Chasing the Light expedition route

Explorers Justin Packshaw and Jamie Facer Childs are undertaking a 3600-km kitesurf trek across the desolate heart of Antarctica. This digital elevation map of Antarctica, which was processed by the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling using data from ESA’s CryoSat mission, has been overlaid with the GPS track of the Chasing the Light expedition. It shows the team’s position on 15 December 2021 having travelled 1083 km since they started the expedition on 12 November from the Novolazarevskaya ‘Novo’ research station. This current position is at latitude 80°S and at an altitude of 2837 m above sea level. On route, the explorers gathering information to help scientists better understand how the body responds to extremes and taking unique measurements that will help complement ESA’s CryoSat data to better understand how this giant ice sheet is responding to climate change.

Read full story: Kitesurfing the white wilderness for science