Tuesday, July 31, 2001

The 300 Club

"This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy." My mind was racing as fast as my feet, and likewise slowed only by the most chilling cold I'd ever experienced. The temperature was -103°F (-75°C). The wind chill was below -150°F (-101°C). Finally I reached my destination. I was standing at the Geographic South Pole -- naked.

The return trip to the Dome seemed twice as far as the hike to the Pole. The wind was blowing straight toward me. I wanted to quicken my pace and hasten my return to revitalizing heat, but I knew that going faster would only make it feel worse. The warmth of the sauna that had only minutes before permeated my body had completely evaporated. Cold was flooding through my skin.

Many people would call this ritual utter insanity. At the South Pole we call it tradition.

Welcome to 'The 300 Club.' It is a club with no meetings or membership cards, and there are no benefits other than bragging rights and a patch that you have to buy from Polemart.

To join, all one must do is sit in the sauna set at +200°F (+93°C), then run outside the Dome and up the hill to the snow surface level when the temperature is -100°F (-73°C) -- a sudden temperature drop of 300°F (166°C). Die-hard Poleys will insist you go all the way to the Geographic Pole.

This rite is not something that Poleys can accomplish all the time in the winter. The requirement of -100°F temperature can sometimes take until September to attain. Two South Pole winters (1964 and 1972) the -100 mark was never met.

It had been close several times, even coming within 2 1/2 degrees as early as April. But today it finally hit.

I was in the weather office monitoring the data from the sensor Meghan was about to send up with our daily weather balloon. I knew device had been taken outside when it reported a sharp drop in temperature -- but it kept dropping. I turned around and was shocked at what I saw on our official outside temperature gauge: -73.4°C. Seconds later I heard Paul's 'All Call' on the station loudspeakers:

"The temperature is now -100 degrees."

Paul had been watching the South Pole weather web page

The weather office was immediately filled with Poleys confirming and taking pictures of the official temperature display. Someone immediately turned on the sauna. We all knew what was about to happen. We all knew about 'The 300 Club.' Many of us had pined for this day.

We stripped and piled into the Finnish sauna in the Upper Berthing bathroom, above the Weather Office. The sensor for the sauna thermostat had to be placed into a cup of water so it would warm to 200°. It normally won't go any hotter that 180° (82°C).

We sat and waited for the room to warm to the required temperature. People kept poking there heads in to check how hot is was, which only caused the heating to take longer. Finally, after yelling "Close the door!" for the umpteenth time, the needle hit the mark: 200°. Now was the time.

The wooden door flew open and along with a burst of hot air escaped the first heat of the polar race. But the goal of this race was not to be first. Taking too much time isn't good either. Running too fast, one will draw too much frigid air into the lungs, singeing them with frostbiting cold. Going too slow will obviosly allow heat to escape completely and frostbite to nip the outter skin. A brisk walk is the way to stay ahead in this race.

Most of us were like the explorer Amundsen: making the trip to the Pole and returning safely. A few followed in the footsteps of Shackelton: making it only partway there before turning back. Luckily, none of us endured the dreaded fate of R.F. Scott: making it to the Pole and not making it back.

It was definitely cold. However, there is a certain air of brazen pluck to this sacrament that is so outwardly folly. While I walked the barren path to the South Pole with the moon beaming through the lucid darkness, I felt somehow righteous and privileged and untouchable. I was walking tall. I was doing something fewer than 500 people have ever done in the history of human civilization. It is a very exclusive club.