Antarctica Ski Cruise part 1
Antarctica, part 1
After an emotional roller coaster of not knowing whether we’d be going to Antarctica after traveling half-way across the world, we were finally on our way. The original expedition was to have included 100 people, now we were less than 30. We were on a new boat with different objectives, mostly wildlife watching and sea kayaking, and going to different destinations. Although the staff would try to make sure we’d ski, there were no guarantees.
We were now aboard the Vavilov. One one of the first orders of duty was an emergency evacuation drill. Apparently the ski crowd was a little too over zealous as we were not meant to actually get in the lifeboats and strap into the seats.
The Drake Passage is considered to be the most dangerous body of water in the world. We had over 1000 kms to cross. With the talk having been about a “Perfect Storm” for our previous cancelled crossing there was a lot of anticipation for this trip. We had some seas of 3 meters, which on a ship that size meant it was pretty comfy.
Jenny and I cat napping. Photo credit: Stan Pitcher
November 7th - 12th
The Vavilov is an ice going vessel but not ice breaking. Although we were able to enter these waters, we were not able to stop at our first planned destination of Peterman Island, which was really, really unfortunate because a short zodiac ride away was Mt Scott, directly across the channel.
On November 10th, after two days of bird watching, eating, lectures, and napping we woke up on our third morning to the sight of the Graham Coast on the Antarctica Peninsula. Icebergs and sea ice were still bound to the coastal waters.
The joke became the Drake Lake.
We were then off to the Argentine Islands and the home of the Ukrainian Base Vernadsky. It use to be a British base, but during cost cutting years the Brits scaled back by selling this base to Ukraina for a dollar. Apparently it is a lot more cost effective to give away a research station than it is to dismantle it. The dollar can still be found in the authentic english pub, which serves free homemade vodka to any female that gives the boys a bra (some of our friends discovered panties are also accepted).
Although the Argentine Islands are extremely low in physical relief, it was a gorgeous day to stretch the legs and go skiing with a few penguins. Can’t say for 100% but I stuck what could be the first 360 on teles in Antarctica (or at least on that island), moments before....
Mike Libecki was pretty stoked to be back for his third trip to Antarctica. First time boarding, whereas the previous two trips were climbing expeditions.
Our planned route, in red, through the Lemaire Channel was dropped due being blocked by several large icebergs. Apparently, the narrows in the channel, called the “Kodak Gap” by some, is one of the most breath taking places along the Antarctic Peninsula. Although we came to play in the ice and the snow, it would change our travel plans more than once on this trip.
Some of the keeners; Lee Dubee, Chris Davenport, and Stan Pitcher
Smooth skiing Austrian, Manuel Eder, on the approach to the a NW gully on Noble Peak on Wiencke Island on November 11th. If we had been able to complete this trip with Ice Axe Expeditions we would have been able to summit peaks like this in the AM, ski the backside, summit again and ski then frontside. We were lucky to be able to join this second cruise ship that doesn’t normally deal with skiers but it did mean we had much shorter days. A sacrifice we were all happy to have been giving the chance to accept.
UIAGM guide Walter Laserer, skiing the previous marked line with Neumayer Channel below. Walter offers guided tours to the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent. Immediately after this trip he was returning to the highest peak on Antarctica, the Vinson Massif, to guide a group, then he planned to stay on with fellow guides to bag a few first descents in the same area.
Soon after this photo I stopped a couple of hundred feet below where Walter is shown. I was about to take a video of the others so I plunged my poles into the snow only to be nearly lost into a crevasse. Whoops! I gingerly removed them and gently slide backwards to a point that appeared to be less likely to have a crevasse underneath it. We had been traveling roped up until we started our boot pack climb up the slope, and so I was at least wearing my harness at the time, but it was a nice friendly little reminder of the potential dangers that lurked in such a huge wilderness area.
As we returned to our zodiac pick up we saw another group getting a few turns on the way back.
Ingrid Backstrom doing what she does best. Ripping.
November 12th began with a zodiac trip from Paradise Cove to Skontorp Cove, an area well known for calving glaciers. Although we only saw a small one, we heard a massive calving that sounded like a large bomb exploding.
Although it looks as if we are way too close to a potential calving glacier (Petzvel Glacier) we are much further away than it appears. It also appears as if I am standing in the front of the zodiac giving a lecture, which I believe I was.
Shades of blue.
In the afternoon we stopped in Neko Harbour. The skiers headed off to the Laussedat Heights on the Arctowski Peninsula of the Danco Coast.
Andreas Wild, Manuel and Walter zig zagging around the crevasses.
The visibility was getting poor, the time was getting late and unfortunately we didn’t get into any excellent ski terrain. The lower slope had corned up nice and made for some nice gentle turns back to the zodiacs. As we approached the shore I was inspired by to do a little ski by filming....
In this video: Gregor Wilson, a lot of penguins, and Stan Pitcher
It was a pretty nice way to end a run. Unique to say the least. As was the following...
As was the trip back to the boat through the ice.
Did you know that salt water freezes at several degrees below zero celcius (about 26F)? This is what a self portrait at those temperatures looks like of Jenny and me as we plunged into the salt water plunge pool.
That’s all for now. The rest of the trip report to follow soon.
Still rocking my heavily used and abused G3 Targa T/9’s and skins. The penguins seemed to like them too.
