South Pole via Kansas Glacier

South Pole via Kansas Glacier

Dispatches

déc. 31

#31:
Parhelia spectaculare

Published at 06:24
Dispatch created from email
Fortune didn?t favour the hardy very long. A strong southeasterly wind gusting at 30 knots smashed us all day. Drift snow enveloped us at lunch, one of our most miserable and we devoured our noodles, cheese and salami like demons to get back on the trail and warm up.

The upside, atmospheric phenomenon. The air was electrified with ice dust giving us one of the most dazzling parhelia I?ve ever seen. Two rings encircled the sun, a parhelion at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o?clock on the inner, the 12 being an inverted arc. The outer ring appeared embedded in the snow, with two rainbows as lower limbs that arced around to parhelia at 3, 9 and 12. Horizontal arms spread outward from the sun, spearing both rings and continuing around the horizon to meet at a solitary parhelion behind me. It was truly stunning and I instantly thought of my dad, lying in his hospital bed with a crook heart awaiting surgery. Dad, it was for you.

The final session was a long haul across newly laid snow that felt like dragging through honey. Super-cooled snow crystals act like glass splinters, their tendrils catching and dragging at sled hulls and ski skins. We all felt the massive change in glide and hope for better conditions tomorrow. And yet the wind still batters our tents.

We covered 18km, the best we could do given the conditions. 407km covered, 179 to go.

Pics
1. Ming and Heath silhouetted against parhelia
2. Silhouettes in close-up
3. Parhelia spectaculare
4. Ming filming Heath and Jade at days end.

Eric

  • Name: Camp 26
  • Elevation: 2966 m
  • Latitude: 88° 23’ 36” South
  • Longitude: 138° 41’ 7” West

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