CHILEAN SOUTH POLE SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION 2004

Logbook South Pole Traverse

Day 1. November 13, 2004. Start from Patriot Hills. Distance covered 7 km. Stop at Lat 80°18´45” S, Lon 81°00’47” W.

Day 2. November 14. Distance covered 65 km, total distance traveled 72 km. Stop at Lat 80°41’19” S, Lon 79°47’35” W.

Day 3. November 15. Distance covered 62 km, total distance traveled 127 km. Stop at 22:45 h in stake 6, Lat 81°14’09” S, Lon 79°52’13” W. Temperature -18.6 °C, wind 13 kt, cloud cover 2/8, unlimited visibility.

Day 4. November 16. The TL-6 was stuck in deep snow at the beginning of the day and the sledges had to be disconnected. Distance covered 87 km, total distance traveled 214 km. Stop at 23:15 h at stake 10, Lat 82°00’01” S Lon 79°57’49”W. Temperature -19.6 °C, wind 8 kt, clear skies, unlimited visibility.

Day 5. November 17. Hydraulic fluid leak due to loose hose connection of the TL-6, 4 gallons of hydraulic liquid had to be added. Distance covered 79 km, total distance traveled 293 Km. Stop at 23:10 h at stake 14, 82°41’26” S, 79°36’25” W. Temperature -20.8 °C, wind 8 kt, clear skies, unlimited visibility.

Day 6. November 18. Distance covered 86 km, total distance traveled 379 km. Stop at 22:50 h at stake 18, Lat 83°25’56” S, Lon 80°03’11” W. Temperature -23.3°C, wind 2.5 kt, cloud cover 2/8, unlimited visibility.

Day 7. November 19. Distance covered 93 km, total distance traveled 472 km. Smooth travel the first 2 hours, then a lot of vibrations due to sastrugis. Stop at 22:15 hr 10 km south of stake 22, Lat 84°15’30” S, Lon 80°15’51” W. Temperature -24.1 °C, wind 2.5 kt, cloud cover 1/8, unlimited visibility.

Day 8. November 20. Distance covered 94 km, total distance traveled 565 km. Moderate vibrations inside the convoy due to sastrugis. Stop at 23:05 h at stake 27, Lat 85°04’59” S, Lon 80°47’33” W. Temperature -26.0 °C, wind 1.5 kt, cloud cover 0/8, unlimited visibility. We played voleyball and football in the snow, celebrating the crossing of 85° S, middle of traverse.

Days 9-10. November 21-22. Distance covered 86 km, total distance traveled 651 km. After 16 km we had a leak of 50 lt of hydraulic fluid, the major part being recovered. The TL-6 was later stuck in soft snow, we had to disconnect sledges. Stop at 04:45 h of November 22 at stake 31, Lat 83°48’55” S, Lon 81°33’08” W. Temperature -26.7°C, wind 2.0 kt, cloud cover 1/8, unlimited visibility.

Days 11-12. November 22-23. Distance covered 85 km, total distance traveled 737 km. Stop at 01:25 h of November 23 at stake 34, Lat 86°33’06” S, Lon 81°48’59” W. Temperature -26.7 °C, wind 1.5 kt, clear skies, unlimited visibility.

Days 12-13. November 23-24. Distance covered 84 km, total distance traveled 820 km. Stop at 02:40 pm at stake 39, Lat 87°17’12” S, Lon 81°49’16” W. Temperature -28.1°C, wind 5 kt, cloud cover 2/8, unlimited visibility.

Days 13-14. November 24-25. Distance covered 44 km, total distance traveled 864 km. Al the start we had problems with the assembly of the fuel filter, which was later repaired. Stop at 04:00 h at stake 41, Lat 87°37’16” S, Lon 81°53’49” W. Temperature -27.6°C, wind 11 kt, cloud cover 8/8, visibility 5 km.

Days 14-15. November 25-26. Distance covered 48 km, total distance traveled 912 km. Sastrugis and soft snow, in combination with altitude (~2500 m) results in slow velocity. Stop at 05:15 h at stake 43, Lat 88°01’22” S, Lon 82°04’26” W. Temperature -30.1 °C, wind 7 kt, cloud cover 1/8, visibility 30 km.

Days 15-16. November 26-27. Distance covered 65 km, total distance traveled 977 km. We cross parallel 88° 23’ S, the southernmost point reached by Shackleton in 1909. Stop at 06:00 h at stake 46, Lat 88°34’29” S, Lon 82°23’17” W, altitude 2615 m. Temperature -33.4°C, wind 1 kt, cloud cover 2/8, unlimited visibility.

Days 16-17. November 27-28. Distance covered 64 km, total distance traveled 1041 km. Altitude 2744 m. Few sastrugis, smooth traverse, low velocity due to soft snow and altitude. Stop at 07:00 h of November 28 at stake 49, Lat 89°07’34” S, Lon 83°03’18” W. Temperature -31.9 °C, wind 5 kt.

