South Pole—Queen Maud Land Traverse I
After several weeks of preparation at Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, the first South Pole−Queen Maud Land Traverse got underway on December 4, 1964. Our goal was to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility before the end of January. Over the next eight weeks we explored 1,530 km of the Antarctic Plateau, and reached our goal on January 27.
Original Traverse Party
This photo, which was taken with a self-timer, shows the members of the party that began the traverse. It was taken before the resupply flight of January 6, which arrived with Scott Kane and departed with Bentley and Gliozzi. The members' names, affiliations, and responsibilities follow:
Front row:
Norman Peddie, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, geomagnetism/navigation.
Edward "Ahab" Parrish, University of Wisconsin, traverse engineer (NO SMOKING within ten feet!).
Richard L. Cameron, Ohio State University, glaciology/co-leader.
Olav Dybvadskog, Norwegian Polar Institute, glaciology.
Edgard E. Picciotto, Free University of Brussels, glaciology.
Back row:
James Gliozzi, Ohio State University, glaciology.
Bruce Redpath, University of Wisconsin, geophysics.
John Beitzel, University of Wisconsin, geophysics.
Raymond Koski, University of Wisconsin, traverse engineer.
Charles Bentley, University of Wisconsin, geophysics/co-leader.
Not shown:
Scott Kane, Ohio State University, glaciology.
This photo, which was taken with a self-timer, shows the members of the party that began the traverse. It was taken before the resupply flight of January 6, which arrived with Scott Kane and departed with Bentley and Gliozzi. The members' names, affiliations, and responsibilities follow:
Front row:
Norman Peddie, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, geomagnetism/navigation.
Edward "Ahab" Parrish, University of Wisconsin, traverse engineer (NO SMOKING within ten feet!).
Richard L. Cameron, Ohio State University, glaciology/co-leader.
Olav Dybvadskog, Norwegian Polar Institute, glaciology.
Edgard E. Picciotto, Free University of Brussels, glaciology.
Back row:
James Gliozzi, Ohio State University, glaciology.
Bruce Redpath, University of Wisconsin, geophysics.
John Beitzel, University of Wisconsin, geophysics.
Raymond Koski, University of Wisconsin, traverse engineer.
Charles Bentley, University of Wisconsin, geophysics/co-leader.
Not shown:
Scott Kane, Ohio State University, glaciology.
Sno-Cats
Our three Tucker Sno-Cats are underway. The two larger Sno-Cats towed Rolligon trailers, whose big rubber tires carried diesel fuel. The smaller Sno-Cat was equipped with a drilling rig for boring holes in the ice.
Pole of Inaccessibility
On January 27, after weeks of seeing the horizon only as an unbroken line, a speck appeared, dead ahead.
(Unfortunately the Ektachrome slides from which these images were made are badly faded. Although some color correction was done, full correction causes too much loss of detail.)
(Unfortunately the Ektachrome slides from which these images were made are badly faded. Although some color correction was done, full correction causes too much loss of detail.)
Kapitsa's Note
The following is my transcription of the note (shown above) written by Andrei Kapitsa, leader of the Soviet traverse that visited the Pole of Inaccessibility in 1964, welcoming us to their station. I have not attempted to correct his grammar or spelling.
Dear Frends
We welcome you at soviet station "Pole of enexesibility". We are glad if everithing is OK in yor jerny (excuse for gramer). We want to give you several practical advises if yuo will stay in this house.
1. The food store is at the rite side of the hause autside if you look to the south.
2. The engin can be easily put on to werk if you shall warm up the antifreezing mixture an por it in the radiator, then warm up the oyl and pour in the stamac [?] of the engens. Use a 12 volt accumulator for starting the engine, the calles [?] for conexting the batery is at the opposit side from the radioset. In the fuel tank the schell be 5 gallons of petrol (we are short of petrol becose are engins are disel.) The engine uses 2 gallons per auer. After worming up the engine pusch forward the handle betwin the wohl [?] and the engin that shall conset [?] the generator with the engin.
3. Switch bord has a fuss box bellow sics [?] at the left are from the elecktric stove second two are from the water melter and the other two are from the lites. Spare bulbs for both batery lites and nihy [?] lihts are under the rear bench in the kitchen.
4. The stove in the kitchen is an oyl stove. The drops of oyl fols on the pan at the botom of the stove, and wen it is wormed up easily berns. for beginning lite a pees of paper an poor sum oyl by opening the fuel tube. The tank must be ful of oyl.
5. The runway was in use in 1958 december Stops [?] that no airplane landed here.
6. The radioset is in order an can be ran with a 24-volt battery. Two 18 [?] volt battery standing on the top ar empty [?] an of been fooled by arid [?] can be used.
So wams [?] more you are welcomm to use ol the fassilitis of the station but dont forget to [...] the dor on the deperture. Best regards to Dr. Crary
Chief of soviet traverse
party Andrei
Kapitza
6/[?] - 64
The Dr. Crary mentioned in the last paragraph is Dr. Albert P. "Bert" Crary, who was Chief Scientist of the U.S. Antarctic Research Program and was involved in the planning of the South Pole--Queen Maud Land Traverses.
Dear Frends
We welcome you at soviet station "Pole of enexesibility". We are glad if everithing is OK in yor jerny (excuse for gramer). We want to give you several practical advises if yuo will stay in this house.
1. The food store is at the rite side of the hause autside if you look to the south.
2. The engin can be easily put on to werk if you shall warm up the antifreezing mixture an por it in the radiator, then warm up the oyl and pour in the stamac [?] of the engens. Use a 12 volt accumulator for starting the engine, the calles [?] for conexting the batery is at the opposit side from the radioset. In the fuel tank the schell be 5 gallons of petrol (we are short of petrol becose are engins are disel.) The engine uses 2 gallons per auer. After worming up the engine pusch forward the handle betwin the wohl [?] and the engin that shall conset [?] the generator with the engin.
3. Switch bord has a fuss box bellow sics [?] at the left are from the elecktric stove second two are from the water melter and the other two are from the lites. Spare bulbs for both batery lites and nihy [?] lihts are under the rear bench in the kitchen.
4. The stove in the kitchen is an oyl stove. The drops of oyl fols on the pan at the botom of the stove, and wen it is wormed up easily berns. for beginning lite a pees of paper an poor sum oyl by opening the fuel tube. The tank must be ful of oyl.
5. The runway was in use in 1958 december Stops [?] that no airplane landed here.
6. The radioset is in order an can be ran with a 24-volt battery. Two 18 [?] volt battery standing on the top ar empty [?] an of been fooled by arid [?] can be used.
So wams [?] more you are welcomm to use ol the fassilitis of the station but dont forget to [...] the dor on the deperture. Best regards to Dr. Crary
Chief of soviet traverse
party Andrei
Kapitza
6/[?] - 64
The Dr. Crary mentioned in the last paragraph is Dr. Albert P. "Bert" Crary, who was Chief Scientist of the U.S. Antarctic Research Program and was involved in the planning of the South Pole--Queen Maud Land Traverses.