Things are heating up in the icy south, and not just because of climate change. We check in with this season’s polar expeditions as they ski and kite across the Antarctic.
Colin O’Brady is now well into his potentially redemptive second attempt to cross Antarctica. He’s now approaching the 80th parallel, making slow but fairly steady progress. He continues to report soft snow, which forces him to haul half his heavy load, then return for the other half. In the past five days, he admits he’s skied 160km but advanced only about 30km.
O’Brady under the full summer sun. Photo: Colin O’Brady
On Tuesday, an unexpected heat wave drove temperatures up to -5˚C. The heat softens whatever hard, windbound snow lies beneath the powder, making hauling even more difficult. Nevertheless, he’s already traveled a full degree from where he began, amid the crevassed and changeable ice near the Ross Sea.
On his tracker, O’Brady appears to have started somewhat inland. But complicated ground conditions mean most will accept his journey as a full crossing if he does complete his route. The Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme (PECS) stipulates that outer coast journeys must start “as close as practically possible” to the sea. If O’Brady’s starting position really was as close as he could safely get to the ice’s edge, then this crossing may escape without the asterisks of his previous one.
O’Brady’s starting point. Top, the simple map from his tracker, which makes it look like he started a little inland. Bottom, a much more detailed map using REMA — Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica.
Polar guide Eric Philips, one of the founders of PECS, told ExplorersWeb that O’Brady contacted them before he left to ensure that, if he succeeds, his crossing will be considered a full one. Philips explained that the satellite images from that part of Antarctica are old — even the high-resolution Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica hasn’t been updated in a decade.
As you can see from the lower map above, he started about as close as you can get to the Ross Sea without venturing into that crevassed area, which might have changed significantly in recent years.
You might argue that climbers on Everest have to go through the Khumbu Icefall; why shouldn’t someone have to begin right at the ocean’s edge, crevasses or not, if they want to claim a full Antarctic crossing?
“These are sporting rules rather than literal rules,” admits Philips. “True polar exploration doesn’t exist anymore.” Due to the age of the satellite images and the uncertainty of what exactly is in that area, an expeditioner needs a certain flexibility with start and finish points.
“It’s not our job to make a determination post-expedition,” says Philips.
The SPOT road. Photo: Wikipedia
Unlike the first time, O’Brady told Philips that he would not be using the South Pole Overland Traverse (SPOT) road, which has navigation flags at regular intervals along its nearly 1,000km. The crevasses are also filled in.
“He says he will be going up another glacier,” said Philips. The SPOT road uses the Leverett Glacier; the Leverett Glacier would be considered support, Philips adds, whether or not you’re right on the packed-down, flattened ice path.
Philips is not sure O’Brady will succeed, but “if he does, it will be extraordinary.”
Radar and sastrugi
The French team of explorer Matthieu Tordeur and glaciologist Dr. Heidi Sevestre is 24 days into their kite-ski expedition. After battling contrary winds for days, on day 18, they finally caught a fair breeze from the north. Equipment troubles and the punishing elevation (they’re now well over 3,000m) haven’t prevented them from sending back their first surface radar readings.
A few days ago, they were even able to deploy their custom-made deep radar device, which stretches out over 100 meters. As they deployed it, the surface became a mess of sastrugi, which caught on and flipped the deep radar assemblage.
Sastrugi are hard snow waves carved by wind; they look like frozen whitecaps and can make for bumpy and awkward sled hauling. The sastrugi are only increasing as they approach the Pole of Inaccessibility.
The deep radar device consists of over a hundred meters of radio and measuring equipment. Note the sastrugi, carved by wind blowing from the left of the photo to the right. Photo: Under Antarctica
Two pairs in good spirits
Mother-daughter duo Kathinka and Emma Gyllenhammar also battled a heavy patch of sastrugi, along with poor visibility. On November 24, they left the Heritage Range Mountains behind them. They now have a flat, white landscape between them and the South Pole.
In the last few days, conditions have improved, and their speed is picking up. Despite the much-mourned loss of a beloved pee funnel, their spirits remain high.
The veteran team of Lars Ebbesen and Roland Krueger completed their short ski expedition on November 26. The final week was eventful, with a total whiteout on November 21. After pushing 15km despite the storm, they took the next day off.
By November 23, conditions had improved, and they made 19km, despite spending an extra hour freeing their buried tent. They spent the last few days navigating rarely explored mountains like Gygra, Risen, and Hoggestabben in sunny weather.
Lars Ebbesen and Roland Krueger at the Troll research station. Photo: Ousland Explorers
Hercules Inlet route
Monet Izabeth and Andrea Dorantes have both begun their solo unsupported ski expeditions to the Pole, along the classic Hercules Inlet route. Izabeth left the base on Union Glacier on November 25. Other than a broken satellite phone antenna, now swapped for a backup, and persistent headwinds, all is going well. Dorantes left not long after and reports good progress.
Tom Hunt is due to start his Hercules Inlet to South Pole speed record attempt in the next few days. He is currently on Union Glacier making his final preparations. Weather permitting, a small aircraft will drop him off at Hercules Inlet this weekend.
Tom Hunt and all his gear. Photo: Tom Hunt
Other solo expeditions
Two weeks into his ski expedition to the Pole, Sebastian Orskaug’s website still reports his motivation as a smiley face. He’s covered over 260km of his 1,100km journey, crossing the 82nd parallel on November 25. Despite continuing difficulties getting Starlink to work, he continues to collect samples according to his Polar Rideshare concept.
Ian Hughes is 240km into his own ski expedition, despite days of wind conditions he described as “relentless” and “punishing.” All the essentials are working, but little comforts have failed: His headphones have completely given up the ghost. He is now making good progress in silence.
Another solo skier is also headed for the Pole. Icelander Hoddi Tryggvasen completed a 4,200km snowkiting expedition in Greenland last July. Now, Tryggvason is kiting from Novolazarevskaya Station in Queen Maud Land to the South Pole, then on to the Bay of Whales. Tryggvason started out from Novolazarevskaya in early November. An initial dearth of wind forced him to manhaul for the first week, but he’s now making good progress toward the South Pole.
