8 December 2004
After many hours of flying we have finally arrived in La Paz. The airport here in El Alto is 4100m, so we were extremely worried about being altitude sick even before we thought about mountaineering. Landing in La Paz is like being dropped off in the middle of a mountain and expecting your lungs to cope! We spent the first day feeling generally light headed, but took it extremely easy, giving our bodies time to acclimatise.
La Paz is beautiful. The mountains crowd the city so that its buildings are perched at precarious angles. The idea of having a city at this altitude and on this kind of slope is almost insane. Yet the madness of it all is strangely alluring.
On our first night, in Boca, the Argentina team was playing Bolivia in the final. It was the first time Bolivia had ever made the finals... and the streets were quiet, possibly for the first time ever. Everyone was glued to a TV. The many people that did not own TVs were standing outside the big hotels watching the match in the reflection of the glass. And then, unexpectedly, incredibly, Bolivia won. The city erupted. Cars beeped and backfired, people danced and sung in the street until well into the next day. More people than we ever though existed here crowded in the town squares chanting and laughing. It was a truly incredible welcome to Sur De America!
Back to the Top
9 December 2004
Jetlagged, we awoke at what could loosely be defined morning at 2pm. All the sleep was desperately needed by our bodies. Opening the window, we immediately felt the lure of the mountains. Like a jagged crown, the mountains ring La Paz. There are sixteen summits over 6000m. Their peaks yell to you, daring you to go higher, faster. Daring you to just keep on climbing. After breakfast at 3pm, we walked up Sagarnaga Street to organise some training and acclimatisation trips. Tomorrow, we are off to Valley De La Luna and Chacaltaya (the world's highest ski resort). It will be a day trip that will take us up to 5500m. Then, on either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather, acclimatisation and organisation, we will head of to Sajama, Bolivia's highest peak. The mountain looks amazing. It may be quite dangerous however, because it is not peak season, so we will need to begin summit day extremely early (around 2am) to avoid the crevasses opening.
Today, we began to fall in love with Bolivian culture. The people here are so happy and welcoming. They are still dressed in traditional garments and bowler hats (positioned atop a woman's head if she is married, and rakishly on the side if she is single and looking - an interesting system!).
So there is a lot of excitement in the air... and Antarctica still feels very far away!
Back to the Top
10 December 2004
After barely sleeping last night, we awoke at 7am to begin our trip. Firstly, we drove out of La Paz into the lower areas (which are more expensive, because they are flatter and warmer - incredible really that such a change of temperature can be felt in a small drop in altitude). Then on to our first destination.
Valley De La Luna was incredible. It was all towering rock formations that make it look exactly like the moonscape. We had a good group of people around us from all over the globe, so we busied ourselves swapping travel stories and getting to know one another.
Next on to the highest ski resort in the world: Chacaltaya (5300m). It is wet season, so there was very little snow there, and there is only a single ski lift at this Andean high altitude ski resort. For mountaineers with an abundance of Arctic equipment we were insanely under prepared for the small hike on which we were about to embark. We both had a couple of jumpers, hiking boots that we had thrown in as an afterthought this morning, and beanies. No wind jacket, no wind pants, no warm jumper. As the wind howled around us with a ferocity reminiscent of other mountains at 5300m we cursed our carelessness. When the rest of the group donned their wet weather gear, and it began to snow, we knew we really should have given more thought to this day trip. Rule number one: Be prepared, a.k.a. take all your stuff! We walked quickly, and talked to those around us, forgetting the cold. The "summit" (5550m) of the ski resort, once reached, was beautiful. And it was a first taste of the mountains, yet it only worked to increase our thirst.
Now we are safely back in La Paz after a great day in the mountains - too bad it was overcast and we couldn't get the full vista. On the way down we glimpsed the mountain ranges of Peru and Illimani, the sacred mountain. Tomorrow we are training near Mt. Condoriri in the Tuni region. Then on to Sajama on Sunday!
