December 1, 2018 | More progress from our intrepid climbers at the bottom of the world comes in today. After a big day on the ice establishing low camp, the team is taking a rest day to re-hydrate and re-fuel for what lies ahead.
To reinforce the value of fueling your body in such extreme conditions NASA did a study to determine the average calorie intake required to adequately fuel explorers in harsh environments when developing the nutritional program for astronauts in the space program. On average the normal person burns about 2,000 calories a day but during NASA’s research it cited Antarctic explorers saying they likely burn upwards 7,000 – 10,000 calories per day! Although our team may not be burning quite that many it really highlights the importance of good nutrition to fuel these demanding expeditions.
After establishing low-camp the sun began to periodically penetrate the cloud cover and provide stunning views of the surrounding area and peaks that dominated the dreams of climbers all over the world. Despite improved sun exposure the average daily temperature is still sitting around -15 F although when recreating in our big expedition group tents the sun can heat them up quite nicely making the freezing temps a little more manageable while inside.
We are actively developing our plan for the next couple days. Of course mother nature makes the ultimate decision and we are waiting for a weather report to decide if we remain in low camp for an additional rest day or if we proceed higher on the peak and that much closer to the summit.
As the team proceeds we will continue to keep you up to date with all the progress of our team. Stay tuned!
THE MOUNTAIN PROFESSIONALS FAMILY
