Ushuaia and Antarctica 2016 Trip Report
Twenty sixteen: The year of a relatively smooth Drake over (Beaufort 4-5), perfect weather, lots of ice which kept us from going too far south, skiing Deception Island, another great Black & White Party and a very smooth trip back across the Drake. One of the best and most consistent trips skiing-wise with lots of vertical, good conditions and a very motivated group.
Ushuaia Ski Mountaineering Course
Despite low snow and less than favorable weather, the first year of the pre Ski Cruise Ski Mountaineering Course in Ushuaia was fun.
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- Rich Meyer in the midst of a gear explosion.
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- Ted and Karen crossing a bridge on the Martial Glacier.
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- Heading down from the Martial Glacier.
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- Ted and Karen at the Martial Glacier refuge.
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- Ha! You have to love Argentina, where the taxi drivers will stuff four people, plus all of the ski gear into a small sedan.
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- Small people, big mountains. Usuhaia.
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- Yves with his stylish shopping bag on the Martial Glacier.
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- Rich pointing out the business end of an ice axe.
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- Chute booting in Ushuaia on the Martial Glacier before heading over to Antarctica.
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- Rich doing a little product placement after I forced him to.
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- Yves in his element – skiing powder.
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- Topping out at a nice col on the Martial Glacier.
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- Rich showing some pushy powder who is boss.
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- Ted “Shred” on his way down the Martial Glacier.
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- Alex doing what must be done in powder.
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- Looking back at the Martial Glacier in very low snow.
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- A nice looking bird that has nothing to do with skiing.
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- Tierra del Fuego National Park.
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- Polly B. walking the beach in TFNP.
2016 Ice Axe Antarctic Ski Cruise Report
November 9th – Drake Passage
Woke up to learn that Donald J. Trump was going to be our new president.
November 10th – Drake Passage
The Drakey was chirping along at about BF 4, which wasn’t too bad.
November 11th – Livingston Island
Arrived at about 1:30pm to Half Moon Bay. Had lunch and rallied everyone for a 2:30ish debarkation – very smooth for the first day. Landed on The Spit and skinned up Bowl 2, then skied back down. Ski crampons worked well. Nice skiing – a skiff of new on firm snow. Plenty of cracks – low snow year. Repeated the skin track up #2, then went to the east and tucked into bowl 3 via the Twin Towers. Skinned back up that route (not bad) and then made it back to the top of #2. Did a nice run down the backside, which brought us back to #1. Fun day. Light was a bit flat, but not too bad.
11/17 – Half Moon Bay and Deception Island
Did a morning at Half Moon Bay, which always delivers. Tons of penguins and wildlife. The skiing is mini golf, but fun. We skied “Micro Dot” peak, which is right over the Argentinean station.
Stopped by Deception Island with the intention of only checking it out and possibly not skiing, but it turned out to have fantastic terrain. Very fun area, tons of history.
11/18 – Wilhelmina Bay / Nansen Island
Splitter weather! Clear, sunny and windy, but not too bad. Could only establish one landing site, which worked out better this year with a passing lane and a “rope up” zone. Smooth landing. Snow on the way up was firm and wind-jacked. I thought the north side was going to be corn, but the first run was too early. Dropped a line back towards the boat, wrapped around and skinned over to the central bowl, which had good snow. Two laps there, then over to the first bowl, which was firm, but fun. Went back up to the main summit, had lunch in the sun and took a final cruiser back to the landing. Great terrain, tricky snow.
Ode on Nansen Island.
Got back and took a fun Zodiac cruise with Christian over to the Enterprise (name ?) ship wreck through very thick ice.
