Women thrive at South Pole

One of the first things people asked me when they heard that I was going to the South Pole was, “How many other women will be there?”

I could have told them about the director of the station, B.K. Grant. And the winter site manager, Katie Hess. And the head of cargo, Paddy Douglas, the head of waste, Mary Malley, the head of the Department of Operations, Liesl Schernthanner, and the fuels foreman, Cathy Morrell.

It’s true and often talked about that many – perhaps the majority – of the management positions at South Pole Station in fact are held by women.

What’s more interesting, at least to my mind, is how they got there. Most of these women started out as graduate assistants like me. They worked their way up, honorably earning their positions and making South Pole station their home in the process.

The existence of many women in management positions may not seem so surprising, but keep in mind the historical presence of women in Antarctica. This was an explorer’s continent – no place in the early 1900s for women. The first permanent settlement at South Pole Station was a Navy base. South Pole Station was run as an exclusively male-populated military station for years.

The first women to set foot at South Pole Station arrived in November 1969, accompanied by Adm. D.F. Welch. A photograph of the six female pioneers hangs in the hallway of the station today. These women were flown in just for a visit. Women didn’t really have a presence at the pole for quite some time after that – only two were employed to work in Antarctica in 1975, six years after that first photo was taken.

Now, 39 years later, the station director herself and many members of her administration are women.

Patricia Douglas, or “Cargo Paddy,” is an example of one of these tough women. As the head of cargo, she’s responsible for the logistics of every flight that comes into the pole. Douglas, who grew up on a military base in the Philippines, is as much a part of Amundsen-Scott station as the ceremonial pole – and just as sturdy. Today, her department is noted for employing strong women who do everything from the desk work of load planning to driving the loaders that unload the LC-130 airplanes.

A few weeks ago, Douglas gave a tour of the station to a group of skiers who had arrived recently, trekking to the pole from the 89th latitude. One member of the group asked her, “Why is it that so many people in management are women?”

“We’re hardy,” was her only reply. “Women are hardy.” Her facial expression brooked no further discussion and served only to further hit her point home.

Many assume that all women who come to the South Pole are either unattached or have followed male partners here, but this is not remotely the case. A common trait in Polies, male and female, is a fierce independence. Wendy, a load planner in her 50s, leaves her husband to come down here for the summer season. An adventurer himself – they lived together in Africa for seven years flying hot-air balloons – he understands her desire to come to Antarctica and supports her decision. “He takes care of my bird while I’m gone,” she says, smiling.

Today, the ratio of men to women at the pole is still high – nearly 5-to-1. But the strong sense of capability exuded by many of the women here makes it difficult to remember that we weren’t always a part of the Antarctic fabric.

I work in one of the few completely male-dominated enclaves of the South Pole community – the heavy shop garage. Though I stood out initially, I soon made a place for myself and was not just accepted but adopted by the mechanics.

The environment here is steadily changing. According to the head of operations, Schernthanner, women have an even stronger presence now in Antarctica than they did in the mid-’90s. “It used to be a lot more rough-and-tumble,” she said, smiling wryly from her desk. “You never used to smell scented lotion or see anyone out of their Carhartts.” As for me, I make a point of wearing a dress on Sundays, just to remind people that femininity has a place here at 90 degrees South.

And if I ever felt outnumbered by the all-male team of mechanics, I’d just suggest we go visit the cargo office. Cargo Paddy and her team remove any doubt that women can, in fact, be quite hardy.

Meg Adams, who grew up in Holden and graduated from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, shares her Antarctic experiences with readers each Friday. For more about her adventure, information about Antarctica and to e-mail questions to her, go to bangordailynews.com.