El Chalten – More early mornings!

El  El Chalten with its rugged Andean setting  really is the trekking capital of Patagonia.  It is situated within Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and is a superb place to explore.  It only has roughly 500 permanent residents and during the summer months over 60,000 hikers and climbers are drawn to this area by the great trails that lead to the base of the highest summit , Mount Fitz Roy , in the Fitz Roy massif, what a sight to see, especially at sunrise.
Long exposure before dawn, tricky with no tripod in El Chalten

Long exposure before dawn, tricky with no tripod

 

Sunrise on it's way, reflecting in the lakes below

Sunrise on it’s way, reflecting in the lakes below

 

Stunning red color dominates all round it at sunup

Stunning red color dominates all round it at sunup

 

When we arrived we checked the weather forecast for the next three days , and as it was going to be very clear in the mornings, some sun during the day with breeze and a small chance of rain it was on with our back-packs and off we went for a 3 day / 2 night hike. We wanted to see Fitz Roy at sunrise so we camped for the night in a sheltered wooded area, the only facility being a Dixie ( toilet ) .  At 4.45 a.m.  we left camp to make the 3km hike , a steep uphill by headlight , to be in time for pre dawn and sunrise.  However, we arrived quicker that we thought we would, so had a lot of time for photographs and also time to get cold as it took the sun a long time to get up, but as it started to rise the lakes below us turned a pink colour, then orange , spectacular, and then all of a sudden it hit Mt. Fitz Roy, stunning as the sky above was so so clear.  At one stage you could see the entire reflection of it in the lake below. Some people actually brought their sleeping bags with them , a great idea , as they looked so warm and cosy.

Sleeping bags were a great way to wait for the sun

Sleeping bags were a great way to wait for the sun

Back down for breakfast , packed up our tent and spent the day getting to our next campsite which was a relatively easy hike along by lakes and through forest and woodland areas.

Our tent on the right with the other campers just after sunrise

Our tent on the right with the other campers just after sunrise

Sarah collecting water from a stream

Sarah collecting water from a stream

The hikes were clearly marked, and had handy raised platforms over the wet areas

The hikes were clearly marked, and had handy raised platforms over the wet areas

At this campsite we had views of glaciers but the Cerro Torre decided to hide in the clouds in the early morning, and it was only as we walked about 6km away from it , it decided to wake up, but  disappeared just as fast.  Really it teased us all day on our walk back , but when we stopped for our picnic lunch sitting up on rocks, we could see both Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre both at the same time, happy days, our third day of trekking was not all in vain!  Eveytime you stop there is stunning scenery each side of you , also incredible clouds in the sky.

The moon over Mount Fitzroy and El Chalten

The moon over Mount Fitzroy and El Chalten

View from one of the hikes

View from one of the hikes

Glaciers in the Morning

Glaciers in the Morning

Another day we just did a one day hike, 24 Kms return trip, impressive or what ! and Merv carried his tripod all the way to the top.  The last bit of this hike was really difficult, wasn’t sure I would or could make it, but never the less I wouldn’t give up , despite the snow under foot in places I eventually made it  and boy it was worth it, a full 360 degrees view.  There was no stopping athlete Merv , tripod and camera in full shooting mode, what a wonderful view of Fitz Roy , Cerro Torre (nice of it to oblige today) and the many glaciars and lakes below us.  Once we got to the top it was really warm, even the rocks for sitting on were warm so we stayed about one and a half hours soaking up this breathtaking view.  Plus there were a few more people at the top so we all chatted and exchanged travel stories, one Dutch, one English, one Swiss, three Canadians and us.  Another wonderful day.
Canadian builders are everywhere....

Canadian builders are everywhere….

 

A really good look around the mountains....

A really good look around the mountains….

 

El Chalten – up and coming

This is an up and coming town, only in the last two years has it got an ATM machine, which let me tell you only works sporadically, and even though some cafes boast they have wifi , the wifi is even more sporadic , but despite that it is a wonderful place to visit and has a real relaxed and friendly atmosphere, I hope it never becomes too commericalised !
Categories: Argentina | Tags: | 5 Comments

Glacier Perito Moreno

Glacier Perito Moreno

In the southern sector of this great Parque Nacional Los Glaciers is the spectacular sight of Glaciar Perito Moreno. It really is a white giant with its 5 kilometre front which rises 60 metres above the water .

overall view of the Glacier Perito Moreno

overall view of the glacier

Glacier perito moreno’s ice flows down and into the milky mineral rich waters of Lago Argentino, which is Argentina’s biggest lake. The most popular way to see the glacier is from the catwalks on Peninsula Magellanes 150 metres across Lago Argentina from the face of the glacier. This experience is really heightened when you hear a huge chunk of the ice breaking off the glacier’s face and tumbles into the water below it, (the Iceberg Channel ). We heard some small ones , but luckily we saw and heard one big piece breaking off, the sound is amazing especially when it hits the water, it sounded like a great roar of thunder.

Want some ice with that sir - Glacier Perito Moreno

Want some ice with that sir

We spent one whole afternoon just at this glacier alone , taking photographs from all different view point and angles, and as the sun moved the glacier looked different every couple of minutes .

