Explorer Matthieu Tordeur and glaciologist Heïdi Sevestre are undertaking a pioneering 4000-kilometre kite-ski expedition across Antarctica to collect vital data on the continent's ice sheet. Using ground-penetrating radar, they aim to assess whether increased interior snowfall offsets coastal melting amid climate change. The journey, which began on 3 November, marks the first such trip dedicated to polar science.
Matthieu Tordeur and Heïdi Sevestre set off from Novo Airbase in East Antarctica on 3 November, propelled by kites that enable speeds of over 35 kilometres per hour. Their mission involves hauling sleds equipped with ground-penetrating radar capable of scanning 40 metres into the snow and ice. This data will help scientists determine if rising snowfall in East Antarctica compensates for accelerated melting along the coasts, a key question for predicting the ice sheet's response to warming.
The expedition's first notable encounter came at the southern pole of inaccessibility, where the pair discovered a bust of Vladimir Lenin, a relic from a Soviet expedition. "I almost had tears in my eyes," Sevestre recounted via satellite phone. "We felt really humble, really, really small, and it was quite something to see lonely Lenin here just in the middle of nowhere."
Martin Siegert of the University of Exeter emphasized the value of their remote measurements. "For a thousand kilometres in all directions, there will be no one," he noted. "And so it’s rare to get that type of information, but as we’re interpreting satellite data [to work out whether] the ice sheet growing, we really need that."
Tordeur, who in 2019 became the youngest person to ski solo and unassisted to the South Pole at age 27, chose kites to reach inland areas rarely visited by scientists. "It was much better to use kites, because we would be able to travel much further and do science much further inland in the continent where scientists don’t go often," he explained.
From the South Pole, they will deploy a more powerful radar penetrating up to 2 kilometres to trace ancient ice layers across the continent. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey hope this will clarify if West Antarctica's ice, which holds enough volume to raise global sea levels by 5 metres, fully melted during the last interglacial period. Hamish Pritchard highlighted its significance: "This is important because it would indicate whether the ice sheet is unstable to the sort of climate forcing it is now experiencing."
The duo faces harsh conditions, including nearly 1000 kilometres of sastrugi—wind-sculpted snow ridges that damage equipment. Sevestre maintains morale with audiobooks, such as Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World, drawing perspective from accounts of -65°C temperatures compared to their milder -28°C. They have three months to reach Hercules Inlet in West Antarctica before the summer ends and evacuation flights cease.
