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Thread: Antarctica 2013
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12-05-2013, 01:58 PM #1Registered User
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Antarctica 2013
For several years I had been wanting to go to Antarctica to ski. Gnarwhale's TR in 2011 only confirmed that desire, so I signed up with the 2013 trip with IceAxe expeditions.
Ended up by chance rooming with Triangulate. I was hoping he would post a TR to which I could just add a few photos, but he was skiing with McLean's group so he didn't have time to take pictures.
First stop was Ushuaia.
Had I known, I just would have shown up and gone with these guys.
The first day was spent skiing on the Martial Glacier. Some tracks from the guides the previous day.
A few shots of Ushuaia
Then it was finally time to leave. Obligatory photo of the ship
Heading down the Beagle Channel
Leaving Ushuaia
Went to bed and woke up in the Drake Passage the next morning. The crossing was fairly calm. 4-5 meter seas with a few hours of 7 meter seas one morning. Still there were quite a few sick people on the ship.
After 2.5 days we arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula near Smith Island. Unfortunately, the passage was blocked with ice causing us to take the long way around to our intended destination.
Sunset the first night on the Peninsula
The first day found us at Chiriguano Bay, but we were unable to land due to excessive ice, which probably was a good thing since the snow looked like an ice skating rink. We ended up moving over to Ronge Island. This was the first thing I saw when coming up on the deck. Thought it might be a bit much for a first run.
Small iceberg
I ended up in a group of three other guys with Chris Davenport as our guide. Keoki Flagg, who is a photographer from Lake Tahoe, was in the group and he took some of the photos, which are imprinted with his name.
Skinning up
Amazing view from the top
After the run, we ran into a colony of Gentoo Penguins. I could have spent a few hours just watching them.
Last edited by RiderX; 12-05-2013 at 03:18 PM.
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12-05-2013, 01:59 PM #2Registered User
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The next day was overcast. We ended up at the Gabriel Gonzalez Research Station, which belongs to Chile. There we encountered another large Gentoo penguin colony. The snow was firm to say the least, making for some interesting sidehill skinning without ski crampons. Ended up just booting up parts of it.
Somehow Chris found us a nice pocket of wind blown powder amongst all the crust.
So we went back up for a second lap
We then went over to Anvord Island for the afternoon. There wasn't much space to spread out.
Late evening
The following day we headed over to Nansen Island
On the chain gang
Skinning back up
The next morning was spent at Charlotte bay where we found some chinstrap penguins.
The afternoon session found us on Bluff Island. Doug Stoup leading the way. Unfortunately, we were the 10th group off the boat, so that ramp in front of us was way too occupied to get on it.
Instead, we went right and found a short but steep section to have some fun
The weather again turned cloudy for our last day of skiing.
Somewhere in the clouds on Livingston Island
We skied down by braile and then went over to Half Moon Island. Most of the groups went to look at more penguins. We went for a short ski adventure instead.
Chris and Rich on top
Chris giving some steep skiing lessons
Our last ski day was cancelled due to bad weather and rough seas. We ended up visiting another penguin colony.
Some adelie penguins
Leaving Antarctica
Overall, the trip was amazing. I guess you could say a trip of a lifetime and I have been lucky enough in my life to have been on several. However, this probably tops them all, so much that I would definitely consider a repeat. I also can't say enough about the job that Doug and Karyn from IceAxe did to organize this trip. Big props to Chris and all the other guides as well for taking care of us in the mountains.Last edited by RiderX; 12-05-2013 at 03:20 PM.
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12-05-2013, 02:00 PM #3Registered User
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Reserved .....
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12-05-2013, 02:41 PM #4Registered User
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Rad! 234
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12-05-2013, 02:44 PM #5
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12-05-2013, 03:10 PM #6Registered User
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Jealous. Looks fantastic
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12-05-2013, 03:58 PM #7
LOL, yeah my pics were few and far between since I was always sucking wind and gasping whenever we stopped, so never got my camera out in time.
I still haven't gotten my shit together and organized what photos I took, but will add them to this thread eventually. As far as other TGR posters are concerned, there's straightchuter's account. Maybe road trip will also pitch in.