In case you thought we had lost the hat.....

In case you thought we had lost the hat…..

Light coming through the ice looks amazing

Light coming through the ice looks amazing

blue and light.

blue and light.

A hint of scale for the glacier

A hint of scale for the glacier

The walkways are very extensive

The walkways are very extensive

 

Lago Roca

 

Also in this park is the hidden gem of Lago Roca where we parked up for two nights. It is a beautiful turquoise lake fringed with forests and is overlooked by snow peaks and from the top of the hiking trail here you can see Glacier Perito Moreno, Lago Argentina and the Torres del Paine mountain range in Chile. It really is a great spot to camp, quiet and peaceful especially midweek !! Camping here is free once you have bought a ticket for Glacier Perito Moreno.

Lago Roca camping. Superb views.

Lago Roca camping. Superb views.

Last few drinkies with Jurgen and Ruth, for now...

Last few drinkies with Jurgen and Ruth, for now…

Categories: Argentina | Tags: | 2 Comments

12 days in Torres del Paine National Park.

Well the long awaited visit to Torres del Paine National Park had arrived and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint. What a wonderful park to visit for mainly scenery but also for wildlife such as guanacos, huemules, foxes, condors, flamingoes, swans, wood-peckers, and of course the puma , all of which we saw EXCEPT the puma, which eluded us this time.

Fox yawning in the evening light in Torres Del Paine NP.

Fox yawning in the evening light in Torres Del Paine NP.

background on Torres del Paine

The Park has different micro-climates that create an interesting biodivesity with pre-Andean shrubs, deciduous forest and Andean desert. The Paine Massif is quite simply the main attraction and really is an unmissable part of any trip to Chile , and these mountains appear suddenly on the horizon across miles of flat, dry, windswept plains, a really astonishing sight. Speaking of wind-swept we really experienced the Patagonian winds at there best here. The highest part is made up of sedimentary rock, and granite at the base. For millions of years it has been molded by glaciers. The towers took their present shape due to a freeze-thaw cycle which operates 365 days a year up there enlarging cracks and chipping away at the rock.

There are 250kms of walking trails in this park with fantastic views no matter which path you take as you meander through pampas areas, Magellan forests, lakes and lagoons with ice floes and glaciers, all encircled by huge rocks which make this place quite magical. There are two main treks that most people do, one being The Long Circuit which can take up to 8 days depending on one’s physcial condition and also on the weather which can change every five minutes or so here, we say in Ireland we have 4 seasons in one day, here in Patagonia we have 4 seasons in one hour. Then there is the W circuit , the one which we did over 5 days, obviously shorter. The three important factors we had to consider before doing this hike was weight to be carried, physical condition and of course weather condition (which did effect us on one of the days).

Our visit to Torres del Paine

4 loaded down hikers. check.

4 loaded down hikers. check.

However we bought a tent (light-weight Marmont 2.3 kilos, for those of you who are into hiking) and a 70 – 80 litre back pack (for Merv) and I borrowed one from our friends Jurgon and Ruth (much smaller of course) , we had sleeping bags with us, sorted our food for the days which was lightweight stuff like Noodles, Pasta, Potato Puree (can’t believe I had Puree Potatoes, but they were not bad, hunger is a good sauce), dried nuts, fruit and raisins, bread, cheese, salami and energy bars.We filled our water bottles from the mountain streams as we went along.

Our new tent, ready for some side trips

Our new tent, ready for some side trips

So off we went to reach the top of The Torres, which we did over 2 days, round trip being 18 kms, extremely steep in some places, camping out overnight, so as the next morning we would be at the top before sunrise, which meant leaving the camp by torch light at 4 am.

These signs are few and far between, and rarely bring good news like "it's all downhill with the wind at your back" Torres del Paine

These signs are few and far between, and rarely bring good news like “it’s all downhill with the wind at your back”

It was roughly one hour walking to the top from the camp as the previous evening we also climbed up for the view, gluttons for punishment or what. The morning sunrise was stunning, not only did the top of The Torres turn the fabulous red colour we had read about and seen pictures of , but also the clouds on either side were red, and to complete it we also had the moon . Oh what a sight for all of about 2 minutes, but hey I guess that’s sunrise for you.

Morning sun hits the Torres, and if you are lucky with the clouds, you get to see this red color for a minute or two.

Morning sun hits the Torres, and if you are lucky with the clouds, you get to see this red color for a minute or two.

10 minutes before the sun hits the Torres, they have a gentle pinkish glow

10 minutes before the sun hits the Torres, they have a gentle pinkish glow

We decided to take the 40 minute boat trip on Lago Grey to glacier Grey which dropped us off at the start of our next part of the hike (day 3).

backpacks read for the hike

backpacks read for the hike

We had 12 kms to do , and as our legs were a little stiff from the last 2 days, we did debate whether we would just do a short part or the whole lot of it, I reckoned it would be best to do it in full, don’t give our legs and body time to seize up completely as they would be worse then the next day, so all in agreement we continued on our merry way, up rocks, down rocks, over streams and valleys,doggy bridges, IPAD photographers, through forest with the most stunning scenery each way you looked.

