McGrath readies herself for Antarctic adventure

Unending sunlight? White-out conditions? Minus 50 weather? None of this is scaring off Meagan McGrath, who is getting ready to leave on her next adventure - a solo journey on foot across Antarctica, to the South Pole.

McGrath, a Major in the Canadian Forces, will be travelling more than 1,130 km on foot from the coast to the South Pole while dragging a sled carrying 225 lbs of food, fuel, and equipment to sustain her during the journey.

"Although this can be a very dangerous endeavour, it is a dream of mine to fulfill, and I feel my previous expeditions have helped to well prepare me for this two-month adventure in Antarctica," says McGrath in a statement on her website.

"I have extensive experience on glaciers and am well accustomed to expedition living. My training exercise in the North Pole in April was also very informative, and did much to fill me with the confidence in my abilities that I will need when I venture to the South Pole next month."

She will depart from Hercules Inlet on Nov. 29, weather dependant, and will be alone except for a few safety beacons and two satellite phones. The journey is expected to take about 45 days, during which McGrath will phone in updates to Science North. These updates will be published on the Science North website.

Megan McGrath has done a lot of adventuring. Between 2002 and 2007, McGrath climbed several mountains, including the "Seven Summits," the highest peak on each continent. She became the first Canadian woman to summit the Carstenz Pyramid version of the Seven Summits.

In 2008, McGrath completed the Marathon Des Sables, a grueling seven-day race through the Sahara desert that covers 245.3 kilometres. She placed 287th overall, and placed within the top 25 women in the race.

McGrath made a trek to the North Pole in 2008, covering the snowy distance on foot and by skiis. She and her companions took seven days to make the trip, and the experience was part of her training for the Antarctic expedition.

Meaghan's Science North website can be found at sciencenorth.ca/meagan.