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Name: 3poles.fi - South Pole 2022
Start: 2022-11-15T12:00+00:00
End: 2023-01-31T12:00+00:00
Location: Antarctica

1/26/2023

Our trip home went well... except in Santiago de Chile we surprisingly had to take out our checked-in baggage, and re-check it in. We had only 1h 30min reserved, and we also had to change the terminal, go through immigration to check out the country, and go…

Retrospective

1/21/2023

Last night we got to our hotel around half past one at night. Wise men would have immediately gone to bed, but since this was the first time we got our devices online, we spent the next hours browsing and answering messages. After refreshing three hours of…

The flight from Antarctica takes place

1/20/2023

We just received information that the Boeing 757 picking up us and 58 other people is ready for departure at Punta airport. So the necessary ten-hour weather window opened up, and we will likely be back in Punta Arenas the next night. At least a normal bed and…

Waiting is part of the nature of the sport

1/19/2023

After a long time, we were able to sleep well: we are at a little lower altitude, and the constant stress has decreased. During the day, we got the equipment ready for the flight, but otherwise, our day here continued as a groundhog day: we eat and wait for…

Back to Union Glacier

1/18/2023

Yesterday, when we arrived at the South Pole, the tumult started: there were already acquaintances waiting for the flight, and another acquaintance came five hours after us. So the evening went late into the night, sitting and talking in the food tent. There…

Day 52 - At the final destination

1/17/2023

Mikko and Tero reached the geographic South Pole on January 17, 2023, at 3:50 pm Chilean time. The route ran from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole, and the trip took a total of 51 days and 7 hours. The trip was made without external support or assistance…

Day 51 - Now we're close

1/16/2023

We've been really lucky (once), or here on the Antarctic plateau, the sun always shines, and there's not a hint of wind. So it was great skiing weather, and we proceeded according to the plan about 17 km to the South Pole. Tomorrow we will wake up as normal…

Day 50 - Fifty days is a long time

1/15/2023

Fifty days is a long time to be completely alone and isolated. Tomorrow morning marks the completion of these fifty days. During this time, we have had two events that can be characterized as human contact: On days 16-17, we both saw Hedvig a few kilometers…

Day 49 - A good solid day

1/14/2023

We've had quite a bit of mod lately, especially with the gear. The days have not passed without surprises. For a long time, our biggest wish has been a solid, good day. Today it came true: we left in the morning on time, we skied in fantastic, slightly warmer…

Day 48 -The final degree

1/13/2023

Today we reached the last one, i.e. the 89th degree, in great, cold but rather windy skiing weather. This means in practice: There is only a short way to go: even a carpenter can count the days with the fingers of one hand. We crap in a bag: in the last degree…

Day 47 - Grand done

1/12/2023

Today we skied the flattest surface of the whole trip. The snow was sticky, and the going was slow, but there were no bumps. This is because we are on the Antarctic Plateau. If we have understood correctly, this continues all the way to the South Pole. Today…

Day 46 - Could someone design a working expedition binding?

1/11/2023

We had another eventful day. In the morning, we set off in calm, cloudy weather. Beanies and shell jackets were hastily taken off again during the first quarter. Four legs were completed in this outfit, but after lunch, a cold wave hit. The weather then got…

Day 45 - Great skiing weather

1/10/2023

Today was absolutely wonderful skiing weather: the sun shone all day, and there was practically no wind. The snow was also much easier to ski than yesterday because the wind didn't throw it around and the snow had had time to harden. There were still sastrugi…

Day 44 - The friction is terrible

1/9/2023

Today we reached 88th degree. The terrain gradually flattened out, but instead, we got soft, really sticky snow. The first six legs of the day were spent in this glue, and the last three legs were in real sastrugi. The fastest leg was 2.9 km/h, so today, no…

Day 43 - Finally some decent sastrugi!

