The Diary

The Diary

This is my (JimL's) personal diary .. and all errors, omissions and offence given is some-one else's fault.

Tuesday 17 Nov

Train to Manchester for flight to Heathrow and Buenos Aires. All ok. Meet Grae at Heathrow.

Wednesday 18 Nov

Arrive Buenos Aires (BA) at 9am, meet Derek. Local farmers are protesting on the road to the airport so we're hanging around 4 hrs at airport for shuttle but then get taxi to Holiday Inn. Wander into BA (florida area) have beer, change some money, another beer/nachos, back to hotel and crash 10pm.

Thursday 19 Nov

Up 5.30 for 6 shuttle to airport. Long queue but we bypassed it on some pretext, coffee, flight at 9 to Ushuaia for 12. Meet Dee/Roger, Jim/Manu and taxis to Slogget hotel. Wander into Ushuaia, maritime museum and settle in 'speakeasy' style bar 6 to 10.30 - Ramos Generales. We discover the joy of Penguins (pitchers of beer).

Friday 20 Nov

Brekkie 8.30 then move kit around, shared bags for skis, bag for front hold and bag for cabin. Walk town, coffee, head to boat noon. Faff preparing boat and 3pm motor 28km from Ushuaia down and across the Beagle channel to Puerto Williams (Chile) arriving 10pm. dinner/wine and bed 11.30 (1st night on boat). Sink into bunk but surprisingly comfortable .. gonna be in this box for the next month.

Saturday 21 Nov

Up at 7.30, relaxed breakfast. Wander into Puerto Williams around 9.30 to check passports into Chile so we can sail in waters. Almighty but relaxed faff getting boat ready for Drake passage and set off 2.30 after lunch (empanadas/curry). Mild weather, sailing off under motor and yankee sail. Heading for Cape Horn.

Sunday 22 - Tuesday 24 Nov

Sailed across Drake passage. Light wind and sea until we passed Cape Hope then later on 22nd hit force 10 westerly winds and 'confused' seas, with 10m swell as we travelled over the continental shelf. Everyone feeling very poorly, just about everyone sick.  Things calmed down after passing the shelf (the seabed plummets from ~200m to 3-4000m) and had 2 days of NW winds pushing us across the Drake passage. Averaging 7+ knots on day 1 under sail with it dying down and 5.5 knots day 3. Final bit under motor, very rocky with wind and seas behind us. Boat and crew excellent in these conditions.

Everyone alternating between doing their 2 hr watches on deck or in their bunks .. too seasick for anything else. No food and minimal water day 1, 1l water and 1/2 cup pasta day 2 and bit more day 3. Cold on the watch .. 5 upper layers, couple lowers, 3 glove linings and still freezing (particularly hands) after 2 hrs. Take a couple of hours in bunk to warm up .. before the next watch (9 or so in total). Saw Petrels, ?? (ie some other flapping things) and Albatrosses across the whole sea .. they were up to 500km from land! Very quiet boat with everyone in survival mode. 

Wednesday 25 Nov

Final day of crossing, less swell and wind although colder and had an hour of snow at 5am. Key job on watch now was iceberg watch - big ones easy, but the smaller ones not to easy to spot in swell. Headed west of South Shetland islands to peninsula and arrived at bay off Sikarsky glacier around 5pm under sail and motor. Passed lots of large (and small) glaciers, and saw 4 separate whales (humpbacks) in the bay (within 100m of the shore). Unloaded zodiac and ski kit to get ready for tomorrow. Dinner, lamb with wine (that didn't come up again).

Thursday 26 Nov

Things went bump in the night .. large ice floe that had to be moved away. Up 6.30, breakfast and zodiac to shore. Very little first day faff! Headed off 9ish to Charles Point and up smooth slope to 500m summit in 90 mins, back to shore, met some (smelly) Gentoo penguins then back up hill and down to shore again. T-shirt skinning in Antarctica! Crevasse rescue practice (oo'er). Good spring-style snow. On snow 6 hrs, back on boat 5pm to chill. Face/arms a bit sunburned .. high UV.

Friday 27 Nov

Up 6.30, brekkie and to similar shore a little south and inland of Charles Point. Off at 9 to skin up steepish crevasse slope roped up in three's to 850m summit. The green team is embryonic, poorly co-ordinated but feel honoured to be using Mallory's Everest rope! Crampon last 50m to windswept top, down in poor visibility following uphill tracks. Lunch and took zodiac N across bay to another gentle hill (350m). Poor vis again, then cleared at summit to close down again so had to retrace tracks .. great snow. 9.5 hrs out. Relaxed dinner.

Saturday 28 Nov

Up 7am, bacon/eggs and then motoring south .. in sleet!. Chilled morning. Sleet/snow and poor vis so chillout continues through day, those to can (!) bake. Sail few hours to Roget Rocks for the night.

Sunday 29 Nov

Up 7am, damp morning no vis, slow start. Vis clears so slow journey across bay in lots of ice to start point. Set off 10.30, very sleep ascent out of bay then gentle climb along hill. Unfortunately lots of crevasses covered with snow so backtrack slightly and another skin round to bottom of peak. Crampon up towards summit but turn back within 20m of top as v steep slope (70+ degrees ?), down to boat at 4pm and set off for 4hr sail to Enterprise island. Due to headwind we ended up just SE of Portal Point on Reclus peninsula.

