the 300 degrees Club and other stories

Something very fascinating about living on a small island is the feeling that everything is "under your hands", reachable, down to earth. If you walk around, or enter in a bar, and you see a new face, you feel totally entitled to ask who he/she is, what is he/she doing on island etc… And generally those new faces do have very interesting stories about their life: if they got all the way to Samoa, they must be somehow unique.

Yesterday we went to see the "Aida" at the Auditorium. It was a great show, shaped from Disney's musical (the story comes from Verdi). The room was filled, even the governor came and sat 2 rows in front of me. After the show, we went to the Yacth Club to enjoy an earlier celebration of the 5 of Mayo. For the not American ones reading this blog, the 5^th of May is Mexico liberation's day. In the US they also celebrate it, because, I guess, it is another excuse for a party (american's also celebrate San Patrick day, that is an Irish festivity). At first I though it was funny (especially when I got sympathy from a woman once because I told her we do not celebrate San Patrick day in Italy –we are Italian, why should we?-). Of course, there are tons of Mexican in the US, so as people from Irish heritage, so it makes more sense. But I do not think there is any Mexican on island. And even if there was one, and they make such a big party for his day of independence, why didn't they celebrate the Italian' victory in the World Cup 2 years ago? Anyway, not to get too much sidetracked, we went to the Yacht club. Lots of unknown faces were there, and we –old palagi school- were all wondering where all these other palagi came out from. Lots of new faces, and lots of new stories. In particular I was bewitched by two guy, and here I want to share their experience with you, may them inspire you.

Three days ago at the Yacht Club, I saw a nice tan young palagi guy that I never saw before. Curiosity took over and the question started. "I never saw you before here, are you new to the island?". Brad is a Californian guy that has been traveling for the past 4 years around the world. Yesterday, I hear more about his story.

(Brad rowing to his boat in Pago Pago Harbour)

Four years ago, Brad left for a backpacking trip in Brazil, where he ended up for 6 months, met tons of people from all over south America, and of course, went to visit them in their own countries. He got the traveler's vice. Upon the return of his trip, he was ready to settle down in California, when suddenly he felt the urge to leave again. Through Internet, he found an announcement from a French guy that just bought an old boat in Hong Kong. He needed help to fix the boat, and whoever helped him could join him to sail around the South Pacific. Sounded good to Brad, that was now tired of backpacking and wanted to give a new meaning to his travels. He spent 3 months in Hong Kong fixing the boat, and finally won his prized journey to Philippine, where they "lived as bums" for 5 months. Following 3 more months of sailing in other islands, until he landed in Malaysia, where he backpacked around for a month with his cousin. After that, he knew he wanted to sail. He got another sailing job on a bigger boat in Fiji, going to Kiribas, Marshal Island.. and off to Australia, where he traveled for another while until boarding on another boat. He landed in New Zealand for a while, and then boarded again this time from New York on a huge sailing boat going to Spain. Arrived on the European continent, he felt he had enough about sailing for a while, and caught the occasion to visit friends around Europe. A year ago he returned in New Zealand, bought his own 40feet long sailing boat, fixed it, sailed to Tonga and finally arrived in Neverland. Next it will be Hawaii, where his family leaves.

This proves two points:

• traveling is a vice, a drug and , the more you do it, the more you want to do it, and the harder it is to stop
• you do not need to be a millionaire to travel around, just good will (and a positive mind that will also help anyway to enjoy life more).

Rusty had another captivating story to tell. He is one of the oceanographers that is doing research on our beautiful island, and that is always ready to join us at our dinner. ;)

Rusty lived for more than a year in the South Pole. Now, I just cannot imagine that, to live in such a freezing environment for so long, without facilities, ways out… share such an harsh environment with something like 20 more scientists (He is the first one on the left side of the picture, on the bottom).

During the summer months there are many planes coming from New Zealand, so as many people coming and leaving, but during the 9 months of winter, something happens: it is so cold that the skies of the plane cannot slide anymore along the runaway, and the friction makes landing and taking off very hard. Therefore, if you are down there at the start of the winter, you will stay there until summer comes back. You get months long starring night, and frequent aurora borealis. It is so cold that you can hear your breath frost. Definitly check this website for pics of the camps and interesting stories: ftp://ftp.cira.colostate.edu/liston/shows/work_trips/1982_South_Pole.pdf

(Thanks Rusty for the link! Here and example of the slide you can find there! totally worth it!)