Ipad photography abound. And it's a very nice shot she has made too. Just shows that it's not the camera that takes a shot....

Ipad photography abound. And it’s a very nice shot she has made too. Just shows that it’s not the camera that takes a shot….

One minute it was warm, next minute it was cold, maybe then a little rain, then sunshine so hence you had to have gear to suit all weather types, but mostly we were warm. We always made sure our lunch stops were in pretty places, but to be honest it was difficult to chose a bad spot. After a good few hours we arrived in our campsite, a campsite with no shade, we didn’t need shade from the sun this time, but from the wind. Oh what a gale was blowing, it took all four of us to erect a tent at a time, over 100kms per hour which continued all through the night, none of us were sure that we would still have a tent in the morning, but we did, happy days.

Bet I could have gotten the mog along here....

Bet I could have gotten the mog along here….

 

This campsite also had a Refugio where you could rent a bed for the night, usually with 6, or 8 other people, and also for us camping people they had a room where we could cook and eat, this was lovely and warm, but was really busy with everybody trying to cook at the same time. Pasta, Pasta, and more pasta was the menu of the day for most people, but we were really posh as on that evening we had Potato Puree with Salami. There was a great buzz with everybody chatting about the day, which direction they had come from and where they were going tomorrow and how long more till they finish. All different nationalities sharing stories and sore feet, wonderful ! A fantastic view of the mountains from this room as we ate, what more could you ask for.

The next day (day 4 , 12km) the weather as we left our campsite didn’t look too promising but being an optimistic person I hoped it would improve, but no it just got worse and worse. The wind was still strong as we made our way through more stunning scenery and paths we reached a closed camp where we cooked our lunch. From this campsite we could only make a small bit of the Valle del Frances as the weather took a major turn for the worst and the valley was completely covered in cloud, hence there would be no view when we reached the top, it was now raining, so on with the rain gear, and also it was quite cold. We had to make a rapid decision whether to ‘chance’ staying in this closed campsite overnight, but when we checked the weather situation with the ranger he said tomorrow’s weather would be similar, if not worse. Decision made we continued on to the next campsite , and boy it was raining very heavy now , all walking a little faster so as to not get too wet. We arrived pretty much like ‘drowned rats’ so it took us a little while before we dried out, but when we did , off we went to cook dinner. We treated ourselves to some wine from the MiniMart, but we reckoned we deserved it even at a cost!!! The cooking shelter was like a lean too of a hay-shed, so we had to use the empty wine cartons to catch the water as it dripped off the roof , lol. Never mind we hit the bed, slept like logs, and the next morning it was still raining , but as the day (day 5 , 11kms)) progressed it improved no end , and by the early afternoon it was bright sunshine again , spectacular scenery and smiles all round. As we made our final descent , we saw the ‘Mog’ in the distance, suddenly now we were walking even faster knowing that ‘cold’ beer awaited us in the fridge , the hot and well needed shower would have to take second place for a little. What a great adventure, never did we think we would carry back-packs for 5 days, and Merv was still able to hobble, so looking forward to his next hike, El Chaten/Mount Fitzroy awaits him. Joking aside parts of it were quite tough, but the way to do it is slowly, slowly, we all got there in the end.

Dodgy bridges. check.

Dodgy bridges. check.

Trekking done, hot showers and then a cold beer on the mog-couch.

Trekking done, hot showers and then a cold beer on the mog-couch.

Still not content with not seeing the Puma, we headed to Laguna Azul for a couple of nights to a wonderful spot where we parked our trucks.
Another great spot to view The Torres from, and didn’t even have to walk, what were we thinking of hiking to see them, lol. Puma are seen here, and also seen along the road but still they eluded us , so we had to settle for the foxes instead , but hey just as cute. This pretty much wrapped up our stay in Torres del Paine National Park , but having spent 11 nights here we didn’t leave a view-point unseen, and as our larder was fairly empty it was time to leave. What a wonderful park , it was sad to leave but more amazing places to see.

Random images from Torres del Paine

The rivers in the park are often fresh meltwater from the glaciers and have a good rate of flow

The rivers in the park are often fresh meltwater from the glaciers and have a good rate of flow

Sunrise on the Torres

Sunrise on the Torres

Much of the park was burnt a few years ago by careless tourists and this gives it a surreal feeling with the right sky

Much of the park was burnt a few years ago by careless tourists and this gives it a surreal feeling with the right sky

Torres del Paine scenery

Torres del Paine scenery

Summer brings out the flowers

Summer brings out the flowers

These lumps have broken off from Glacier Grey

These lumps have broken off from Glacier Grey

Evening light to the left of the Torres themselves. Not as interesting as the sunrise.

Evening light to the left of the Torres themselves. Not as interesting as the sunrise.

burnt trees

burnt trees

Sarah taking it all in

Sarah taking it all in

The rivers were deeper than normal as can be seen in the vegetation below

The rivers were deeper than normal as can be seen in the vegetation below

Categories: Chile | Tags: | 4 Comments

Leaving Ushuaia and tierra del fuego national park, heading North this time

Tierra del fuego national park

The obligatory photo at the sign at the end of Ruta 3.