November 19 – Ronge Island
Silky smooth seas to begin with. Scouted landing site “B” which was supposed to provide access to Powder Paradise, but due to potential serac fall, it was too far away. Climbed up the long ridge line leading to a very nice summit. This is a nice “peak” objective for the trip – not too long, not too short, good skiing and great views down the Gerlache. 2,450′ climb with a nice safe, rolling descent all the way down. Mixed trace of pow and chargeable foam. Finished the run off with a duck to skiers right down into “Powder Paradise.” Did a short 200′ vert climb up which set us up to ski over to LZ B which had a sizeable Gentoo rookery. Back to the boat for lunch then back out again.
Back to LZ A, then up to the right into a nice rocky pocket with Ode and then back down, across the glacier to a very nice couloir which led down into Powder Paradise. Perfect corn. Did some steep skinning up through some wild seracs and crevasses to the head of Powder Paradise. Great run down, then up, over and out back to site A. Polar plunge, BBQ then TO show. Another 5 star day.
November 15 – The Blue Room – Charlotte Bay
Another splitter day – clear and sunny. Established LZ A, B and C which were spread out across the face of the main bowl, Did a landing at A (far right (north?)) which was smooth. Skinned and ski poons up to the ridge line, then a long diagonal over to the main Blue Room run. Up, over and into the backside – powder! Did another lap off of a sub peak, then climbed back up and skied back out to A for 4 laps and 2,540′.
Great skiing on the backside of The Blue Room.
Nov 15 – Bluff Island
Did a short 3 mile boat hop after/during lunch over to Bluff Island. Only had one LZ due to the lateness of the afternoon, but it still was great. The LZ is too good to be true – deep with a nice wide rocky shelf which had perfect stone stairs leading up and out of it. And penguins.
Did the loooong slow skinner up to the classic peak near Clusterphuck Peak and then dropped a line off of the backside, which was wind-jacked. Climbed back out, went back towards the skinner and it was so good we did another 1/2 lap up it, then went back to the boat. Made it aboard with 3 minutes to spare. Clear, sunny, perfect weather. Great day – five stars.
Topping out on Bluff Island.
November 16 – Admiralty Bay – KGI
Morning – Established LZ “C” over by Espresso Peak with Will then returned with my group. Only a few seals there this year verses 100’s last year. Skinned up to the top col, then skied down the back side – SUPER cracked up. Half the snow depth of 2015 and as such, not so nice a run, but we were able to get through. Looped around, skinned up and contoured around back up to our high spot, then reversed our skin track for some good skiing back down. Saw a mother and cub Wendell seal. Returned to the boat for lunch.
Chris Davenport & Crew on the backside of Espresso Peak – King George Island.
Went back out to LZ “B” which was right near the Manchu Pichu base. Skinned up the looong hill and got to the summit in flat light and high wind. Skied back down and tried to go to the Zodiac rap landing from 2009, but the entire slope was gone on a nuclear scale – it had cracked mid slope, wall-to-wall in a climax slide and was impassable. Crazy and full of cracks right near the break. Climbed back out, skied a chattery cruiser down and then ski ‘pooned up to a peak with a steep face right above the MP station.
Another excellent trip to Antarctica! For more info or to sign up for the 2017 trip, check out Ice Axe Expeditions.
Photo Gallery
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- Stefan Palm making life jackets look sexy.
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- Polly B. in the Drake Passage! It’s not so bad, is it?
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- First and last penguin shot. Chinstraps.
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- First and last seal shot. Wedell. Super cute.
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- Polly B. and Ryan cruising up Micro Dot Peak on Half Moon Bay.
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- These guys/girl had the snappiest transitions I’d ever skied with and we ended up getting in a ton of good skiing. Ryan, John, Dave, Polly and myself.
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- Surreal skinning on Deception Island with dark sand behind.
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- Jorge! It’s hard not to smile just thinking of this guy.
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- Jorge unplugged.
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- Ryan cruising on Deception Island.
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- A water boat on Deception Island with the Sea Adventurer behind.
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- Ode in flight…
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- …still flying.
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- Mr. Ode Siivonen from Finland.
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- Doug and Tyree Stoup. Very cool to see these two skiing together in Antarctica.
