journey on the ice

Under Antarctica snow-kite expedition underway

05/12/2025

Dr Heïdi Sevestre, a glaciologist, and explorer Matthieu Tordeur have embarked on a snow-kite powered expedition across the Antartica to map the Antarctic ice over 4,000 km. Their goal is to better understand how this vast continent — 25 times the size of France — is responding to climate change, and what impacts it may have on water levels globally. 

The research programme is part of both the 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034. The cryosphere is the name given to regions of the earth’s surface where water is in the form of ice or snow. In addition to UNESCO support, scientific partners include British Antarctic Survey, the University of Edinburgh and the Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research. The data collected will be made freely available.

The two researchers were dropped off on November 3rd at the edge of the Antarctic plateau and plan to reach the end of their journey in late January.

WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AT COMMITTING SUISIDE

Every time I read about some excursion to take place in Antarctica, I am always appalled by the little knowledge they have about the clothing and sleeping bags they wear and sleep in.

Simply put, they do not know that their own moisture becomes their enemy because they are wearing first layers of clothing that trap their body moisture against their skin surface which causes them to get chilled.

They have several layers of wool garments and finally layers of down garments to go over everything.

So, they have housed their bodies in potential ice boxes because they have no way to rid themselves of their own moisture.

After all is said and done when they stop to eat and sleep, they will get into down bags that will also retain moisture.

Of course, had they had spoken with me they would have been able to get the warmest clothing and sleeping bags in the world that would keep them warm and dry so they could accomplish their mission.

They are on their way and most likely will not complete their mission and will most likely have to be picked up before the journey ends because I suspect they will find their gear fails.

A number have tried just crossing and failed so their journey will end the same way being picked up to keep from dying.