| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 22 | .59 |
| Feb | 15 | 11 | .83 |
| Mar | 7 | -6 | .95 |
| Apr | 1 | -13 | .72 |
| May | -2 | -17 | .93 |
| Jun | -2 | -17 | .98 |
| Jul | -17 | -22 | .61 |
| Aug | -9 | -25 | .45 |
| Sep | -5 | -21 | .46 |
| Oct | 4 | -10 | |
| Nov | 20 | 9 | .38 |
| Dec | 31 | 21 | .62 |
The vast white expanse surrounding us was unbroken by any hint of civilization. As I looked back, I realized that the only trace of man was the tracks behind us.
We unload our gear and the plane disappears into the sky, leaving only the polar wind to howl in our ears. Now alone on the polar plateau, our small expedition team surveys the landscape: blue-white snow and ice as far as the eye can see, a stunning but sobering sight. If anyone on our team has doubts, they go unspoken. We take up our poles and begin the trek to the South Pole.
Our guide starts us out slowly, giving our bodies a chance to adapt to this unfamiliar environment and new form of travel. Once acclimated, our team establishes its rhythm, and the skiing becomes a kind of meditation. Then we hit the sastrugi: the sharp ridges of windblown snow that plagued the Scott and Amundsen expeditions. Attempting to weave through the two- and three-foot-high formations, we struggle to keep our 120-pound sleds from tipping over or getting stuck, but the inevitable happens. We don't make distance that day. But we make up for it the next, winning one small contest in an arena where Nature has the overwhelming advantage. The sense of satisfaction is strikingly primal.
With 24 hours of sunlight, there is no dusk to signal the end of a day's exertions. And never has a tent seemed such a luxury, a warm, dry refuge at the end of the earth. Sleep is instantaneous. The South Pole is within our reach. Anything is possible now.
Geoff Somers has completed several "firsts," including the then-longest unsupported Arctic journey of 1,400 miles and the first and only crossing of the entire Antarctic continent by its greatest axis, a seven-month, 4,000-mile journey. During both these epic adventures, Geoff oversaw logistics.
Arrive in Punta Arenas, where you meet your guide and expedition teammates for a dinner and briefing. The next morning, prepare for your journey to the interior of Antarctica, one of the most difficult places in the world to reach by air. Attend an expedition briefing regarding life at Patriot Hills and what you are likely to encounter while travelling to the final degree.
Hotel Cabo de Hornos Day 2 D; Day 3 BOnce the weather is suitable, fly by cargo plane to Patriot Hills, landing on an airfield of sheer blue ice. Set up camp, review techniques for skiing, towing sleds and navigating by GPS.
Base Camp B L DEmbark on a short ski trip to an overnight camp to practice pulling your sled, setting up camp, learning to negotiate the Antarctic landscape and adjusting to the demanding polar climate.
Field Camp B L DFly via ski-equipped plane to the Thiel Mountains for re-fuelling, then continue to 89° latitude, where your 69-mile trek to the South Pole begins.
Field Camp B L DSet out for the South Pole, beginning near the point where the explorer Shackleton turned back. Your route and timetable are determined by your guide, who evaluates the topography, the changing weather and the endurance of your team itself setting the pace. Sixty nine miles of snow, wind and ice separate you from the South Pole; crossing them is the physical challenge of a lifetime, a supreme test of your strength and perseverance.
Field Camp B L DToday the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station appears on the horizon, a sign that you have come within hours of achieving your goal. After a final day's effort you arrive at the South Pole, joining an elite group of only a few hundred individuals ever to reach this point.
South Pole Base Camp B L DReturn to base camp via ski plane for a celebration dinner with your team.
Base Camp B L DDepart for Punta Arenas, the next morning fly to Santiago to connect to your overnight flight home.
Day 18 Hotel Cabo de Hornos B
