"The Ice" a Antarctica Travel Page by AntarcticFox

I've worked in Antarctica three times now as a tradesman for the United States Antarctic Program, and I've spent almost two years of my life there. I can't say a lot about tourism there -- I've seen one cruise ship pull in at McMurdo station, and that was back in summer 2001-2002. The sea ice was too thick for it to pull in for the summer of 2003. If you think you're up to working in Antarctica and you're a US citizen, though, I can point you in the right direction and give you the inside scoop.

The US government organisation that oversees projects on the Ice is the US Antarctic Program of the National Science Foundation. Even though you may be a gifted scientist, about the only way you'll get on with them is to have worked as a grantee for some time on the Ice. The major contractor for the USAP, though, is Raytheon Polar Services Company of Centennial, CO. They are the primary contractor and handle almost all of the logistics and maintenance work for the programme (except for helicopters and flight control; airplanes provided by NYANG and USAF). You can contact RPSC at (800)688-8606. Contracts are divided into summer, winter, and year-long contracts (remember that these are austral seasons and are reverse of those in the northern hemisphere). Getting hired is the easiest for skilled labourers as the company can never find enough trades applicants -- competition for entry-level jobs is much more abundant, although there are plenty of those jobs to be had at McMurdo.

There are three US antarctic research stations: Palmer, McMurdo, and South Pole. Each one has it's own unique atmosphere and culture. I've worked at Palmer and McMurdo, so I can give you personal insight on those two -- South Pole is another matter, but I'll relate what I've been told.

By the way, you have to be a US citizen to work for RPSC, and you must pass a physical exam (and a psych exam for McMurdo & Pole for winter contracts). Read more about it at www.polar.org. You can read more about the stations at the tips I've authored. Hiring for summer start's in April, and for winter starts in August.

UPDATE: I will be going back to the Ice for the winter of 2006. I'll be updating this page, and the various connected pages, over the course of my stay at McMurdo between February and October 2006. I'm married now (as of December 2005), so don't expect any singles' scene updates. :-)