The obligatory photo at the sign at the end of Ruta 3.

 

So we were back from the Antarctic , our 18 day holiday was over, and it was back to buying food and cooking for ourselves, laundry, buying diesel and map reading time and we also had a small repair job done on our alternator, which was done successfully and without  too much delay.

After a few tough years, our alternator (24V) needed some attention. It ended up with a rebuild

After a few tough years, our alternator (24V) needed some attention. It ended up with a rebuild

 

The nice shiny copper cable was wound onto our alternator core, new bearings, good to go.

The nice shiny copper cable was wound onto our alternator core, new bearings, good to go. (if anyone in Ushuaia needs electric motor work, ask in the Andina campsite!)

 

So we headed to Tierra del Fuego national park where we spent a couple of nights, lovely places to park the truck , and in the evening time lovely to sit outside the truck with a cool beer and view the lovely scenery, also do short hikes during the day.

Ushuaia has it's own glacier, and the view from the top of the hike is really nice over the city and the beagle chanel

Ushuaia has it’s own glacier, and the view from the top of the hike is really nice over the city and the beagle chanel

Camping in Tierra del Fuego national park photograph

Camping in Tierra del Fuego national park

I say short hikes as being on holiday for the past while , even though we did trek through the ice and snow some days  we thought it best to ease in gently. On the other hand maybe we should  have done longer ones as a few pounds needed shedding after the super food we had on board the Ocean Diamond.  People can also take the steam train there to view some of the park.

these narrow guage trains used to transport prisoners to cut timber. Now used for tourists to take photos.

these narrow guage trains used to transport prisoners to cut timber. Now used for tourists to take photos.

Tierra del Fuego is the furthest south that you can drive to on Ruta 3 (the route we came into usuahia on) so we decided to finish the journey.  It really does feel like el fin del Mundo – the end of the road as here the great Andean mountain range finally meets the sea, only the continent of Antarctica lies beyond , the worlds last great wilderness. This park was first occupied by man over 10,000 years ago.  The tribal group the Yamana lived there , their camps were above the beaches so as they could harvest from the sea , hunting sea-lions and mussels and travelled in canoes to do this. They dressed in short cloaks made out of sea-lion pelts. The extinction of these people is connected with the arrival of the first Europeans and explorers in 1890. The main cause of the disappearance of these cultures was disease, and it is said they were hunted down by explorers and poisoned by colonists and sealers in order to have easy access to sea-lion colonies.  Statistics show that of the 3000 Yamanas who were living here at the time of the arrival of the Europeans , there were but 1000 ten years later. Some of you may have noticed from the Antarctic pictures that I  now have taken up photography , well if you can’t beat him, join him.  Not happy with one new job, I decided to take up another one , hairdressing, and after a quick crash course from Ruth I took the task of  cutting Merv’s hair, not that it needed it or anything , but if I say so myself not a bad job for my first attempt. I was in control and not a thing Merv could do!!!!!!!  I’m sure once everybody reads this, the first thing you will do is examine his new hair to see how well I really did, it’s about 3 week ago now!!!!!!
Well and truly short now.

Well and truly short now.

Ruth providing some hands on training for Sarah's new career

Ruth providing some hands on training for Sarah’s new career

After leaving Usuahia we headed towards the chilean border, but had to retrace our tyre marks for part of the way along Route 3 and just before Rio Grande we turned left onto a ‘B’ road, a great gravel road for the Unimog to travel on.

Wild camping in Tierra del Fuego. Mog has made a new friend from the happy feet crew.

Wild camping in Tierra del Fuego. Mog has made a new friend from the happy feet crew.

This is the more southerly route after rio grande, and the road surface is superb. It’s further than the more direct route, but much much quicker and has better scenery. As we still had food left we decided to cross the next day into Chile, as you are not allowed to bring meat, vegetables , fruit, dairy products across the borders.  The border crossing was very easy, no other people there but us and once we got the go ahead we crossed a small river , the mog just about made it, lol,  and from here we made our way to a lovely little spot called Lago Blanco where  we got a real taste of the Patagonian winds, such strong winds it would blow you over. Note: This border crossing point only handles about 50 to 60 people per year, and is only open during the summer.

Jurgen and Ruth crossing the river in between the Argentine and Chilean border posts

Normally you should walk through rivers with a stick to see how deep they are before driving them. We just let Jurgen and Ruth go first

We then took the ferry from Porvenir  to Punta Arenas which took two and a half hours, very bumpy as you stay in your truck as you travel across, hmmmm , not so good.  Here in Punta Arenas we did a big shop as we were heading to Torres Del Paine National Park for 10 days  or more,which had no facilities for re stocking our larder, and we were looking forward to spending this time in the wilderness of Patagonia.

Arriving into Torres Del Paine national park.

Arriving into Torres Del Paine national park.

Categories: Argentina | 2 Comments

Iceberg Imagery, Penguin Pictures and fun fotos from the Antarctic

Ok, so due to popular demand, a few more images from our Antarctic trip.

