A Walk at the South Pole - From the Station to Dark Sector POV

This is an uncut point-of-view (POV) recording of the walk from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Dark Sector Laboratory. Watch me make this nearly 1-kilometer walk in extremely cold weather, right after sunrise!
View is from an action cam in front of my right eye, so you see what I see!

[@romigithepope]

Somebody is finally taking the path our grandparents did to go to school.

[@Cocoanutty0]

This is the funniest comment I’ve ever seen

[@WhyNot-xb2jl]

I agree with the statement above

[@dylanperry239]

😂😂😂😂

[@tristanwegner]

Yes, sounds like the cold they described. But it did not look very steep uphill - both ways!

[@WhyNot-xb2jl]

True, and where are all the dinosaurs they had to fight off?

[@Keikisheiart]

That's so incredible. It's like watching someone traverse another planet.

[@Leatherargento]

It is! I think that the way things look and sound and feel up there probably get across more clearly than anything else that what we're living on is a planet, not just a series of perceived stimuli: It's inhospitable and there are special features and happenings/phenomena that occur only on the "tip" of the globe.

[@kailashbtw9103]

this

[@MrItaliano1900]

E' esattamente questo l'Antartide , la terra di confine con altri mondi. La Terra non è un globo , è infinita e piatta.

[@carolinejordan12]

Or walk across Siberia.

[@carolinejordan12]

How often are you required to walk between these buildings?

[@victoriacomo5583]

I really appreciate the perspective this video conveys. Thank you for having the faith in your audience to patiently enjoy something like this without flashy edits.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Thank you for noticing, i try not to assault anyone's eyeballs

[@sksk-bd7yv]

It's easy to hear how cold the snow is. Those crisp, sharp snowsounds are the coldest I've ever heard.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

I'm Québécois, I know what deep snow is, I know what hard snow is. However, I can always just dig at the most 3-4 feet to find some hard ground - you guys just have nothing under you but more snow and ice for kilometers down; that's insane. I'm really enjoying this channel. Cheers.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Yep it's wild to think about. Thanks for stopping by :)

[@Desert-edDave]

❄

[@chrisb.3722]

The logistics of how all this material was delivered to and assembled "down" there blows my mind. And, as someone who has spent most of their life in the mild Pacific Northwest, I just can't fathom those temperatures. Factor in the altitude and that's one hell of a flat half-mile walk. Awesome.

[@sweetg12651]

Thank you, Joe, for this whole series of videos you have made of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. I've been binge watching your videos all weekend. They're so informative and really enjoyable.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Thank you so much 😊

[@davestelling]

Me, too - fascinating, and I really appreciate the efforts to produce these; thank you, Joe...

[@antonleimbach648]

So beautiful……I’m a paraplegic so I will never have the chance to walk around the South Pole. Thanks for sharing and letting us live vicariously through you.

[@beverlydiltz2604]

The sound is literally out there. You are really strong people to do what you do. A workout like no other.

[@strators07]

Having read about Scott an Shackleton , this vid feels like a privilege to see where they were striving for. Raw video 👍and demonstrating the icy surface ridges that caused misery was very interesting to see. Fascinating place! Thanks for sharing 👌👏

[@fernandoaldekoa2436]

Don't forget Amundsen, the first one.

[@erikeggenbakstad]

​@@fernandoaldekoa2436O appreciate that 🇧🇻🙂

[@svenhaheim]

Id love to live and work in a place like that for a while, such an alien like experience.

[@kailashbtw9103]

I was supprised by how uneven the natural ice/ground is (off the trail). It must have been hell for early explorers. It make sense with how strong the wind is, it will shape the ice like that. And the cloud fog plus low sun makes seeing at a distance disorientating.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Those formations are called "sastrugi" and they are soooo cool. Each one looks like an immaculate sculpture to me. But yes they are hell for going cross country

[@Leatherargento]

I love that the Center is named after both Amundsen and Scott. On a completely different note, I could never even begin to deal with the temperatures down there. I get crabby and curt when the temperature goes under 23 or so.

