Port Lockroy

January 16th.

A remarkable day yesterday – from which we are still recovering.  Our aim was to climb the main peak on Lemare Island which is listed on the chart as being 2,490 ft high.   Dropped off from nearby Waterboat point where we were anchored beside Gabriele Gonzales Videla Base, we spent the usual amount of flaffing time getting tied into ropes for glacier travel and fitting snowshoes before starting up the hill.  We were also distracted by Gentoo penguins wandering through our skinny band of rocky beach and a weddel seal keeping a weary eye on us as he basked 10 meters away.

The route looked rather daunting and indeed there were adrenalin moments for each of us.  It was not very technical and by mountaineering standards not that exposed, but we were acutely conscious of both our inexperience with snowshoes and our isolation from rescue services.  The slope gradually steepened, but with the deep, soft, wet snow the biggest challenge was maintaining traction as there was little risk of sliding down the hill. But once we reached the narrow icy ridge the steep drop-offs on either side and strong breeze raised pulses a little.  But things quickly changed and by the time we reached a rocky ridge near the first summit (2,200 ft) the wind had died and there was some topless sunbathing while the sweat dried.  The sun was out and the views stunning with numerous icebergs below us and mountains completely surrounding us with their glaciers ending in the sea in jagged ice cliffs.
We continued on through a broad gentle valley and after a relaxed lunch in the snow attempted the main peak finding comfortable routes between crevasses.  At 4pm we decided that everyone was a bit too tired to continue and we turned around maybe an hour short of the summit.  The trip down the hill and back to the rocky ridge was fun for everyone.  We were following our footprints, the snowshoes were working well and confidence was high.  At the ridge we changed to crampons as the snowshoes were uncomfortable on steep downhills.  This worked well until the last slopes where the breakable crust meant that every second step was knee deep.
Shortly before we got back to the beach Darrel had radioed that we were invited to a BBQ at the Chilean base, sometime after 8pm.  It was almost 8 by the time we were all on board Spirit, so it was a sprint to anchor and lay out shore lines before grabbing a large ribeye steak and a slab of beer and heading over to the party.  Food was purely meat:  rare ribeye steak with some pork and chicken served continuously for 3 hours. There was no other food and it was tough for the vegetarians, but great for the carnivores. The workshop had been converted to a makeshift bar with the forge as a BBQ, music videos projected onto an old screen and dartboard.  It was a vibrant atmosphere and after an adrenalin day we all probably drank more that we should.  About 11pm there was a spectacular sunset with the snow and rock lit in soft orange light. Standing outside in the penguin colony, observing our route and the penguin life and reflecting on our day, it all seemed very special.
Today began rather slowly and we had quite a bit of work to do sorting gear from yesterday, weighing anchor (a big job as there were two long shore lines out that had to be rolled back onto their deck drums. We motored down Paradise Harbour and up the Fergus on Channel, sometimes pushing slowly through brash ice and dodging numerous icebergs. Shortly before the south end of Weinke Island we spotted humpback whales and then stopped in calm conditions to observe a pod of orca.
We had planned to paddle up the Peltier Channel, but the wind rose, the cloud came down and it started snowing lightly, so we opted to observe the steep grandeur of the channel from the yacht.  With its mixture of glaciers calving into the sea and towering rocky peaks it was still dramatic.
As we motored in calm conditions for over six hours there was time for everyone to have a very refreshing shower.  The shower space is in the head and very cramped.  Fresh water is made on board by reverse osmosis, a process that requires considerable electricity and the water is heated with waste heat from the engine so showering is only possible when the engine is running and its reasonably calm.  Having washed ourselves we decided to do our first clothes wash and had just started this when we got the opportunity to visit the Port Lockroy historic base.  That put dinner plans back somewhat and we finally ate a superb lasagne at 10pm.
I am writing this while on my anchor watch from midnight till 1am.  We are swinging at anchor in willy-wall conditions with 15-25 knots of wind. It’s light outside so I can mostly observe conditions from the saloon, regularly checking the depth and wind strength.

Ross