Braving poor visibility, high winds, and frigid temperatures, a team of researchers has finally established a foothold on Antarctica’s fastest melting glacier. According to the New York Times — which embedded with the polar expedition — 10 drilling personnel and roughly 17 tons of gear have been safely deposited on top of the Thwaites Glacier on Monday. During a rare break in the weather, the NYT says helicopters airlifted the researchers and their equipment 19 miles to their planned outpost site on top of the glacier. At worst, experts fear that the destruction of the Thwaites — evocatively known among scientists as the “Doomsday Glacier” — could have catastrophic effects on sea levels and coast lines around the world. Still, the team also has a cooler full of frozen meat and veggies, which had to be buried within the snow.