[@user-uj7vk5vr8w]

In theory, the September equinox (which falls on September 23 at 7:21 am NZST in 2021) is when spring would start in Antarctica. In your video, the sun appears one day early in the sky. As I understand, this phenomenon must be caused by what is known as atmospheric refraction, causing the sunlight reaching Earth to bend, creating an illusion of the sun higher on the horizon than it is. That is something that I find fascinating.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Yep that's exactly what's happening. You can see the disc of the Sun (in clear weather) start peeking above the horizon about a week before the spring equinox

[@user-uj7vk5vr8w]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe Thank you.

[@brnmcc01]

Some of it is the fact that they're nearly 2 miles above sea level, so you can see the sun earlier. Those times are based on what you would see at mean sea level. Like, if you go to the Burj Kalifa tower in Dubai and stand outside on the street and wait for the moment of sunset. Then rush back inside and take the express elevator up to the observation deck on the 160th floor, you'll have enough time to watch another sunset for 15-20 minutes, depending on how long it takes to get from street level up etc.

[@iwantmyvanback]

This is incredible. Thank you so much for showing this to us. Sometimes we forget how amazing our world is and how resilient we are as a species. We have accomplished so much.

[@cristhiancarbonmusic]

Amazing. Otherworldly view!

[@francescathomas3502]

That 16 minutes walk felt like it took an hour!!!!

[@theemilyelizabeth]

Amazing! Very interesting and relaxing to watch and listen to before bed. Thanks for sharing your life there.

[@thebigboyo5607]

This is truly an amazing video . So raw . Something really relaxing about watching it .

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Thank you! Exactly what i was going for

[@rascallyrabbit717]

watching on Christmas Eve 2023 really appreciating the fireplace and decorated Spruce tree

[@mrdebris1217]

Thinking of Amundsen and Scott being out there with the equipment of more than 100 years ago (and no sauna nearby) makes me very uncomfortable.

[@haroldishoy2113]

Joe, I am enjoying your videos so far, started with episode 1 but I am now hooked. This trek to the dark zone looks like something I wouldn’t attempt but I am a senior. Please thank the young lady for us sacrificing her snow angel for us.

[@roggeralves94]

Absolutely stunning video. It's crazy to think about how devoid of life this place is and yet we still have found a way to explore it. It almost makes me want to visit...

[@erikeggenbakstad]

Contributing to raise the number of views. This is amazing, thanks for sharing and the upload 🙂👍

[@TMD3453]

Love this. An ocean of snow. The colors are beautiful. And it’s real. Thanks 🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶

[@GingerNinja1]

What a walk! So much further than it looks, but so beautiful!

[@mrburns805]

I live in North Dakota and there are days when it definitely looks and feels close to this. Sometimes I feel like I’m on Hoth from Star Wars.

[@mutley23able]

Amazing, really makes you think about Captain Scott, how did they walk all that distance? when a mile looks so dam hard. Raw video like yours is excellent, thanks for this. I will be following avidly.

[@NexxuSix]

Thank you Joe for sharing this video! This is so cool to see a part of the world that most of us will never get to see firsthand. The lifestyle out there is definitely different, and yet so beautiful at the same time. Respect! 😊

[@sethblaser]

Think about Scott, Shackleton, Byrd and their crews walking this same terrain with no landmarks for hope or warmth. Just an open white frozen abyss for months on end. The mental strength required seems unimaginable.

[@fernandoaldekoa2436]

Don't forget Amundsen. The first.

[@strvenoconnell4061]

What a cold place, just goes to show how cold space is. The sun does a good job of keeping the temperature just about right. We'd be all crying if it were to go out suddenly.

[@lmaoroflcopter]

That's a heck of a walk to work! Do you have 2 person rules, etc? Can imagine if the weather gets up that journey could be rather hair raising.

[@gregguarino563]

Today I learned that there are flags every 15' feet or so to define the trails to the various locations. I'll bet that's important in bad weather, and in the dark.

[@rj-zz8im]

Surreal. Our planet is pretty darn fascinating!

