Back home and final thoughts from Chris

Chris here: We are now back in Scotland with our families, which is great. A very warm and emotional welcome from our respective wives and children awaited us at Glasgow airport. Antarctica and even Ushuaia seems like a long, long time ago.

We spent the nights of 5^th, 6^th and 7^th March on board Evohe, in Ushuaia. The night of the 6^th we had dinner out with all the crew and guides to celebrate our safe arrival and all the great times we had shared together. We missed Nicky and Arne who were in Buenos Aires and would be joining the folks going to Auckland on their trip home. After dinner we all visited the Irish Bar (yes there is an Irish Bar everywhere you go!) telling jokes and stories, and dancing late into the night.

Tuesday 7^th was a low key day with all of us packing bags, arguing over which sock belonged to who, and fortunately not arguing over whose underwear was who’s. Shopping for presents to take home that would fit into our already full to bursting bags, without increasing excess baggage payments, took up most of the day. A couple of interesting museums in Ushuaia occupied us while the shops were shut during “siesta”. That evening, a lot of us sampled the Parilla, a traditional Argentinean barbeque. After the revels of the previous night this was a much quieter affair with us all enjoying the food.

Goodbyes to the crew, guides and rest of the climbers were spread out over a couple of days with some of us on the same flights to Buenos Aires and others on a later flight. Spending the last night on Evohe rather than in a hotel was a great way to finish this part of the trip. However with various people having moved to hotels the four of us remaining on board all had our own cabins – sheer luxury compared to the conditions of the past 30 days. On the morning of Wednesday 8^th March we said our emotional goodbyes to the crew and set off for a few days of sunshine in Buenos Aires.

Three days in Buenos Aires was fascinating, I found the Argentinean people welcoming and friendly. The city felt much more European than South American. I realise that it’s a long way away but based on my few days in the country would recommend Argentina as a holiday destination.

Unfortunately due to a strike by Aerolineas Argentinas our return flight was delayed by some 15 hours meaning that we missed our connection from Madrid to London, spending another night in a hotel in Madrid. In some ways this was a blessing as we discovered that had we got to London there would have been little chance of continuing to Glasgow due to heavy snow and the closure of Glasgow airport for most of the day. In fact we arrived home well rested on last Monday evening to a great welcome from our families. The welcome home was the perfect end to a fantastic trip.

So what of overall feelings about Antarctica and this sort of expedition. Quite a number of people have said that this must have been a life changing trip. For me this wasn’t the case, however it was definitely life enhancing and it has provided me with some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Perhaps I can share a few of the most enduring memories:

Seasickness.

The crossing of the Drake Passage has cured me of ever wanting to go ocean yachting again and any dream that I may join an ocean race has been dashed.

Homesickness.

I missed my wife, Fiona and children, Tom, Rosie and Cate all the time. However at various times the feeling was very strong. Not only when I was feeling a bit low (usually seasickness) but also when I had had a great day and wanted to be able to share it with Fiona and the children. The chance to speak to them on the phone from time to time was great and I think I would have felt much more homesick without this.

Guiding.

I’m not sure I would rush to join another guided expedition like this. All decisions about routes, where the yacht will go and whether it’s a climbing or skiing day are made by the guides. Their decision making is very good but the lack of control can be more frustrating for some than for others. Personally, it did not bother me too much but it may should I join this sort of expedition in future. However if I knew before the expedition what I know now I would still have gone. In case anyone is wondering this is not a veiled criticism of Guy, Luis and Mark, merely a comment on the process of being guided. I have no wish to climb 8000m Himalayan peaks but should that ever change I would have no hesitation in going with any of these individuals or Adventure Consultants as a company. Also, I think that being guided on a single objective trip (getting to the top) would be different from this sort of exploring and loose objective trip. Guy, Luis and Mark are three great guys with lots of experiences and stories to tell.

Best Memories.

Sharing an 82’ yacht with 16 other people, a 7’ x 7’ cabin with three other blokes and one chemical toilet for 30 days is a recipe for conflict and disaster or firm friendships. We settled for the latter. We all laughed at jokes, self depreciating stories, witty asides and surreal circumstances. Most of the jokes are unrepeatable, and that’s just the ones that the girls told us. Sitting here at home, I am still amazed at the harmony and friendship throughout the group.

Steve Kafka helped to make the trip worthwhile for all of us. He skippered the Evohe safely into uncharted anchorages. This was vital to the success of our climbing objectives as landing sites were few and far between. We had sailed down the Antarctic Peninsula spotting great peaks and interesting routes to them but with no safe anchorages or landing sites. Therefore, Steve’s determination and skill helped us to make those first ascents. Murray, Allison, Tamsin and Chloe mixed the serious responsibilities of watch keeping and spotting ice with excellent culinary and hospitality skills. Good food is such a morale booster on any sort of expedition or trip and our morale was kept as high as could be. Coming back from skiing or climbing in Antarctica to freshly baked cakes and steaming mugs of tea was fantastic. After about 3 weeks we began to suspect that they were growing fresh vegetables under UV lamps in the bilges and we wondered what was being used for fertilizer. This was not the case. We were just well provisioned.

Watching penguins is a great way to spend an afternoon. These creatures are funny and endearing. Sitting quietly and then just watching them waddle to the sea, swim out and back, waddle back and then feed their young was a real privilege. Much of the wildlife we saw was unafraid of us because they have been protected for a substantial time. Being ignored, or accepted, by wildlife was a real thrill.

Climbing on Chavez Island was the climbing highlight for me. Guy Cotter led Dan Jones and me to a first ascent. The final few feet involved a step around onto a short traverse and 15’ climb above a sheer drop to an ocean studded with icebergs. Exhilarating, satisfying and fun.

Our big ski day at Prospect Point (66 South) was fun. Skiing up 3 mountains and skiing down through snow which varied from corn to powder to crust was challenging and enjoyable. However, skiing across the icefield at the end of the day towards the setting sun with the ocean and icebergs as a backdrop is simply unforgettable.

This was a great trip and I have many happy memories as I am sure Al does. I hope you have enjoyed reading our diary and many thanks to those of you who have donated to CLIC Sargent, a worthwhile cause.