Photos

This is the ceremonial marker for the south pole. There is a marker for the actual south pole also. The ice on top of Antarctica is constantly moving a few meters per year, so a new marker for the actual pole is installed once a year. Yes, that is a barber pole with a reflective chrome ball on top of it. The flags represent the twelve signatory countries of the original Antarctic Treaty: UK, Austrailia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, US, Norway, France, Argentina, Japan, Belgium, Russia (USSR).

Ok, you want to know more about how/why I was at the South Pole. I worked for the company that provided logistic support to the NSF for the scientific research being done there. Over the four years I worked for them I spent about one year in Antarctica, between five separate trips. Most of my time was spent in McMurdo Station (which was on the coast of Antarctica, south of New Zealand and about 800 miles north of the Pole), but I made two trips to the South Pole, one to Palmer Station and a month onboard a research ship, the Nathaniel B. Palmer.