[@rickhatesmisleadia7101]

I worked on a drilling rig back in 1979 near the NWT border in northern Alberta and it was - 63 C. Try urinating in that weather! lol Couldn't get away from the cloud of pee steam and we didn't have a heated bathroom on the rig soooo....lol A pale in the boiler for #2 but #1 was outside. You couldn't have any exposed skin because it would freeze solid in less than a minute! Good thing there was no wind!

[@Craig144_1]

I love this! It's like something out of a movie.

[@scottythetrex5197]

I was expecting you to run into Luke and Han on their Tauntauns.

[@Ken-sr6jo]

Must have the power pack for the camera inside your clothing to keep it from freezing up. Enjoying your videos and really gives us a feel for an Antarctic station. Takes a lot of prep, planning, and construction in bitter cold to build these stations. Physically cut off from the rest of the world for months at a time. Wonder if you have to go thru a psych evaluation to see if you can handle it. Thanks!!!

[@janejones5362]

I would think so.

[@jonathanryan9946]

Why am I craving Hot Chocolate after watching that?

[@user6619-k9t]

This reminds me of my walk to school and back every day growing up in northern Canada. Except this isn't quite as cold nor as long. And not uphill both ways. lol! Seriously though, top stuff!

[@robertsandoval4699]

Wow! That's cold 🥶

[@pauledwards5573]

It's great to watch what I really love is I'm not feeling the intense cold but it does look like you're on another planet or moon You could be on a Titan or Enceladus how would anybody know apart from the wind!

[@CreatureOTNight]

In every "adult" there is a kid waiting to come out..

[@terminalvelocity4858]

This was really cool, the only thing I wish this video was taken with a 360 camera. Thank you for uploading this!

[@vnorvi]

I actually have a plan to go there next January. Best video I ever seen yo real understand the surface.

[@67Endgame]

It's easy to gather that the red flagged poles are to prevent people from getting lost during low visibility. What do the green flags indicate and what is the reason for the do not cross when beacon illuminated sign? Thanks.

[@ruffmansavageveteran1345]

I was stationed in Fairbanks for 2 years. I don't miss artic mittens.

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

This is so beautiful. You're so lucky!

[@pattybrowning9643]

I thought it was amazing when my big brother was stationed in Alaska, in the Illusion Islands, and they had such high winds that they could literally stand almost sideways. Here I have an even higher respect. The Cold temps alone amazes me and the walk is even more intense, I truly have a huge respect for you all and what you do. An old 60 yr old woman like me, wouldn't even last 2 mins ..."inside" the buildings! lol Outside, I'd be the funny frozen statue that everyone would point and laugh at. Frozen woman!

[@sherryduva5263]

What a beautiful site. Cold yes but still amazing

[@valdiw]

It's cold just watching it🥶

[@Brando256]

Thanks for sharing this experience Joe because it so hard to imagine that a place like this actually exist on earth. Mind boggling stuff! 👍

[@TassieEV]

How does your Go-Pro work in that cold of a temp? Isn't its operating temp well above -63c?

[@BlackoutCreature]

This is the most exhausted I've ever been from just watching a KZbin video.

[@MTimWeaver]

For once the algorithm suggested a video/channel that is education, useful and interesting

[@slickwillie3376]

Fascinating finding out what it's like.

[@classicmadman9541]

this is crazy, it looks like another world! EDIT: its amazing to me how much snow forms wave like structures when in large quantities like that at the south pole

[@barbaradelpino4020]

Just amazing ❤ look at that sky, and the Horizon ❤

[@MikeCzenkmd]

Dang thats quite the walk

[@MikeKobb]

The whole time I was watching this, I was thinking that this is probably as close as we're going to come on Earth to what it'd be like to be on a manned mission to Mars.

[@Bendigo1]

0.6 miles is really not that far to walk, but in those conditions it must feel like walking 60 miles. Just thinking of breathing in that cold air at that altitude makes my lungs hurt. If I was there, I would have to make some sort of sail powered sled to make the trip faster. But I am someone that will spend days making something that will save me 10 minutes.

[@someguy9778]

Wow...-82F with a windchill of -122F, crazy!

