Cold comfort
At 2.30am, when the sun drops behind the mountain ridge above Base Camp, shadow covers camp and the temperature plummets. Normally, I would be snug inside my sleeping bag at this time, but after several days of bad weather, the cloud has lifted and we have flying conditions again. One hundred and sixty kilometres away at the main base in Patriot Hills, the Twin Otter aircrew are refuelling for another flight along the beautiful Ellsworth Mountains to my location at Mount Vinson Base Camp. They are coming to pick-up climbers who have recently climbed Vinson (at 4,892 metres the highest peak in Antarctica) and who are now looking forward to a Chilean steak and beer in Punta Arenas on the South American mainland.
One advantage of having 24-hour daylight during the austral summer is that we don’t have to wait for office hours before flying. With confirmation that a plane is on its way, I pass on the good news to the next group waiting to fly and invite them to join me in Base Camp’s Weatherhaven tent when they’re packed and ready to leave.
The Weatherhaven is an insulated tent with a wooden floor. It’s the logistics, safety and communications base for both pilots and climbers. In one corner is the kitchen, in another the communications desk with satellite phone, VHF, AM Airband and HF radios. A third corner has rescue and medical kit, and every other space is filled with plastic crates of kit and food. There’s just enough room for half a dozen plastic chairs. The climbers squeeze in and I make coffee. It’s about a 50-minute flight from Patriot to Vinson, but the aircraft only becomes visible at the last minute as it turns onto the Branscomb Glacier for a dramatic uphill landing on its ski undercarriage.
SUN AND SHADE
Working for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), I’ve seen the majority of climbers travelling to Antarctica over the past few years. Most have their sights set on Vinson. It isn’t a technical climb, but it’s the remotest regularly climbed mountain on Earth. Unsurprisingly, it’s distinctly chilly: guaranteed low temperatures and the effects of altitude, combined with the prospect of storm-force winds and poor visibility, mean that dependable equipment and clothing are needed. Sunshine and warm temperatures low on the mountain can lull the unprepared into a false sense of security as the upper reaches can be a starkly different world, with temperatures dropping below –40°C.
There’s no day and night cycle during the austral summer, when all the climbing is done. Instead, we operate in a sun and shadow cycle as the sun moves around the sky. The difference between sun and shadow can be 20°C; it’s often best to stay in your sleeping bag until your campsite is in sunshine.
Just like remote glacier camping in Alaska, the Yukon, or Greenland, here in Antarctica, the tents need to be strong, equipped with snow valances (usually a custom order) and properly dug in. You’ll be doing a lot of digging, so take several snow shovels that have been designed to be used on a daily basis and not carried as token gestures on ski tours. Black Diamond and Voile make decent models.
Inside the tent, I recommend using a four-millimetre polyethylene foam sheet from Pentonville Rubber to cover the whole floor as an insulating ground sheet. Cut it to fit the shape of the tent and it will add warmth and comfort by eliminating cold spots. Two sleeping mats per person provide sufficient insulation. My preference is for a closed-cell foam RidgeRest and a self-inflating Thermarest, which I find work well together. The RidgeRest provides some peace of mind in the event that the Thermarest is punctured.
One of the challenges for both sleeping bags and clothing in Antarctica is the huge temperature variation you experience on a climb. The five-season expedition down bag you would want in the Arctic will be too hot for much of the time in Antarctica thanks to the solar radiation. I use a four-season down bag with a full-length zip and add a synthetic overbag on colder nights. The overbag moves the dew point of sweat and water vapour outside the down bag, thereby maintaining the efficacy of the down over the course of an expedition.
DIG THAT KITCHEN
With snow as the water supply there’s a lot of stove time needed. At Base Camp and on easier routes, most groups carry a single-skin, single-pole tent as a kitchen and dining shelter. Dig out the floor to provide bench seats on each side, and an area at one end away from the door for the stoves. Foam mats placed on the benches and floor area keep occupants’ feet and backsides off the snow.
Mountain Safety Research stoves occupy more than 90 per cent of the Antarctic market, a tribute to their power output and reliability. Choose the XGK EX if you don’t mind the noise, or the Whisperlite Internationale if you’re guiding and want to be able to talk to the team while you cook. Beef up the lightweight kitchen kit with stove boards covered in aluminium foil and a frying pan for bacon and salmon at Base Camp. It costs a lot to get here, so you may as well eat heartily.
