The 2008 Antarctic season has officially begun, as ExWeb is reporting that the first team has hit the ice down south, with three European skiers arriving at Novo Station.
The expedition, consisting of Germans Armin Wirth and Lars Bastian, along with Austrian Dieter Staudinger, will be skiing from the German research station Neumayer to the South Pole, where they will then continue on to Patriot Hills, completing a trans-Antarctic journey, one that is expected to take them 3 months to complete, covering more than 3400 km (2,112 miles) in the process.
The team reports that the conditions on the ice are a lovely -15º C at Novo Station where they are currently awaiting conditions to improve before proceeding to Neumayer where there expedition will officially get underway. That should happen in the next day or two.
Look for more teams to begin landing on the frozen continent this week and into next. As Autumn goes into full swing here in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is taking hold down south. In Antarctica that means a slew of skiers and climbers hitting the ice and going after their personal goals, be it a full traverse like this one, a solo, unsupported trek to the Pole, or a summit on Vinson.
I wish all of the teams assembling now and in the near future, the best of luck, and of course you can expect regular coverage throughout the next few months.
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