Record Over Ice

Twizel adventurer Kylie Wakelin and six other women who made up the Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition have made it to the South Pole, cross-country skiing 900km over 38 days to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth. Wakelin, 36, is the first New Zealand woman to reach the site. Each woman towed an 80kg sled loaded with food, fuel and equipment. The significance of Wakelin’s time in Antarctica had started sinking in only on her plane flight home. “It’s just an incredibly beautiful landscape — when we arrived at the pole, I was trying to remain calm, but it was just an amazing feeling.” Wakelin, who has worked in ski-touring and mountaineering, said the trip was different from anything she had done before. “It wasn’t a technically difficult trip, but just endurance-wise, we had 37 days of skiing and one rest day — it really does start to wear you down.” The best part of being back was “definitely free-flowing hot water and mattresses”.