Antarctic Research Team Reaches Remote Station - Greeted By Larger-Than-Life Bust Of Lenin - AFP

[hatrack]

A team of British and Canadian adventurers has described the "surreal" experience of arriving at the most remote point in Antarctica -- only to find a bust of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. The team was the first to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility (POI), the point on the Antarctic continent that is farthest from all surrounding seas, on foot. But an expedition from the former Soviet Union, using huge mechanised snow vehicles, reached the pole in 1958 and set up a small camp there.

"When we were within six kilometres of the position signalled on the GPS we noticed a black dot on the horizon," Teamn2i said on their website.

"As we got closer an outline of (a) bust started to appear -- we could not believe it as we were expecting at the very best a mound of snow from when Lenin was left there 48 years ago.

"He is standing on a chimney of the old Soviet hut about two meters above the snow line -- he is a shoulder bust of Lenin larger than life size. It is made of some plastic composite -- he is totally frost free as if he was put there yesterday. "It (is) so so very surreal. We are all so exhausted that we have only just put up the tent with Lenin's stern gaze over us!"

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Lenin_Greets_Antarctic_Adventurers_999.html

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. that is some . . .

. . . high weirdness.

[hatrack]

2. Pretty much redefining surreal, at least in my book

nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. I am reminded of Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness"

[jpak]

7. Tekeli-li!!! Tekeli-li!!!

(...cue insane piping over many scales...)

I've seen the Mountains of Madness...

[Captain Hilts]

4. I don't know which is more cool: finding Lenin there or flying in a DC-3. nt

[htuttle]

5. LOL! Dos vadanya, tovarish!

BTW, the expedition has a great website:
http://www.teamn2i.com/

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Now THAT'S Cryonic!

--p!