Back to the Top
11 December 2004
We awoke early to begin our trip to Mt. Condoriri. The first part of the journey was probably the scariest as it involved a bumpy four wheel drive track, and stupid speeds, with entire farms of animals appearing in front of us on the road. Two hours later, and thankfully we still had our lives, we made it to our base. Packing water and other essential gear, we began the climb. The mountain ranges are truly beautiful. As we are both in love with the mountains, I know we felt something deep inside ourselves sigh with relief and joy to be within the mountains once again. The feeling is like a homecoming, although slightly different. Two hours up, we had incredible views of the Cordillera Real - especially the mountain they call "The Black Needle" because it goes straight up, and is a rich black colour. Another 600m upwards and we were feeling the altitude. Our pace had slowed, and our hearts felt like they were going to explode out of our chests with the force one would see in an Arnie movie. Unfortunately, Cheryl was also feeling the beginnings of a stomach ache. At that point, we weren't sure if it was some nasty Bolivian bug, or the altitude.
We stopped for lunch at the base of a daunting rock pass amid the towering giants of the Cordillera. Yet soon the temperature dropped and it was time to continue the steep ascent. By this stage, I knew Mum wasn't feeling well, but as is the way with mountains, you just keep on walking, and use all the mental strength you have to put one foot in front of another. La Cumbre (the summit) was truly worth it. On one side we had clear views of the rest of Condoriri, and on the other, we could see the entire way to Lake Titicaca and to Sajama, the mountain we plan to climb tomorrow.
Back to the Top
12 December 2004
Today turned into a rest day. As of last night, we could confirm that the stomach problems Cheryl was experiencing were due to some serious South American bug. It's a bit worrying because we will need all of the strength we can get for the next two months, and losing too much could be dangerous before we go to Antarctica. So we spent the day sleeping, responding to emails, and doing a last gear check for the climb of Sajama. By this afternoon, Cheryl was already much better. We will decide tomorrow morning whether or not we will start our Bolivian expedition.
Back to the Top
13 December 2004
Bags packed, we were ready to go to Sajama today. The high altitude of La Paz meant that we had another poor night's sleep, and when we awoke it was clear that Cheryl was still not well enough to tackle such a big mountain. Under normal circumstances we would just give it a go, but because we have Antarctica weighing heavy on our minds we need to stay strong for our big adventure. So we decided to have another rest day. It turned out to be the correct decision, because with some good food and rest, Cheryl appeared to be getting much better. Sajama takes four days to climb in good weather so we have missed our window. Instead, we have decided to go to do some technical training in Huayna Potosi (6088m) on the glaciers, with the view of summiting the mountain in two nights' time.
Thanks to Telstra. We will be calling on the satellite phone and keeping you all updated! So buenos noches from La Paz... and tomorrow it will be from base camp!!
Back to the Top
15 December 2004
We have gone and gotten ourselves into a lot of trouble!! In the last two days we have gone to the devil's kindergarten Spanish school, climbed a glacier, and had a run in with the Bolivian police. The Bolivian police incident, involving two of us, a furious climbing agent, two lawyers (one from the hotel and one from our Bolivian travel agency), the head of the travel agency, the hotel manager and four policemen, was certainly an interesting experience! But we will leave that till last.
After a couple of days' rest, and some antibiotics to up the warfare on that fierce Bolivian stomach bug, Cheryl was feeling much better. The two of us were itching to get into the mountains. It is almost painful to watch the towering majesty of the Cordillera and not be able to climb them.
But there are two things in this world that you have to respect - nature and health. We decided two climb a glacier to put on our climbing feet and practice in all our equipment and then climb a smaller mountain - Huayna Potosi (6088m). We booked the climb with an agency here that seemed fairly reputable, and also needed to borrow some gear from them, because much of our Antarctica equipment is being brought from Alaska. Coming from such a flat country, it is really difficult to explain why you need special crampons and 800 loft down jackets to any outdoors store at home. Our gear was packed and ready in our hotel room... and we were excited with the prospect of some mountaineering.
From early yesterday morning onwards, the customer service of our company seemed increasingly interesting. We had already agreed to climb Sajama with them, but even more to our regret than theirs, we had to pull out because of La Bug De Stomache. At first they were concerned and conciliatory but this soon gave way to twitching and anger ending with their demanding we pay huge and ridiculous cancellation fees despite the fact that we were still continuing our business with them by climbing the glacier... so, a deal, an agreement for the exchange of US dollars was struck...
Got to love Bolivian corruption! It's actually really sad listening to the tales of woe from Bolivians we have met who work hard but really have very little. And yet there are the few who have disproportionate wealth and power! "These days everyone wants to be a politician", says Adolfo. And we have really enjoyed listening to the "boy band" that plays in the markets in the centre of the city on Sunday - market day - the band against corruption (they are very cute... all the same outfit, each with a different guitar).
