3604 meters above sea level
Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 29 °C to - 36 °C
Yesterday’s breezy conditions evolved overnight into strong winds with a lot of blowing snow, making today’s conditions the worst for visibility that we have experienced since our departure from Troll. Our goal for today is to travel all day and make good progress toward our next drilling site. Fortunately, with GPS navigation and no known obstacles between here and the drill site, we have been able to push ahead in spite of the poor conditions.
The wind makes a striking difference on the ice sheet. Thursday morning it was -30 C, with clear skies, almost no wind, and walking and working on the ice sheet was pleasant. Bare cheeks were fine with a good coating of sunscreen. The temperature is similar today, yet the winds make moving about difficult, and covering all flesh with balaclavas and nose protectors is imperative to protect against frostbite. Learning continues even under harsh conditions, however, and in the photograph our newly-trained driver, Atsu, successfully takes his turn at the wheel.
This contribution is from the log of the Norwegian-US Scientific Traverse team, who are en route from Troll Station to South Pole Station. Much more information can be found here.
Photo: Einar is dressed up for cold weather conditions (Photo: Jan-Gunnar Winther)