Days 17-18. November 28-29. Distance covered 62 km, total distance traveled 1103 km. At the beginning difficulties with engine ignition. Stop at 07:15 h of November 29 at stake 52, Lat 89°40’41” S, Lon 86°32’03” W. Temperature -30.2 °C, wind 7 kt.

Day 19. November 30. Distance covered 42 km, total distance traveled 1145 km. We reach the South Pole at 21:00 h, very warm reception by personnel of the Amundsen-Scott base. Pictures are taken at the geographical and ceremonial poles. Parking of the convoy in the perimeter of the base, Lat 89°59’38” S, Lon 166°15’56” W, altitude 2850 m. Temperature -29.2 °C, wind 9 kt, cloud cover 2/8, visibility 20 km.

Days 20 to 27. December 1 to 8. Stay at the South Pole. Maintenance and repairs of the convoy, visits to the base, tests with snow accumulation radar. Drilling of a firn core of 31 m from a site near the base at Lat 89°59’28” S, Lon 28°09’54” W.

Day 28. December 9. Distance covered 64 km. We initiate our return to Patriot Hills, following our tracks. At parallel 89° 35' S we find 4 English skiers, on their way to the South Pole, inviting them for a hot chocolate. Stop at stake 49, Lat 89°07’34” S, Lon 87°02’53” W, altitude 2741 m. Temperature -24.5 °C, wind 10 kt.

Day 29. December 10 . Drilling of a firn core of 4 m at stake 49 with a hand drill, which got stuck at first but was later recovered.

Days 29-30. December 10-11. Distance covered 126 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 231 km. Stop at 12:45 h of December 11 at stake 43, Lat 88° 01-’ 21” S, Lon 82° 04’ 16” W. Temperature –21,9 °C, wind 12 kt.

Days 31-32. December 12-13. Drilling of a 43 m firn core by means of the electromechanical drill.

Days 32-33. December 13-14. Distance covered 109 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 340 km. Stop at 13:00 h at stake 38, Lat 87° 06’ 08” S, Lon 81° 45’ 46” W. Temperature –19,4 °C , wind 0.3 kt, cloud cover 8/8 , whiteout conditions, altitude 2152 m.

Day 34. December 15. Distance covered 126 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 466 km. Stop at 23:30 h at stake 32, Lat 85° 59’ 57” S, Lon 81° 35’ 20” W. Temperature -13,1 °C, wind 7.5 kt, cloud cover 8/8, whiteout conditions, altitude 1644 m.

Days 33-35. December 16-18. Part of the group stays at stake 32 drilling a firn core of 46 km. The rest of the group travels with the TL-6 (without sledges) to Lewis Nunatak, Thiel Mountains, where a reference point on rock was measured with dual-frequency GPS. Distance traveled between stake 32- Lewis Nunatak - stake 32 was 130 km.

Days 35-36. December 18-19. Distance covered 124 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 720 km (including 130 km to Thiel Mountains). Stop at 14:30 h of December 19 at stake 26, Lat 84° 53’ 59” S, Lon 80° 38’ 12” W. Temperature –11.4 °C, wind 9 kt, cloud cover 3/8 , altitude 1318 m.

Days 37. December 20. Distance covered 104 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 824 km (including 130 km to Thiel Mountains). Stop at 16:45 h at stake 21, Lat 83° 58’ 59” S, Lon 80° 07’ 04” W. Temperature –14.8 ° C, wind 0.5 kt, cloud cover 1/8.

Days 38-39. December 21-22. Drilling of a firn core of 22 m at stake 21.

Days 39-40. December 22-23. Distance covered 168 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 992 km (including 130 km to Thiel Mountains). Stop at 20:20 h of December 23 at stake 13, Lat 82° 30’ 30” S, Lon 79° 28’ 02” W. Temperature –11.9 °C, wind 2.5 kt, clear skies, unlimited visibility, altitude 936 m.

Days 41-43. December 24-26. “Christmas” firn core drilling of 43 m at stake 13.

Days 43-44. December 26-27. Distance covered 167 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 1159 km (including 130 km to Thiel Mountains). Stop at 19:53 h. of December 27 at stake 5, Lat 81° 03’ 09” S, Lon 79° 50’09” W. Temperature –11.0 °C, wind 4 kt, clear skies, cloud cover 1/8, altitude 732 m.

Days 45-47. December 28-30. Drilling of a firn core of 36 m at stake 5.

Days 47-48. December 30-31. Distance covered 107 km, total distance traveled from the South Pole 1266 km (including 130 km to Thiel Mountains). End of the traverse. At 16:30 h of December 31 we arrive finally to Patriot Hills, with a wonderful meeting with the rest of the expedition, New Year celebrations.