[@m.asquino7403]

You can tell its cold by the sound the snow makes when your walking on it!

[@Reldonator]

Almost sounds like walking on a sheet of tin metal at times. That's crazy

[@mzmPACman]

Fellow PA here. Super interesting videos and I'm really curious to know how you got this job!

[@you2be839]

A rather breathtaking... or better saying, breathmaking walk right down below! haha

[@autodidact7127]

It sounds So CRAZY

[@swedes-abroad]

Wow! so cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@drdrago12]

thank you so much for uploading this, and in 4k.one day I'll get the chance to ski and hike down there..

[@NathanTarantlawriter]

Wow those temperatures are insane! I get cold at like 20F and thinks that's torture.

[@zapfanzapfan]

-63 C, damn, that sounds worse than Hoth 🙂 Has a wind turbine been tested for generating electricity at the south pole? It seems windy. Could be a good way to cut down on the diesel use and the need to transport it there.

[@tensorific]

It would probably break.

[@zapfanzapfan]

@@tensorific Lubrication at - 60 C could be an issue. Wind turbines work well at the McMurdo base on the coast though cutting down diesel use.

[@thomasboomer9809]

Are there safety protocols that you follow? Like do you let others know where you are going and when you expect to be back? Or is there some sort of log that you write in to let people know in case they don't hear from you?

[@michaelmcdonald8877]

Joe, what if you walk all that way and they lock the door on you at the Telescope? All joking aside, your series is magnificent. This from an old geologist who never had a chance to go to Antarctica. Best wishes to you and all others down there making our world a better place.

[@davidgrisez]

It sure sounds like that walk from the Amundsen Scott Station to the Dark Sector in South Pole Cold weather and at a high altitude with all that cold weather clothing on was a considerable physical workout and exercise. I could hear all the breathing in the video. I also notice the line of flags to guide a person from one place to another at the South Pole facilities. Also what a barren landscape, just snow and ice, no plants, no birds, no insects or animals. Even the salt flats at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park is more scenic.

[@Leatherargento]

Yes to all of this.

[@riandraegon556]

To me, the scenery is beautiful.

[@jameshanson7065]

Out of curiosity, and maybe you might have covered this in another video that I haven't seen yet. But when they built these structures, did they strategically place those structures where they sit for a reason? Like is there a reason for them to be so far apart? That's one heck of a walk to have to make if there isn't really a reason why it's that far away. Bet that was pretty chilly. 🥶 Really enjoy these videos. I bet that's a neat experience to get to be there and take all that in. Very nice.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Yes actually... the South Pole Telescope is a radio telescope, and needs to be as far away as possible from sources of interference. The main station has all kinds of EM interference (walkies, wi-fi, etc). The IceCube Lab was just built in the center of the enormous IceCube detector array to minimize cost of cabling, etc.

[@jameshanson7065]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe Thanks for the response. All that makes sense. Nice to learn new things. Is there a maximum amount of time you're allowed to be outside for temperature reasons while you're there?

[@TheFern2]

I got tired and pulled a muscle just watching this walk lol. I noticed some tracks in the snow but maybe that's for longer hauls.

[@Hedriks]

How far do those flag sticks burrow down into the ice? I can imagine that on a very stormy day, those could get easily blown away. I remember watching a video from the British Station and the weather was howling outside. It was so stormy that you could not see a metre in front of you. They had this rope connected from the (sleeping or work quarters) to the social/mess hall, and they held onto the rope to get there.... or you'd be surely lost in the snow!

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

They're planted pretty firmly, probably over 2 ft or nearly a meter. Plus, there only a little flag on them to catch the wind, and the wind at pole doesn't get too terrible. 40 knots at the absolute worst. On the coastal stations though, with the katabatic winds, can get up to 100 knots

[@adventureswithjosie]

They should design one of those buildings to look like an AT-AT, then it would look like Hoth lol!! Neat video! Not far of a distance but sure looks like quite the walk with the wind and temperature.

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Haha actually one of my big disappointments is that I didn't get to make a star wars fan movie like I wanted to over the season.

