Before global warming started melting the ice cap and threatening to kill us all, Antartica was the coldest place on Earth, and it still gets rather cold. On the coast, temperatures average around -40 in the winter and 14 in the summer. Inland, it varies between -70 and -100.
There are no permanent settlements, but between 1,000 and 4,000 people spend time at about 40 research stations. The largest are run like small towns, with medical facilities, libraries, gyms, recreation areas, and commissaries.
And tourism is no longer a logistic impossibility. In 2018--2019, over 50,000 people visited, both eco-tourists and seasoned travelers looking for a big adventure. Most stay on their cruise ships and look at the landscape from afar, but a small number are permitted to dock to go exploring with guides.
With the temperature so low, you'd expect people to stay inside most of the tme, right? Or at least keep their clothes on?
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Small Town Beefcake
