100 years ago today Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole
after traveling 870 miles from his coastal base, Framheim. He arrived at the
Pole more than a month before British explorer Robert Falcon Scott. The two
expeditions were very different from each other, both in their planning and
execution. In the end both were remarkable feats of exploration.

Amundsen”s tent at the South
Pole “Poleheim”

Tonight PolarExplorers has a team
at the South Pole to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Amundsen”s
expedition. In addition to celebrating Amundsen”s achievement they
also celebrated the spirit of online casinos adventure and exploration. As a part of this
they toasted our Full South Pole team, who today passed the 83rd degree of South
latitude on their own incredible expedition.

Today the team reported
beautiful weather and high spirits. They slept in a few hours and then hit the
ice covering 18 kilometers.

They feel lucky to have had such good
weather, and Bob in his audio update is almost poetic in his description of his
surroundings. As they skied today they were thinking about Amundsen”s
expedition, and they were planning a special toast for dinnertime.

Bob
leaves a delightful update, so make sure to check it out, and visit again
tomorrow for another update from the team!

Today the team reports a long
day, with good mileage, but tired team members. They skied 24.4 kilometers in 11
hours. Their position is S 82.57.965, W 83.42.967. Tomorrow they will pass 83
degrees.

We received the following questions from Doug Williams…
“Several times it’s been mentioned that during white-out days the team rely on
their compasses (among other things) to ensure they stay on the right course. I
was wondering if the difference between the geographic and magnetic south poles
is an issue and, if so, how do they correct for the differences?”

Good
question Doug. The compass is an important part of their navigation kit, and
they are carrying a special compass that allows for travel in the southern
hemisphere. The Magnetic South Pole is a good distance from the South Pole. It
actually lies off the coast of Antarctica in the ocean, above the Antarctic
Circle! It is on the move in a north west direction at the speed of
approximately 10-15 kilometers per year.

Our team generally skis in a
straight line, making as few deviations as possible. Thus once they establish
their daily heading using GPS they can turn the GPS off and rely on the compass
for the rest of the day without making any adjustments. We’ll talk about another
great source of navigation, the sun, in a later posting.

We haven’t yet
received an audio update from the team, but we will post it when it arrives.
Make sure to listen to yesterday’s audio report from Dennis (added today), and
check back again soon for another update from the team!

Today the team reports a good day, covering 25.6 kilometers in 10.5 hours of
travel. The sun was shining, the sky was blue… only the sastrugi could have
been better. Everyone is happy and the general health of the team is improving
(there has been a cold going around).

In Bob’s audio update he talks
a little about the team’s tactic for reaching the pole. He mentions how they are
making the required distance every day, but that they will be working on
increasing their pace to decrease the amount of time they are skiing every day.
Finding the right balance is a critical part of every expedition.

Tomorrow they plan to reach their first resupply. This is a big
milestone and can be very proud of their work so far. They will be rewarded with
more food, and some special treats, but oh! the weight of the sleds! Make sure
to listen to Bob’s audio report (the sound improves after the first few seconds)
and check back again tomorrow for another update from the team!

Listen to todays audio update from Bob!

Today the team reports a long
day with an uphill climb and windy conditions. It all started good, but after
their first few miles the wind picked up and visibility deteriorated. The
temperature dropped and they were skiing in milky white conditions. They relied
on their compass and the direction of the falling snow to ensure that they
stayed on the right course.

It was a long day with 11 hours on their
feet but they were able to knock out 26 kilometers. Everyone is happy with the
progress, and ready for a good meal. They are camped at S 82.11.551, W
82.32.307. The temperature was -15C without wind, and -23C with wind.

Some of the team members are carrying ipods and they have been listening
to music which offers a nice break and some motivation. For those who didn’t
bring music, or prefer not to listen to it, time is passed by thinking about
anything and everything that will occupy the mind. Singing or writing songs,
reciting poetry, counting steps, thinking about a question, drafting letters or
journal entries, making plans for the reunion with family and friends
(especially the meals!) Sometimes you think about what you should think about
next!

On a day like today the team will be tired and hungry and it’s
especially nice to know that they have so many supporters back home cheering
them on. Dennis has left a wonderful audio update so be sure to listen to it,
and check back again tomorrow for another update from the team!

Another picture perfect day today, but the team couldn’t shake the slow start
they got in the morning. They put in a long day of skiing ending at S 81.57.708,
W 82.10.080. If my math is correct (not always the case!) they traveled nearly
21.5 kilometers.

Bob cooking outside on one of
the recent calm evenings

The cold that had been
bothering Bob seems to be traveling a bit, giving some of the team members
scratchy voices and stuffed up noses, but nothing too terrible. The
terrain appears to be flattening out, and this has been a welcome change. Soon
the team will reach their first resupply.

A few people have asked
questions about resupplies, and how they are positioned. The resupplies are all
pre-positioned by plane so they are ready for the team when they arrive. The
resupplies were packed by the team prior to the expedition, while they were in
Punta Arenas. Everything that arrives in the resupply will need to be carried by
the team. Only once, at their second resupply, will they be able to leave
anything behind, such as their trash. The second resupply is positioned near a
regular refueling runway for South Pole flights and the team will be able to
pick up what they leave behind on their way back from the Pole.

We will
send more details about the resupplies as they occur. Needless to say the
resupplies are significant events, and milestones. It is great to have new
supplies of food and treats, but the sleds get heavy all over again!

Make
sure to listen to Bryony’s audio report from today and visit again tomorrow for
another update from the team!