Antarctica

The United States Antarctic Program operates out of Christchurch, New Zealand, and ferries participants via C-17s or C-130s (pictured here) to McMurdo station, as well as further on to the South Pole station.

Due to the non-uniform terrain of the continent itself, the landing strip for the aircraft is on the sea ice, which is (relatively) easily smoothed. The aircrafts themselves are also equipped with skis which may be used in place of the wheels during landing.

Counterclockwise from top: A panorama looking out into the sea ice on McMurdo island, with the station to the left and Scott's hut to the far right; A cross erected in memory of George T. Vince, a member of Robert F. Scott's expedition to Antarctica in 1902; A volcanic rock fragment from an eruption of Mt. Erebus; Adelie penguins, who are curious and are themselves an equally curious sight near McMurdo station.

Clockwise from top: Walking back to our remote campsite after a jaunt into the barren wilderness of the continent; Commemorative flask noting the annual tradition of the "race around the world", where participant walk/run/ski/ski-doo/drive along a course charted around the geographic south pole, crossing all time zones and in effect, travelling "around the world"; (L-R) Dr. Zhonghua Xu, Ned Corkran, myself and Dr. Chad Fish, the team that deployed the AAL-PIP station during the 2012-2013 expedition; Marker locating the geographic South Pole; On the way back from the Amundsen-Scott Station to McMurdo in 2014.