Espantos #289

AWE: Four Women to the South Pole. The presentation is at 4:10 PM Tuesday, March 29 at the Commons Center, Room 237.

DESCRIPTION: In late 1992 four women set off from the northern coast of Antarctica. The AWE (Antarctic Women's Expedition) was to be the first all female team to ski across the continent to the South Pole. Anne Dal Vera was a member of that team and will give a vividly illustrated presentation about the challenges faced and how they were overcome.

The announcement was brief and unassuming. The talk was vividly honest. Not only did Anne dal Vera highlight the major achievement she and her three partners conquered 18 years ago but she also described the difficult emotional situations of those 67 days on the ice. In my mind will remain the following:

- pictures where the dominant colors are white and blue (white and white in overcast days, increasing the chances of losing direction) lightly dotted with the colors of the tents and the women's gear;

- the humbling experience it must have been to pursue this objective while staying mentally sane and healthy, focusing on the essentials;

- the expedition got delayed for a few days, which made it necessary to get supplies delivered by plane. The plane went around the group, waving one wing down at a time and finally dropping a box. Beyond the food supplies, the box contained two roses. "I opened the box and that smell made me cry... we hadn't smelled anything like that for two months!"