1/8/2023

Today on the menu, we had the last quarter of the 87th degree, and finally, this degree lived up to its reputation: now there was a slightly more demanding sastrugi and quite a few climbs. The weather was favorable with the lack of wind, so skiing was…

Day 42 - A bouncy start to the day

1/7/2023

Today's day started a little weak: Tero was already outside with the stuff when Mikko shouted from inside the tent that the zipper of the shell pants was broken. After a short review of the situation, it only helped to settle for temporary adjustments to cover…

Day 41 - Rest day

1/6/2023

There aren't many stories to tell about this day: we spent the day mostly in sleeping bags. We rested, read, and communicated with the outside world, e.g., on the return flights. We also made a mummy tube from one power stretch mid-shirt to protect the stomach…

Day 40 - A particularly difficult day

1/5/2023

In the early morning hours, a centimeter layer of new snow fell. As our loyal readers will surely remember, new snow never is a good thing here. This time was no exception. We started the first part of the morning in completely stagnant air. We had to take off…

Day 39 - Enemy uses napalm

1/4/2023

Today we attacked 87 degrees. It had: a lot of sastrugi sticky snow uphill one valley where expensive meters had to be sacrificed skiing downhill. Despite all the above, we had a good skiing day. We reached our goal just in time, which was 1/4 degree. Mikko…

Day 38 - 86 degrees completed

1/3/2023

Today we skied the last quarter of the 86th degree. The terrain was a little slower than before - the journey progressed step by step so that there was always 3-5 km of sastrugi field and, finally, a climb to the next sastrugi field. Fortunately, sastrugi were…

Day 37 - A summer night and a broken binding

1/2/2023

Last night was really, really special. The wind died down completely, and the sun shone on the side of the tent. The tent got really hot, scorching hot, and it couldn't be cooled because opening the tent door didn't help since there was no wind. We tried to…

Day 36 - Half rest day

1/1/2023

All plans are usually prone to changes at these latitudes. A week ago, we planned for a rest day today. Since then, we came up with the idea of skiing a couple more days before the rest so that the final part of our journey would be shorter. But when we looked…

Day 35 - Happy New Year!

12/31/2022

Today there wasn't much to complain about when it comes to the weather or the terrain. It was a bit chilly and sometimes a bit sticky, but we managed to get a really good and smooth skiing day. Happy New Year to all! We don't see fireworks here, but a common…

Day 34 - Good day

12/30/2022

Today we finished the 85th degree and moved on to the 86th degree. The snow was smooth and tolerably slippery almost all day. There was a lot of uphill again, but you get used to it: the south pole is at an altitude of about 3000 m. Thanks for the messages…

Day 33 - Sticky going

12/29/2022

Today we continued the wonderful 85 degree terrain. The only problem was that the snow was really sticky. Other expeditions reported the same; it seems that the snow from the day before is taunting us again, and the frost is only making it worse, making the…

Day 32 - Uphill Day

12/28/2022

It snowed a little last night. It formed a fine, thin layer of sandpaper between Antarctica and us. No worries, the plan was to take it easy because there was a steeper-than-normal hill ahead. We skied for a couple of hours to a valley which was next to the…

Day 31 - Strange weather

12/27/2022

Today we woke up in the morning to almost windless, sunny weather, however, to a cold one. It's hard to say how cold it is when the meter is still constantly showing plus degrees but based on the nose feeling it was at least 20 degrees below zero. So far…

Day 30 - Halfway there

12/26/2022

Today was the easiest day of the trip so far in terms of terrain. The sun was still shining and it felt like a spring trip to Lapland. We ended up in Thiels Corner for the night next to a rugged airplane stopover and refuelling site. Today's photo shows…

Day 29 - Smooth progress

12/25/2022

Today again, we had a pretty good glacier for skiing. Our new hull speed has clearly been found: we can ski these lengths at a strain that we can take for weeks. So keep these days coming. During the day, a row of mountains appeared beyond the horizon: the…

Day 28 - Christmas Eve

12/24/2022

We got good skiing weather from Antarctica as a Christmas present: the terrain was okayish, the sun shone from a cloudless sky, and the wind remained low. The day went by quickly and unexpectedly, and we skied our best kilometers. Christmas dinner (photo) was…

