Week 50 at the Pole

pistenbully
NSF/G. Merino

It was a week filled with movement outdoors. First up, snow needed to be moved. A survey was done of snow depths over the IceTop stations, and excess snow was removed. You can see the IceCube crew in the snowcat, or “pisten bully,” (above) while out on their rounds. Then, there was the South Pole marathon, which has an interesting history. This year, five brave contestants set out on the course, and all five completed the race (among the seven in the photo below). In good time, too, with the winner clocking in under 4:30. Lastly, there was another group of folks “moving” outdoors, the Walking with the Wounded expedition. Walking with the Wounded is a UK-based charity group that supports training and education efforts for wounded military personnel, organizing extreme expeditions as their fundraising platform. Prince Harry was a member of the UK team for this year’s trek, reaching their goal at the South Pole and staying a day or two in camp before heading back out.

marathoners
NSF/I. Rees