But back to our mountain operator dispute... in negotiating with the climbing agent, we created quite a heated argument, and in hindsight, we are sure we made him quite infuriated. We were certainly punished for it. We were supposed to have an English speaking guide, and when we were delivered to the office, this seemingly amiable, and at first glance charming rogue, turned into a manic and furious man. Sitting behind his desk, he demanded money, and told us we would not be having an English speaking guide, and that our lead guide had equal qualifications as the lead guide we had agreed on. It turns out, he had much, much less, as we would soon discover on the mountain. We headed off nonetheless... our heads literally in the clouds of the mountain.
On day one we climbed the glacier. It was a spectacular experience. A steep climb up the side, and then 90 degree ice walls for ice climbing training higher up. We practised the three different methods of belay, and it felt good to be on the ice. The ice walls were amazing. All great fun and more experience for us... tack tack as the ice axes slam into the ice then bang bang as the points of the crampons find purchase on the ice... and you are hanging mid wall balancing on four sharp points. However, as the hours wore on, it began to rain, and our borrowed equipment became increasingly saturated. That was not the beginning of our gear problems. Our insanely heavy Antarctica ice boots (one kilo per boot) did not fit into the ancient crampons they had provided. As they were putting on these crampons with rope instead of clicking the buckles, and with the guides saying "esto es peligroso", we began lesson one in our devil's Spanish school. After learning the word dangerous, we learn piulet, ice axe, crevasse and mojado (wet). Normal people learn words like cat, dog and the days of the week!
We walked the last bit of the trail from the glacier to base camp in the dark, our boots squelching in the new snow. Shivering, and worried about the cold of Antarctica if this was only Bolivia, we returned to a hot meal. Hence, the lack of a dispatch last night. It was too late to call home on our satellite phone.
We lay awake that night to the sound of snow and rain. As we were warming our gear there was a huge electrical storm. We worried for the friends we had met that day who would be attempting the summit that night. When, the next morning they awoke at nine, cold wet and miserable, and reported that they didn't even take one step out of their high camp tents to the summit, we looked out of the window and considered our own predicament. We leave for Punta Arenas on Friday, and to risk a cold, or falling into a crevasse covered with fresh snow before our Antarctica journey would be plain stupid. We decided that our guide was inexperienced, our crampons were tied on instead of secure, and we knew we couldn't trust the rain jacket or gloves provided. We are also always acutely aware of keeping four eyes on the main game... Antarctica! At midday, we decided to be happy with our glacier climb and the ensuing acclimatisation and return to a very wet La Paz (the vendors are all sitting covered in plastic and hiding under their bowler hats for minimal protection), sewage running through some of the streets.
Now, if that was not crazy enough, we needed a dealing with the police to really make our day. The agent of the climbing company, who was owed money for the days we did not climb because of his poor equipment rang the hotel. Mad as a snake, and with a voice that consisted of similar venom, he demanded we come to his office and pay him otherwise we would be refused exit of La Paz when we were due to fly out. Instead of calmly asking us, he was already accusatory, and so crazy it was almost funny. He told us that soon he would turn up at our hotel with the police. Being two women travelling alone in Bolivia, we knew that we were now in a really dangerous position. He knew where we were staying, and we didn't know what he was capable of. We called the hotel manager and told him of our predicament. Everyone seemed very worried. Half an hour later we get a phone call saying that the climbing agent was downstairs, and that he had the police with him, but that we shouldn't worry because they didn't have a warrant for our arrest, and didn't have the right to take us to the station. On the way down, Cheryl turned and jokingly asked whether we should take jumpers in case we were about to experience the joys of a Bolivian police station. Of course we were never really concerned about the police threat, but were very worried of what he or his henchmen could get up to. The hotel manager assured us that he would be with us the whole time.
And so we end where we began, standing in the hotel lobby in what felt like a Fawlty Towers scene surrounded by a throng of officials. Two little Aussies who really were just out to climb some mountains, surrounded by all these sombre, suited Bolivian men. The climbing agent demanded we step away from the hotel manager and come speak to him. It was a similar suggestion to come outside and fight me. We decided to pay him the money for the days we didn't climb, worried that when all the officials leave we would be seeing some more men, when we stepped out that night from the safety of our hotel. Later, the receptionist of the hotel, who has become our friend due to repeated requests for toilet paper for Bolivian tummies, told us it was a good plan, and that the Bolivian man was very dangerous.