Day 27 - 84 degrees is better than 83

12/23/2022

Today was a good skiing day. The platform was half good or half terrible, depending on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. There was also some headwind blowing. Regardless, we made good progress and ended up in a pretty good place for tomorrow. Because…

Day 26 - Mind control

12/22/2022

Today was a good day. The terrain left a lot to be desired, but the sledge followed without too much braking for almost the whole day. On the last leg of the evening, the terrain was the smoothest we have seen so far. Mikko is illustrated on this terrain in…

Day 25 - Afternoon at the sastrugi park

12/21/2022

Today we got snow after a long, long time, which was not against us. The recent strong winds and the sun together must have hardened the snow’s surface. The sledge followed as it was designed to do. This continued for about five legs - then the snow softened…

Day 24 - The situational battle rages on

12/20/2022

Tero has developed a way to test the day's skiing condition: in the morning, when leaving the entry of the tent, he throws a (rather stout steel cupped) shovel out the door. If the shovel falls in front of the door and you can see it, the weather must be good…

Day 23 - Tough day

12/19/2022

There's not much else to say about this day other than that title. It was heavy. The same new snow is rolling in this area, and there was no shortage of sastrugi either. The first nine-hour was pulled, but we still got less than 25 km. And the Achilles tendons…

Day 22 - Fever in the air

12/18/2022

Every day here is different. Today we cooked the porridge and ate it, but after that, it was concluded that Mikko's nascent fever kept us at the camp. So let's rest again, even though it wasn't on the agenda for today. Speaking of rest: when we set out to…

Day 21 - Repair equipment

12/17/2022

The same rally continued as yesterday. It's sticky, but unfortunately, you can only get past it by skiing. So we went skiing. Since we have to be completely self-sufficient here, we must be prepared for various equipment breakdowns. Those inevitably happen on…

Day 20 - Towards the Final Victory

12/16/2022

It feels pretty bold to talk about a final victory on a 20/50 skiing day, right? For us, too. Nevertheless, our minds turned to that position this morning. We finally, for the first time, got half skins working. This immediately increased the skiing speed, and…

Day 19 - Member of the limb fixers from Nokia

12/15/2022

Today was the most "normal" day in a long time: all day skiing in fairly stable conditions. The skiing weather was almost perfect, but the platform remained uniformly sticky and unnecessarily bumpy. According to our intelligence, around 83 degrees, it starts…

Day 18 - Gear trivia

12/14/2022

The day turned out to be varied again, as usual. We didn't have easy terrain for more than an hour or two; the rest was the same old same old (however, not the worst quality we’ve had here). This is how it will be for the next few weeks; it doesn't help to…

Day 17 - Roller coaster

12/13/2022

Legs 1-2: Um, this is the same goo as yesterday, maybe a little more slippery. Okay then, let's grind the whole day. Legs 3-4: Oh, there are areas where the wind has cleaned away the sticky snow. We'll get back to better speeds soon. Legs 5-6: Damn these…

Day 16 - Sticky snow and equipment breakdown affecting morale

12/12/2022

After yesterday's snowy rest day, we woke up to a sunny white landscape. Well, there is always white here, but now it was brighter, white and even. New snow is rarely good for sledging. So, with mixed feelings of fear, we put on the harness and set off for the…

Day 15 - Despite the whiteout, a schlong was seen

12/11/2022

(Translators note: today’s text is written by Mikko, and the translator fails to capture the sophisticated and delicate linguistical nuances he is famous for) Yesterday's good-natured skiing ended with approx. 25 km performance in a perfect whiteout. The last…

Day 14 - Poor visibility

12/10/2022

We woke up to a windless camp. The brain was confused as the tent makes no sound in the morning; normally, there is a continuous flapping and hissing sound. However, the sun had gone out for good during the night. Or at least gone hiding behind a really dark…

Day 13 - Sunshine and skiing math

12/9/2022

Today we woke up to sunshine, skied new record kilometers in the sunshine, and arrived at the campsite in the evening in an almost summer atmosphere: no wind and the sun was really, really hot. The end of the day was quite a contrast to the -15 degrees…

Day 12 - Daily schedule

12/8/2022

Today we were able to ski all day in sunny weather. Gale was still there, but not particularly bad. As usual, we went both up and down; this time, fortunately, a little more up. After all, we should end up at an altitude of three kilometers. Today was the…

Day 11 - About medical care

12/7/2022

Today was a good skiing day. Not fast nor easy, but good considering the conditions. We got some good and slightly sticky snow, some downhill and uphill. On the right, you can see one mountain very far away, but otherwise, the view is starting to level off to…

Day 10 - Happy Independence Day!

