Penba Tsering, first Tibetan ascends South Pole

Living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Third Pole of the world, Penba Tsering has visited the South Pole and if has got a chance to ascend the North Pole, Penba Tsering will become the first Tibetan to mount the world three poles.
"Though it is my dream to ascend the North Pole, it is really not easy to realize as so many Tibetan scientists are waiting for such chance," said Penba Tsering.
The South Pole and North Pole are regarded as no man areas for its perennial ice and snow while the Qomolangma is called the Third Pole of the Earth for its world's highest altitude.
35-year-old Penba Tsering is the first Tibetan weather engineer ascending the South Pole. Appointed by the China Meteorology Institute and Tibet Weather Bureau, Penba Tsering went to the South Pole in November 1999 and spent 15 months there for scientific investigation.
"The wind in the South Pole may not freeze someone to death, but it can kill someone. The 12-degree-wind can blow everything away including people," Penba Tsering recalled, "It is usually at minus 40 degree centigrade and the over-snow vehicle keeps on sweeping snow away between our dormitory and observation station, when we end our observation, there are two snow mountains besides the road."
The main task of Penba Tsering was recording the data of his six-time observation. At spare time, Penba Tsering would enjoy the unskillful penguin and seal. "I feel really sorry as several thousand little penguins were frozen to death after a snowstorm," said Penba Tsering.
Penba Tsering has experienced two polar days and one polar night. In November 1999, when Penba Tsering arrived in the South Pole, he met a two-month solar day. "It is always daytime and I even forget time," said Penba Tsering.
Entering May, the South Pole meets the most tantalizing polar night. "It is always nighttime and loneliness makes many unclouded team members tired, dysphoric and gloomy. There are many reports covering the suicide of foreign team members at such season," Penba Tsering recalled.
After the endless nighttime, the brightness comes. In the South Pole, the grandest festival is the High Festival of Winter for scientific expeditioners. Everyone will get excited to celebrate this festival by burning fireworks. This festival means the dark season will end and the sun will come to the South Pole again.
"I still yearn for that period, though it is really tough. From one place to another, I really feel kind," Penba Tsering said.
In the Zhongshan Station of the South Pole, every expeditioner will leave a wood brand with his hometown name. Penba Tsering spent two weeks in carving such a brand with "Lhasa" in Chinese and Tibetan. He also sent a silk Thangka of the Potala Palace to the Sun Zhongshan Memorial. "I really want to know whether these are still there and if it is possible, I want to have a look and now my dream is to leave such a brand in the North Pole," Penba Tsering said.