So there you go. It has been quite an exciting 48 hours for the two of us!
Back to the Top
19 December 2004
Well we are traumatised now...
First we had a briefing by the air company ALE. About twenty-five people in the room (three groups of mountain climbers and other groups being flown out to visit the emperor penguins), and an Aussie guy (who owns the company with his brother), took us through all the stuff. They never know if/when they're going to fly, landing in a blue ice runway with fierce crosswinds ("You should see the pilots, they land like fighter pilots"), flying in a Russian made plane for Russian paratroopers (and the seats are still the seats for paratroopers with self serve oxygen masks) and Russian pilots.
Apart from "savage kabatic winds" (which roll down from the South Pole gathering force like a steam engine), they are doing something different and we will be flying at 6pm instead of the usual 6am (because the runway is a bit mushy).
He made an announcement that this year for the first time, because the weather was a bit warm the last couple of weeks, there are a lot of crevasses occurring, so the guides should brush up on their rope technique. And there is a guy in there now who fell down a 5m crevasse and it took them a while to get him out, and now he's too shaken and injured to try for the summit.
Everything is fine!
After the briefing, we had gear check. Well this was unlike any previous gear check where they just tick off your gear. This one, because we physically have to haul everything on our backs and group gear in our sleds, each kilo counts. So, he stood over us throwing out extra thermals (!!!!), extra gloves, hats, chocolate, etc. etc.. Then as if that wasn't enough, he made us pack our bags in front of him and carted them away!!! So that's that. They've been weighed and picked up by the plane company!
So now we are planning to fly tomorrow evening at 6pm. It's a four and a half hour flight, landing on the blue ice in the middle of nowhere...
Yes we're very excited but... well... a little traumatised. After all that, we had to lie down and eat Snickers bars, then go out for lunch... just back! We've now regained our equilibrium and are ready to get the show on the road!
We have now met our group. A father and son team and three buddies... all from America!
Back to the Top
20/21 December 2004
Well we were traumatised yesterday and today we spent the day on edge, hoping for that call which would herald our flight to the great southern land of Antarctica. The flight was scheduled for 6pm.
6pm arrived and the flight was put on hold until 8pm when the weather would be assessed again.
At 8pm the flight was again put on hold. This tantalising wait would continue to tease us.
Then suddenly at 9pm the call we had been waiting for arrived! We rushed to the plane and we were in the air by 10:30!
The plane flight was definitely a unique experience. Both of us were accustomed to flying but an old paratrooper was something else. There were no in-flight movies to help us through the 4 and a half hour flight to Antarctica! Instead most people on board made use of their luggage which was piled in the middle of the plane using various bags as mattresses and pillows. The rest continued sitting along the sides of the plane looking inwards or visited the cockpit which was of the old ‘glass turret’ style.
Well this was it – we were finally on our way. All our training had come to this. We would now need it all, plus determination the size of the mountain itself, to reach our goal.
After spending 7 minutes on the runway slowing down, we were met with a sunny and warm ‘day’ on the coldest continent on Earth. It was 3am and only 0°C! There were 6-7 permanent tents and we were ushered into the mess tent where we had something to eat before going to bed at about 6:30am. We awoke at 1:30pm to have breakfast before we were put on stand-by for the Twin Otter aircraft which would take us to the base camp. Now we could fully comprehend the great white expanse which was Antarctica. The whiteness extended right to the horizon where it met the constantly lit sky.
We are making this call from base camp where we can see the summit of Vinson rising above us. It is still only about 0°C but once the sun passes behind the mountain the temperature will plummet 20 or 30 degrees!
Our goal is there, towering in front of us. It gently calls us as though instilling a mesmerising trance.
Back to the Top
22 December 2004 (SMS Update)
Today we spent the day acclimatising at base camp along with practicing crevasse rescues and some rope technique. Tomorrow we will do the big push to camp 1. It was a glorious day in these awesome mountains.
