All entries under Day 06: 18th Mar

The Expeditionary team were awakened to a Christmas like scene. Snow and ice on the decks and cold winds, with high seas. And this was the day of our first landing in the South Shetland island of King George. The trip to the E-base at Belinghausen.

There was a real air of excitement and tension amongst the team as they prepared for the first landing. A sense of First World war soldiers about to leave their trench and go over the top. “ how many layers are you wearing?” “should we take goggles”, “aren’t these merino wool baselayers just amazing?”.

We gathered, fully kitted and awaited instructions. The steps down to the Zodiacs looked slippery and icy, the boats bobbled about like children on a bouncy castle and the seas looked large and a tad foreboding.

Zodiac 1 and 2 set off and landed at a bleak and windswept Belinghausen, to be greeted by Rob and team down at the water. Eager volunteers headed up for the E-Base, to collect all the gear of the brave souls who had spent the last 17 days, often in the toughest conditions, living just off renewable energy. A long trudge up a moon like landscape. The Zodiacs hung around and then back to the mothership in massive seas. The captain had decided to postpone the landings as the high winds were putting the Zodiacs and the boat itself, in danger of being blown towards the shore.

Inside the boat, it felt like Christmas had been cancelled. Real disappointment and a worry that the first steps on Antarctica might not be today. Early lunch and heads were down. But then ,out of nowhere, the whistle blows. We are going over the top, says Windy, so gear up. A rush for gloves, goggles and gore-tex, life jackets tightened, ready to roll.

Down the icy steps, 10 to a zodiac and then off we head, for Belinghausen. A huge greeting from Rob, off we set to the E-base. We meet our friends from nPower, who show us the E-House and give us a reminder of energy consumption patterns. We see a who house lit by 57 watts of power. That’s less than a single light bulb. And all from the wind from a wind turbine and some solar panels. Its really pretty warm and omfortable in their little nest. Will we ever put so much water in a kettle again when we want to make a cup of tea? I don’t think so….great job from team nPower.

And then to the E-base itself, completed by Rob and team last year and now a beacon for communicating to the world, in a totally sustainable way. The team who have been there for the last 17 days look like they are looking forward to the comforts of the MV Ushuaia tonight.

A stunning walk, gentle winds and snows, down through the Russian base, to see the seals at play. 2 seals frolicking on the beach, ignoring the gaze of the new spectators. And a massive elephant seal, lying motionless on the beach. Nothing really on his mind.

“ if you get chased by a seal, raise your hand and make yourself look bigger” is the instruction. Somehow, I hope I don’t get to test this strategy. My money remains on the seal.

Amazing landscape, exactly how you imagine it to be. Certainly sparse and windswept, but a raw beauty and quietness. Its just great to be quietly walking and chatting to a new found friend.

Back to the shore and into the Zodiacs. Hold tight, its into the wind but the waves have quietened and we are quickly back on the boat. Showers, relaxing in the lounge and reflecting on an epic day. Dinner and then the first of Robs lectures in the “ Leadership on the Edge” programme. His first story, his teams walk to the South Pole.

The expeditionary force is now complete and all members are on board. The end of a huge achievement by the 7 E-base team, having created the energy to power the base from nothing, 17 days ago. A real demonstration of the human need for energy.

A great day for those who took their first steps in the Antarctic world and who got their first impression of what is to come in the days ahead. And certainly a great day for merino wool.

Engines fired up, the expeditionary force moves on- Southwards, to the Antarctic peninsula. Spirits high, faces rosy and windswept, the team in the highest spirits. Tommorrow, first steps on the Antarctic continent and iceberg alley before breakfast. And another landing. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Arriving at Ushuaia really is the start of the journey as you fly over the snow capped mountains and the Beagle Channel, wondering where the airport is as all you can see is the town and lots of rocks. It’s actually on a rocky looking outcrop in the channel but the breaks were good! I was lucky enough to arrive with all my luggage (unlike others) and was also a day earlier than most of the other team members so was able to meet some other early arrivals and get to know the town and sample the local cuisine – steak and red wine.

We boarded the MV Ushuaia on a sunny afternoon and headed out to the Drake Passage with all those stories of huge waves and sea sickness at the back of our heads. Ines my cabin mate and I spent the first evening laughing as we tried to unpack whilst finding our sea legs and had to keep putting the drawer back in which slid out every time the ship rolled to one side. The highlight so far must be seeing the albatrosses and petrels and there was a rush to the deck when the announcements came that there were fin whales and our first iceberg. It’s still all a bit surreal and I’m not sure if it’s the seasickness patch or not quite being able to believe where I am and what I’m seeing. One thing I do know – it’s definitely cold here.

Today - 18th March is a different story weather wise – we were lucky with the Drake Passage but it´s all change. Today it is very windy and there has been snow and ice all night. The ship couldn´t stay in the bay as it was too rough and there was a risk that we would be blown onto the rocks. So we went further out and they tell us that they had to ensure they avoided the icebergs being blown our way during the night. Now sat waiting for my first Zodiac trip and it doesn´t look that appealing as it´s very choppy and minus eighteen out there. I think I am wearing just about everything I have – but looking forward to seeing Mark, Russ and the others on the E-base as these are the conditions they have had nearly the whole time they have been here. Hope we get to go ashore as the weather has deteriorated and although some Zodiacs have gone we have to wait and see what the conditions are like (spending time watching penguins leaping in and out of water so not so bad) – we now definitely know that we are in the Antarctic.

Hei Tine og alle dere hjemme som folger oss paa ekspedisjonen! Har akkuratt ankommet Bellingshausen etter en historisk rolig ferd over Drakes passage. Antarktisk er vanskelig aa beskrive med ord, alt jeg kan si er att det er ufattelig flott, opplevelser og erfaringer som kommer til aa folge meg gjennom livet. Tenker paa deg Tine, haaper du har det bra, gleder meg til aa se deg igjen.

To boldly go where no man have gone before? Henry Kaiser who recorded guitar compositions in Antarctica, said because it would be the closest he could get to existing science fiction. Like the desert, an alien landscape. Someone asked me what kind of pictures I want to take here. I had a hard time answering because I’d like to take a picture I’ve never seen. Something that evokes nostalgia for snow. Turbulent skies and ice into water. Melting fairytales.