Antarctica 2009: Explorers Hitting The Ice!!

The Antarctic season for 2009 is now officially underway, with the first skiers departing from Punta Arenas and landing on the ice yesterday. A weather window opened late yesterday, allowing ALE to begin shuttling the explorers, both teams and solo, to the ice at last.

Amongst the first to land at Patriot HIlls were the Kaspersky Commonwealth Expedition, who will now spend a few days acclimatizing and testing their gear before they officially get underway to the Pole. In a their first official audio dispatch from Antarctica, they report that spirits are high, the team is ready, and the weather is great.

Also amongst the explorers that landed in Patriot Hills yesterday is Eric Larsen, who aims to go to the "three poles" in one calendar year. Eric hasn't sent back a dispatch yet, but on Wednesday of this week he indicated that he was "good to go" and was anxious to get the expedition underway. If all goes as planned, he'll not only reach the North and South Pole in the next 365 days, but also the summit of Everest.

Look for more explorers to join the growing crowd at Patriot Hills over the next few days as well. ALE will make shuttle runs as long as the weather is good, and there are plenty of teams still arriving in Chile. The season is just amping up now. Plenty more to come.