South Pole

After several flight delays it was finally time to catch our transport to the air strip.  They loaded us in some crazy contraption called a Delta with rusted US NAVY decals on it and off we went.  We had about 45 minutes to kill once we were at the airfield so most of us just stood around.  Geared up with most of our ECW gear I was interested in seeing how warm they were.

Delta 

Once we were in the C-130 the flight only took about 3 ½ hours.  It was not as luxurious as the C-17, but it was still better than most commercial carriers.

Exiting the C-130 at the South Pole

Just like stepping off the first flight, I had no what to expect. There was no one at the door thanking you for being a Diamond club member of your flight alliance or telling you to watch your step.  There was just one member of the flight crew that kept you from walking into the propellers and getting killed.

C-130 at the South Pole

One of the concerns about going form sea level to 9,300 feet is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).  The symptoms commonly include, headache, shortness of breath, lack of energy and /or appetite, and inability to sleep.  I didn’t have many problems; I did experience slight feeling of decreased balance but I wouldn’t call it being dizzy.  Within the first 24 hours I was back to my regular self. 

Enterance to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

We only get to take two showers a week, at two minutes each.  As a guy who enjoys multiple showers a day, this just wasn’t going to work.  It turns out the environment here is so dry, you never sweat.  It’s so dry that each of the rooms have clothes lines in them.  They say that out of the washer a tee shirt will dry in an hour and a half and jeans will dry overnight.   There are two benefits to this, first you save power by not having to run a dryer and secondly, it adds moisture to the air in your room.  I’ve also found that hanging the hydration bladder from my pack on my bedpost makes water easy to find in the middle of the night when your mouth dries out.

Room Layout

Staying Hydrated

My room is about 60 square foot with a dresser, desk and twin bed.  It doesn’t have any windows but I’m ok with that.  With 24 hours of sunlight a day sleeping in the dark is nice.

Today's Temp -31*F

Today's Station Population: 132