Back to the Top
23 December 2004 (SMS Update)
It’s now a cold midnight at camp 1. Even with the sun shining, it is a nippy minus 35°C! It was a big day hauling a very heavy pack and sled from base camp. There is ice and mountains as far as the eye can see which made it a sensational day. Although it is rather alarming when you can hear the hollow cracking sound as you step across crevasses. Being here is like being on another planet altogether!
Back to the Top
24 December 2004 (SMS Update)
Today was a rest day before we make a first haul up the big headwall tomorrow. Last night got down to minus 40°C! Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate it!
Back to the Top
26 December 2004
As of this satellite phone call we are still at camp 2, just below a massive vertical headwall, which we obviously won’t be able to continue with our sleds. Today was spent climbing the headwall with provisions to help set up camp 3 before returning to camp 2. Tomorrow we will go up with the down jackets and sleeping gear to complete camp 3 and spend the night there. Then shall be rest day and we will try for the summit the following day, weather permitting. The satellite phone will be too heavy to carry and so we will be out of contact for at least 3 days if all goes well. If not we have enough food to stay a week.
Just this week a Russian team has had to turn back from the summit following a few days of cold and windy weather - one member has been afflicted with frostbite. It really has brought home the realities of what we are doing. If a team from Russia has had difficulties with the cold, how on Earth will a team from Australia – the sunburnt country – cope with such extremes!
It has been regularly been getting down to minus 40°C when the sun dips below the mountain. It is always light at the moment and the sun moves around the sky in an arc. We sleep during the ‘night’ as the sun casts a shadow of the mountain over the camp. Even inside the tent it is minus 25°C and the condensation from our breath freezes on the outside of our sleeping bag. Everything freezes except the items which you place in your sleeping bag with you. Even then if they’re beside your feet there is no guarantee that they’ll still be unfrozen when you wake up!
Despite the cold we are still in high spirits and miss those who we have left in Australia. It is impossible to describe the sheer expanse of whiteness which envelopes us all the time. The views are unlike anything we have ever seen before and are simply breathtaking.
Back to the Top
31 December 2004 (SMS Update)
Woo hoo!!! We did it! We nailed that mama! We summited Vinson at 5pm yesterday. Then we had the long tired march down. We’re now safe in camp. Happy new year! Now time to sleep…
Back to the Top
1 January 2005
We woke up on summit day to snow falling and fierce winds. After a brief conference it was decided to give the summit a shot nonetheless. All of us knew what this choice could involve. The weather only had to get slightly worse and our lives could be in serious danger let alone being unable to reach the summit.
In the long push upwards we almost turned around twice due to the weather. Although high camp offered only relative safety, it seemed a very attractive option. Not only were the winds incredibly powerful but visibility was also very low. Often you could only see a few metres in front of you. In amongst the enveloping whiteness, the outlines of team-members looking like smudges on an artist’s canvas.
After seven hours tramping uphill at minus 40°C, we reached the ‘top’ of Antarctica. We were now at the coldest point of the coldest continent on Earth. Despite the elation of reaching this milestone, the stop at the summit was only brief as the weather was not overly conducive to a lazy picnic lunch.
This mountain had presented serious issues from frostbite to crevasses but now we are safely down. At the moment we are just waiting for the plane to take us back to Chile. Only now can we fully begin to celebrate our triumph out of Vinson’s frozen clutches. A commemorative round of an old favourite – bullets and chocolate-coated almonds – along with copious amounts of other similarly nutritious foods are definitely filling gaps which the mountain had forged.
Back to the Top
3 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Two days ago, we wrote that we were safely down from the mountain. While this is still true, perhaps we counted our penguins before they hatched. We are now stuck on the mountain at base camp. It has been dumping snow for the last few hours but now there are just ferocious winds. Huddling in our sleeping bags, we shall remain on standby until 3am. It’s not the happiest situation to be in but alas we are at the mercy of the weather.
Back to the Top
4 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Well today we saw the raw aggression and force of an Antarctican storm. The tent is rattling and shaking in the wind and is totally covered with snow. It is now dying down and hopefully we shall be able to go outside soon without being knocked over by the wind. Assuming good weather and the Twin Otter, we should be able to take the big plane out of Antarctica late tomorrow.
Back to the Top
5 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Well we are now stuck in the Patriot Hills waiting for Illyushin to Chile. The winds are still howling like crazy and lifting the tent. Next fly time is at 6am tomorrow – hopefully all goes well!
Back to the Top
