Title : Alone in the Wind of Ice - Laurence de La Ferrière - book Summary :
A formidable human and scientific adventure, the "logbook" of an insane challenge, the quest for the absolute of a woman who knew how to follow her dream... "In the tent, every evening, I will write my logbook. This logbook will be my only friend, my confidant," declared Laurence de la Ferrière a few days before her departure. Today, Alone in the Wind of Ice, inspired by this logbook, retraces the story of a triple challenge. The sporting challenge, of course, of managing to cover 3,000 km of the white continent in a limited time, 1,800 of which are completely unexplored, in temperatures that can drop to -50°C. The scientific challenge: to take ice cores from this land for the first time in order to learn more about the history of the climate, to bring back meteorites from a part of the globe where, for good reason, none had ever been found, and to record physiological reactions to extreme temperatures. But also the human challenge of attempting this feat alone; that is to say, with the bare minimum of assistance. On November 23, 1999, Laurence de la Ferrière left the South Pole for the first stage of her crossing, Dome C, 1,664 km further on, with, to move forward, a pair of skis, three pairs of sails of different sizes, a compass, a map and a GPS beacon signaling her progress. And, in the 140 kg sled that she was pulling, harnessed to her waist over her six layers of cold-proof clothing, food and equipment calculated to the nearest gram to allow her to survive without being resupplied during these three months of absolute solitude: freeze-dried food, gas stove and fuel reserves, sleeping bag, tent, CD player and CDs chosen by her daughters..., not to mention her famous logbook. The only link connecting her to civilization was a satellite phone. Day by day, Laurence de la Ferrière recounts the hazards, hopes, dangers, fears and excitement that punctuated this unique adventure. The discouragement of the beginning, when the bad weather, the lack of wind, the sticky snow and very hard waves of ice forced her to walk, causing frostbite and slowing her progress. Her wonder the morning when, as astonished as she was to meet a living soul on this land of great destitution, she saw a kind of seagull land not far from her. Her pride in exploring one of the last places in the world where no human before her had set foot. Her joy at reaching Dome C on December 30, 1999 and celebrating the year 2000 in the company of the researchers at the base. Her anguish the evening when her tent almost caught fire. Her interminable wait before being able to cover the last 300 kilometers of her crossing, stuck by violent winds blowing at nearly 200 km/h. Or the magical feeling of "flying on the ice" when she could use her sails... Beyond a true epic of modern times, the encounter of an exceptional woman with what she carries deepest within her makes this story a fascinating document.
EAN: 9782221092002
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