During the winter of 2019/2020, I embarked on an ambitious 30-day expedition to the interior of Antarctica. The goal was not only to complete the last of the Seven Summits, but also to research female physiological responses to prolonged polar expeditionary travel. From the start, the trip was beset with obstacles and setbacks, but in the end, all three of my objectives were accomplished:

Ski to the South Pole (12/28/19): Took a week of skiing 8-14 hours a day while hauling a heavy sled, temps as cold as -40 degrees C, all of it above an elevation of 9,000 ft.

Summit Vinson Massif (1/6/20): Completed the Seven Summits! We had terrible luck with weather and ended up trapped at high camp for several days, turning what’s normally a week-long expedition into 15 days. Food rationing and frostbite made this climb particularly tough. I’m okay now, just some minor frostbite on the toes, but still scary.

Summit Mt. Sidley (1/18/20): The highest volcanic peak on the continent and one of the most remote peaks on Earth. Climbed by fewer than 50 people. Beautiful and isolated, we camped out with the plane that brought us the 600 miles from Union Glacier camp until we made our summit bid.

In retrospect, being nine months down the road from my longest-ever expedition, I realize now just how much I have learned from the experience. It was an adventure in every sense of the term. Survival instinct, mental toughness, and resilience all took center stage as I stretched my capacity to tolerate discomfort and uncertainty nearly to the limit. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently if I had to do it all over again. Oh, and also a bit of the science for my fellow number geeks.