Each day he faced physical extremes. His sweat would form long icicles under his chin, making him resemble some kind of cartoonish Jack Frost. It didn't feel as funny as it looked, though. When he stopped skiing each day, he could barely stand upright. One day he hit such a low point that he cried out loud and yelled at the snow.

"Guess what? I couldn't hear my own yelling. The moment I opened my mouth, the wind blew the sound away," he recalls. "That's the South Pole."

He adds, "No matter how hard you thrash about, you won't make a wave. Even if I pray for its pity, it won't have any reaction."

Hu says she knew when her adventurer husband hit a wall, both physically and mentally. "I could tell he was depressed through the phone call. I worried about him but I tried to control my feelings when talking to him each day. If he wanted to blow off steam, I'd just listen."

On Jan 10 last year, Wen arrived at the pole in good shape, with no significant injuries or kit problems. However, Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, provider of his air transport and logistical support, told him that, as they needed to pick him up on Jan 23, 2020, he had less than two weeks to cover about 600 km more if he wanted to continue skiing. That's when he stopped.

Wen plans to resume the journey someday. Meanwhile, Hu is keen to visit the South Pole herself. She says she hopes she can lead an all-female team to Antarctica one day.

"People praise the fearlessness of adventurers. But in front of nature, we need to be careful," Wen says, warning about the climate crisis.