A bloke has been presented with the opportunity to join a “skeleton crew” at a rarely seen station.
Revealing that more individuals have conquered Mount Everest than visited this base, Leroy contemplates accepting the remote post as it promises to be quite the story for his future grandkids.
On Twitter/X, using the handle @deadbeatregular, he shared that the job would take him to the world’s nadir, where he would work in near-total solitude for eight months, spending six of those engulfed in complete darkness. Yet, the generous salary seems to entice him despite the isolation.
On October 23, Leroy initially asked his Twitter community: “Should I apply to work a construction/maintenance job in Antarctica? I’m looking at the indeed listing now lol.”
Fast forward two days and Leroy lands an offer: “Ok so I just got off the phone with the recruiter. Its an over-winter contract at the actual south pole station. Skeleton crew of 42 people for 8 months feb-October. 6 months total darkness. More people have climbed Everest than have done this.”
Responses to his consideration were overwhelmingly supportive, urging him to seize the unique experience for an unforgettable eight months in oblivion. A fellow user encouraged him: “like not even joking if you’re qualified and don’t have dependents, DO IT.”
One enthusiast chimed in: “High key if you can endure no sunlight I’d so go for it. I skimmed the thread and saw $2,000 (£1,500) a week with food+lodging+gear taken care of, so you can bank that and come back to society with a nice bit of cash and bragging rights. I’m assuming it’s a contract so you can’t quit midway through and leave without difficulties?”.
Another added: “You’d be foolish not to, it’s a story you can tell for ever and a personal test of endurance.” Leroy also revealed it was “2k a week plus lodging, food, and extreme cold weather gear.”
But one user warned about the difficulty of leaving Antarctica during its darker months due to lack of flights, saying: “If I remember it right from something I read elsewhere, once darkness sets in there are no flights back out, so even if you broke out of your contract, you wouldn’t be able to leave at all.”
The initial post by Leroy compared the experience to frightening film ‘The Thing,’ where scientists battle a monstrous entity. Despite potential fears, one commenter shared a positive account, stating: “My brother-in-law did this twice, and he absolutely loved it. It’s a very unique experience.”