The glaciers! WOW! We spend I don’t know how long on our balcony taking shots of glaciers and incredible vistas of Paradise Bay, one of the most picturesque places on this side of the continent. It’s Antarctic weather boy – a storm system has stalled here and we’re getting clouds, overcast, snow, rain, you name it. Oh, and then the sun will shine through. All the different weather in 45 minutes – that’s the Antarctic!
Our next expedition is our first landing on the continent – on the 100th anniversary of Amundsen discovering the South Pole. We actually make our first steps on the continent within an hour plus 100 years of that historic event. First though, we take a zodiac cruise along the glacier – spotting albatross and Shags on the cliffs. We also have the luck to see an Adelie penguin – fairly rare here – they are normally either in the North or the South, but not in this “zone”.
Then, Simon (the birding naturalist and our zodiac driver), steers us into the pack ice. Oh WOW! We’re in the ice, right next to little bergs and ice floats, navigating around big chunks and hunks. We drift around there for a while, just marveling in the ice, the glaciers surrounding us and the sheer magnitude of this place. It’s cloudy, a little snowy, with mist blowing in and out. The contrast for our pictures isn’t going to be the greatest, but there is such an ethereal feel – an appropriate feeling atmosphere for being here in the Antarctic.
We leave the ice behind and skirt the coast – looking or Shags and other various and assorted birds. We even find a Cape Petrel sitting in the snow. Soon we round the bend, and make our first landing on the continent. Ta da! Happy Anniversary Amundsen/South Pole Discover – we are HERE!
And here is a very quaint little Argentinean outpost called Almirante Brown. It’s a summer scientific center, however it has not been occupied yet this year. Simon says they sometimes see people here later in the summer. There are a few buildings here (some with snow almost to their roofs) and gentoo penguins galore! Oh – the smell here. Phew! But also, there is the “hill”!
Way up at the tippy top of the ridge above the station waits a spectacular view of Paradise Bay – however one must get there first. Fortunately, there have been at least a few before us and the trail is relatively beaten down – relatively meaning you can pretty much walk up without sinking down to your knees in snow all the time – if you stay right in the center of the narrow trail. Easier said then done, since it’s really a single line of footprints – there are people coming both up and down. Hey – it’s an expedition, what can you expect!
We trudge our way up to the first rise – have a photo taken by the ship’s photographer – then of course brave the rest of the trail up the hill. I’m calling it a hill – but it’s probably really a cliff – a steep cliff! There are parts where we are almost climbing straight up – like a ladder – a ladder of semi-packed snow mind you! We can’t help but think about Amundsen and Robert Scott – and how they did this so many years ago and with such unsophisticated equipment and preparation. Here we are trudging up this hill in our ski pants, long underwear, water proof (well sort of) gloves, boots, parkas – we’re completely outfitted and we’re tourists! These guys were explorers who walked for miles every day – in Scott’s case sometimes man hauling their sledges. Words just can’t put into perspective the wonder and amazement of it all.
So, us mere tourists man haul ourselves up this teeny little hill (by real expedition standards that is) and are totally rewarded with a fabulous view of the bay, the ship, the surrounding cliffs and mountains and glaciers. We spend a few moments perched atop the cliff admiring and extolling the view. Then it’s down we go.
Oh boy! Supposedly we could slide down on our butts – but that trail was too bumpy for my behind! So we trudge down, doing our best to stay in the path and not on the side where more than likely we’re up to our knees. It’s a little tough though as the two-way traffic has increased! We make it eventually – and then of course it’s penguin-palooza. There are two rookeries with tons of great shots (you’ll all be so sick of penguins by the time I’m done….sorry…I just find them totally fascinating, not to mention cuddly cute!).
Finally Ed drags me back to the zodiac where we take leave from the continent and our first visit.
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