What even is a South Pole expedition?

Mini and Mutter`n are going to the South Pole, but what does that mean?

A South Pole expedition can be all kinds of adventures in Antarctica, but now I will explain some of the different elements to our expedition.

The Route

We will go, pulling a sled from where you in theory would see the land mass in Antarctica if there had not been a giant glacier on top of it, and from there the journey goes towards geographical South Pole. We will most likely walk what is called the Hercules route, which goes from Hercules inlet to the South Pole. This is a relatively common route to choose, (nothing is common when it comes to the South Pole) but we will ski this route and drag our own sled all the way to the pole. This route is approximately 702 miles long, and climbs gradually to more that 9300 feet, so if you thought the South Pole was flat, I'll tell you now, it is not. This expedition usually takes around 50 days, which means you have to walk an average of 15 miles per day. In reality this means you'll travel by ski for 7-10 hours per day, every single day. There will be some days of rest here and there, but the the majority of the time you are skiing. Despite how horrible it sounds, it is still my biggest dream. It not an easy thing to do and it requires a lot of training and thorough preparations in advance.

Equipment

On an expedition like this you go and drag a huge and heavy sled. In this you have all the things you will eat, use and live of for the next few months. In your sled you have lots of food, snacks, fuel for your primus, warm clothes and things to keep you warm such as a sleeping bag. We pitch a tent every night and sleep there, this will be our house during the expedition. Our whole load of stuff will weigh between 132-177 lb.

Weather

The interior of Antartica has a cold, windy and dry climate. On a sunny windless day the temperatures can feel quite warm, meaning they range from -12°F to 30°F. When the wind picks up on the other hand, the temperatures can drop as low as -22°F in early November. Generally at the South Pole the temperatures range from -13°F to -40°F with windchill down to -50°F. When it is that cold I'll be bundled up in my warm jacket, drinking hot coca.

Hope this gives a little insight into what a South Pole expedition can contain, continue to follow along our the journey, and remember that together, everything is possible!