These guys make deep tracks in the snow over the winter in Antarctica

These guys make deep tracks in the snow over the winter

 

going fishing

going fishing

Penguin nests are often made from stones, and robbing stones from each others nests is a popular passtime

Penguin nests are often made from stones, and robbing stones from each others nests is a popular passtime

 

Blue is a strong color in Antarctica

Ever see so much blue and white

Ever see so much blue and white

 

Deep blue sky

Deep blue sky

 

Feeling blue

Feeling blue

 

Ever wonder where whales live...

Ever wonder where whales live…

 

The blue V

The blue V

 

Blue and white, with a bit of rock thrown in

Blue and white, with a bit of rock thrown in

A few people shots in Antarctica

Sarah forgets about writing for a while

Sarah forgets about writing for a while

 

Sarah and Lupa

Sarah and Lupa

 

our yellow jackets re pretty toasty

out on deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Antarctic | Tags: , | 3 Comments

Falkland Islands – South Georgia – Antarctic Peninsula

LIFE IS EITHER A DARING ADVENTURE OR NOTHING AT ALL —— Helen Keller.

Before you read this post, I must say that no photographs or words can do this trip to Antarctica justice, it is blow your mind stuff, to be seen with one’s own eyes.

Well it obviously was to be! As we arrived in Ushuaia a few days before Christmas we had time to check out the last-minute deals on travelling to Antarctic,(we had a path worn to the shop) and boy we did leave it until the LAST MINUTE as we only booked it 24 hours before we were due to sail . They were offering 2 trips , one for 10 days and just going to the Antarctic Peninsula, and the other for 18 days going to Falkland Islands, South Georgia Islands and then, the Antarctic Peninsula which is the one we went for, and don’t regret one minute of it, despite the rough sea in The Drake Passage on our return to Ushuaia.

Christmas was really a great event on the campsite, we ate and drank until the early hours of the morning, along with fellow travellers from 11 other countries.

On the campsite were we stayed for Christmas we met up again with Jurgen and Ruth, whom we had previously met on the road earlier in our trip, and when we were broken down in Esquel, Jurgen very kindly helped us jack up the mog onto its 3 wheels, so here again we were parked side by side. As it turned out they too only booked their trip on Christmas Day and reported to us that there was a cabin for 2 still available!!!!!! No pressure , No pressure, so the next day we booked and moglander.com and happyfeetontour.de were going to another continent, another new one for all 4 of us !

Sarah with Jürgen and Ruth ready to get onto our ship to the Antarctic.

Sarah with Jürgen and Ruth ready to get onto our ship to the Antarctic.

We boarded the Ocean Diamond in Ushuaia, on the 27th December in the late afternoon and we watched from deck as we left Ushuaia and made our way through the beautiful scenery of the Beagle Channel en route to The Falkland Islands.

The view from the back of the ship as we left Ushuaia. Zodiacs and kayaks at the ready.

The view from the back of the ship as we left Ushuaia. Zodiacs and kayaks at the ready.

We had a welcome briefing which also included essential safety information which was followed by a mandatory Lifeboat Drill. Also the Expedition Team introduced themselves and what a capable gang they where, as we had Marine Biologists ,a Geologist , two Ornithologists, a Wellness Guide ,and Climbing/Ski, Kayak, Photography and Naturalist Guides on board with us, and finally also a Physician, very important, and oh nearly forgot 2 Penguinologists, yes a new one on us. Later on in the evening we were given our waterproof and fleece lined jackets and wellingtons to keep us warm from the elements of the weather, while on deck watching for wildlife , and for going ashore in zodiacs to the various islands to see more wildlife. Also we attended a mandatory briefing on how to enter and exit the zodiacs when leaving the ship to cruise or go ashore. ( Zodiacs are really cool inflatable boats.)

After about one and a half days sailing , Captain Peter navigated us through Wespoint Pass which is a very narrow piece of water, we arrived at Carcass Island and Saunders Islands, both of which are part of the West Falklands. Carcass Island lies to the northwest of the West Falklands and in the late 1800s it was a sheep farm, 4,680 acres in total, and was established by a Danish seaman and sealer called Charles Hansen. When we went ashore by Zodiac, in the wind and rain, we were met by Magellanic Penguins and you could wander freely through them, some just walking through the tussock plantations, others on the beach.

Magellanic penguins on the beach with some of our fellow passengers in the background

Magellanic penguins on the beach with some of our fellow passengers in the background

As there are no cats, rats or mice on this island the population of Magellanic Penguins and small birds is very high. The small birds are difficult to find as they hide in the tussock. In the bay we also saw Peale’s and Commerson’s Dolphins plus some Rock Cormorants.

Saunders Island is the home to very rich wildlife despite the presence of rodents, including 11,000 breeding pairs of the Black-Browed Albatross, so we hiked up to see them sitting on the rocks with their new-born chicks . Even me as a non birder I have to say they are quite spectacular, so so big and yet so graceful when they fly. Here also on this island we were spoilt for choice with the penguins as we had 4 different types, The Magellanic, The King, The Rockhopper and The Gentoo. Saunders also had the first British settlement on Falkland Islands, the reason being it included the presence of a safe natural harbor and nutritional plants which were beneficial to sailors departing on long voyages.

