2013-2014 South Pole Traverse – Day 41

Day 41
Location: Ross Ice Shelf- about halfway back to McMurdo

While coming down the Leverette Glacier we had a bit of excitement when we noticed a very large open crevasse just off our trail. There are open crevasses on the glacier but they are typically seen far in the distance- to have one suddenly appear so close to our route is unsettling. Nearby, the buildup of pressure in the ice has created a large hill. This hill could be mistaken as an old berm we used to cache fuel on. If an unsuspecting traverser went to investigate, they could easily fall in. The crevasse is about 250 feet off the trail proper; it is 20 feet wide and 300 feet long running almost parallel to the trail. We used GPR to scan it, making sure it didn’t creep under the snow to our path. We flagged that section of the trail really well to make sure the SPoT2 guys don’t accidentally wander off the path in a whiteout. It makes me wonder about the other expeditioners using our trail. It appeared that none of them had their own radar and were relying entirely on our good judgment. We have also seen their tracks cutting corners (where we have not GPRed) instead of staying on the route. If this lackadaisical approach continues, an accident is bound to happen.

Here are some pictures of the scenery on the Leverette Glacier.