2014-15 South Pole Expedition Lineup
Seven unique expeditions are en route to the South Pole this Antarctic season. We'll be following their journeys and look forward to hosting all of them at Union Glacier upon completion of their ultimate goals.
General Interest
Seven unique expeditions are en route to the South Pole this Antarctic season. We'll be following their journeys and look forward to hosting all of them at Union Glacier upon completion of their ultimate goals.
ALE Travel Safety Manager, Seth Timpano, attended a week-long Bootcamp in July 2014. But instead of marching drills and push-ups, this Bootcamp focused on satellite imagery in the Polar Regions. We asked Seth about the course and how it could apply to his work in Antarctica.
Deciding what equipment to bring on an Antarctic expedition is no easy task. ALE's Expedition Manager, Steve Jones, provides some expert advice for teams heading onto the ice.
The word ‘Antarctica’ usually brings to mind images of extreme cold and snowstorms, but the single greatest hazard at any Antarctic station is fire. Antarctic holds roughly 70% of the earth’s fresh water, but that ‘water’ is locked away in vast ice sheets that cover the continent. Combine this lack of readily available water, with [...]
Accurate information on the location and status of people and resources under our care is key to ALE’s safety management process. ALE’s safety management process includes: Routine communications Emergency communications Capability for two-way voice communications between base and all sites 24 hours a day Back-up or reserve systems A pre-determined Emergency Response Plan ALE maintains [...]
The first Automatic Weather Station (AWS) images of the season are in! Upgrades and new weather stations in 2014 will provide flight crews with more and better weather information.
Penguinologist Tom Hart loves penguins and is working hard to develop conservation strategies for them. So when he got the opportunity to visit an emperor penguin colony with ALE last year he jumped at the chance. We caught up with Tom recently to ask him about that experience and about his ongoing research.
A review of the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth project was recently published in The Annals of Glaciology. The article included details of the Lake Ellsworth field experiment, the circumstances that led to its failure and the corrections required for future success. This UK project, involving the British Antarctic Survey, the National Oceanography Centre and several Universities, [...]
IFMGA guide, Simon Abrahams, first traveled to Antarctica more than 20 years ago and is as at home on the peaks of Chamonix, as he is bagging first ascents in Antarctica's Ellsworth Mountains.
Polar travel may conjure images of deprivation and hardship, but there are now a variety of ways to savor the South Pole, making it a life-list destination for travelers of all ages and abilities. Find out more about each of these options...