The camp is made of a big dome (165 feet in diameter -50meters) kept at “ambient” temperature (therefore very cold, but at least protected by wind and snow) and small cabin where scientists sleep, kept a bit warmer (but below freezing anyway, since Rusty was telling me how the inside walls will get covered with ice after a while, coming from the small humidity that you breath out –the South Pole is a extremely dry place-).

A then, at the South Pole, there is “the 300 degrees club”. Rusty’s description was amazing, but I found this other description on internet and I am going to copy it, because it has come the time for me to start the working day! I do not know who the author is, but if you know please let me know! Plus, if you pictures I could add!?! Thanks!

And I though I was brave because I participated to the Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, Canada, one New Year! Puff!

“The 300 degree club is possibly the most exclusive club on Earth, certainly it is one of the stupidest. Entry requirements are challenging. First you need to be at the South Pole in winter. Then youneed to wait for the temperature to drop to -100F (-73’C). This only occurs a few times each year. When it happens the sauna (yes we have a sauna at the South Pole) is cranked up to plus 200’ F (93’C!!!)and all potential members climb in and get really sweaty for 20 minutes. When you can bear the heat no longer you strip off all your clothes (some form of footwear and a face mask are permitted) and run all the way to the South Pole! The temperature drop of 300 degrees gives the club its name. You don't actually have to reach the pole, most people just run to the top of the snow drift outside the dome. A few more make it to the Ceremonial Pole and one or two even make it as far as the Geographic Pole marker.

In 1996 it was not until the 17th of July that we got temperatures below -100F. Fortunately it was a clear crisp day with almost no wind, perfect conditions for the 300 degree club. It took a couple of hours to get the sauna up to +200F and then 19 of us (a record I think?) crammed into the sauna for a good sweat. 200 F becomes very unpleasant in a short space of time and with the large crowd we had there was not much air to breath. Most people were a bit nervous waiting to go outside and so we were egging each other on and trying to get psyched up for the challenge ahead.

The tradition is to do the 300 degree club naked but footwear is allowed. A face mask is also advised since running at such low temperatures forces the lungs to take deep breaths of very cold air. After 15 minutes of sweating we could bear the heat no longer and cheering we ran from the sauna dropping our towels to the floor. Instantly we hit the cool outside air the sweat on our bodies turned to steam filling the entrance archway of the dome as we raced through the front door.

Luckily the sauna had raised my core temperature high enough that I didn't feel the cold initially but once outside and on route to the Pole the sweat began to freeze.

Its a steep climb up the snow drift outside the dome and then a straight 100 yard dash to the Pole. Unfortunately I had forgotten my face mask and my lungs were screaming with the pain of the cold air by the time I was halfway there. I slowed to a walk and saw others returning from the Pole racing back to the warmth.

I walked up to the Ceremonial Pole marker, touched it and turned to home and then I realised just how far I had to walk back, naked cold and with frostbitten lungs.
I tried jogging slowly as I was starting to feel the cold. I could feel the flesh on my shoulders, now frozen solid, crack as I moved. My fingers were getting the tell-tale numbness of frostbite. I knew the next 100 yards was going to hurt. Just then Dan came jogging along his usual smiling and joking self. He had been all the way to the Geographic Pole and along with me was the last one outside.
Dan could tell I was hurting and stayed with me as we jogged the rest of the way back.
Just as I reached the top of the snow drift I looked around. What a perfect sight. The stars were out, the skies were clear and dark and floating gently over the station was the arc of a bright green aurora. For a second I forgot the pain and just marveled at the view, remembering just were I was. Then the cold reminded me that it was -100F and I was naked. With a last burst of speed Dan and I returned to the dome.
Back in the sauna, the air was filled with the sounds of cheering and coughing.
Most people, even those wearing facemasks, had frosted their lungs. For the next half hour as we warmed ourselves in the sauna I broke into convulsive body-shaking fits of coughing. It was very unpleasant but between coughing fits we were patting each other on the back, giving high fives, comparing our experiences, and vowing, never again.”