Penguin time

Penguin time

Last but not least we visited Stanley the capital of the Falkland Islands and just to make us feel at home it was lashing rain when we went ashore after breakfast. Stanley has a population of 2,050 residents, a wonderful little museum , War Memorial (we won’t mention The War , we all know the story ) beautiful botanical gardens which house Government House, and a Cathedral with a whalebone arch, pretty impressive. Stanley was used as a port by sealers and whalers until the late 19th century, then sheep farming until the 1980’s, but its current economy is based on income from the sale of fishing licenses which are heavily monitored. The visit to Stanley would not have been complete without sampling some Falklands Ale in The Globe pub, after all it was raining heavily so where better to take some shelter.

The girls gabbing on the phone, the lads ready for a pint.

The girls gabbing on the phone, the lads ready for a pint.

The Globe pub in Stanley, the Falklands.

The Globe pub in Stanley, the Falklands.

And so we had another two days at sea as we headed towards South Georgia Islands passing the Shag Rocks en route and we were very lucky as this was the first time in many trips that the sun was actually shinning on them and could be seen, so all the Expedition Team were thrilled. Also while on deck there was so many sea-birds to watch, for example the fabulous Snow Petrel and the wandering Albatross, also penguins and hump back whales.

Wandering Albatros have a wingspan greater than 3 metres

The wandering albatross has a wingspan greater than 3 metres

The whales really get everybody’s attention and there was always some of the Expedition Team on the bridge looking out for this wildlife ,and even if you hadn’t spotted it yourself they would make an announcement so people knew exactly what is there and where it is. Luckily one of these two days at sea was New Year’s Day and it was very much appreciated as most people had a very late night, (early morning) to ring in 2013. Such a good night, our first New Year at sea, and even though we had the most delicious meal at 7.30 we still were given lovely finger food and glasses of champagne at midnight which helped us dance the night away. Also being New Year’s Day we had no wake up call at oh my god o’clock, and brunch was served at 10.30 am, much more civilized indeed, and included was a recovery day, just as well as it was all systems go the next morning at 5.30 as we went ashore to Salisbury Plain and Prince Olav Harbour on South Georgia Island, and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint.

Landrovers on the beach in the falkland islands.

Landrovers on the beach in the falkland islands.

As we landed on shore we were met by 60,000 breeding pairs of king penguins as it is the 2nd largest colony of them , and dotted everywhere on the beach were elephant seals and fur seals which were amazing, just being so close to them and to cap it all the sun was shinning perfectly for us, morning light was perfect as we landed on shore by 6 am. Salisbury Plain is really a vast expanse of glacial outwash on the southern shore of Bay of Isles and it was a fur hunting ground for Sealers during the 19th century where both fur seals and elephant seals were taken in large numbers. The brown skuas also breed here.

Fur seal

Fur seal

Every now and then you had to pinch yourself and say its like we were in a David Attenbourg documentary. Reluctantly we left this wonderful place of isolation inhabited by only wildlife and we went to Prince Olav Harbour which is a sheltered inlet in Cook Bay at the western entrance to Posession Bay, which was first explored by Captain James Cook. Here we saw the harbour’s abandoned whaling station, also the beached hulk of the 3 masted ship Brutus used at the whaling station as a coaling hull, and we saw the whalers cemetery on the hill side. The fur seals also breed here in large numbers, kelp gulls can be seen feeding on limpets , and it is favored by Elephant seals for breeding and moulting. Also here were some huge ice-bergs floating on the water and they are so so white in colour, and with the sun shining on them the reflection in the water and the colour was amazing, it created a totally different colour of blue, much lighter blue, mind you these ones were small in comparison to what we saw further on in our trip.

As we made our way to Stromness Bay which is located on South Georgia’s north coast the scenery was just spectacular. It was here that the famous Shackleton party’s final destination ended on their epic journey across South Georgia in search of help. Of course both of us are very interested in the Shackleton story so we were really in for a treat. Here in Stromness the whaling company Saderfjord Hvarfangerselskab conducted whaling operations from 1907 – 1932 after which it was subleased as a ship repair yard to South Georgia company until 1961. The station is now abandoned and it is home to fur seals and also reindeer can be seen in this valley. Grytvikan was our next port of call and it lies within King Edward Cove on the western shore of Cumberland Bay. Grytviken means ‘pot cove’ and earned its name from the numerous sealers tripots that were found here. The ruins of the whaling station are still here at the head of the cove surrounded by spectatular mountains and it was the hubb of the South Atlantic whaling industry for over 60 years. In its heyday over 300 men worked here and over 54,000 whales were processed in total. A very interesting tour can be taken here all around the whaling station. Sir Ernest Shackleton grave is also here in the whalers cemetery,and here everybody made a toast to ‘The Boss’, while a memorial cross is located on Hope Point at the eastern entrance to King Edward Cove,which we went to visit, despite the seals trying to attack us en route.

