Jade’steamincludedherfather,PaulHameister,amountaineer;masterpolarguideEricPhilips;cameramanMingd’Arcy;andassistantcameramanHeath Jamieson.

Fromthebeginning,conditionswerebrutal.Theroutestarteduphillandhardlyeverleveledoff.Jadestruggledwithhersledupicyslopes.Sheheadedintowindsostrongandsoloudthatshehadtoscreamtobeheard.Jadefeltlikeshewasstandingstill,eventhoughshewaspushingforwardwithallher might.

Thesteephillswereslickwithblueice.Theywerehardandslippery,likeglass.Jade’sskiscouldn’tgettraction.Whentheteamwasn’tskiing,everyoneworetrailcrampons—spikedmetalplatesonthebottomoftheirbootstohelpthem walk.

Higherandhighertheyclimbed,acrosstheKansasGlacier.Nohumanhadeversetfoothere.Aheadwasasteepascentoutoftheglacier.ThiswouldtakethemthroughtheTransantarcticMountains—iftheycouldmake it.

Thegoinggotevenharderastheycameuponsastrugi.Thesearewave‑likeridgesoficeformedbythewind.Skiingacrossthemwas,asJadesaid,“likeskiingonachoppyoceanthathasbeenfrozenin time.”

Ahead,thefarwalloftheglacierlookedlikeagiant,frozen tsunami.

At3,000meters(9,842feet)abovesealevel,theyreachedthehighestpoint—theStanfordPlateau.Thiswasamajorvictory,buttheystillhadalongwayto go.

Thegreatestdangersontheroutewerethecrevasses.Thesedeep,seeminglybottomlesscracksarecoveredbysnowbridgesthathidethem.Jadeandherteamknewtheyneededtowatchout,ortheycouldtumbletotheirdeaths.Theteamcarriedlongcoilsofrope.Whentheysuspectedhiddencrevasses,theyropedthemselvestogetherincasesomebodyfell.Itwastenseandhard going.

Oneafternoon,whenJadehadtakenabreak,sheheardawildyell.Whatwasthat?Sheknewtheothershadgoneonahead.Ashortdistanceaway,shesawcameramanMingchest‑deepinacrevasse.Hewashangingontotheedgewithhisfingers!Jaderantowardhim,screamingforherdad.Mingmanagedtopullhimselfupandoutofthecrevasse. Whew!