SHAH ALAM, Jan 4 — Members of the ‘All Women Expedition to Antarctica’ (Aweta) team are expected to complete their South Pole expedition this Tuesday (January 7) and arrive back in the country two days later (January 9).
Expedition leader Dr Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir, when contacted, said they were currently in Puntas Arenas, Chile, on their return journey after completing conquering the South Pole at 3.53am (Malaysia time) last Tuesday.
“Alhamdulillah, after seven days of a gruelling trek across the last degree, the Aweta team reached the earth’s axis, the South Pole, on December 31.
“The success makes it official for the three women expedition participants to be called the “Ice Queens” for being able to walk in extremely cold weather condition in the Antarctica to the final location at the Amundsen – Scott South Pole Station (United States),” she added.
The three “Ice Queens” are Army Corporal Siti Jumaidah Bensali, 34, Home Ministry administrative and diplomatic officer, Salehah Abu Nor, 33, and pharmacist Nurul Atiqah Tamarun, 31.
The Aweta team entered Antarctica about 2am (Malaysian time) on December 25.
Sharifah Mazlina said the team is scheduled to go to Santiago tomorrow to visit the Malaysian Embassy there before returning to Malaysia.
The team was originally on a mission to retrieve and unearth a time capsule planted by Sharifah Mazlina during her first mission to Antarctica in 2004, but the mission could not be accomplished due to problems in locating the capsule. — Bernama