back of Shackleton's gravestone

back of Shankletons gravestone

This point today is home to a British Antarctic Survey Research Station plus government administration on the island. Here we also visited the museum which obviously has many details of Shackleton and his great expedition and also the church which has a great library and many plaques on the wall with tributes to Shackleton, and it was super to read all these and see the Irish Flag. We kept asking ourselves how did they survive their perilous journey? Remarkable men indeed.

a toast to the boss

a toast to the boss

Frank wild, whose ashes were recently interred at Shackleton right side

Frank wild, who’s ashes were recently interred at shakletons right side

This stone sits in the church in Grytvikan, South Georgia

This stone sits in the church in Grytvikan, South Georgia

You probably all know about Shackleton , but anyway just in case here is A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHACKLETON – Originally from County Kildare in Ireland, He first was an officer on Robert Scott’s Antarctic Expedition , but he then led his own and came within 97 miles of the South Pole before having to turn back . Then his next goal was to cross the Antarctic continent , however his ship Endurance was caught in the ice and sank leaving the crew stranded. After months of camping as the floes drifted North, Shackleton led his men 100 miles to Elephant Island in 3 small boats. He himself then took one of the boats and sailed with 5 of his men (Tom Crean being 1 them, also Irish) another 800 miles through some of the stormiest seas in the world to South Georgia, where he trekked across the mountainous island to a whaling station to raise the alarm about what had happened. Remarkably not a man lost his life, how they survived was just incredible. Sadly Shackleton died 5 years later on his beloved South Georgia aged 47, and what a picturesque spot to be buried in.

We hiked up the mountain here to recreate one of those famous pictures of Shackleton pointing/looking South with 2 of his men, and from this height the scenery was just surreal and wonderful as the sun shone over the whole bay below us.

a recreation of one of Frank Hurley's photos

a recreation of one of Frank Hurley’s photos

That evening at our Recap of the Day meeting (we had one each evening) some of the people working on The South Georgia Fund joined us to talk about what they are doing on the island. Really what they are trying to do is eradicate the rats as they are not a species that belongs on the Island. They would have arrived on various boats over the years, and gone ashore with cargo and never left. They cause a huge problem for the small birds as they all have to nest on the ground, and the rats have been eating all the eggs and small chicks. Some of the smaller birds like the pip-pits now only breed on the smaller outer islands.

Our next port of call was to be Gold Harbour and Cooper Bay to go ashore and to see King Penguins 25,000 breeding pairs of them on Gold Harbour but this was not to be as the swell was way to high to load the zodiacs,and so it was very unsafe, but what we did see was the Bertrab Glacier hanging over vertical cliffs. We moved on to Cooper Bay and here we had hoped to see the Macaroni Penguins and the Chinstrap Penguins as it is the only colony that is reasonably accessible by boat, however this was not to be either as the swell was way worse here, so we had to be satisfied with just seeing the Macaroni in the water, ah well all part of the adventure nothing is a guarantee. So Plan C was put into action, and what a Plan C it was, we headed towards the Drygaiskii Fjord and here we took a zodiac through Larsen Harbour, what a treat, it was like an historic channel that had been there since the dawn of time and us in our little rubber boats feeling very insignificant when surrounded by the majestic mountains and massive rock walls of the fjord, the silence, the wildlife on the shore, the mist just settling on the top of the rocks giving the whole area a moody feeling. After this great trip we then cruised by ship into the Drygaiski Fjord going right in to the end, turning round and back out enjoying the more dramatic rock walls of the fjord with the snow on top and a little sun sneaking through. What a way to spend the last hours of the evening with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

a lone penguin wondering where the other 39,999 are hiding....

a lone penguin wondering where the other 39,999 are hiding….

Sadly we were now leaving South Georgia, but as we said if our trip was ending here, no way could you possibly be disappointed as we got to see so much wildlife and learn more history than we ever thought possible and the Antarctic still to come, it will be difficult to match South Georgia I reckon but we would have to wait and see. Just as well we had 2 sea days to catch up on our photography downloads , sleep and basically to take it all in and create some space in the brain for what lay ahead. As we made our way through the open seas , each day it sways a little more, we made our way through some ice en route to Elephant Island. It was amazing to see the ice on both sides of us, surrounded by the fog and the mist, even made this part of the journey more like an adventure as we kept changing our route depending on the ice, and the icebergs that were in our way, so we had to wait for confirmation re Elephant Island. Even though we couldn’t see a lot outside we were kept busy inside with lectures on what wildlife we would see in the Antarctic, Geology and Flora to be found, all of these talks were so interesting. It was like being back in school again, but without the homework ! Anyway the ice ahead was way to difficult to break through, despite Captain Peter making several attempts in trying to get us ashore to Elephant Island, so next time !….From trip to trip the ice varies greatly, and a shore landing that they might have been able to do on one trip , could be impossible on the next trip, and vice-versa, all part of the adventure for the Expedition Team and Passengers I guess, but if one landing was impossible on a given day , they would sail to an area that we could go ashore and explore, , their back up plans were also so good.

