another full of work tomorrow.

Rocking Out, and Rocking On

"Only three more songs to go!" This is Keith's signal to the iPod wearing team that they've nearly met their mileage goal for the day. The team charges all their iPods using the solar panels that also power the satellite phone and other essential electronics. This, in addition to a clear horizon and a solid physical equilibrium, is another reason to hope for sunny skies--no sun, no iPod charging. Up to now the team has squeezed enough juice from the solar panels to rock out to their favorite tunes as they make miles.

Once again the team made 8 nautical miles in 6 hours, bringing them to S 89*36', W 081*15'. If you've been following the team since they started skiing, you may have noticed that they've already covered several longitudinal degrees. A degree of latitude is a constant 60 nautical miles wide everywhere on the globe, but the width of a degree of longitude scrunches way down as it approaches either Pole. That's why the team has covered so many longitudinal degrees during their expedition, and it's also why, when standing directly on the North or South Pole, you are simultaneously in every time zone on the planet!

Today the team had sunny skies, low wind and moderate temperatures while they were skiing, but all that changed as they pitched camp. It got windy, overcast and much colder. In fact, Keith reports that it was colder in the tent tonight than it was on any other night of the expedition. He predicts more challenging weather for the next few days, and says that it will be "game on" when they set out tomorrow morning!

Don't You Mean White Heaven?!

The team continues to travel quickly, safely and efficiently. Today they once again traveled 8 nautical miles in 6 hours. They started the day skiing under sunny skies with relatively balmy temperatures that averaged out to 5* Fahrenheit. Pina colada, anyone? As the day progressed, the skies became increasingly overcast to the point where the horizon disappeared, and the team found themselves in what Len described as "white hell"!

Despite the loss of visual contrast, the team is in great spirits. Just listen to Keith and Rob laughing in the background of Len's animated audio report!

So the team is making very good mileage in 6 hour days. Why don't they do 8 or 10 hours and make the Pole even faster? Well, there are many reasons like long term wear and tear, allowing ample recovery time, maintaining an agreeable daily schedule, but one of the major factors is water. The team must melt snow blocks for their drinking water. It is a time consuming project, but obviously a very important one. Proper hydration not only helps the body recover quickly from physical stress, but it also is a major factor in avoiding cold injuries. A dehydrated person's blood thickens, reducing circulation, especially to the common frostbite problem areas like fingers and toes.

Thanks for following. Stay tuned for more updates from Antarctica.

Hitting Their Stride

It's incredible what a little altitude acclimatization can do. The team now feels totally comfortable at their current elevation, and today's travel stats prove it. Today they skied 8.2 nautical miles in 6 hours, taking short breaks after each 2 two nautical mile push. Their current position is S 89*20'004'', W 085.02'499''.

The travel stats illustrate that acclimatization to altitude boosts physical performance, but it has other positive effects as well. The slight, nagging head and stomachaches that plagued some team members for the past two days have subsided, and the team has reportedly regained its appetite. If you have following for the past few days, you'll remember Wendy's audio update, in which she commented on the "gelatinous chicken" they were having for dinner. Loss of appetite often goes with altitude gains, especially sudden gains, and of course, steep calorie deficits hinder physical performance. Well, now the team is eating well, and fueling their metabolic engines. As they say, hunger is the best spice!

The agreeable weather patterns continued today with an average temperature of about -5* Fahrenheit, 5 knot winds out of the south and sunny skies. So far the team has not encountered any of the really strong winds that Antarctica is known for, but the team's renewed energy has given them the confidence to take on any conditions.

Making Miles in the Cold

The team put in another good day on the polar plateau, and by the time they pitched their tents for the evening they had completed just about 20% of the expedition mileage! Today they skied 6.5 nautical miles in 5 hours, and are currently camped at S 89*12', W 089*37'.

Today the temperature dipped down to -17 Fahrenheit with calm winds. When it's that cold outside wearing the appropriate layers is of the utmost importance. Obviously the team wants to stay comfortable and healthy in the bitter cold, but they must be very careful to keep from getting too warm. Actually, it's better to be a little chilly rather roasty toasty warm while skiing. If you get too warm you'll start to sweat, and then, as soon as you stop generating body heat through activity (skiing), that sweat leaves with chattering teeth and wet clothes with poor insulation value.

So the team must be in a constant state of diligence: carefully monitoring their body temperature, shedding or adding layers as needed, stoking their metabolic engines and keeping the frigid wind from damaging cold-sensitive body parts like the ears, fingertips and nose.

The team is really hitting their stride now. In her audio update Wendy mentions that, once again, the girls are the night owls. The boys had already turned in, no doubt resting up for another great day of making miles!

