Punta Arenas, Chile, heading to the ice

Hola amigos/as y familia,
Happy Halloween. I hope you are well.
I am in Punta Arenas, Chile on my way to Antarctica.

Funny how thrashing about with my Spanish and planning for time on the ice erodes my plan to focus mostly on my home-area life for the next few years. Traveling and working in amazing places has a way of thoroughly engaging and challenging me. But then again, so does climbing and other adventuring, just in a different way. However, my rough plans are to be home only around 8 months a year anyway, so it's not a matter of one type of lifestyle or the other. So much to experience and learn in this crazy life!

The company leadership is setting the "right" tone and saying the "right" things for the most part as well as making us feel welcome. Off to a good start. Interesting to learn a bit more about the politics involved in the Antarctic Treaty and how it's been managed over the decades. Am appreciating a view of the ice from a non-governmental/corporate perspective (not to imply that the NSF-USAP has been dishonest).

My ice background has made an incredible tremendous difference in what it feels like to start with this company. To understand the language, systems, the realities of working down there and to know what questions to ask has made this much less stressful entry than in 2003. Yee haa!

I feel at home with our team partly because I already know 3 folks from Exum and a couple others from my time in McMurdo. Our staff represents about 15 countries so it's been fun learning about different cultures and deciphering all the different dialects, accents, and phrases.

Speaking of which*, astonishingly, much of my meager Spanish has awakened after 8 years of hibernation. I love getting to actually interact a bit with patient locals and trade language-teaching with some of our Chilean staff. *ha

This company, "Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions", has several components, one of which is wholesaling Vinson trips to private guide services (such as Alpine Ascents) who then get their own clients, have their own guides, etc.

ALE also owns ANI, which "retails" Vinson climbs directly to climbers. As ALE-ANI guides we also act as rangers on the mountain, maintaining the fixed ropes, coordinating the radio communications, reminding groups of Treaty environmental requirements, relaying weather forecasts, managing the basecamp from which small aircraft (Twin Otters from the same company as the USAP uses) fly people back and forth to the main camp Patriot Hills. Seems to be the best company to guide Vinson for. This year I think we have about 135 Vinson climbers, making it the most popular trip though skiing the last latitude degree to the South Pole is also popular.

[Mt. Vinson, 16,050' high, is the reason so many people are willing to shell out $35 grand to be cold: simply because it is the highest summit on the continent, one of the "Seven Summits". Climbing the Seven Summits has become a popular goal for those of, uh, "significant" means and little time (or... skills).]

The stories that I've been hearing about some clients and what they'll hide in order to summit (frostbite, injuries, medical conditions) are a little daunting even though this company regularly turns down potential clients (who then show up on the mountain with other companies). I'm amazed how many highly-publicized "solo" ski trips have made to Pole... with a photographer or even a GUIDE along (even hauling the person part way behind a snowmobile). The photographer and/or guide somehow never show up in the photos and video distributed to the media and sponsors. How naive I am: it really should, however, be of no surprise that people bring their "stuff" with them no matter how far afield they venture. As you can well imagine, stories abound.

Patriot Hills, in addition to serving Vinson climbers, also supports other ANI trips such as people being flown to the USAP South Pole Station for a 3-hour tour and t-shirt purchasing session, and people skiing to Pole from the edge of the continent: LONG hard trips. People even fly in for the marathon run. ALE's Patriot Hills also supports numerous other private trips and governmental projects that need logistical support (some projects are science: in fact the USAP occasionally contracts with ALE).

There are only 2 penguin clients this year, so I won't be working that trip. (Also, no Ellsworth Mtns clients either). Right now I'm on for two Vinson climbs then basecamp manager, but with the changes of plans based on weather-delayed-aircraft, I know not to "expect" that to actually happen. Whatever I'm assigned, I'm sure it'll be fun and I'll learn a lot.

Patriot Hills maxes out at about 80-90 people and has a reputation as serving the best food in Antarctica. People sleep in normal tents but on nicer mattresses and there's some sort of shower facility for limited use. Laundry is sent out on the weekly flights from the large plane, the Russian Illushin-76 that ALE contracts with for flights to/from the ice. Overall it sounds much like any other large field camp I've been to, minus the science.

The idea of real recreational activities such as skiing and climbing being not only legitimate, but the goal is a bit of a mental shift... a refreshing shift. Skis as part of our work gear! (even if just for slogging around upon) There aren't much in the way of rules around personal recreation, but of course there are heavy expectations in the way in which it is undertaken... for good reason. Time and energy will the issues around recreating. It appears the Norwegian cook staff have brought kite skiing down here; I am looking forward to seeing that.

I'll spend nearly all my time, however, at Vinson basecamp with about 15 other guides (most of whom are on the mtn at any given time), and a cook(!).

I don't fly onto the ice for another week so have some time to sort out which of the local dark chocolates is worthy of taking to the ice. How is it that I visit countries that don't "do" chocolate very well?

Would you believe there's a climbing gym here in Punta?! 'Climbing gym' is a relative term, but it has half the rules and twice the character of any gym I've heard of. They get points for creativity and resourcefulness; definitely a kick... and a good work-out.

My email messages will wait for me on my Yahoo acct so feel free to send whatever you'd like, especially holiday letters with attachments, photos of you with your sweetie, family, pets, friends, and whatever your current adventures may be: re-doing the kitchen, surviving the holiday season, or getting out and about in whatever capacity. !Muchas Gracias!

On the ice I will be able to receive two emails a week to the ALE account and send out four; beyond which I will be charged. There's no internet access down there; the connection is very slow and there is only one computer for staff email anyway.

[Incidentally, I am on Facebook. I'm trying to find someone to post updates I send from the ice to this blog and then put a little note on my Facebook profile that there's an update here. If I cannot get anything posted while on the ice, I'll do so when I get home in early January.]

Love and Icy Breezes, Susan

The company I'm working for:
http://www.antarctic-logistics.com/index.html

Photo of Vinson basecamp:
http://exposedplanet.com/index.php?showimage=220

Of course, YouTube for Vinson basecamp etc etc:
http://noolmusic.com/youtube_videos/to_at_mount_vinson_base_camp_in_antarctica.php

A 2005 science expedition that flew in from McMurdo-Pole on the planes (LC-130) used over there. This year no NSF-USAP groups and only two science projects (other countries) out of Patriot Hills. But it does give one a sense of Patriot Hills, despite not being a recreational trip which is the vast majority of ALE's business:
http://mitchell-antarctica.blogspot.com/2008/01/patriot-hills.html

pbase.com/antarctic_suze photos won't be updated till January.

Humorous Spanish-to-English translation of the week: seen on a box of condoms while waiting in line at the cashier in the grocery store. That particular type of condom was described as "Sensible".
I had to think about that one for a moment and concluded that it's probably more accurate than what they actually meant.
;-)