Log Entry No 11 - 7th Jan 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

We continue to enjoy the opportunities in this exciting, beautiful, yet demanding environment. After an unexpectedly early start, after a small ice berg tried to get aboard, The Yacht Party (which now includes the Geology Rope) have been out sailing; the Mountaineers have been battling upwards trying to reach the high plateau.

Move that berg!

MOUNTAIN PARTY

Our mountaineers (Rope 1: Clem, Chris & Martin. Rope 2: Dick, Louise & Steve) are now overlooking the Summers Glacier; but the going is hard and steep and the terrain is broken up by deep crevasses which can trap the unwary. Judging from the tone of the nightly report, it sounds as if it might be impossible to break up onto the plateau. In which case, the team will spend a few days carrying out glacial experiments, before recovering to Waddington Bay, stopping en route to make a photographic record of their route, which should prove helpful to future expeditions. Discoverer will then pick them up (possibly on the 10th), before moving them on to another base camp at Port Lockroy, where there are other climbing opportunities. With luck these landings won’t attract the close attention we enjoyed before from a (very) carnivorous leopard seal, thinking that Jamie would make an appetising starter.

Leopard seal.

GEOLOGICAL PARTY

The geologists (Rope 3: Geordie T, Rob H & Conor) left by inflatable this morning for a 3 day trip to collect rocks from Anvers Island. They’ll also attempt to climb Mt William which at 1515m, rising straight from the sea, looks quite a challenge. It certainly would have been, had they not realised that they’d left the sledge handles behind soon after leaving! We’ll recover them on the evening of the 9th before going down to Waddington Bay to collect the mountaineers.

Meryon, the mate.

YACHT PARTY

The Yachties (Meryon, Rob D, Sam, Jamie, James, Doc) are now at anchor in Port Lockroy, having returned (with the geologists) from a 2-day trip to Cape Horn. Well, it wasn’t exactly Cape Horn, but we did go out to Longitude 65.13.7W, before turning back, which means that they have technically “rounded the Horn” albeit 540 miles further south than most. They think I’m insane but, though it was cold, we had ideal conditions for the trip and they can now wear rope earrings and bore you with tales of derring-do! This afternoon we’ll send a rope of yachties up to summit Jabet Peak, a small mountain which looms over Port Lockroy.

Boer rounds the Horn.

That’s all for now.

Andy Mills