First Full Day on the Trail

The team took a half day today in order to minimize the initial "trail shock" on their bodies. Not only are they pulling heavy sleds in -30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures, but they are also acclimatizing to the approximately 9,300 ft. elevation of the polar plateau.

With that in mind, they team skied for about four and a half hours, covering six nautical miles during that time. Their current position is S 89*05', W 087*22'. The team takes breaks after covering about two nautical miles. The breaks give skiers an opportunity to take a short breather, adjust their clothing layers and eat. The team doesn't take an extended break to cook a midday meal. They just munch ready-to-eat, bite-sized food like Snicker bars, trail mix, dried fruit and nuts throughout the day.

Today the wind was blowing at about 10 knots, and the skies were overcast. When overcast, it's not uncommon for the sky and snow to turn just about the exact same shade of gray. This effect not only hides the horizon and shadows, but  can also rob skiers of their equilibrium, making it quite easy to fall over on perfectly flat ground! It's good for a few laughs, but can make covering distance in the polar wilderness all that much more difficult. Despite all that, the team put in a good day, and everyone is looking forward to fueling up on oatmeal tomorrow morning before putting in a full day.

AM: Practice Run; PM: Real Deal

The team is officially on its way! As they had planned the night before, the team set out for a half day's practice ski after breakfast this morning. They covered about four nautical miles, before kicking off their skis back at Union Glacier. Lucky for them, the cooks at Union Glacier had thoughtfully set aside some extra food for our team as everyone else at the camp had already finished lunch.

The team loves every dish that Union Glacier cooks up, and right about the time that they were wondering what the cooks were making for dinner, they were informed that a twin otter plane would shortly be ready to take them to their expedition's starting line, 89 degrees south!

They hopped aboard with kit in tow, and touched down safely on the polar plateau. After skiing for about one nautical mile, they called it a day. They had energy to go much farther, but in the interest of establishing a routine daily work/rest schedule, they called it a day before skiing into the late evening.

They are on their way. Their challenge for the next few days will be getting along with the altitude. The polar plateau is much higher above sea level than Union Glacier, and that extra elevation will be physically and mentally taxing.

Thanks for following. Stay tuned for more updates.

Union Glacier: Rest, Hearty Meals and Yoga!

"The bus will be there in 45 minutes. It leaves with or without you."

Such is the life of a Polar expeditioner. One must always be in a high state of readiness. Even though the earlier than expected shuttle bus call woke the team before their alarm clocks could, they all had their personal kits organized and set to jet. So they hopped out of bed, boarded the shuttle bus bound for the airstrip and excitedly climbed aboard the plane that, after about four hours, would touch down at Union Glacier, Antarctica!

The upside of the early wake up call was they made it to Union Glacier in time for a delicious, hot Aleutian Stew lunch. What the heck's Aleutian Stew? It's a fantastic stick-to-your-ribs beef and vegetable stew that hits the spot when it's freezing outside.

The team reports favorable weather conditions: sunny, calm winds and temperatures hovering around 0 degrees Fahrenheit--comfortable enough for some team members to walk around camp in tennis shoes.

The hearty lunch and supper put Len and Rob to sleep, but energized Wendy and Cheryl for a yoga session. That's right, yoga in Antarctica. Some folks at Union Glacier set up an impromptu group yoga session held in one of the camp's large tents.

Tomorrow the team will ski for a least a half day to get their blood flowing, do final kit tests and practice travelling as a team in Antarctic conditions. After their practice ski the team will return to Union Glacier for the night. Stay tuned for more news from the soon-to-launch last degree expedition.

Set to Jet!

Yesterday morning the team attended their pre-flight briefing, at which they weighed their gear, talked flight procedures and learned that in less than 24 hours the Antarctic adventure would be underway. They were scheduled to lift off from Punta Arenas at 6:25 this morning bound for Union Glacier, Antarctica.

The team left the briefing excited for the imminent expedition, obviously, and looking forward to their last "civilized" night out for some time. After resting up a bit they had dinner and hit their favorite watering hole, the Shackleton Bar.

Stay tuned for the team's first report from the field.

Some Civilized Fun Before the Polar Wilderness

After gathering as a group yesterday morning, the team underwent a gear check to make sure that they have everything they'll need when they set out for the Pole. After just one day together the team is already getting on as if they were old buddies. They shared stories and laughed all the way through dinner at La Luna restaurant, before stopping by the famous Shackleton Bar for a nightcap.

The team is awaiting their travel briefing, which will detail their Antarctic flight schedule and procedures. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the Antarctic adventure to come!

In Punta Arenas

The team is gathered in Punta Arenas, rearing to get going on the ice. They are checking their gear and making final preparations for the expedition. Very soon they will set off for the Pole in commemoration of Scott's historic expedition.

We will begin the team's daily blog entries tonight. Check back again soon for the latest.