South Pole 04 - 21 of January 2009

Day to day breakdown

January 4: Flying from Punta to Patriot Hills.

January 5. Preparing sleds and equipment

January 6 - 7: Training in the Ellesworth Mountains.

January 8: Flying with Twin otters to 88.30 South.

January 8 – 18:  Skiing to South Pole

January 19: Pick up at the South Pole and returning to patriot Hills.

January 19: Celebration dinner at Patriot Hills

January 20 -21: Return to Punta Arenas.

One and a half degree

Skiing 170 kilometres from 88.30 degrees to the Pole. This is more than enough to get a good and rewarding Antarctic experience. We expect to use about 10 days to reach the South Pole from 88.30. Return date from Patriot Hills will be around 20-21st of january. We are still waiting for final confirmation from the logistic company ALE. We will have a couple of training days in patriot Hills, prior to the expedition, to get a good run-through of the equipment and routines before we head up to the colder and more demanding plateau.

Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas in Chile ( Patagonia ) is the first stop. This is a pleasant city of about 120,000 inhabitants on the far southern tip of South America . Tierra del Fuego (" Land of Fire ") is directly across the Strait of Magellan , and we can eat Centoya (King Crab) and drink Pisco Sour in a rough Latin American environment. Punta is a meeting place for adventurers from all over the world.

Departure from Punta Arenas to Antarctica is 04 th of January 2009. The length of the trip will be extended at the other end if there are delays in Punta. The total time away from home should be about three weeks. It would be advantageous to have an open return ticket from Punta.

Patriot Hills

Patriot Hills is our first destination in Antarctica . The trip from Punta to Patriot will be in a plane of the type Ilusjin 76; a plane somewhat larger than a Hercules C130 plane. Depending on the wind conditions over Cape Horn and the Drake Strait the trip should take about 4.5 hours. Patriot is located 950 meter above sea level and the runway consists of blue ice formed naturally after the wind has swept down from the mountains for thousands of years. Patriot is generally a very windy place and delays can occur due to poor weather. During the stay in Antarctica we will sleep in our own tents and eat the food we brought with us.

From Patriot the trip will continue southward in a Twin Otter plane. We will land at Thiel Mountains in order to refuel and then continue to 89 degrees south. The altitude here is about 2500 meter , and since the atmosphere at the poles is thinner due to the earth's centrifugal power, we feel the effects of altitude in the beginning and we will take it easy the first few days. It is a barely noticeable climb over a wavy terrain up to the Pole point at ca. 3000 meter above sea level.

On the way

Life in a tent is considerably more pleasant on the South Pole than on the North Pole. This is due to the dry air and also that it will be summer in the Southern hemisphere. The temperature inside the tent is usually quite acceptable and without icing problems. For this reason it is possible to use down sleeping bags in Antarctica . The consumption of fuel is also considerably less than at the North Pole.

The terrain is endless, grand and because of this and the altitude it seems closer to the universe. Whereas at the North Pole you look at the pack ice and wonder how it is possible to get through, in Antarctica you concentrate on the sky and the horizon.

Even if snow conditions in Antarctica can be difficult, we will be able to cover longer distances since there is no pack ice to climb over. The altitude will make us a little weaker in the beginning, but that will gradually disappear for most participants. The weight of the sledge will be about 40 kilos. The most important qualifications are stamina and cheerfulness and that the participants are used to hikes on skis or on foot. However, a certain skill level in ski touring would be an advantage. If not, there is still enough time before the trip to do some training.

The South Pole

All the Degrees of Longitude in the Southern hemisphere meet at the Pole. On the actual South Pole Point we see the famous mirror ball surrounded by the flags of nations who are signatories of the Antarctic Treaty. An American research station is located there but it is in an international area (on Håkon the Seventh's Plateau) and we can set up our tents there as long as they are not in the way for those working at the base. Normally we get a tour of the new South Pole station. In any case it is a unique experience just to be there. Buildings, installations and different research projects are scattered over quite a large area and Hercules cargo planes land a couple of times a day from the McMurdo base.

Most likely we will spend a day or two at the South Pole before the Twin Otter comes to pick us up. The flight to Patriot takes about 6 hours including the stop at Thiel Mountains for refueling.

At Patriot we will probably spend a day or two to wait for air transport back to Punta Arenas . If you have some extra time, it is recommended that you spend a few days traveling in Patagonia . This part of the world has many exciting places to offer; Tierra del Fuego ( Land of Fire ) and Torres del Paine are only two of these.

Things we must take into consideration:

We will be exposed to the winds sweeping across the plateau since there will be nothing to hide behind. It is almost always windy, even if there may be a few almost calm days, and suitable windproof clothing and protection are very important. Underway it is important to look after your belongings so they don't blow away.

The sun is very bright due to the altitude and the time of the year and darker sunglasses and ski goggles with extra dark glass are preferred.