Finally I can seat down after a long winter ski guiding here in Bariloche, Argentina, Southamerica and found time to write a thankful post about another excellent, inspiring and new friends trip to Antarctica 2013, really deserves to be written and described, here we go:
First of all, I just want to thanks to the crew:
THE TEAM:
Doug Stoup and Karyn Stanley, Ice Axe Expeditions have been running Antarctic Ski Cruises (2009/2011/2013) and let me be part of all of them and their team since then, sharing this with my group of clients. Thanks again!
It is «Once in a lifetime trip» that, more than skiing somewhere remote, is a congregation of good energy and good people to go to one of remotest places on Earth: Antarctica
Doug Stoup is a dreamer that have been leading polar expeditions for more than a decade to both poles and polar regions, doing exploration, first ascents and descents to say the least. Not only that, he works hard for kids being educated about the wildlife and geology of this dreamed place: Antarctica.
He also leads disabled expeditions to this remote locations on Earth.
Karyn is his right hand and keep all guides and details nice and tight
I have to said that love for Antarctica gets build up, the first two years are to be sure if you like it , this third year I literally felt inlove and got hooked with the Peninsula even more, the skiing, the remoteness and the good energy level where we are all in same objective. I willing to keep paying "Drake Passage fee".. (read more below...)
Also, Thanks and respect to all guides/ colleagues that inspire friendship and wisdom in this crew, thanks Kris Erickson for leading the guides meetings in such a proffessional way, also for amazing Todd inspiring always kindness and happinness, showing the world with fun.
Stefan the «Old Sabueso» lots to learn from him, from Alain, Glenn... Wise Per putting the right word in the right moment... Marco with amazing french humour...what else can I say
Andrew Mc Lean fast, smooth and clean in his guiding and skiing...(his jokes needs some lessons I think :-)...
Doug «ito» Workman, Chris Davenport and Jim, Andrew, Angela, Howie, Kim, Ben, Forest, Nicolay, Jason Mack.
Also Keoki amazing photographer and hippie soul that shines.
Lots to learn, I feel proud and humble to have the possibility of being part of this Antarctic family.
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| Todd and Andrew Mc Lean |
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| Per and Stefan roommates |
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| Guide meeting with Per, Stefan, Howie, Forest and Richard Also big thanks to Alex and Laurie from keeping the boat organized and to all their crew and zodiac guys. |
Ok lets go with THE TRIP:
The trip has 2 cruxes for me and are the infamous Drake Passage, thanks God that this last one was not as big as 2011 trip and waves were only to six meters on our return (beaufort 4 maybe.. ).. je
Last trip (2011) we experienced Beaufort 12 and yes, I slept for two days and the pictures were amazing....
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| The Sea Adventurer on duty in the Drake Passage Jenn Bennet photography Takes two days of full crossing to get to the Peninsula and the first sight of land is Smith Island the afternoon of second day brings excitement, so the next morning at 6am we are all on deck (with seasick hangover in my case) and start the process of: scouting lines and landings, winds, and check packed ice on shore that sometimes difficulties the access with the zodiacs, so all this is a big work that Doug does from 5 am every morning. Guides shows at 6.30 and here the show starts. |
This time we ski some new mountains in the Antarctic Peninsula, part because Neumeyer channell and Lamaire channell were blocked by ice, so was difficult to go even lower south compared to other years, what really was great at the end because allowed us to visit this other bays that have millions of options.
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| Dimensions, I think is Andrew Mc Lean or Chris Davenport heading out to pick up spot on shore |
There is so much to do and see that an entire life there will not be enough, but also is surprising also to see that over this few years, actually we have beeing skiing some and we can say:
«Oh, we ski that one, o that one too....» Specially guys like Doug and Ericksonn that have been there since late 90's
We visited Paradise Bay again one of the must see, and we ski the bay right up north of it, Charlotte Bay
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| Team heading out for this ramp on the right |
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| Heading back to pick up spot at the end of the day |
We got very good days of skiing, and better snow conditions than other years, was a lot colder for the first four days.
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| Teams on summit of another unskied peakd, check big cravasses on top of the mountain |
At end of the trip we visited and skied in Livingston Island and King George Island, where weather was not as friendly and we managed to ski some nice ramp with Doug «cito» in the white out.
King George Island, is the most populated place in the area and is where the plane can access in case something happens, here we visited the Ukranian scientific base
Big thanks to all clients that are friends that believe in our proffession and dream with us that without their support our career would not even exist. Along this 15 years of guiding I have seen so many places in the World because this guys trusted me and encourage me to grow in my career as a Mountain Guide, that otherwise would have been impossible to me to visit this places, specially thanks to the ones who year after year keeps hiring me.
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| Paul heading to the ocean full on... Good report of day by day here: http://straightchuter.com/?p=7244 |
Hope this blog post was interesting to read, and remember if you read all the way down is because you are not skiing :) je...
(Humor is important!)
Hope to see you here in Argentina/ Chile/ Patagonia or in the Alps, Lyngen Alps, Iceland and/or Antarctica..
Thanks, Jorge Kozulj
