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Why the
South Pole
is special
 It is one of the rarest, most isolated and least frequented travel destinations on the planet.
South Pole
tips & insights
Adventure
travelers who have had the good fortune of obtaining permission to visit this
famous destination were understandably thrilled to have been able to experience standing
over the world's southernmost point.
The
South Pole is sometimes marked by a red and white striped post (see photo).
If
a visitor walks around that marker, he can rightfully claim that he went around the world in
just several seconds.
That
marker has to be moved occasionally to stay accurate. The icecap in
which the post is inserted slowly but surely edges toward the sea.
Before you
pack your bag,
bear in mind
The South Pole is cold, bitterly
so. Antarctica's interior is the coldest place on earth.
Temperatures have dropped as low as -89°C (129°F) in the austral winter.
It
can be quite windy. Occasionally gale force winds exceed hurricane statistics.
The
locale's three kilometer (two mile) altitude could cause altitude sickness. And, whatever
the medical emergency, the South Pole could be inaccessible to outside help.
The
South Pole is barren. There's little to see but a monotonous white landscape and
the station's structures, vehicles and inhabitants.
The
cost of visiting the South Pole will derail most budgets.
But,
all said, the adventure of a traveler experiencing the South Pole is priceless.
Daylight lasts
up to 24 hours in the southern hemisphere summer
(peaks on December 22). In deep winter (peaks on June 22), the sun never rises.
Clickable Antarctica
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What it's like
on an Antarctica
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