During the 2006–07 season, a team of climbers was pinned down in a storm after a crevasse fall for 20 hours. After a further couple of days at Camp 1, they returned to Base Camp without any cold injury to their feet. This is a testament to the insulation of modern boots.
A simple but valuable tip is to buy new socks before each big trip. It’s easy to pack old favourites without noticing heels that have worn thin. Three pairs each of thin thermal liners and thick insulating socks, together with some (optional) vapour barrier socks should be enough. RBH Designs make quirky but effective insulated vapour barrier socks and mitts.
RUNNING HOT AND COLD
Clothing is an interesting challenge because you need to dress for baking sun as well as for storms and frostbite-inducing temperatures. Overheating and sunburn aren’t the first problems that come to mind when thinking about mountaineering in Antarctica, but on a sheltered glacier in sunshine, it’s hot work. Several of the right layers are essential. Your favourite underwear with a down suit on top isn’t any good here. Very lightweight windproof tops work well over base-layer shirts. It makes sense to have windproof outers at
several layers and not just a Gore-Tex type jacket on top. For example, Rab Vapour-rise tops are great as they have light insulation but enough windproofing to keep out a fair breeze. Synthetic puffball body-warmers and pullovers have replaced fleece as mid-layer insulation.
A key principle here is to be able to keep on adding layers as you get colder. You don’t want to have to take a hard shell jacket off to adjust layers underneath. I haven’t taken my down suit for the past two seasons. Many guides working on Vinson use them simply because they spend more time outside than their clients do. I’m sold on the combination of a down duvet jacket and synthetic insulated duvet trousers; it’s more flexible and more useful over a wider range of conditions. The advantage of having separate insulated duvet trousers is that the synthetic insulation is more resilient to contact with snow and for much of the time, just a duvet jacket will be enough.
Face, head and hands all need careful attention. Again, think both sun and blowing snow in a storm. I was impressed to see a veteran New Zealand guide pull a crumpled sun hat from a pocket while descending a sheltered glacier. It was just what everyone needed at the time. Before you leave home, check the balaclava, hat, goggle, facemask and hood combination you plan to wear in the worst of weather very carefully in a mirror. Even a narrow sickle moon of exposed cheek between goggle and balaclava isn’t good enough. Buy another balaclava that leaves no gap. When you find yourself in that storm, check each other’s faces carefully for gaps and signs of cold injury.
Three seasons ago, I saw a climber with cold injuries to his cheek, eyelids and eye. He had removed his steamed-up goggles and been brutally punished by the cold and wind for his inadequate preparations.
For hands, several pairs of brand new thin and thick liner gloves are a good start. In addition, I use a pair of insulated ski gloves for as long as they are warm enough and then switch to a beefy pair of Black Diamond Guide gloves. These are adequate for almost all conditions. I carry a pair of mitts in my rucksack. Every team should also carry an additional spare pair of mitts, as they are easily lost.
AVOIDING THE ABYSS
The glacier travel and crevasse rescue abilities of the weakest – rather than the strongest – member of the team indicates your overall ability to cope when things go wrong. Low stretch ropes such as the Maxim KM-III are becoming accepted for glacier travel; they reduce the difficulties of crevasse rescues.
The standard system for glacier travel is to use alpine touring skis and bindings, rucksacks and a plastic sled with a duffel bag bungeed on top. On the normal route on Vinson, most groups don’t bother with skis. Bring bamboo wands with duct tape flags to mark crevasses and to probe and identify crevasse-free areas around camps.
Even a simple item such as a duffel bag involves interesting choices. It needs to be heavy duty in order to withstand the rigours of airline baggage handling, while at the same time being sufficiently lightweight to be pulled on a sled. Wild Things make great duffels that do both jobs well. I prefer them to the more readily available but heavier North Face duffels, which come equipped with bright colours and large logos that shout ‘steal me’ in many countries.
Sensible navigation equipment comprises a plastic whistle, a Southern Hemisphere or global needle compass, such as a Suunto MC-2G, maps and a GPS such as a Garmin eTrex. The Vinson area was recently mapped by the Omega Foundation; for other areas, order the older US Geological Survey map sheets.