a humpback whale goes for a deep dive with its fluke in the air,

a humpback whale goes for a deep dive with it’s fluke in the air,

And so the Antarctic awaited as we sailed through tremendous big waves, fog and the crunching of the ice underneath and on both sides of us. A quote which was probably apt for these days ‘Some of us are over the seasick stage and no longer want to die’ – by Hartford after 10 days on the ‘Nimrod’ with Shackleton in 1907. ( Thankfully we were not affected by illness, so Claire Lyons your Sturgeon tablets are alive and well still)

Ice and Mist out the window

Ice and Mist out the window

Half Moon, part of The South Shetland Islands was our next stop, and Half Moon lies in the entrance between Livingston and Greenwich Island. This little island is home to approximately 3,300 breeding pairs of Chinstrap Penguins, what a sight to behold with the snow all around as we hiked to see them, fabulous. We then sailed to Neptune’s Bellows through a very narrow entrance which brought us to a Whalers Bay on Deception Island. Here whaling activity took place in the 1900s and you can still see the remains of it,also a British Antarctic Survey which was evacuated in 1967 due to the eruption of a volcano. As a result the beach is covered in ash and cinder, under which can be seen barrels, whale bones and other artifacts from the whaling station and research groups that worked there. Here we cruised by Zodiac in the crater of the Volcano.

As the water in this fabulous bay in Deception Island was warm, warm in Antarctic terms , many people did the POLAR PLUNGE, rather them than me, but it was a great bit of fun and excitement, even a couple of people did it starkers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

better than any alarm clock!

better than any alarm clock!

the polar plunge cleared out a few cobwebs

the polar plunge cleared out a few cobwebs

Just when you would think it couldn’t get any better, it did. We entered Wilhelmina Bay, a large 24 km wide glaciated bay containing many islands , what a sight to behold. Orne Harbour was also surrounded by glaciers and here we climbed uphill in the snow to a long summit ridge where we could gain access to a chinstrap penguin colony, plus excellent views of the Gerlache Strait, oh and a lot of excitement here as we all had set foot on another continent, for some their seventh! Another hike we did was to the top of Danco Island we were met with spectacular views all around which was mainly due to the heavily crevassed glaciers in the surrounding mountains and the rolled ice-bergs that collected in this area.

View overlooking Denko harbour.

View overlooking Denko harbour.

Here also gentoo penguins breed very high up on the slopes. We also went ashore at Neko Harbour and here we saw Weddell seals on the cobblestone beach. Also when out cruising in the zodicaks we saw many fur seals, and then the greatest of them all the Leopard Seal, awesome. Also one day we had the most amazing experience in this area when we were surrounded by hundreds of penguins swimming and jumping in the water, dodging the ice.We cruised through Lemaire Channel and at its narrowest it is less than 0.5 miles wide and has huge towering peaks overhead and the icebergs and sea ice made it difficult for manoeuvrings. We also zodiac cruised through the ice-berg graveyards of Pleneau Island where large tabular icebergs and older rolled ones have been run aground over the years and these were just so magical you could have spent days and days here.

The zodiac with 11 people looks pretty small beside this berg.

The zodiac with 11 people looks pretty small beside this berg.

A sudden shock here as we were very close to one of the Icebergs calving, what a sound it made as it broke and collapsed into the water, and being so close was super. Mind you we had been tempted to ask our Zodiac driver to rock on through some of the arches, I guess we now know why they don’t!!!!

That little dot under the arch is indeed a zodiac with 11 people.

That little dot under the arch is indeed a zodiac with 11 people.

Peterman Island was our last shore landing before heading back, and here we saw the Adelie Penguins (the list was now complete), over 500 breeding pairs, and also here was the most southerly colony of the Gentoo penguins in Antarctica,, over 2,000. The blue-eyed shags were also here. We had stunning views of the Lemaire Channel once we started walking through the ice and snow and the mountainous landscape was stunning.

Loads of folks braved the cold to see the spectacular views in Antarctica

Loads of folks braved the cold to see the spectacular views in Antarctica

Sadly we had to return to Ushuaia, hence we had one very rough day coming back through the dreaded Drake Passage, and as we made our way closer and sailed by Cape Horn the seas had settled once again. Stunning views of the Cape from our ship, guess we were lucky, as sometimes the weather is just too bad.


Strange. There is always sadness on departure. It is as if one cannot after all bear to leave this bleak waste of ice, glaciers, cold and toil…

– Fridjof Nansen 1912

Sarah and Sophie on the Ocean Diamond always laughing together

Sarah and Sophie on the Ocean Diamond always laughing together


Here are a few FUN FACTS of the Trip :-

Distance travelled-8,783.4 km Or- 3,427 nm (nautical miles)
Pictures submitted for DVD-92,935 or-9.67Gb
Water usage-720 metric tonnes or 720,000 litres
Eggs consumed- 1,350 dozen or 16,200 each
Guests-158
Crew-92
Expedition Staff-25 + 2 Penguin Dudes
From Nationalities-39
Travel days-18
Sea days-8
Excursions-17 + 9 Ship Cruises
Kayak Outings-7
Skiing-3
Climbing-3 –
Lectures, talks and other entertainments-128
Polar Plungers-51
Yoga sessions-17

AND ONE TERRIFIC TIME OVERALL !!!

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