Being alone, totally alone, for just over 33 days. This is what Caroline Côté found the most difficult in her adventure in Antarctica, a ski trip between Hercules Inlet, near the coast, and the South Pole which shattered a women’s speed record which had stood since 2016.
“It was hard for me not to have a second opinion, not to have someone telling me in the morning: hey, it’s hard for real, but we’ll get there together,” says M.me Side, attached to Punta Arenas, Chile.
In 2018, the adventurer and director traveled 2,000 kilometers alone from Natashquan to Montreal, following Hydro-Quebec power lines.
“But I saw people when I passed through small villages on the road. »
Anxiety was also present.
“Every day I felt anxious about the weather. Would there be a storm the next day? Would it be -30, would the climbs be huge? Every day, there was something that prevented me from saying: it was easy today. »
During the first week, she had to deal with two problems: a loose ski binding, an inoperative solar panel.
She easily repaired the attachment, but the solar panel, essential for powering the communication and navigation instruments, was more refractory.
“I worked hard on that, it was far from my knowledge to fix that. Eventually, moisture got inside. I made some nice lacerations in my solar panel and dried everything out. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLINE CÔTÉ
Caroline Côté at the South Pole
A blued toe caused him concern. Luckily, it wasn’t frostbite (“we don’t want to go there!”), but the result of rubbing on the boot.
In the end, the wind was not too unfavorable to her: she only had to stay inside the tent for one morning because of the winds.
“I was able to ski every day, it helped for the record, even though we said it was a windy season and there were a lot of sastrugis. »
Sastrugis are wind-formed ridges of snow that can be sharp and irregular. However, Caroline Côté had trained in the huge piles of ice on the coast of Bylot Island, in the Canadian Arctic. She was ready.
“Some sastrugis went up to mid-thigh. It was about navigating it, finding the best path. »
A secret ingredient
The Quebecer had also acquired a lot of polar experience by making a difficult winter crossing of the main island of the Svalbard archipelago, north of Norway, with her partner, Vincent Colliard. Both partners had lacked food during this 63-day journey. No question of repeating the same mistake.
“I took double the food, I felt full at the end of the day. »
She brought the secret ingredient of polar explorers.
I ate a lot of bricks of butter towards the end of the expedition to replenish my calories and fat.
Caroline Cote
One of her favorite moments was when the plane carrying her spouse and the group he was to guide to the South Pole flew over her.
“The Twin Otter pilot found Caro at 86e degree and flew around her twice as she greeted us, says Vincent Colliard on Facebook. Seeing her alone in this huge white environment seemed to me the most beautiful moment as a couple that I had with her. Even more than marriage. »
After guiding his group, Vincent Colliard was able to stay a few days at the South Pole to wait for Caroline.
“I was at my wit’s end when I arrived, says the young woman. I felt a bit lacking in energy. Vincent took good care of me. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLINE CÔTÉ
Caroline Côté with her husband Vincent Colliard
In the excitement of the finish, Caroline Côté and Vincent Colliard calculated that the Quebecer had taken 34 days, 2 hours and 53 minutes to cover the 1,100 kilometer journey between Hercules Inlet and the South Pole. The previous record, set by Sweden’s Johanna Davidsson, was 38 days and 23 hours.
However, the couple made a small miscalculation: in reality, Caroline Côté’s performance was even more brilliant because she traveled the route in 33 days, 2 hours and 53 minutes.
The head of the Amundsen-Scott scientific base, Britain’s Hannah McKeand, made a point of welcoming Caroline Côté and even showed her around the base, an honor reserved for very few people. Mme McKeand set the first speed record for the trip between Hercules Inlet and the South Pole in 2006.
“It allowed me to see that women support each other in the field of adventure,” said Caroline Côté.
After her arrival, the Quebecer was able to enjoy a hot meal in a heated tent.
“I felt like I was in a five star. »
After two days, she was able to leave the South Pole camp, at 2835 meters above sea level and -30 degrees Celsius, to reach the large base camp of Union Glacier, still in Antarctica, but closer to the coast.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLINE CÔTÉ
Caroline Côté at Union Glacier Base Camp
“In Union Glacier, it was between -9 and -13 degrees, it was beautiful. »
Caroline Côté should be back in Quebec on Wednesday to celebrate Christmas with her family. She doesn’t have a definite plan for the future yet, but she’s been asked to lead an expedition out of Hercules Inlet.
“When I arrived at the South Pole, I was exhausted, I said to myself, never again, I have done enough expeditions. But there, after having slept, I become myself again. »
But for this expedition, it would take longer, maybe sixty days.
“I’m going to take it easy to enjoy being in this beautiful territory. »