Ski the last degree

from 89 degrees south to the South Pole

Fahad Badar’s December 2019 ski journey from 89 degrees south to the South Pole in Antarctica, before his Mount Vinson expedition.

In December 2019, before my ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica, I took part in an adventure to ‘ski the last degree’ to the South Pole. Latitude is measured with 180 imaginary lines that form east–west circles around the earth, parallel to the Equator. These lines are known as parallels. Each degree is approximately 111km. The last degree is the final stretch to the southernmost point.

We set off from Punta Arenas in southern Chile, traveling on a specialist aircraft, equipped for low-temperature conditions and able to land on a glacier. Once we arrived in Antarctica, we received briefings on the strict environmental regulation for the last pristine continent on earth, governed through the Antarctic Treaty System. Seven countries have territorial claims in Antarctica, but these are not universally recognized; the Treaty preserves the different positions on sovereignty and prohibits new or enlarged claims while it remains in force. We had to step through a disinfectant foot bath with our boots on. You are not allowed to remove anything from the continent. There is a policy of zero litter: all waste, including human waste, has to be removed from the continent.

There was a group of us, and the aircraft dropped us off at a point on the 89th parallel. It turned out to be an exhilarating, at times surreal experience. Skiing for several hours a day in an unchanging white landscape in constant daylight is a repetitive, monotonous exercise, yet curiously akin to meditation once you become accustomed. The only sounds are of the swirling wind and the continuous swish, swish of the skis. There are no landmarks, and the guides used a special compass to ensure we stayed on course.

It is exceptionally demanding physically, because you are pulling sleds with your tent, other equipment and all provisions. But we were in good shape and managed to be a day ahead of schedule. We arrived shortly after midnight 28-29th Chilean time.

The area around the South Pole itself is a largely featureless zone of snow and ice. There are permanent buildings, mostly scientific research centres, constituting the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station; and there is the famous silver ball that marks the pole itself. Our first sight of the buildings, and the ball, on the horizon generated an excitement akin to reaching a mountain summit.

We caught the flight back on a specially chartered aircraft later the same day to Union Glacier. Just a few hours after our return, there was a flight to the base camp at Mount Vinson.