Setting the South Pole speed record with Caroline Coté

Explore: A Canadian Geographic podcast

In January 2023, Caroline Coté set the record for a solo expedition to the South Pole by a woman, travelling 1,130 kilometres on skis from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole in just 33 days. This is a fun and fascinating conversation.

The bulk of it is about her record-breaking trip to the South Pole on her own, dragging everything she needs in a sled behind her through harsh terrain and climate. Coté gets into the physical and mental challenge of doing this alone, dealing with broken skis and gear, being reduced to eating butter on her last days and how the music of Gilles Vigneault and others blocked out the Antarctic winds and kept propelling her forward.

We also get into her journey from growing up in Longueuil, Quebec, outside of Montreal, finding inspiration in nature in the little forest behind her house, to becoming a documentary filmmaker and the epic polar adventurer she is today. We also discuss why her favourite place in Canada is Grise Fjord in Canada’s high Arctic.

For more on her work expeditions, go to www.caroline-cote.com Enjoy!