Dispatch #40 - New Route via Reedy Glacier to South Pole

New Route via Reedy Glacier to South Pole

Dispatches

Jan 08

#40:
Cool stuff

Published at 06:14

Necks craning we advanced south with the knowledge that at some point today we'd see evidence of the station. It came, firstly by way of flags marking the ice road from McMurdo to Pole, and later, the station, but not as we expected. Just after lunch, 32km shy of the pole, we saw a rectangular shape that matches what I know to be the main building of the base. But 32km is beyond the Earth's curvature, even for a five storey building. What we saw on this still and sunny day was a mirage, a temporary refraction of the station on a temperature inversion layer of cold air. Such a phenomenon is seen regularly in cold polar environments in fact South Pole winter personnel have reported seeing the sun a day or two before it actually emerges above the horizon.

We also saw a cloud shaped like a 6 above Pole that resembled an AOK gesture with a hand. Some would construe it as a sign, something of spiritual significance. But if one place existed that has no connection with the intangible, it's Antarctica. There's no spirit here, no dogma, no deity, no openings to inner Earth. Just pure nature and science at work, elements of it so unreal that some would say it has a sanctimonious presence about it. But nothing could be further from the truth. In my 25 years of polar exploration this understanding has only but compounded.

We have converged with the ice road and are camped next to it (with no sight of the station despite being 10km closer than when we saw the mirage). Tomorrow we continue on virgin snow to a designated waypoint where we camp a final night before following a prescribed route through the station environs to the South Pole.

Eric

Pic of frosty Rob and our camp next to the road with one of the flag markers.

Name: Camp 32
Elevation: 2867 m
Latitude: 89° 48’ 28” South
Longitude: 131° 37’ 24” West

Our camp next to the road with one of the flag markers.

Frosty Rob.

Comments

2017-01-08 22:51:25 Edward Balaban says: Very happy for you guys - you are almost there! What a great expedition! Eric, it was a pleasure to read your updates and follow the progress. It really feels like only a week or two ago we waved goodbye to the Twin Otter carrying you off to the starting point. Well done and congratulations! I can understand the feeling of not wanting this trip to end though. I am missing Antarctica already. With warm regards from rainy California, Edward.
2017-01-08 22:23:55 Karen says: have a great finale and last night in camp...must feel strange to give over again to other human presence on the planet... what an amazing achievement for your trio! is there a cycle to the Pole involved??
2017-01-08 21:53:56 John Kolm says: If you stand by the ice road in hot pants and a tank top, you can probably catch a ride.
2017-01-08 20:17:28 janno says: Fantastic Eric,mirages must be tough to handle xxxgetting close
2017-01-08 11:55:40 The Fuzz says: Has been a great trip to follow. So I take it we will soon see an Ice Trek fat bike?
2017-01-08 10:25:21 willylipsschipper@gmail.com says: hi Eric & boys, we just returned from the botanical garden you read bloc. Another day passed of your giant adventure, mirages now? bringing the South Pole to new insights into the nature, great! Enjoy it.The end is near. Greetings from us and a safe arrival. xxx
2017-01-08 07:59:27 Ben says: Thanks for all the updates. It's been great following your progress and feeling the nature of your updates change as you fall deeper and deeper under the spell of the deep south.