Arrived at Antarctica
- 15 dec. 2023
The first day we arrived in the peninsula of Antarctica we got two cool activities planned. First up we would go basic mountaineering up a hill and later one we would spend our night in the open air of Antarctica.
Morning: Mountaineering (Melchior Islands)
So first up was mountaineering. This means going up a very snowy mountain with a high risk of crevasses, holes or caves of soft snow, where you can fall into. To make this possible we used snowshoes to stay above the snow and were roped-up to each other so if one would fall in we could all secure him or her. When you take the first steps into the snow, without having your snowshoes on yet, you immediately sink up to your hips into the snow. The difference the snowshoes make is quite impressive. With the shoes you actually keep afloat on the snow. And the extra iron rails give you some grip when going downhill. As we were putting on our snowshoes a bit of snow started to fall, although not quite unexpected on Antarctica. We went up the hill in two teams, each with a separate expedition leader. We went up first and paved the way for the second group. We progressed slowly and had to make sure to walk in a rhythm to keep the rope from slacking or pulling. As we went higher and higher the landscape got wider but the snowstorm got more vicious as well. After we walked a few hundred meters the snowstorm got so bad that the only thing we saw in front of us was the person at the other end of the rope. The rest was one wall of white around us. This was the point we decided to go back. We made a short shop at the edge of a crevasse with a great overlook on a Finnish research station. After this we got back to the ground to take of our snowshoes and head back to the warm ship.
How to get of a ship
What I hadn’t expected is that getting of a ship and going ashore is not as easy as it seems. There are no nice ports with drawbridges or anything, only rock, water and snow. This meant that for all excursions we went aboard a Zodiac, an enforced rubber boat with engine, to take us ashore for a landing. We did have to dress up for the Zodiacs because the wind was very cold, and you always had to have a life-jacket on. Just racing through the water with cold wind racing past was awesome. You’re close to the water, waves and icebergs around you ar every side. It was very awesome. then you run the boat onto the shore to jump out form the sides. Not very often without jumping into the seawater. We did get Muck Boots for our excursions. These are some very sturdy and isolates boots that keep the water out and the warmth in. The only downside is that they smell awful. I was pretty sure mine contained more life than there is Krill on Antarctica.
Afternoon: Zodiac Cruise (Orne Harbour)
Since the weather didn’t really clear up we used the Zodiac to visit some nice sights. Using the Zodiacs is a great way to see some different parts in the area. From the Zodiac we saw the first penguins (Chinstrap- and Adele penguins) and a seal. That was pretty cool.
Night: Camping on the ice
What’s cooler than sleeping under the naked sky? Sleeping under the naked sky in a bed of ice on Antarctica of course. The weather cleared up, and we sailed to an unnamed island near Paradise Bay. Here we went ashore with only our basic stuff. On the island we got special sleeping bags that are rated for -30 degrees Celsius. We put these, with some sleeping-mat into a sac-like thing called a bivybag. This is a waterproof bag to keep any water and wind out of the sleeping bag. Just dropping these on the ice will still be too cold. So we all had to dig a hole to sleep in. Digging the ice was actually quite easy. The consistency of the ice is like a crossover between little ice-cubes and proper snow. We dig the holes and build walls to keep the wind away. The holes and walls are just enough to lay down and keep our nose out of the wind. We shouldn’t dig too deep because an important part of visiting Antarctica is to not leave any traces. This means that when we leave in the morning we need to fill up our now frozen pitts again. We dig our holes and nobody expects to actually sleep in this environment, but slowly as everyone gets into their sleeping-bag it gets quieter and quieter. All around you can hear avalanches roaring through the mountains. Of course at this south on the world the sun doesn’t go down, so we sleep in daylight. And against expectations I fall asleep soon after laying down.
After about four hours of sleep I get awoken by snowflakes hitting me in the face. The sleeping bag and bivybag are mostly closed up but in this case our head was still sticking out. This means that your face gets to catch all the snow and rain that comes down. Also, where the sleeping-bag is exposed and catches the snow, it will get wet and lose its insulating properties. So no more sleeping.
It was time to pack up and go back to the boat. It’s still 5 o’clock in the morning, so we’re all very sleepy while we stuff our sleeping bags, bivybag and mats in the sac and dress up warmly with all our expedition outfits. After filling up our sleeping holes we jump onto the Zodiacs and on board of the ship there is a special breakfast waiting for us. Since it is now almost 6 o’clock and the morning program starts at 7 we might as well just enjoy the morning view and keep on keeping on. The view is amazing, we’re sailing to a new site and the sun is up, huge mountain ridges and icebergs pass by. This is Antarctica on its finest, and at this moment it sinks in how beautiful and special it is to be here. Or it might just be the lack of sleep. Anyway, onto the next day!
