The first all-woman team to strike out for the South Pole hopes to return from the stark polar laboratory with valuable data on how women react to extreme cold and monotony. ``For us, it's not just a ski rally. We are trying to complete a science project,'' Soviet expedition member Irina Gureva said Monday. ``We strongly believe that women can live in the South Pole and, alongside men, can carry out scientific research.'' The expedition of three Americans, one Japanese and 12 Soviets is scheduled to reach Antarctica on Nov. 23 to begin the 70-day, 800-mile trek on skis from the Soviet scientific station at Vostok to the South Pole. Along the way, scientists will gather data on the women's medical, biological and psychological reactions. ``The cold and wind will be something to contend with. The altitude is something we're not sure of,'' said Julie Hyde, an Outward Bound instructor in Ely, Minn. ``That's the kind of thing that makes me most apprehensive. The monotony of the vast whiteness is something I've never experienced before.'' Some scientists have argued that previous cold weather research on men should stand for women, but the expedition's researhers aren't convinced. ``We don't know that there is a difference. But how can you say there are no differences unless you've looked?'' asked Dolly Lefever, a nurse-midwife from Alaska who will be studying changes in the women's menstrual cycles. Studies by the Soviet scientists will be of greater scope. A team of doctors will test blood and other bodily fluids to determine how a woman's metabolism is affected by the extreme cold and physically demanding conditions. A psychologist also will monitor how the women handle isolation and interact with other team members. The expedition should hold fewer surprises for some of the Soviet members who participated in a 1988-89 Antarctic expedition. ``After returning to Moscow, we could not accept external disturbances. We became more sensitive to outside noises, loud voices, cars,'' Gureva said. Such research could give insight into other situations where people live in closed, isolated quarters for long periods, such as in space and in submarines. ``The expedition allows us to study the human stress factor in real circumstances,'' said Irina Solovyova, a Soviet psychologist and cosmonaut. Besides the scientific goals, the women also hope to bring attention to next year's International Antarctica Treaty signing, which will determine if the continent will remain a world park. ``We are hoping that Antarctica will remain as it is, not belonging to anyone. We hope that mining exploration there can be kept at a level that will keep Antarctica pristine,'' Hyde said. Some of the participants conceded that the length and dangers of the journey caused some stress in their families. Gureva said her 10-year-old daughter was at first upset by the separation but became enthusiastic about the trip after seeing stories about it in the Soviet press. ``I think it's useful for a child when their parents can fulfill something great in their life. I think it's a great example for them,'' Gureva said. ``As for husbands ... they are not very glad, but I think their love does not decrease.''
