Good news! I have finally arrived at Amundsen-Scott research station in the South Pole!
Arrival at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
We had thought we would have to stay in McMurdo at least until Monday (January 12), until Hans told us, yesterday around early evening, that we would leaving on Sunday morning, and that a special flight had been arranged for us. "Are you sure?" I asked him. "Absolutely!, he answered." "Who told you that?" "Someone who is knowledgeable and trustworthy." "But, I mean, is this person a reliable source of information?" "Oh yes, she is!"
7:25 am: About to Leave McMurdo Station. Armando, James and Hans.
After so many postponements we were reluctant to take anything for granted. But we anyway got up early and headed to McMurdo's bus station today at 7:00 pm. And what a neat surprise to see a the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) bus already waiting there for us! We quickly got in and started our descent down the hill to the edge ice shelf. When we reached the base of the hill the driver strapped snow chains on the tires, and then started driving the bus over the frozen ocean. The 12-kilometer ride was completed in about half an hour.
7:27 am: Driving over the frozen ocean, just outside of McMurdo Station.
7:59 am: About to board the airplane.
We boarded our airplane—a DC-3—and at 8:15 am we took off. I counted fourteen people in total, 11 passengers and 3 crew. This model actually had decent windows that allowed comfortable viewing, so I knew we we in for a show. I had already been told that the view of the Transantarctic Mountains—which lie right in the middle of our route—is simply breathtaking, so I had my camera ready. It was cloudy when we left McMurdo (actually it was cloudy the whole time we stayed there, minus a period of about four to six hours on January 6). The airplane rose above the clouds, and for the first hour we were not able to discern anything below. We were flying right over the Ross Ice Shelf at that time.
8:00 am: Inside the airplane.
About an hour and a half into the flight the sky became clear, the Sun came out, and we started seeing ice-covered mountains, with the occasional rock outcrop or barren dark soil projecting above the ice cap. Without a doubt, this view is the most impressive that I have ever got from an airplane window. This amazing scenery displayed only three basic colors: blue, white and black. But there is beauty in simplicity. And then the Sun, with an elevation of only 22° over the horizon, produced an array of long, elegant shades that meandered down along the mountain slopes.
10:43 am: The Transantarctic Mountains as we flew over latitude 84° south. This area is known as the Queen Alexandra Range.
11:00 am: The Transantarctic Mountains as we flew over latitude 85° south. This area is known as the Beardmore Glacier.
When flying from Ross Island to the geographic South Pole the Transantarctic Mountains are encountered between latitudes 82° and 86° south. After another hour and a half, the mountains gradually steered away to the east and gave way to the Antarctic Plateau. It was interesting to watch the patterns that the ice had formed upon the flat surface by the action of the elements, something that has also been observed in other planets, such as Mars. The ice just took the strangest shapes ever.
At exactly 12:45 pm we landed safely at the runway just outside of Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Total flight time was four and a half hours. As I stepped out of the plane I saw the most beautiful scenery ever in Earth. The sky was deep blue and the ice pure white. I stared down at the ground and saw sparkle everywhere, caused by small grains of ice that shone with light reflected from the Sun. It looked like thousands of little diamonds strewn everywhere along the ice. A number of people from the station had assembled on the runway and greeted us as we stepped down. I was approached at once by Dr. Michael DuVernois of the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) and also by Elisa Pinat of Université Libre de Bruxelles.
12:53 pm: Arrival at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
The temperature was –29 °C (–20 °F), which is typical for the South Pole at this time of the year. Overall, very bearable and even comfortable if wearing the right clothing, such as the one provided by USAP. As I walked over to the station I remained mesmerized by the scenery. It is something that has to be seen in real life in order to be understood, and the pictures out there simply do not do it justice.
12:55 pm: Welcome sign at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
At the station lunch usually ends at 1:00 pm, but they kept serving food until all of us had eaten, well after 1:00 pm. I felt particularly grateful towards this gesture, as a hot meal is always a treat. From 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm we got a tour of the IceCube Laboratory, headed by Dr. DuVernois. We were taken to all areas of the building and given a complete explanation of how the detector works. Since the laboratory is located one kilometer away from the main station we drove there by snowmobile. I had never traveled in a snowmobile before, so I must say that it was quite an experience. In the next few days I will elaborate on the IceCube neutrino telescope and its importance for high-energy astronomy.
2:12 pm: Arrival to the IceCube Laboratory.
3:26 pm: Inside the IceCube laboratory. Michael, Hans, James and Armando.
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