The team gathered today for a briefing in advance of their flight to Antarctica, scheduled for tomorrow. They received a good weather report and instructions to be on call around 6:30 AM local time tomorrow for the next update, with the hopes of flying sometime tomorrow morning.
At the briefing they learned what to expect from the flight as well as their first few hours in Antarctica. They will be landing on an ice runway near the Union Glacier Basecamp and spending their first couple of nights at the basecamp. This is a great place to acclimatize to Antarctic weather before heading further south to the Pole. After the briefing people had some free time to take care of last preparations.
What is it like to get off the plane in Antarctica? The first thing you would notice is that it is bright. This is because everything is white (of course) and the reflection of the light and the sun's UV rays is bouncing off everything, bombarding your eyes from all angles. It's so bright and there is so much UV exposure in Antarctica, that you need to wear sunglasses or goggles all the time. A few minutes without eye protection and you can experience mild snow blindness. More than a few minutes without eye protection and you could be down right miserable! The next thing you will notice is that it is, slippery! Not everywhere of course, but when you step off the plane you are standing on an ice runway and there is very little traction until you get off the runway. As silly as it sounds people are instructed to shuffle their way off the runway, very slowly, to avoid slipping.
Of course there's also the crisp Antarctic air and the wind that seems perpetual. But on rare occasions when the sun is beaming down though a cloudless sky and the wind is nowhere to be found it can seem like springtime in the Rockies. This is NOT the case further South near the Pole, where even on the warmest days it is still darn right "frEEZING!"
We added a photo of the team in the Shackleton Bar to yesterday's posting, so be sure to scroll down and check it out. And don't forget to visit again tomorrow for the latest update from the team!
At the briefing they learned what to expect from the flight as well as their first few hours in Antarctica. They will be landing on an ice runway near the Union Glacier Basecamp and spending their first couple of nights at the basecamp. This is a great place to acclimatize to Antarctic weather before heading further south to the Pole. After the briefing people had some free time to take care of last preparations.
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| The Union Glacier Basecamp is near the presenter's fingers |
Of course there's also the crisp Antarctic air and the wind that seems perpetual. But on rare occasions when the sun is beaming down though a cloudless sky and the wind is nowhere to be found it can seem like springtime in the Rockies. This is NOT the case further South near the Pole, where even on the warmest days it is still darn right "frEEZING!"
We added a photo of the team in the Shackleton Bar to yesterday's posting, so be sure to scroll down and check it out. And don't forget to visit again tomorrow for the latest update from the team!
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