Sir Edmund Hillary led the first Tractor party to the South Pole
Temperature: -26 C, -18 F Windchill: - 36. 5C, -34 F Wind: 5 knts. Weather: sunny and clear
Remember what I told you yesterday about Jerry Marty’s love for Antarctic history.
Today we received this email from him which I appreciated very much!
"Jan 4, 2008 South Pole Station
To All,
For all of you Antarctic and South Pole history buffs. Today 1/4/08 marks the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand tractor party arrival at South Pole led by Sir Edmund Hillary – January 4, 1958.
The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition was comprised of the United Kingdoms’ Dr. Vivian Fuchs and the New Zealand’s Sir Edmond Hillary. Dr. Fuchs was to depart from Shackleton Base, and then on to Scott Base as the final destination via the South Pole IGY station. Sir Edmond Hillary departed from Scott base with the plan to lay supply depots in a route to the Polar Plateau and toward South Pole in support of Fuchs crossing the continent. Fuchs arrived at South Pole on January 20, 1958.
The book, Hellbent for the Pole by Geoffrey Martin (can be found at the IAC for $54 NZ) is an account of the expedition and what some have called "a race to the South Pole”
Jerry"
This is a great reference.
If you want to find out more about the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition
I think it was an incredible achievement to cross the Antarctic continent the first time with a tractor and arriving at the South Pole 50 years ago. It was also an amazing achievement that after Amundsen and Scott have arrived here in 1911 and 1912 South Pole had its first station established for the IGY in 1958. How much we have achieved in 50 years and how many tractor traverses do we have now per season? During the time I have been here I have seen two traverses arrive here! (See also Journal "Traverse”)
Modern Travers tractor
This tractor was used by the ITASE Travers.*
**Question: **Who was the first science leader at South Pole Station and how far away was the Geographic South Pole then?
Geographic Pole position in 1999
I am looking back at the new Geographic Pole marker from the position of the Geographic Pole of 1999!!*
Answer to yesterday’s question: Who was Byrd?
Byrd was the first man who flew over the South Pole, without landing.
He left New York with his planes on the ship "The City of New York” on April 25, 1929 and established the station "Little America” on the barrier ice. He and his team over wintered there and took on the pole by flight the next austral summer in 1930.
For more information find the documentary VHS” The story of Little America, with Byrd at the South pole!” A documentary by Willard Van der Veer and Joseph Rucker (Milestone Film and Video)