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- Zodiac traffic jam getting back to the Sea Adventurer.
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- Ode!
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- Ship wreck on Enterprise Island.
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- In the U.S. this would be a National Park. In Antartica, it is just an anchorage.
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- Pretty cool.
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- The amazingly talented Mellas twin. Such a bundle of good energy.
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- Two of my favorite things.
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- Selom Seen Poulsen.
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- MARCO!
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- Topping out on Ronge Island.
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- Ryan on Ronge.
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- Dave on Ronge.
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- John on Ronge.
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- Polly B. on Ronge.
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- Jorge doing the Jane Fonda workout.
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- Hiro making it look easy.
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- Yukie untying a thousand waterlogged knots.
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- While Yukie was untying the knots… look who took over the Zodiac.
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- Jim and Sandy getting ready for the Polar Plunge.
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- With Sean Rielly. Hard to beat.
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- With Polly B., Dav and Damion.
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- Hadleigh lays out the plans for the next six hours. Subject to change.
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- Never a dull moment with Mr. Bill Barker.
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- Dave topping out…
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- … and Jim bring up his helmet.
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- Frackin’ great skiing on the backside of The Blue Room.
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- Todd Offenbacher, aka TO, Todd Oh! and a million other terms of endearment. The one and only.
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- Team Stoup – Doug, Alexandra and Tyree.
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- JP above The Blue Room.
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- Bill Barker and Chinstrappers.
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- Josh climbing out of the word’s best Zodiac landing site on Bluff Island. Deep, dry and perfect stone steps leading out of the water. Hard to beat.
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- Ryan, Josh, John and Polly B.
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- Topping out and coming off of Bluff Island.
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- Polly B. and AFM on Bluff Island.
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- Mr. Mile Clark throwing down some serious life vest steeze.
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- SKI
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- Dav celebrating the top of a climb near Espresso Peak.
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- Jim & Co. heading into Lost in Space.
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- CD and TO on the flanks of Espresso Peak.
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- Team Transition near Espresso Peak.
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- Polly B. with a whale rib.
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- An Elephant Seal patiently waits for the beach to clear before coming ashore for a nap.
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- Ode answering the age old question: “How do Adele penguins taste?”
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- Andrew: “A bit like chicken.”
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- Gabor. A legend.
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- Upside down in the bottom of the world. Theresa (Rachel?) and Ode on the top deck of the Sea Adventurer. I especially like the double heel tapes on the ankles.
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- Marco going vertical.
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- Twin power.
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- Ode and Polly B. on the top deck of the Sea Adventurer.
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- Backcountry Barbie in the midst of too many Andrews.
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- Polly B. pointing out the way from the bridge of the Sea Adventurer.
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- Chocolate dessert night.
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- Paul O. at the end of the chocolate dessert line. This was after a 3-4 course meal.
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- Super sigh… all good trips must come to an orderly end. Back on the dock in Ushuaia. ‘Til next year…
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Category: Antarctica, Trip Reports
What is a splitter day?
Looks like another excellent trip. Thanks for the write up and photo’s.
Looks like another crappy time down south :p
Hi Dave – I think the term “splitter” comes from a rock climbing reference to a perfect hand/finger cracks which splits a smooth rock face, also known as a “splitter” or a really good thing. A splitter day is the same thing as Blue Bird – clear, sunny and no wind.
Andrew, Great write-up of an awesome ski trip! Thanks for sharing the drawing of the ski routes, photos and text. I hope to return to Antarctica, soon.
not sure who that ode guy is but that jump photo was awesome! gotta love those snowboarding finns.
glad you and polly could finally experience this trip together- looks like you had a great conditions and weather. but she missed the fun when the beaufort scale is 12 on the drake so you need to take her back next year so she can experience that….
Hi Jackie! I agree – a trip across the Drake just isn’t the real deal without a good rager. Polly was very nervous the whole way over/back, but in the end she was fine.