Expedition Dispatch

December 7, 2012 – Preparing to Head Back to Chile

It’s about 3pm on the 7th of December and there is a bit of wind into the speaker right now because I am calling you from the Blue-ice Runway. The big Ilyushin has landed. We’re about 8km out from the Union Glacier base where Vaughan and I spent a comfortable night last night along with the rest of the Vinson climbers.

We were flown back from Vinson Base, arriving about 9:30am, I watched the endurance athlete, Vaughan, wolf down two tremendous plates of food. I think we ate well out on the mountain on Vinson, but being back at Vinson base where the food is even better and we can relax, it was time to chow down and we certainly did. There is always a lot going on here. Just past midnight last night the Bassasler D-C3 came in from the South Pole with a group of folks who had gone down for a visit and spent the night at the South Pole, and it seems like there is comings and goings all the time here. A group of people who climbed Vinson with us are preparing to fly back towards the pole themselves to ski the last degree, the last 60 nautical miles to the South Pole. But those of us out here on the runway today are preparing to head back to Chile.

In a few hours’ time, we’ll see the first darkness that we have seen in more than 2 weeks now. That will be soothing, I think. It feels good to fly off the ice this year with the tremendous success that Vaughan Barlow had on Vinson, and with the great companionship we’ve had, with, as I keep saying, folks from around the world. It would be great to be on our way soon, thanks for listening in. We’ve had a fantastic Berg Adventures Vinson expedition this year. Congratulations once again to Vaughan!

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