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12-05-2013, 04:02 PM #8
Wow. Great trip. See any of those friendly leopard seals?
Did the last unsatisfied fat soccer mom you took to your mom's basement call you a fascist? -irul&ublo
Don't Taze me bro.
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12-05-2013, 04:05 PM #9Registered User
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honestly didnt know there was guides down there... average daytime temps?
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12-05-2013, 04:17 PM #10
Great shots. Thanks for posting. The next trip is November 5-17, 2014. How far in advance did you have to book it?
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12-05-2013, 04:38 PM #11
TRs this great should be illegal. They make the rest of us want to commit grand theft to book a trip.
I here testicles are going for 30K, how much for an old used one?
FKNA, thanks for that TR.
I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...iscariot
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12-05-2013, 04:40 PM #12
so fucking rad. ball park what does a trip like that set someone back?
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12-05-2013, 04:43 PM #13
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12-05-2013, 04:48 PM #14spook Guest
this is crazy. antarctic opera house waiting to kill you.
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12-05-2013, 04:50 PM #15dickhead
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Great tour and photos.
Gnar-Gnars and now this. Big world out there.
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12-05-2013, 04:53 PM #16
We got to see one eating a penguin.
Guides were part of the package, on the boat with us and recruited/organized by Ice Axe. They are among the best of the international mountain guide set, since Doug has his choice of who wants to go, and everybody wants to go. Many of the guides were on their 2nd or 3rd Antarctica Ice Axe trip (there have only been 3 so far), and some, like straightchuter and Dav had been down there independently. Hell, there were even guides among the guest list.
Temps were springlike with occasional cold days - variable spring swings but the coldest was probably mid-20s F. Warmest day was sunny and maybe high-30s but seemed much hotter.
I booked in the spring. Just call or email Karyn at IceAxe and she'll let you know availability and anticipated time for all the slots filling up, which I'm pretty sure they all will. Sure, it's fantastically expensive, but I would bet you that every single person who's done the trip will tell you they felt they got their money's worth, even those who had to scrimp and save to make it down.
I mean, how else are you gonna get down there with skis on your feet, and with top notch experienced guides as skiing partners? Sure you could do it yourself somehow (which I usually do on my international backcountry ski excursions), but it would probably cost way more unless you were hotshit spancered.
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12-05-2013, 04:53 PM #17Registered Undead
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Very nice!
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12-05-2013, 05:02 PM #18
that is fucking awesome!!
I'd get a poster of this one, and post it next to my front door so that everyone who comes in could see it!
oh and this one too!!
...just fucking awesome!!!!
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12-05-2013, 05:52 PM #19Registered User
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IceAxe basically subcharters the boat from a company called Quark. Quark provides the zodiac drivers and coordinates all the logistics of getting from the ship to shore. Most of the zodiac drivers also have an expertise in some field like geology, marine biology, ornithology, etc. and give lectures during the evenings. IceAxe brings a contingent of guides from all over the world. Some of the guides already have clients that they are bringing with them, while others have the clients asigned to them. I don't think there are any guides based out of Antarctica.
I booked about 4-5 months in advance. But like Tri-ungulate stated, you can email Karyn and see how close they are to filling up. I think she said this trip filled about 2 months before departure.
I have been seriously thinking about getting Keoki to print one for me. Have to see how much it will cost.
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12-05-2013, 06:24 PM #20
Trip of a lifetime! Pure gold! Amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using TGR ForumsThe Passion is in the Risk
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12-05-2013, 06:58 PM #21
Thanks for the stoke! Looks like such a sweet trip!
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12-05-2013, 07:08 PM #22
Motivating me to stop procrastinating on TGR, do some work, and earn those cash monies for a trip like this. Thanks for sharing.
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12-05-2013, 09:17 PM #23
Absolutely incredible! Looks like a trip of a life time.
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12-06-2013, 11:58 AM #24
Awesome photos and TR. Thanks!
so unlike the rest of us who are training for AK, do you tell people you are training for Antarctica?
Is the total cost around $10K, $20k, $30k or more?
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12-06-2013, 12:12 PM #25
Super TR and lovely photos. Bucket list...if they or Damo have a trip for old guys.
The sad truth is that whine does not age well
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