ANTARCTICA!!!

[akdusty]

This is a TR, most likely long winded and definitely photo filled, so prepare yourself with some coffee and time or go away if you're a little ADD. This is a Trip Report, of Antarctica!


…or if you'd rather not scroll through these photos by hand, here's a slide show intermixed with some video for you...



Now back to the TR...
It all started when I was about 5 years old… Just kidding, but really I've been wanting and trying to get to Antarctica for many many years now. I've put in applications to work at Mcmurdo station to no avail (Thank God). Then I read some reports on a "ski cruise" put on by iceaxe expeditions in 2009 and I've been waiting and watching for another trip ever since. When I found out they were doing it again in November 2013, back in June 2012, I knew I was in. I promptly replaced my girlfriends pills with pezz, went at it, and waited. A little over 9 months later we had a baby to sell on the black market and money for the trip. It Was On!!!

So finally after over a year of waiting it was time to pack.

Euro style

So here I should point out that we planned on hiking and camping in Patagonia for 2 weeks after the cruise, hence the extra backpack and gear.

Then it was travel time


56 hours of travel time!!!


and we finally made it!


to Ushuaia, Argentina


where we slept for 2 days solid and then met up with the IceAxe team and went for our first ski with our guides and crews of 4

literally learning the ropes and ice axe and crampon usage


Then we put everyones gear together for the trip to come


Now the question is "is this too much gear?" and does this statue in town foreshadow things to come?

I hope not.

Our ship, the Sea Adventurer!


and we're off!


Oh God help me


We're now sailing The Drake Passage for a little over 2 days

It ain't so bad

well, maybe


Our first land sighting


I said LAND!

(this is my IceAxe promo photo, does it work?)

Time for some coffee and awe


and then we ran into some brash ice




We didn't care, it was time to roll!


well, maybe this brash ice is a bit much for zodiacs

[hop]

barely started and already awesome.

[akdusty]

So let's try that again…



We're getting off of this ship!!!


and getting out of here (with a lot of gear)


Our first "beach" landing

Man, absolutely nothing is easy here

but we've made it!


and there's even a welcoming committee


Time to climb

and ski

into a penguin colony that is

Meanwhile, back on board

let the antics begin

and drying of boots


did I mention the guides hallway?


Now back to skiing, day 2 at a Chilean weather station

It went pretty grey out, but I don't care. I Love Snow! It tastes great


Some folks went wildlife viewing rather than skiing


We, team split board, opted for steeps


and DEEPS!




Our guide, Andrew Eisenstark, measured the slope at the top to be 47 degrees. That wasn't even the steepest part of the run! So we got an easy 50 degree run of full blown face shots, in Antarctica!!! As Andrew said "We're in no competition here, but WE ARE WINNING!"

Day 3 and it's BLUE out!


Team split (IrishGav, Cole, and guide Andrew)

myself

and our ship

skiing


Day 4, climbing

skinning

and performing in front of a captive audience


Repeat

[akdusty]

And on to Dr Seuss's The Grinch Mtn…







Then the antics start up again. First, there were Peeping Tom's aboard! These guys came peeping in our window on a ship in the Antarctic!

Can you believe it? I couldn't believe it (but I'd never met Todd Offenbacher before)

And then…

Polar Plunge time!

It's F-ing cold! 31 degrees F I believe, below freezing!

but they give you a shot of vodka to warm up

One more


Back to skiing, Day 5




Visibility was shit, so we visited "the Blue room"



and skied back to the boat

The guide in my girls eyes


The weather got better and it was time to ski again


I opted for sightseeing this run








you can see the skinners up there somewhere








Meanwhile, my girlfriends group led by Doug Workman was shooting for this monster!

"GnarWall"

Carey up top

and "dropping in"

safely back at the bottom

[cliffhucker]

FKNA!!! Keep these things coming!

[GimpToo]

Amazing . . . is this a dejavu

[akdusty]

It was sometime around this point during the trip that IrishGav made the polite observation that "You know what? You're a hick. I've just realized that you're a Hick." I have no idea how, or what, made him come to this conclusion.


But I don't care, it was party time!

Duct tape and Disco balls!

Just look at these moves!

Ain't no hick pulling off moves like that!

Befriending all the rock stars I was

Chris Davenport


Andrew Mclean! I mean, C'mon!

Day 6 was a down day due to wind, and hangovers, so we sightseeing at a Polish science station and penguin rookery








and then it was back to the Drake!




and that was our trip to Antarctica


I hope you enjoyed it, I DID!!! They're doing it again the next 2 Novembers (that's 2014 and 2015). Have a kid, sell it. Do whatever you can and GO ON THIS TRIP! It's Totally worth it, and more. Thank you again Doug and Karyn at IceAxe Expeditions and the Quark staff and everyone else on board for a Wonderful Great Extupendous Time!

[Mike Pow]

F to the mtf KNA

Way to rock out Travolta.

[sqikunst]

^^ ahhh this is what I come to TGR for!!

[Skree]

I promptly replaced my girlfriends pills with pezz, went at it, and waited. A little over 9 months later we had a baby to sell on the black market and money for the trip. It Was On!!!

Knew it was gonna be a great TR before I even saw the pictures. Nicely done.

[Hicks]

Awesome!!!

[BigDaddy]

Great TR... Inspiring adventure!

[Dhelihiker]

Very very cool!!!

[tylerjames]

A+++

very cool

[GoldMember]

Great trip. Great TR. Great stoke. Thank you!!!

[Tye 1on]

wow, FKNA!!!!
well played sir-

[DoWork]

Well that was fkn awesome!

[The Gnarwhale]

There's actually ski luggage called DoucheBags(TM)? Would that trademark even hold up? But who would challenge it?

Looks like it was well worth the sale of your first born! If you two get busy, maybe you can make it on next year's trip too?

Pretty cool to see the shirts I made in use!

[noparking]

so fucking rad

[subtle plague]

yay for hicks!

[ncskier]

FKNA Awesome. Shouldn't this TR be under the Antarctica 13/14 Season Thread?

[wildmanwillie]

Great pictures, the scenery is unreal. Skiing didn't look half bad either. Thanks for sharing!

[saxon]

Thanks for this.

[::: :::]

i knew when i saw Cousin Eddie's white shoes in first shot that this TR would be full of win!

utterly jealous!!!

[Arno]

fantastic - thanks