Jade’steamincludedherfather,PaulHameister;polarguideEricPhilips;cameramanMingd’Arcy;andassistantcameramanHeath Jamieson.

Fromthebeginning,thesettingwasbrutal.Theroutestarteduphillandwashardlyeverflat.Jadestruggledwithhersledupicy slopes.

Sheheadedintowindsostrongandsoloudthatshehadtoscreamtobeheard.Jadefeltlikeshewasstandingstill.Yet,shewaspullingwithallhermight.Thesteephillswereslickwithblueice.Itwashardandslippery,likeglass.Jade’sskiscouldn’tmovesmoothlyovertheice.Whentheyweren’tskiing,sheandtheteamworespikedmetalplatesonthebottomsoftheirbootstohelpthem walk.

Higherandhighertheyclimbed,acrosstheKansasGlacier.AsteepclimbtookthemthroughtheTransantarcticMountains.The goinggot evenharderastheycameuponsastrugi.Thesearewave‑likeridgesoficeformedbythewind.Ahead,thefarwalloftheglacierlookedlikeagiantwave.At3,000meters(9,842feet)abovesealevel,theyfinallyreachedtheStanfordPlateau.But,theystillhadalongwayto go.

Thegreatestdangersontheroutewerethecrevassesacrossthelandscape.Thesedeepcracksarecoveredbysnowbridgesthathidethem.Jadeandherteamknewtheyhadtowatch out!

Theteamcarriedlongropes.Whentheysuspectedtherewasacrevasse,theyropedthemselvestogether,incasesomebodyfell. Oneafternoon,Jadeheardawildyell.Whatwasthat?Sheknewtheothershadgoneonahead.Ashortdistanceaway,shesawcameramanMingchest‑deepina crevasse.

Hewashangingontotheedgewithhisfingers!Mingwasabletopullhimselfupandoutofthecrevasse. Whew!