Skidoo

Land travel in Antarctica is not a simple process.  There are no highways or proper roads, and conditions are generally treacherous with extensive snow and ice cover.  One of the most common land transport methods used in Antarctica is the snow-mobile.  The Ski-Doo is the most popular snow-mobile used and was first launched in 1959.  The original name for Ski-Doo was Ski-Dog, but a spelling error in the patenting office resulted in the ‘g’ becoming an ‘o’.

Ski-Doo’s are used in Antarctica for land-based fieldwork and can transport people and extra cargo by pulling a sledge to remote areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.  There are two types of Ski-Doo; the general light Ski-Doo with single tracks and the heavy-duty Ski-Doo’s with twin tracks to increase power. Towed sleds can weigh up to 500 kg, and Ski-Doo’s replace the work undertaken historically by dogs.
Ski-Doo’s are petrol powered, and move over the snow and ice with tracks at the rear for grip, and single or double skis at the front of the machine for steering.  Care must be taken not to travel over rocks as the rough surface destroys the tracks and