Monday 30 Nov

Barometer stays low (980) for another morning. We sail across Charlotte bay but peak we plan is too crevassed and low vis. Starting to get the trend of the trip's Antarctica weather .. unpredictable and have to be flexible for conditions. Turn round and head for Jaques peak (back on Reclus peninsular) and for Igloo Hill. Start at noon for skin up in good light. High wind near top so crampon up last 100m. Easy 4hr day.  Forecast remain poorish and bad day in 48 hrs so plan to stay at Enterprise isle (alongside the wreck of a old factory ship that burnt out in the 1920's) for 2 nights then sail south for a day. 

Tuesday 1 Dec

Up at 7am .. hooray, reasonable weather so brekkie, motor across bay from Enterprise isle to Reclus peninsula, zodiac to shore and skin up Harris Peak (bit south of Igloo isle). 1050m high 12km length over 5 hrs, hardpack with light surface snow, light wind and good vis. Superb whale watching on return to shore. The day has it all :) 

Back to moor on wreck on Enterprise isle for the night. Some go fishing off the wreck.

Wednesday 2 Dec

Up at 6am, brekkie and set sail south. First watch in good weather and wind, 8 knots around Enterprise isle and Nansen island then down channel. Hit bad weather with high wind and snow, and then icepack. Moor on south of Cuverville isle at 3pm, lunch then visit Gentoo penguins and a couple of seals. Another ski/sail yacht Tarka anchors alongside. Looking dubious whether we can go any further down the channel due to amount of ice.

Thursday 3 Dec

Lousy early weather so lazy start and motor off to north of island. Getting ready to play as weather brightens around 10am. .. however .. storm comes up from south and yacht Tarka radios that they've run aground - not a "mayday" as no-one hurt and no obvious damage, but they are stuck and weather worsening. We, and a cruise ship (Sea Adventurer, Russian ship contracted to Quark) go to help .. storm with snow and 75knot gusts. Needless to say weather unskiable. 

We hold off to the east as it would be risky for us to get in close, and Sea Adventurer cannot help either as it cannot get an anchor and too windy for their (big) zodiacs. Tarka is stable (aground) so everyone holds off until winds improve. They had anchor to south and 2 lines to the beach on the north. Think that wind changed to east across boat and pushed them ashore. Winds also driving sea ice northwards .. about 1km from us. It's agreed that Sea Adventurer will take lead and we'll be back-up, although they are responsible to themselves first, then their own zodiacs, then the Tarka people and finally the yacht. Possible Tarka will have bent keel/driveshaft/prop and will have to be abandoned, then becomes first wreck since 1986. We hang around close but safe, and "enjoy" the storm.

Two Tarka clients got stressed and transferred to Sea Adventurer, rest stayed on board. After first failed attempt during day they waited for high tide (10pm) and four zodiacs pulled yacht out. Yacht looks OK and went to moor on wreck off Enterprise Island (where we were Tues 1st). The two clients refused to rejoin the yacht so had to be signed off by doctor to have rescue on Sea Adventurer.

Friday 4 Dec

Having stayed north of Cuverville Island we got up at 6, and popped over to Ronge island, near Georges point, to skin off at 9am. Went up first peak but top was too windy, steep and glaciated so back down and up to summit Mount Tenant. Cold and clear with lovely views south and north of the main channel. Back 4pm, 1200m height and 14km. Sailed across to Brabant Island and staying just off Koch glacier for tomorrow's fun.

Saturday 5 Dec

Cold, blue skies so great day skinning up Koch glacier to a (un-named) summit, now named Ben Nevis (by us). Set off 8am, 6hr30 to 1450m and 16km on the day. Great views on summit, good snow top and bottom, middle hard work. Stayed in same cove off Koch glacier and had BBQ evening (which meant Brice BBQ'd steak on deck while we were all cosy inside). Its becoming clear that Brice has anti-freeze for blood.

Sunday 6 Dec

Bad weather day, grey, poor vis, wet snow so chill-out day on board. 8am brekkie, faff, lunch (with a glass or two of wine) and more faff in afternoon. Stayed in same (well-sheltered) cove.

Monday 7 Dec

Same landing, started up Koch glacier and then headed right on longish traverse as visibility petered out above 600m. Skiing down with all 9 of us roped together at one point to cross a couple of big crevasses - what fun!. Set off 10.30 for short 6km trek and 500m ascent. Back in 4 hrs to prepare for tomorrow's 3 day camping expedition. Sailed round Brabant Island over night to Bulls Bay arriving brekkie. 

Tuesday 8 Dec

Bacon/eggs then sorted camp gear and got to shore in Kayak Bay by noon. Dragged pulks (sledges) up Mackenzie Glacier to 800m and set up base-camp in middle of the glacier. One hairy bit where we had to man-handle pucks up steep slope but otherwise a steady climb. By this point the green team is a lean, mean, manic machine (and no longer whimpering when things get difficult). Reasonable weather. Dug base in snow for tents, green team with guest Jim in Hilleberg and got settled for dinner (tea and rice mix).

