After flying into the ice covered continent of Antarctica, Lonnie and Bryan will head to the Ellsworth mountains to climb the continent's highest peak. While not a big mountain, at 16,050; it's challenge lies in logistics, planning and an ability to suffer long cold days in one of the most inhospitable parts of our planet.
After climbing Mt. Vinson, Lonnie and Bryan will fly to the last latitude degree on our globe. They will be dropped off on the polar plateau almost 70 miles from the actual South Pole and will set off skiing. Skiing on uneven terrain while pulling a heavy sled is challenging for the sighted, so Lonnie has his work cut out for him!
Our team made it to the South Pole! They reported excellent conditions for every day of the ski. Bryan reported that it was challenging because the scene never changed until the last day. Then he considered that "I guess that's what Lonnie always experiences". Congratulations to the team for accomplishing one more step in Lonnie's amazing goal of finishing the Explorer's Grand Slam!
The polar plateau. Nothing to see but packed snow for 360 degrees, day after day after day. As Lonnie and Bryan ski south, the sun spins around them always at the same height above the horizon. The only break in the monotony comes from watching your shadow slowly spin. The team is pushing hard and hopes to reach the South Pole in a few more days.
Today Lonnie and Bryan flew to the last degree. The flight is far enough that the plane has to land half way on a short, rough, snow-plowed runway to refuel. Drums of fuel have to be dug out of the snow and ice and hand pumped into the plane's tank. Once they made it to the last degree, the short report is that they had a warm, clear day with no wind and that Lonnie is moving well on his ski's and is skiing fully independent - with no guide.
The Sightless Summit team is back in Union Glacier Camp and getting ready for their ski to the South Pole. This will be the first time that Lonnie has to pull his own sled while skiing. He's been so capable before, we are sure he'll be an expert in no time!
Lonnie and Bryan summited Mt Vinson after a 6 1/2 hour trek! They reported a "blue bird day" with light winds on the summit. They also reported that Lonnie "crushed it!" From here they will head back to base camp, where they will wait to fly to Union Glacier to start their next project of skiing the last degree to the South Pole!
After several bad weather days, Lonnie and Bryan finally departed for the summit at about 4a local time. They expect the round trip to take anywhere between 8-12 hours. The terrain from High Camp is a long, steady incline until just before the summit ridge (see picture). Between the clear, but cold weather and the stable terrain - it should be excellent conditions for Lonnie when compared to other mountains he has already done.
After a 6 1/2 hour uphill grind. The team reports that it is a beautiful day with light wind, but that High Camp is extremely cold. Tomorrow is planned to be a rest day. The hope is that the wind subsides and they can move up towards their final objective: The Vinson Summit!
The hike from Low Camp to High Camp is tough. While not very far in terms of distance, the team has a long and steep headwall that will be challenging for Lonnie.
The move to Vinson's low camp means carrying a heavy pack and pulling a heavy sled. And, Lonnie crushed it! The route doesn't gain a lot of elevation, but it is rough and requires pulling a sled along a mile long side hill. Coming down along this section is even tougher.
The team flew into Vinson Base Camp today.
Lonnie and Bryan are waiting for a few other team members to arrive on the continent and are preparing to fly out to the Ellsworth Mountains where Mt Vinson's basecamp is located. Antarctica is covered in a 2 mile thick ice sheet that hides all but the tallest of mountain ranges like these ones that surround Union Glacier's camp.
Expeditions on the continent are almost exclusively run through a Utah based company called ALE (Antarctica Logistics and Expeditions). While the cost of an Antarctica expedition is high, the infrastructure that ALE has in place to support its clients is impressive.
After a long flight to the southernmost reaches of South America, Lonnie and Bryan departed Punta Arenas to fly into the famous Union Glacier. The camp's blue ice landing strip makes for a slippery landing. The guys will enjoy this well appointed camp for at least a day or two before departing to Mt Vinson's base camp.
Due to incoming weather Lonnie and Bryan plan to depart for Antarctica's base camp tomorrow. The team took advantage of Punta Arenas' excellent dinner to carb and protein load for their upcoming adventure!