Climbing in Antarctica is a rewarding and memorable experience. Added to which, the view from the toilet at Vinson Base Camp is the best in the world. Get there if you can.
Teams that require assistance with expedition planning and/or polar guiding can contact Steve at steve@jones-adventures.fslife.co.uk
December 2007
One advantage of having 24-hour daylight during the austral summer is that we don’t have to wait for office hours before flying. With confirmation that a plane is on its way, I pass on the good news to the next group waiting to fly and invite them to join me in Base Camp’s Weatherhaven tent when they’re packed and ready to leave.
The Weatherhaven is an insulated tent with a wooden floor. It’s the logistics, safety and communications base for both pilots and climbers. In one corner is the kitchen, in another the communications desk with satellite phone, VHF, AM Airband and HF radios. A third corner has rescue and medical kit, and every other space is filled with plastic crates of kit and food. There’s just enough room for half a dozen plastic chairs. The climbers squeeze in and I make coffee. It’s about a 50-minute flight from Patriot to Vinson, but the aircraft only becomes visible at the last minute as it turns onto the Branscomb Glacier for a dramatic uphill landing on its ski undercarriage.
SUN AND SHADE
Working for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), I’ve seen the majority of climbers travelling to Antarctica over the past few years. Most have their sights set on Vinson. It isn’t a technical climb, but it’s the remotest regularly climbed mountain on Earth. Unsurprisingly, it’s distinctly chilly: guaranteed low temperatures and the effects of altitude, combined with the prospect of storm-force winds and poor visibility, mean that dependable equipment and clothing are needed. Sunshine and warm temperatures low on the mountain can lull the unprepared into a false sense of security as the upper reaches can be a starkly different world, with temperatures dropping below –40°C.
There’s no day and night cycle during the austral summer, when all the climbing is done. Instead, we operate in a sun and shadow cycle as the sun moves around the sky. The difference between sun and shadow can be 20°C; it’s often best to stay in your sleeping bag until your campsite is in sunshine.
Just like remote glacier camping in Alaska, the Yukon, or Greenland, here in Antarctica, the tents need to be strong, equipped with snow valances (usually a custom order) and properly dug in. You’ll be doing a lot of digging, so take several snow shovels that have been designed to be used on a daily basis and not carried as token gestures on ski tours. Black Diamond and Voile make decent models.
Inside the tent, I recommend using a four-millimetre polyethylene foam sheet from Pentonville Rubber to cover the whole floor as an insulating ground sheet. Cut it to fit the shape of the tent and it will add warmth and comfort by eliminating cold spots. Two sleeping mats per person provide sufficient insulation. My preference is for a closed-cell foam RidgeRest and a self-inflating Thermarest, which I find work well together. The RidgeRest provides some peace of mind in the event that the Thermarest is punctured.
One of the challenges for both sleeping bags and clothing in Antarctica is the huge temperature variation you experience on a climb. The five-season expedition down bag you would want in the Arctic will be too hot for much of the time in Antarctica thanks to the solar radiation. I use a four-season down bag with a full-length zip and add a synthetic overbag on colder nights. The overbag moves the dew point of sweat and water vapour outside the down bag, thereby maintaining the efficacy of the down over the course of an expedition.
DIG THAT KITCHEN
With snow as the water supply there’s a lot of stove time needed. At Base Camp and on easier routes, most groups carry a single-skin, single-pole tent as a kitchen and dining shelter. Dig out the floor to provide bench seats on each side, and an area at one end away from the door for the stoves. Foam mats placed on the benches and floor area keep occupants’ feet and backsides off the snow.
Mountain Safety Research stoves occupy more than 90 per cent of the Antarctic market, a tribute to their power output and reliability. Choose the XGK EX if you don’t mind the noise, or the Whisperlite Internationale if you’re guiding and want to be able to talk to the team while you cook. Beef up the lightweight kitchen kit with stove boards covered in aluminium foil and a frying pan for bacon and salmon at Base Camp. It costs a lot to get here, so you may as well eat heartily.
During the 2006–07 season, a team of climbers was pinned down in a storm after a crevasse fall for 20 hours. After a further couple of days at Camp 1, they returned to Base Camp without any cold injury to their feet. This is a testament to the insulation of modern boots.
