ISouth Pole inokuba yenye yezona ndawo zikude eMhlabeni, kodwa amanani amatsha abonisa ukwanda kwenani labakhenkethi abaya apho.
Ukufika emazantsi ehlabathi kuphindwe kane ukusuka kuma-40 kwisizini ka-2003-04 ukuya kwi-164 kulo nyaka uphelileyo, izibalo ezisuka kwisiseko sase-United States epalini zithi.
“Beza kwaye beza,” ummeli weSiseko seSayensi seSizwe sase-US uJerry Marty uxelele Ilanga lase-Antarctic.
INkqubo ye-Antarctic yase-US yayizama ukufumana indlela yokulawula ukungena kwabantu, utshilo. "Yenye yezinto esingazaziyo ebesingayilindelanga."
Abantu bokuqala ukufika eSouth Pole yayinguRoald Amundsen neqela lakhe, ngoDisemba 14, 1911.
Ngoku likhaya kwisiseko esikhulu sase-US, esizaliswe zizazinzulu ezingama-250 kunye nabasebenzi benkxaso ehlotyeni. Inenkundla yebhola yomnyazi, indawo yokuzivocavoca kunye ne-hydroponic greenhouse yokulima imifuno, yonke into ethintelweyo kubakhenkethi.
Abadlali beKiwi uKevin Biggar kunye noJamie Fitzgerald bahambe umgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-1200 ukuya eSouth Pole ngoJanuwari kulo nyaka uphelileyo. Bahlala iiyure ezingama-36, phambi kokuba baluyeke uhambo lokubuya ngenxa yokwenzakala kukaMnu Fitzgerald. “Kwakumangalisa ukuba semazantsi ehlabathi,” utshilo uMnu Fitzgerald.
Izazinzulu zaseMelika epalini ziye zaba nobubele kakhulu kwaye zababonisa ngeenxa zonke. Kodwa wathi i-South Pole ayiseyondawo ecocekileyo: “Xa ndithetha inyani, ifana nezibuko elikhulu. Kukho oomatshini abahle kakhulu abajikelezileyo, zonke ezi zikhongozeli kunye nomgaqo weenqwelo-moya omkhulu.
Kukwakho nokutsiba kubakhenkethi abaya e-Antarctica xa iyonke.
Ngaphezulu kwe-1992-93, abakhenkethi abangama-6700 batyelele lo mmandla, uninzi lwabo bekhwele iinqanawa zokuhamba ngenqanawa. Ngehlobo lika-2007-08, oko kwaphindaphindeka kane ukuya kuma-29,530, oko kwabangela izilumkiso zentlekele yokusingqongileyo kunye nentlekele yabantu ukuba inqanawa enkulu yabakhenkethi iyatshona.
