26 February 2004

First impressions
I have finally arrived in Antarctica after more than two weeks looking at fluffy penguins in the falklands which was cool. Rothera and it's surroundings are the most amazing place I have ever been to or will ever go to I imagine. Think of your best view around Chamonix and then multiply it by at least a hundred, in all directions. Clear beautiful day today and absolutely awesome, has to be seen to be believed. I'm still dumbstruck and whether it will ever sink in that I'm here in this place for a year and a half I don't know.Had a blizzard the other day though and it gives you an idea of what it can throw at you.

Have been “working“ hard - long hours 8am-6pm, training at the moment (for eg. glacier travel with skidoos and sledges where you are all attached together and if the skidoo falls it falls 10m and then you fall 6m below it dangling on a rope - scary sh*t I can tell you!!) Loads of other stuff to learn here and it's all brain frying stuff - early night tonight. Put my first fresh Antarctic tracks in 2 nights ago - fantastic snow at the moment (not quite cham powder but I'll cope) and enough unclimbed peaks and ski lines around to keep me going for..er..well a year and a half!!

Frosty Christmas
I've been back at base for a week or so now and have been very busy. Life down here is still fantastic although not feeling very christmassy as yet. Looks like I'll be around base with 85 other people for it though and then away and out working somewhere in the Ellsworth mountains for new year which will be awesome (they make the Alps look like the Yorkshire Dales!!) but dates depend on the weather. Have been doing quite a bit of skiing, not much gnarly stuff as you can imagine we have to be a little more responsible here what with no moutain rescue (we ARE the mountain rescue!!)

Basically if we;re feeling lazy then we get towed behind a skidoo to the top of a local crevasse free area of glacier and ski down - spring snow out here at the moment but at 75 deg South where I was last week it was cold snow (like -20 most of the time!) and occasional wind blow powder, all 2cm of it!! The temp is up to a tropical 3 degrees today, only 5 degrees from the max recorded here!! Very summery (probably better than back at home!) doing a little skinning up local peaks

Spring time in Antarctica
I'm back on base for 18 hours after flying in this afternoon and off again tomorrow morning weather permitting. Back on base at last for my second day since Christmas eve. Have been putting a few turns in where I can. The photo is skiing a line on the S face of Mount “Lanzarote“ at 75 degrees south on the Antarctic Peninsula. It's just under 500 miles from the closest UK base and is never above freezing so the snow stays good, if extremely windblown!!!

A few other first descents in the local area too and many more near base to be done in winter. Most people leave at the end of February with the last post in/out for 7 months and then it's 23 of us left on Rothera Base. I have been living at the foot of Mount Vinson and the Ellsworth Mountains for a while now at 78 deg south but can't get over there for any skiing unfortunately - I am being paid to work here for my season after all!!

Report from Tim Burton - Arctic Reporter

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