International Polar Year celebration concert to be held Feb. 1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The University of Alaska International Polar Year office is sponsoring a concert by the Inuit tribal funk band Pamyua at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at the Hering Auditorium, Fairbanks, Alaska. The concert is a celebration of the unique cultures of the north and their people’s ability to adapt to changes in both cultural and natural landscapes. An Alaska-founded group, Pamyua started 10 years ago as a dream by two brothers to share the ancient stories of their people through music and dance. Stephen and Phillip Blanchett, who are of Yup’ik Inuit and African American descent, quickly gained international attention and after being joined by Chefornak, Alaska, dance...

Elevation: Close to sea level Maximum and Minimum temperatures: -55 °C (estimate at midnight during the flight from McMurdo to Christchurch) & -2 °C It was time to leave the continent. Our C-17 flight was delayed several times so we were mostly stand-by in McMurdo from lunch and onwards. The morning was used for final interviews with PolarPalooza. At 6 p.m. the transport to the Pegasus airfield took place. At 9.30 p.m. we were airborne and at around 2.30 a.m. on the 26th January we landed smoothly in Christchurch. For the first time in three months it was dark outside! This will be the last diary...

Elevation: Close to sea level Maximum and Minimum temperatures: -6 °C & -2 °C In the morning we had a teleconference with NSF in Washington D.C. to prepare next year’s season. Further, we gave a brief summary of our experiences from this year’s season. In the afternoon we had a guided tour to New Zealand’s Scott Base (see photo). It was with excitement we visited Sir Edmund Hillary’s room from when the station was built, i.e. during IGY in 1957. Thereafter, PolarPalooza showed us the podcasts they have prepared from our expedition so far. The quality was excellent; now we really hope they can obtain acc...

Date: 23 January 2008 Altitude: Close to sea level Maximum and Minimum Temperatures: - 2 degrees C (McMurdo) & - 35 degrees C (South Pole) We had a 3 hours comfortable flight from South Pole to McMurdo this morning. We were picked up by a bus at the airfield that is located on the sea ice some 10 km from the US McMurdo Station. When we arrived at McMurdo Station we received a brief from the NSF Representative and had an interesting guided tour to Scott’s hut. It feels like having been arrived in a big city when we suddenly are surrounded by more than 1000 persons. - Jan-Gunnar ...

Position: 90 °S, 0 °E Elevation: 2836 masl Maximum and Minimum temperatures: -26 °C & -35 °C At 3 a.m. in the night Jan-Gunnar had a video teleconference with the Norwegian Prime Minister Mr. Jens Stoltenberg at Troll. The Prime Minister congratulated the expedition with its achievements and important contribution to climate research. The teleconference also included a press conference where the press at Troll had questions for Jan-Gunnar. Then in the afternoon, the remaining expedition members arrived at the South Pole. It was a moment of happiness when we all were together again. Thus, the expedition has almost come to an end and we are excited having completed this major undertaking. In the evening we had a gathering with some of the NSF...

Position: 90 °S, 0 °E Elevation: 2836 masl Maximum and Minimum temperatures: -26 °C & -35 °C At 3 a.m. in the night Jan-Gunnar had a video teleconference with the Norwegian Prime Minister Mr. Jens Stoltenberg at Troll. The Prime Minister congratulated the expedition with its achievements and important contribution to climate research. The teleconference also included a press conference where the press at Troll had questions for Jan-Gunnar. Then in the afternoon, the remaining expedition members arrived at the South Pole. It was a moment of happiness when we all were together again. Thus, the expedition has almost come to an end and we are excited having completed this major undertaking. In the evening we had a gathering with some of the NSF...

Two nights ago three of us left Patriot Hills to go and install the GPS and seismic site at Dufek Massif, or more correctly Cordiner Peaks (82° 51’ 41.6”S, 53° 12’ 00.4”W), just to the south of Dufek. The weather at Patriot has been strangely nice, low winds, warm sun and warm tents. People have been sleeping on top of their sleep kits and complaining of the heat (it was 83°F in one tent earlier). To get to Dufek is a bit of a haul. We flew about an hour and a half to a site where the New York Air National Guard had kindly pushed 40 barrels of fuel from a low flying Hercules. Troubl...

Position: 90 °S, 0 °E Elevation: 2836 masl Maximum and Minimum temperatures: -24 °C & -32 °C We arrived in beautiful weather 5.30 in the morning and were met by a small delegation of representatives of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and a photographer from PolarPalooza. It is an impressive infrastructure here – the new station that opened only a week ago is modern and contains whatever you may need – store, post office, games room, gym, computer facilities and much more. It was a big contrast from the primitive field life we have been living for more than two months. Later in the day, we had two flights to the camp and almost all of our ice cores were brought to South Pole. After resting, the pilot and his crew will continue the operation and ho...

86.80033 deg S, 54.45187 deg E 3151 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum Temperatures: - 27 °C to - 36 °C We continued packing, washing and gradually things came in order. We worked more on our joint presentation that will be held at South Pole tomorrow. Also, flight operations started and John and Jan-Gunnar were busy organizing with ALCI and Troll Station. Late in the day, the Basler that is going to fly us to the Pole was reported on its way and expected to land around 3 a.m. local time tomorrow, i.e. New Zealand time. Half of the group continues directly to the South Pole while the rest will be in Camp Winter for another day or so. The Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, as the first Norwegian Prime Minister in Antarctica, landed...

Anti whaling activities in the Southern Ocean headlined this morning's daily onboard newspaper "Australia Today". The paper comprises four A4 pages printed from News on Board services via TEAMtalk Satellite. Anything from our part of the world, the Southern Ocean, generates animated conversation. Two Sea Shepherd Conservation Society members from the ship the 'Steve Irwin' boarded the Japanese ship the Yushin Maru No 2 to deliver a letter to the captain advising him that he was illegally killing whales in the Southern Whale Sanctuary. They were promptly taken into custody on the ship, where they remain. Notions of law at sea were bandied about at lunch along with the practicalities of regulation, prosecution, anarchy and foolhardiness. Opinion was divided....