12/6/2022

We live here in Chilean time, which is currently five hours behind Finnish time. So here we are, still firmly on the side of Independence Day. Happy Independence Day! There isn't much to write home about the day's skiing: we started in sandpaper-like snow, and…

Day 9 - A false sense of well-being

12/5/2022

We started the morning with enthusiasm because outside was the best skiing weather we have seen so far: the sun was shining, and the wind was only 2 m/s. Even the terrain was flat. So, we put a little less on and excitedly hit the road. The first one and a…

Day 8 - Getting used to the wind

12/4/2022

Today we set off again in a relatively strong wind. We have gotten used to the wind so well that we had to use the meter to find that it was almost 10 m/s; the brain thought the wind was much less. The first leg was terrible: the sastrugi were crosswise, and…

Day 7 - Sunny skiing weather

12/3/2022

Today it happened: sunny throughout the skiing day, without a cloud. There was still a strong fresh breeze at times, but the importance of that light and visibility for the mood cannot be underestimated. For the first seven legs, the wind direction was…

Day 6 - From darkness to light

12/2/2022

In the morning, the tent was more humid than normal. The cloudiness has been so complete that the sun drying up the gear didn't work anymore. We got up from the tent to the same show which we left the previous evening: quite strong wind, a lot of moving snow…

Day 5 - Whiteout and broken promises

12/1/2022

The tent was banging really, really hard all night. Even in spite of the fact that the entire facility was buried pretty well in the snow during the rest day. Thus, the sleep was mediocre at best. When we woke up to a new day in the morning, we noticed, to our…

Day 4 - Protected from the weather

11/30/2022

During the night, the wind and snow continued their work, and it was like sleeping in a jet engine. However, both got excellent sleep. We woke up as usual at seven and stuck our heads out of the tent. The decision was quickly made that "we won’t go there". The…

Day 3 - against the wind with a smile

11/29/2022

Antarctica continues to serve: today, right from the start, the wind picked up. We were surprised while skiing as the hoods wouldn’t stay covering our heads, and we started to feel the wind on our cheeks. Even pushing forward was really laborious, and our…

Day 2 - Running-in stage

11/28/2022

The second day started as usual, with the alarm clock ringing at 07:00. After this, Mikko, who was on the kitchen shift, turned on the gas stove. At this point of the expedition, from waking up to the start of skiing takes about two hours. In this time, the…

Day 1 - uphill

11/27/2022

Today was the first actual skiing day of our trip. We left the seaside of Hercules Inlet's land border at 8:48 in the morning. The first days on this route are pretty brutal: a large part of the entire 1130 km ascent is done in the early days. So today, we…

Hercules Inlet!

11/26/2022

Today at 18:45 airman Timmy came to meet us and announced that there will be a flight after dinner. The gear should be ready before we eat. It was precisely 15 minutes from that moment to the start of the dinner, so there was quite a bit of hassle. We crammed…

Flights canceled for today as well

11/25/2022

Last night was the coldest night so far, and the wind was already beating the tent walls. Here, two days have already been used to prepare the camp for the stormy wind that will rise according to the forecast. This naturally means that we didn't make it to…

The winds picked up, the planes didn't

11/24/2022

Based on the previous night's order, the tent was put down in the morning, and the gear was made ready to go. After breakfast, the delay was announced again, and a couple of hours later, it was plainly obvious that there would be no flight today. The weather…

Still on Union Glacier

11/23/2022

There was no flying weather today, either. So we spent the day reading and staying at the camp. New information comes a few times a day. Another attempt tomorrow. According to the current weather forecast, the winds will pick up after that, so let's keep our…

