|       
|
|
Preparations
In the quest to cross the Antarctic continent, the expedition
will be facing challenges that are unique to our environment and our
surroundings. These Antarctic rock and ice will be their friends and
foes, through good times and hard times. To imagine what it's like, we have listed the
obstacles that will make or break the team.
| Climate |
| - |
Extreme low temperature (average inland temperature
during summer -20ºC) |
| - |
Strong wind |
| - |
Blizzard or katabatik winds (in the coastal area,
the speed of the katabatik wind can speed up to 320km/h) |
| - |
'Whiteouts' situations (scattering of light by
blowing snow or low clouds in which the sky blends with the snow-covered
surface, eliminating the horizon) |
| - |
Dry weather (it receives averagely less than 50ml
(2in) of precipitation(in the form of snow) per year in Polar Plateau) |
| Health |
 |
| - |
Prolonged exposure to extreme coldness |
| - |
Exposure to sunlights (24 hours a day) |
| - |
Mental stress |
| - |
Physical stress |
| - |
'Cold Weather Illnesses' (trench foot, frostbit,
hypothermia) |
| |
|
| Geography |
| - |
Thick snow (more than 97 percent of Antarctica
is covered with snow) |
| - |
Crevasses (elongated cracks in the surface of
a glacier or ice sheet) |
| - |
Mountains (major mountain ranges 3,000 or more
meters high (9850ft)) |
| - |
Glaciers |
Overcoming the Challenges
Physical
Since 2001, the team has been training themselves with pre-expedition
acclimatisation at Europe's cold countries, endurance training, stamina-building
activities, mountain-climbing and hiking, skiing, and other simulation
activities before they embark on their journey.
Mental
The team will be encountering the earth's driest, windiest, coldest
continent. So information that may be useful for their survival are
gathered with research on the Internet, books and meeting the people
who trekked to the South Pole.
Dietery & Nutrition
The team, with backgrounds on medical, dietary and psychology along
with their solid profile in sports, will be walking with dried fruits,
powdered drinks, chocolates, oats, meatfloss, nuts and special drinks
that will keep them warm.
|
|