Wednesday 9 Dec

Up 7, brekkie (tea + muesli) and set off for summit Mount Parry (800 -> 2540m). Initial pace slow (250m/hour) and we're getting cold, then fast which grabbed 400m in hour (which warmed us up) and then more steady to summit. Cloud cleared to see true summit on nice ridge which we cramponed last 100m to. 1700m height in 6hrs30 with bit of sun and mostly clear with just one hour of high winds that gave concern of summitting. Superb descent back to camp with great snow. Good humour despite awful exped meal (sweet mush).

and here is a simulated 9hr30 climb from camp to the summit compressed into 40secs. Unfortunately technology thinks Antarctica is green .. sigh

Thursday 10 Dec

Overcast day and we were on cloud line so decided to break camp and go down near shore for another camp. Lazy brekkie (tea, muesli), broke camp, loaded pucks and set off down hill. Grae on front of a puck with myself on back .. snow-ploughing most of way with side-slipping steeper bits to keep control of puck. Made camp at 4ish, with superb views overlooking to the passage. Made an ice-dragon, bit of group wine then tea, another exped meal (claimed to be chicken tikka). Third night in camp, more comfortable.

Friday 11 Dec

Up at 7, brekkie which comprised tea, biscusits and cheese as could not face the noodles. Broke camp, loaded pulks and skied down (in yucky wet boots) to shore line for pickup at 10. Overcast with clouds at 800m or so. Motored for an hour across to Hunt island where we cramponed up 500 m to summit and down. Exceedingly steep so cautious up first 250m with skis on back, then abandoned skis for rest of climb. Going down last section was very steep so abseiled down on 3 lengths of rope with self-protect prussik.  Great techie faff for the last day on the hills. Plan was to sail over to good anchorage for overnight stay and to prepare for returrn crossing .. however strong wind prevented a stoppage so off we go across the Drake passage.

Saturday 12 - Monday 14 Dec

A strong southerly drove us out of Antarctica so dropped zodiac into hold in good seas, no overnight stay and straight into watches (I was 6-8am, 2-4pm, 10-12pm). Sat weather good, clear with westerly that let us sail 7-8knots all day. Relatively mild seas so no-one too sick. Wind dropped on Sunday so mixing sail and engine to get 6-7knots. Day started with 360 miles to go (total Brabant Island to Cape Horn is 540 miles) so another 2 days-ish. Monday stays with 10-20knots westerley giving 6-7knots on the boat. Occasional petrels and albatrosses for company and mild seas so everyone relaxed although still cold. Scones, 'real' meal, choc cake all helping the day along. Superb mon sunset, long-lasting and many birds keeping us company.

Tuesday 15 Dec

Morning watch (6-8am) finds us in sight of Cape Horn in fine weather. Arrive at 9.30 and have a look around the island. Brunch at 11 and set off to moor on Lennox island for the evening arriving 7pm. Sunny afternoon making the most of the warmth ... lazing on deck. Moored in cove next to another Chilean station. First decent night in a long while - no watches/swells/storms/camps ...

Wednesday 16 Dec

Up at 7, brekkie and went ashore (on Lennox island) for a 7km walk around the coastline. Interesting flora, birds and beaver dam. Back to boat at 1pm to sail for 7 hrs up into Beagle channel and Puerto Williams. Supper on the yacht.

Thursday 17 Dec

Morning faff, including checking out of Chile. Went for few hours walking in woods around the back of Puerto Williams .. lovely old woodland with good paths. Sailed over to Ushuaia arriving 6pm. Checked into Argentina. Went for a few 'one of each' penguins which lasted a good few hours. Back to the boat for supper .. bbq'd steak and salad at midnight.

Friday 18 Dec

Relaxed start and decamped from the boat into hotel. Took all day and over the Exscalada for buffet salads and meat in the evening. Early crash.

Saturday 19 Dec

Brekkie and folk go in various directions. Grae earns his crust, Jim goes mtb in the Patagonia National Park amid the dust and everyone else walks up a Patagonian hill. The 'final' evening was celebrated in the hills above Ushuaia with fine wine and dining at Chez Manu's.

Sunday 20 Dec

Lazy brekkie then some go off for a walk up to Laguana Esmerelda. See good beavers house. Afternoon faff and evening penguins (of various flavours).

Monday 21 dec

Early start to get to airport for flight to BA.

Jim Blyth Notes

here

Martin (the ships parrot) Diary

Wed 16 Dec

After a most chilled out time with congenial company in Puerto Williams I have to rejoin Podorange and suffer lots of attention. Then I'm shoved in the hold.

Thurs 17 Dec

After being ignored all night I'm suddenly the centre of attention again. People don't seem to realise I have feelings. We sail over to Ushaia then I see my moment. This lunatic woman puts me on her shoulder, walks to the sunshine .. and hey folk .. I'm free .. vamos .. off I fly into the great outdoors. Bye you losers.

Fri 18 Dec

Puta mierda, there's hawks and eagles around, and I cannot find the podorange.