[@adventureswithjosie]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe Ah that would have been so cool! Perfect location to film a fan movie like that!

[@katheryncox2815]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe Well there's still time to go back and make it :P .

[@Capade]

Incredible experience

[@rabinathgoswami293]

The way you took care of our intrusive thoughts as well 🤩🤩😂

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

How are you doing that, walking in the open in that kind of temperature in windy conditions? I was out in negative 20 once, windy, and just sprinted from one wind-shadow to another. Every second in the open, I felt the wind reaching directly into my chest and trying to stop my heart.

[@stevew3172]

All of your South Pole videos are amazing. I ran across them by accident yesterday and working through all of them today. Question how did you keep the camera warm enough to keep recording. I am assuming it had to do something special as I can’t imagine the batteries could have taken the cold. Thank you again for sharing as this has sparked my interest in the South Pole.

[@simondavey7787]

That's quite a walk! Does the dark sector have accommodation in case you are stranded there?

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Yep! There's some preserved food, water, and some space to sleep if needed (but weather is rarely that bad)

[@aragorn4242]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe you must get storms though. or is this the summer months ??

[@yaosio]

It's pretty cool you managed to keep the necromorphs contained in the dark sector.

[@kalrobbins2811]

I love this series! I was just wondering. If it is -122 degrees. How does it snow with it being so cold?

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

It generally doesn't! We get some ice crystal precipitation but not any actual snow unless there's a very "warm" day in summer (-10F). most of what you see is just blown around crystals

[@wvm2006]

Was the green flag half way?

[@ozymandias7940]

What an amazing video. Just curious, do you always have to leg it out there & back or could you take a snow mobile or something?

[@JoeSpinstheGlobe]

Sometimes in the summer they use vehicles, but once it's consistently below -50F they restrict use to emergencies. stuff likes to break at ultra cold temps

[@ozymandias7940]

@@JoeSpinstheGlobe Thank you for the reply! -67C during the video, can't even begin to imagine what that feels like. (Cold obviously) Brutal.

[@TheOneTrueWilly]

Pretty unique vid. I'm about to deploy for the austral summer and likely stay for winter if they offer it. What kind of camera/battery did you use for this walk and how did you keep it from freezing? My goPro shuts off after 10 seconds skiing.

[@archiechesler439]

That wind chill is extreme. What kinds of layers must you wear to withstand that brutal of cold?

[@HD613YOW]

I'm just amazed his co-worker is out there without goggles!!!!

[@Lorijenken]

even though its on earth it looks like a diffrent world 😲

[@adarkfigure3807]

Oh My Gosh the Sound the Snow Made When She Jumped on it! IT sounded Like someone Droped a Kayak. Hard Snow sounds Like Fiberglass?

[@bigdavek.8322]

The whole time watching this I kept hearing that creepy John Carpenter theme in my head. :) On a more serious note, I'm curious: why not use vehicles to traverse the distance between buildings, such as a snow mobile or a snowcat?

[@rsanders27]

Probably way too cold for that. The fuel most likely would freeze up and moving parts would seize up.

[@Mostopinionatedmanofalltime]

-82? Holy crap!😮Wind chill, -122? Those are life threatening conditions. I think the astronauts on the moon were in a warmer environment.😮

[@brianbailey5859]

What percentage of time do folks typically spend out at the SPT vs working remotely from the B2 science lab and does this differ between summer and winter?

[@CEE-ji5rx]

Want to live there!

[@timothyshoemaker9555]

I didn't realize that it was going to be 20min of walking. Reminds me of another alien location just as dangerous and bleak. The desert of eastern Jordan. Thxu guys

[@Whoami691]

This is as close as we will ever be to living on hoth.

[@toddcunningham3213]

That looks just like western Kansas/eastern Colorado in the winter time. But it's probably warmer with less wind in Antarctica. Definitely more hills. Lol!

[@mikewallace8087]

Do not cross if beacon is flashing . The failsafe logic is, do not cross if the beacon is not flashing.

[@Chief]

1:08 should be a meme

[@infinitecanadian]

Why did she say to watch your step near the Dark Sector Laboratory?