SOUTH POLE VISITORS 1999-2000 SEASON
The 1999-2000 Austral summer season saw a record number of expeditions visit the South Pole. Naturally many of these were planning to be there for the Millennium celebrations while others were just part of the passing parade of brave expeditions risking life and limb on extra-ordinary adventures of human endeavour. A special feature this season was the large number of female expeditioneers.
This page shows a few of those who passed through the Amunsden-Scott South Pole Station.
Please note that we do not have for sale any of the philatelic items shown below.
The above is a South Pole patch issued specially for the Millennium 2000.
OPERATION "CHILL-OUT" 1999-2000 TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
The two skiers departing from South Pole |
Postcard autographed by both team members |
Tim Jarvis and Peter Treseder |
The Australian Peter Treseder and the Briton Tim Jarvis formed the two man "Operation Chill-Out 99/2000". They aimed to cross the Antarctic continent unaided. They reached the South Pole on the 21st of December 1999 completing their first leg from Berkner island on the coast to the South Pole in a record fastest time of 46 days. They left the pole aiming to reach Scott Base in late January but food contamination in one of their toboggans meant the expedition was called off and the two skiers returned to the South Pole where they were airlifted out. |
THE FIRST SINGAPORE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
The first ever Singapore expedition to Antarctica reached the South Pole on New Year's Eve 1999 after 57 days of sledding. They travelled nearly 700 miles from Horseshoe Valley just north of Patriot Hills. None of the 4 team had even skied before although several members did climb Mount Everest last year - a feat which caused a national sensation in Singapore. In July 1998 first preparations were made for the South Pole Expedition. |
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In May 1999 the Singaporeans trained with the British polar adventurer Roger Mear in Greenland. They had a second training camp in New Zealand in July 1999. After several days of bad weather which kept them in Punta Arenas for nine extra days they began their expedition from 80 degrees south on November 4th. The Singaporean Prime Minister is their patron. They left the South Pole on January 3rd, 2000 in a twin otter aircraft operated by Adventure Network International. |
Reverse of the postcard above showing autographs of the Singapore team on the day they reached the South Pole. |
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Two Singapore Expedition members in their tent at the South pole. |
The Singapore Tent Village not far from the South Pole Station on the Polar Plateau. |
THE BRITISH "LAST DEGREE" SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION
This expedition comprised four skiers from the British sponsored "Last Degree" expedition. They set up a tent camp near the American Amundsen-Scott Pole Station alongside the Adventure Network International's supply cache. They arrived just before New Years Eve 1999. The remainder of the "Last Degree" group which skied from near 89 degrees South to the Pole arrived on January 1st, 2000. They had been airlifted to the 89th parallel by Adventure Network aircraft and skied from there to the South Pole.
MILLENNIUM SOUTH POLE CHARITY EXPEDITION
ANI Party arriving at South Pole. |
ANI Party led by Jeff Summers. |
A party of 7 women and 2 men left Hercules Inlet in the Weddell Sea on the 5th of November, 1999 as a fund raising effort for the British "Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity" organisation. Ahead of them were 730 miles(1,100 kilometres) of Antarctic Terrain before they eventually reached the South Pole after 61 days on the 5th of January, 2000. Each person pulled a 200 pound (100kg) sledge. Expedition members included Catharine Hartley, a London Television stage manager and a married couple Mike (a 37 year old Nottinghamshire Police Officer) and Fiona Thornewill (a 33 year old recruitment consultant) who both suffered from flu throughout the expedition. The Expedition was led by Jeff Summers of Adventure Network International.
ADVENTURE NETWORK INTERNATIONAL MILLENNIUM TOURIST PARTY
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Adventure Network International flew in a party of nine tourists from Patriot Hills to the South Pole on the afternoon of New Year's Eve 1999 to spend midnight at the Pole. The party included the Australian Grahame Murphy who had also visited the North Pole in 1994. They stayed until about 1.30am on New Year's Day before departing again in the same Twin Otter aircraft as shown at left. |
FRENCH SOLO TRAVERSE
Antarctic Air Cessna of Mort Vedt from Alaska which brought the Expeditioneer and her sled to the South Pole. |
Laurence De La Ferriere, the French solo traverse women after disembarking from the Cessna at the South Pole. |
Laurence DeLa Ferriere packing her sled |
Sled with bag of food 5,100 calories for 10 days |
Laurence De La Ferriere started out from the South Geographic Pole on the 23rd of November aiming for the French Station Dumont d'Urville on the Adelie Land Coast some 1,550 miles (2,500 km) distance. She first travelled to the Concordia "Dome C" joint French Italian Base which she reached on 30 December 1999 after a 37day 1,500 km trek. She averaged 40 km per day with the aid of parasails. After a few days rest at Concordia she left there on January 2nd, 2000. She completed the gruelling 57 day solo trek on 6th February when she arrived at Dumont d'Urville Station. Two days later she left on the French vessel "L'Astrolabe" and arrived in Hobart on 15th February 2000. Back in 1997 she had travelled overland alone to the South Pole.
ARGENTINE ANTARCTICA 2000 SNOWMOBILE EXPEDITION
A party of seven Argentine expeditioneers left the Argentine Belgrano Antarctic Station near the Weddell Sea for a scientific traverse to the South Pole by snowmobile. Thirty seven days later on the 6th of January, 2000 they arrived at the South Pole Station and camped there for a few days before departing about midnight on the 8th of January 2000 for the return journey to Belgrano. |
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The seven snowmobiles used drums and drums and drums of fuel according to the expedition doctor Nicolas Bernardi. The postcard at right has been autographed by all seven members of the expedition and postmarked at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole station on the day of their arrival. |
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Argentinean tents and snowmobiles. At right is one of the snowmobiles with two team members preparing for departure. |
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THE M & G ISA CHALLENGE EXPEDITION
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This expedition comprised the first ever all women's British Expedition to conquer both the North and The South Poles. The members of the team were Zoe Hudson, Pam Oliver, Caroline Hamilton, Ann Daniels and Rosie Stancer shown above.
The photo at right shows the inside of the above airletter and is autographed by all 5 members of the Expedition. It has been postmarked on the 24th January the day they arrived.
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Members celebrating inside the South Pole Station |
Expedition members at Geographic South Pole |
An Adventure Network aircraft flew the team out from the South Pole via Patriot Hills to Chile.
Russian Mil-2000 South Pole Expedition including Ballooning and Skydiving.
US Astronauts James A Lovell and Owen Garriott
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