Our fearless pilots Zoe and Amy are both from Yellow Knife Canada.
They are experts at landing on snow and ice. |
We make it to Vinson Base Camp. Vinson Massif is the peak in the background. |
Setting up camp on the Branscomb glacier, in the Ellsworth Mountain range. |
Snow, ice and mountains form the backdrop. Our first camp at the base of Vinson.
A wall built with snow-blocks protects our tents from the strong winds. |
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Thanking our sponsors: Alteram, alternative asset management in France
(part of the Credit Mutuel du Nord – CMNE group). |
Reed Smith, a leading international law firm. |
And Emilio Robba...even in Antarctica, his sunflowers bloom! |
We generated interest from private donors for the Cousteau Society/Equipe Cousteau,
thus enabling them to continue the legacy of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau. |
Leaving for Camp 1 - up the glacier.
This type of boot is used for most high altitude expeditions, keeping feet warm even at -50ºC. |
Setting up Camp 1 near the bottom of the headwall. |
Toilet facilities, with all the comforts! All human waste is carried back to camp and then to Chile!
No pollution allowed in Antarctica. |
Kitchenette made in Antarctica!
It's dug out of ice to shelter the burner flame from the Antarctic wind. |
The headwall - dreadful, long and steeper than it looks… seracs on the right and on top.
Crevasses too! |
Climbing the head wall - 3000 ft altitude gain.
We climbed it twice “double-carry” to bring all our equipment up to Camp 2. |
We spent 4 days and 3 nights stuck in our tent under mostly whiteout conditions:
Snow flying, very windy, very cold,...
Picture taken during a brief break in the storm. |
Cooking if at all, must be in the tent because of poor weather.
One loses appetite at altitude. |
Looks comfortable, but a very small place to wait out a storm for days on end. |
A rare rainbow as seen through a vortex of snow crystals. |
Larry going down the valley back to Camp 1. |
Upon our return, we see that the storm leveled Camp 1.
We dig to find our cache of buried equipment and food. |
Larry, Eric and Luc back from summit: exhausted, hungry and very happy! |
We came back in one piece but the jacket was a little worse for wear!
It riped during a fall on rock when we were all roped near summit… |
Bumps and bruises on the upper thigh. |
A friend in another expedition was not so lucky:
2nd degree frostbite while doing the same headwall. (I told you it was dreadful)
He has now recovered but will be highly sensitive to cold on these fingers forever. |
The Single-Otter plane flying in to pick us up. |
It sure felt good to see it coming across the horizon. |
Views of the Ellsworth Mountains.
We felt like Antoine de Saint-Exupery flying back to Patriot Hills. |
Picking a site for our next expedition! |