A simple but valuable tip is to buy new socks before each big trip. It’s easy to pack old favourites without noticing heels that have worn thin. Three pairs each of thin thermal liners and thick insulating socks, together with some (optional) vapour barrier socks should be enough. RBH Designs make quirky but effective insulated vapour barrier socks and mitts.
RUNNING HOT AND COLD
Clothing is an interesting challenge because you need to dress for baking sun as well as for storms and frostbite-inducing temperatures. Overheating and sunburn aren’t the first problems that come to mind when thinking about mountaineering in Antarctica, but on a sheltered glacier in sunshine, it’s hot work. Several of the right layers are essential. Your favourite underwear with a down suit on top isn’t any good here. Very lightweight windproof tops work well over base-layer shirts. It makes sense to have windproof outers at
several layers and not just a Gore-Tex type jacket on top. For example, Rab Vapour-rise tops are great as they have light insulation but enough windproofing to keep out a fair breeze. Synthetic puffball body-warmers and pullovers have replaced fleece as mid-layer insulation.
A key principle here is to be able to keep on adding layers as you get colder. You don’t want to have to take a hard shell jacket off to adjust layers underneath. I haven’t taken my down suit for the past two seasons. Many guides working on Vinson use them simply because they spend more time outside than their clients do. I’m sold on the combination of a down duvet jacket and synthetic insulated duvet trousers; it’s more flexible and more useful over a wider range of conditions. The advantage of having separate insulated duvet trousers is that the synthetic insulation is more resilient to contact with snow and for much of the time, just a duvet jacket will be enough.
Face, head and hands all need careful attention. Again, think both sun and blowing snow in a storm. I was impressed to see a veteran New Zealand guide pull a crumpled sun hat from a pocket while descending a sheltered glacier. It was just what everyone needed at the time. Before you leave home, check the balaclava, hat, goggle, facemask and hood combination you plan to wear in the worst of weather very carefully in a mirror. Even a narrow sickle moon of exposed cheek between goggle and balaclava isn’t good enough. Buy another balaclava that leaves no gap. When you find yourself in that storm, check each other’s faces carefully for gaps and signs of cold injury.
Three seasons ago, I saw a climber with cold injuries to his cheek, eyelids and eye. He had removed his steamed-up goggles and been brutally punished by the cold and wind for his inadequate preparations.
For hands, several pairs of brand new thin and thick liner gloves are a good start. In addition, I use a pair of insulated ski gloves for as long as they are warm enough and then switch to a beefy pair of Black Diamond Guide gloves. These are adequate for almost all conditions. I carry a pair of mitts in my rucksack. Every team should also carry an additional spare pair of mitts, as they are easily lost.
AVOIDING THE ABYSS
The glacier travel and crevasse rescue abilities of the weakest – rather than the strongest – member of the team indicates your overall ability to cope when things go wrong. Low stretch ropes such as the Maxim KM-III are becoming accepted for glacier travel; they reduce the difficulties of crevasse rescues.
The standard system for glacier travel is to use alpine touring skis and bindings, rucksacks and a plastic sled with a duffel bag bungeed on top. On the normal route on Vinson, most groups don’t bother with skis. Bring bamboo wands with duct tape flags to mark crevasses and to probe and identify crevasse-free areas around camps.
Even a simple item such as a duffel bag involves interesting choices. It needs to be heavy duty in order to withstand the rigours of airline baggage handling, while at the same time being sufficiently lightweight to be pulled on a sled. Wild Things make great duffels that do both jobs well. I prefer them to the more readily available but heavier North Face duffels, which come equipped with bright colours and large logos that shout ‘steal me’ in many countries.
Sensible navigation equipment comprises a plastic whistle, a Southern Hemisphere or global needle compass, such as a Suunto MC-2G, maps and a GPS such as a Garmin eTrex. The Vinson area was recently mapped by the Omega Foundation; for other areas, order the older US Geological Survey map sheets.
Climbing in Antarctica is a rewarding and memorable experience. Added to which, the view from the toilet at Vinson Base Camp is the best in the world. Get there if you can.
Teams that require assistance with expedition planning and/or polar guiding can contact Steve at steve@jones-adventures.fslife.co.uk
December 2007