Safety walkthroughs

11/22/2022

Today was a fully programmed day: safety walkthroughs with different areas. We discussed, e.g. the route, medicines, communication, etc. ALE pulls this job off with real professionalism. After lunch, we suddenly got information that our flight could leave…

The expedition is at the Union Glacier

11/21/2022

In the morning, the departure was moved forward a couple of times, but finally, at 12:20 the time of departure arrived: the bus picked us up (and the other expeditions) from the hotels, we dropped the stuff left in the city at ALE, and we went to the airport…

No-go

11/20/2022

Today was a no-go: in the morning we got a message that the morning departure is canceled, and that we would get the next update in the evening. As we did, and it again gave some hope: tomorrow afternoon the winds are expected to calm down and we might be able…

Maybe, maybe, maybe

11/19/2022

We continued our groundhog day: breakfast, a long walk, lunch, rest, and waiting for the message about tomorrow's flight window. The biggest difference to yesterday was, that today's message gave some glimpse of hope: we would hear in the morning whether the…

Wait continues

11/18/2022

Today was our originally planned flight day. But as we wrote yesterday, that got delayed, and new information would be delivered in the evening. To avoid hotel sickness we did long city walks. Thus, today's picture is a random tourist shot. In the evening we…

Baggage weighing

11/17/2022

Today's agenda included transporting our flight baggage to ALE offices, weighing them, and checking in to our flight. Waking up in the morning the schedule was still to fly to Antarctica tomorrow. Therefore we did the normal last day ceremonies: carried all of…

Final touches

11/16/2022

Today we squared out all the food and equipment. We started by packing our candies. Both men to their taste: Mikko took bags as is, Tero on the other hand is unable to regulate himself with candy, so he packed the candies in small daily portions. Thereafter we…

ALE briefing

11/15/2022

Today we went shopping for a couple of missing items. We e.g. needed one more big duffel bag to get all our stuff to the airplane to Antarctica. On our way there we went to the beach to check our satellite communications: we sent and received a message…

Grocery shopping and dividing food to portions

11/14/2022

Today's theme was crystal clear: food. We brought most of our food from Finland (thanks, K-Citymarket Järvenpää), but fresh products have to be sourced locally. Punta Arenas has one bigger grocery store. Walking there took an hour and doubled as our daily…

City hike and fetching our cargo

11/13/2022

Jetlag always delivers: we were both fully woken up already at 4 am. So we spent the next hours on social media and storing important documents and contact numbers to our communications devices. ALE had scheduled the second Antarctic flight for today, so we…

Expedition and all the stuff at Punta Arenas

11/12/2022

After 36 hours of travel Mikko, Tero, and all our baggage arrived safely at our hotel in Punta Arenas. The trip went without major obstacles. On the last flight from Santiago de Chile to Punta Arenas, we saw some magnificent scenery. We assumed it was part of…

Journey starts

11/11/2022

So it starts; Tero and Mikko just met at the airport. The plan is to arrive at Punta arenas after 32 hours of travel.

The cargo has arrived

11/10/2022

In terms of the success of the trip, one of the most important things is to get the gear to the ski area. Our materials go via two routes: some as luggage, some as cargo. The latter of these was a source of great tension: will the gear find its way there? Will…

Summer training

10/23/2022

3 Poles expedition started the active preparation phase almost exactly three years ago. This marks also the time when we started our scheduled joint training: we agree to pull a tire (see image below) every Saturday at 8 am. The session would last 2-4 hours…

Freight packed

9/25/2022

After almost three years of preparation, things are getting real. Suddenly we have dwelled with contracts, information forms, and tickets. We have now bought our flights Helsinki - Amsterdam - Santiago de Chile - Punta Arenas and back, and reserved…

Winter training

3/27/2022

Being prepared for the expedition is really, really important for us. Preparations can get pretty involved on an expedition like this: you need planning, equipment, food, finances, communications, maps, flights, accommodation, freight, etc… but nothing gets…

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