We are delighted to share that our team reached the South Pole today at 4 PM local time after a full day of skiing. They set up their camp in a designated area and then walked approximately 1km to the Ceremonial South Pole and the Geographic South Pole.
These two Poles are separated by roughly 100 meters or so. The Ceremonial South Pole is home to the red and white striped pole with a reflective globe a top. It is surrounded by the flags of the countries that first signed the Antarctic Treaty. It's an awesome place to celebrate an achievement like skiing the Last Degree, and a fun place to take as many photos as you can before you have to re-warm your fingers in a pocket!
The Geographic South Pole is just as it sounds, 90 degrees south precisely, at least on January 1. That's when it is re positioned annually in a New Year's celebration. Over the course of the year the pole will move because the snow that it is planted in very slowly flows down hill, typically around 30 feet in any given year. Every year the people that winter-over at the South Pole station have the honor of designing the coming year's Geographical South Pole marker. It is different every year and unique to the group that wintered over.
When the team sent us their dispatch they were in the midst of celebrating, with our favorite South Pole cocktail, the Aurora Australis, which is a bit of champagne, a bit of vodka and some snow from the South Pole mixed together with an ungloved finger. Mmmmm.... They were sharing toasts and lots of revelry. They expect to be at the South Pole tomorrow night as well and we will keep you posted.
Another huge congratulations to our team who persevered through whiteouts and wind, sundogs and sub zero temps to get to where they are tonight. We are so excited for them!
Check back again tomorrow for another update from the South Pole!
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