Anne Dal Vera was no rookie when she arrived in Antarctica in 1996 as a support staff member for teams of scientists at McMurdo Sound.
Four years earlier, she and three companions – the American Women’s Antarctic Expedition – were the first women to ski from the edge of the continent to the South Pole. They set out Nov. 9, 1992, from the Ronne Ice Shelf, each pulling a sled weighing 185 pounds. Their destination: McMurdo Sound on the other side of the continent.
But 67 days and 678 miles later – weeks behind schedule and with one member injured and ill – they ended the adventure at the South Pole.
“We were a bit behind schedule when we hit the trail,” Dal Vera said. “We went as fast as we could, but when we arrived at the South Pole, it was too late to go the rest of the way.”
They hitched a plane ride with a team of Japanese men who were at the South Pole for other reasons.
It was a disappointment not to reach McMurdo Sound, but the group ruled out another attempt, Dal Vera said.
The trip – training, supplies and transportation – carried a price tag of $1 million, she said. Because women hadn’t tackled a similar venture before, they found corporations skeptical and reluctant to sponsor them.
Private donations and fundraisers such as garage sales, golf tournaments and concerts netted enough to cover initial expenses. But they owed $385,000 when they returned.
“It took us five years to pay off what we owed,” Dal Vera said.
But the call of the wild was strong, and Dal Vera found a way to get back.
daler@durangoherald.com
