South to the pole...

Today the team spent the morning and afternoon at Union Glacier. Occasional weather reports throughout the day were mixed, with reports of poor weather at the pole possibly delaying their departure. Around 7 PM they got the green light to fly south. We don't expect to hear from them again tonight, but if we do we will certainly add more details.

When the plane lands it will be at approximately 9,300 feet, but because of atmospheric conditions in the polar regions the altitude will feel closer to 11,000-12,000 feet. This is something that the team will be dealing with when they land. They are not alone in having this challenge. 100 years ago today Amundsen wrote in his journal...

"We can feel that it is harder to work at this height. We are short of breath
just by saying “yes”, but we’ll manage. Look forward to coming down again to normal altitude."

Of course the altitude is not the only challenge. The temperature at union Glacier will seem downright balmy compared to the temperature at the Pole. Everyone will be bundled up to guard against the cold but our team members who are skiing have to be careful not to overheat while they ski. This may sound strange, but temperature regulation is one of the hardest parts of pulling a sled to the Pole.

We'll keep you updated with any additional information we learn, so check back again soon!