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Cover Story - Spanish Version

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Comprehension Quiz

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An Icy Trek

Spanish Translation

By Ritu Upadhyay

Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft have spent the past two months trudging through the snow and ice of Antarctica on skis. The temperature, usually around -30°F, is so low that when they pour a cup of coffee, it immediately turns to ice crystals. Winds whip around them at nearly 200 miles an hour.

"The past few days have been tough," Arnesen told TFK by satellite phone last week from Antarctica. "Everywhere we looked there was white. We couldn't even get up without tumbling and falling."

Most people would have turned back, but these two bold explorers are on a mission. They want to be the first women to cross the continent of Antarctica, a total of 2,400 miles.

A Cold, Quiet Journey
On November 13, a plane dropped Arnesen and Bancroft off in Queen Maud Land on the edge of Antarctica to begin this historic journey. They usually travel one mile an hour. When the wind conditions are right, they can go much faster by using a sail. Now about halfway through their trek, the women estimate that by late February they will reach their final destination, McMurdo Station on the other side of Antarctica. Next week the pair will hit a major milestone when they arrive at the midpoint, the South Pole.

Crossing the frozen continent over mountains and glaciers is very dangerous and grueling. Arnesen and Bancroft are each dragging 250 pounds' worth of supplies, nearly twice their own weight. Packed in their sledges are essentials for the 100-day trip: food, a tent, sleeping bags, sails, and navigation and communication equipment. To maintain their energy, Arnesen and Bancroft have to eat a diet high in fat and calories. Day and night they are covered head to toe in layers of special insulated clothing that protects them from the bitter cold.

A Polar Pair
Challenging expeditions are not new to either Arnesen or Bancroft. They are both very accomplished polar explorers. In 1994 Arnesen, 47, who is from Oslo, Norway, became the first woman to ski alone and unsupported on a 50-day journey to the South Pole. Bancroft, 45, who is from Minnesota, is the first woman ever to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles.

Both former teachers, Bancroft and Arnesen are as passionate about passing on lessons as they are about the expedition itself. They are sharing their experiences with the world through daily updates on their website, www.yourexpedition.com. "It is so important for people to believe in your dream," says Bancroft. "We could never have done this alone. All over the world, there are people supporting and following us."

Though they grew up in different countries, as youngsters both women read Endurance, the account of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's attempt to cross the Antarctic. Like their hero before them, the two women are teaching the world a new lesson about survival. "Physical strength will only take you so far," says Bancroft. "It's the power from within that energizes you to get through."

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Antarctic Explorations

1772 Captain James Cook of England circled Antarctica by ship. He never reached land because of the heavy ice, but he did verify the continent's existence and claim that it was "a wasteland."
December 14, 1911 Roald Amundsen of Norway became the first person to reach the South Pole. He is regarded as one of the greatest figures in polar exploration.
January 18, 1912 Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole just one month after Amundsen. The Englishman and his entire expedition team froze to death on the return trip when they ran into a terrible blizzard. His journals were later recovered.
1914-16 Sir Ernest Shackleton led a famed British expedition on the Endurance. The ship was crushed by ice and destroyed. The team survived by drifting on ice masses for five months before being rescued.
November 29, 1929 Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, an American pilot, became the first person to fly over the South Pole. He built a large, well-supplied base called Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf.

Next: Discovered: Some Monster Planets!