Back Home
I am back home now after a long series of flights. I want to thank my friend Jim Carroll who upgraded me to business class for my flight from Santiago to Toronto. It was oh so nice and a great restful way to return home. Jim is a great keynote speaker and you can check him out at www.jimcarroll.com.

After returning to Union Glacier base camp we waited for a day for our flight back to Punta Arenas on December 3. Union Glacier base camp is a pretty interesting place to spend some time. Both the staff and the visiting explorers offer a very interesting collection of individuals. This is a place where drive, over achieving, motivation, team work and leadership are the norm. The stories and experiences are fantastic and humbling. There are so many adventurous people out there. 

Once back in Punta Arenas I set about the daunting task of changing my scheduled flight so that I could get home early. Unfortunately most air carriers do not make this an easy task. After many phone calls and hours spent on the web it was determined that the easiest and cheapest thing for me to do was just to abandon my already paid for flights and book new tickets. The change fees and price adjustment made it impossible to use my originally booked ticked. However, this is a pretty normal part of these expeditions and one must accept the fact that additional money must often be spent to get back home. Maybe I should learn and just book a one-way ticket next time. 

The flights home went smoothly and I arrived at the Toronto airport at 6:10am to be greeted by my family. It is always great to be back in Canada and traveling around the world has taught me how fortunate we are to be Canadian. It is also always amazing to see my family again. Even thought this was not one of my longer trips, I always miss them. 

Integrating back into “normal” life is usually pretty easy; mostly because there is no real transition period at all. Life picks up right where it left off, but with a big pile of “to do’s” that have accumulated over the last month. As the saying goes “out of the frying pan and into the fire”. 

I will, over the next week or so, fill in the gaps of my blog. I was not able to blog every day as you know and some crucial times, such as the summit of Vinson, were missed. 

I am now the 15^th Canadian to have climbed the 7 summits; the highest peak on each of the seven continents. This all started in 1999 with my ascent of Aconcagua in Argentina. At this point I did not really have a plan to climb the seven summits, but was more focused on Everest. As I continued to climb to get experience for Everest I climbed several more of the seven summits and once I made it to the top of Everest it seemed kind of silly not to keep going and finish them off. 

While I would not put myself in the Olympic athlete category, climbing the seven summits is, if I may say so, a pretty fantastic achievement. Less than 300 people worldwide have stood on the top of these same mountains. Obviously fitness is a huge part of success in this endeavour, but once this “entry ticked” has been paid there are other factors that will ultimately determine one's success. 

Without goal setting, personal drive, sacrifice, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership none of this would be possible. I was speaking with one of the owners of ALE (the company that provides the logistics for Vinson climbs and South Pole expeditions) and he was talking about the countless people who have failed to achieve their Antarctic goals. Sometimes it is lack of fitness or injury that stops an individual, but more often than not it is a breakdown of leadership, teamwork or personal drive. 

The hardships endured on these extended expeditions are tremendous and it is difficult for most people to handle the pressure. This is where teamwork, leadership and personal strength come into play. Without these factors, success will not be possible.

I will need to think about what climbing the seven summits has meant to me and what I have taken from this experience, but my initial thoughts fall to how rich this experience has been for me in so many ways. I have traveled to far-flung and amazing places; parts of the planet that most people will never see. I have met great friends and untold numbers of extremely interesting people. I have pushed myself, mentally and physically, to the breaking point and returned unscathed. I have learned so much about myself and human dynamics that I could write a book (I am actually writing a book that is 80% complete and should be out soon I hope). The expedition world is such a rich environment to learn about group dynamics, team development, team work, change management, conflict management, goal setting, leadership, motivation and so many other things that play an immensely important part in our personal and professional lives. 

As most of you know I am a corporate leadership and team trainer by profession and these experiences have allowed me and my team to create very successful training programs for large and small, public and private corporations. I believe our programs are much richer from my experiences. My EMBA students have told me how much this approach to training has helped them to become better leaders and team members. 

As a keynote speaker I am blessed to be able to tell my stories to others and to share my learnings and insights with them. I was in Vancouver just before I departed to for Antarctica giving a keynote and leading a workshop to a financial organization and received a great compliment from the President. She told me that my combination of storytelling (making it interesting) and workshop application (making it real) was by far the best that they had ever experienced. They had recently brought in an Olympic athlete as a motivational speaker and I was told that while this person was extremely nice and had an interesting story, it did not have the real world application and depth that I was able to provide. 

Now I am not usually much of a self-promoter as that is not really my style, I do truly believe that what we have to offer as a company and what I offer as a speaker can provide great value to individuals and organizations alike. I feel blessed to have found this niche within which to live and I look forward to working with and helping others for a long time to come. 

Adult Gummie Vitamins, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Ostrom Outdoors, I have mentioned them before, but will do so once again because these are companies and products that I truly believe in and people who have always been there for me. 

Fitness and nutrition are a big part of my life and I know I am not always the best eater. Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins www.adultgummies.com help me to stay healthy and to get the vitamins my body requires to perform at my best. Beyond their nutritional value, they provide a valuable mental boost every morning on an expedition with their burst of yummy flavour and they do not freeze solid like so much of our food at 30 below. Give them a try if you have not already. 

Sherpa Adventure Gear www.sherpaadventuregear.com is a great outdoor and lifestyle clothing company. Not only do they have great products, but they come from real Sherpa roots and support the Sherpa people of Nepal. I have worn Sherpa clothing for the last few years on all my expeditions and I have always been warm and dry. I have never suffered a clothing failure and would recommend Sherpa Adventure Gear for wearing around town and outdoor adventure alike. 

Bill Ostrom from Ostrom Outdoors has designed and built me fantastic backpacks over the years. An Ostrom pack has been with me on every one of my seven summits and countless other climbs and adventures as well. Check out www.ostromoutdoors.com if you are looking for a reliable pack for your next adventure. 

So what is my next challenge you may ask? I am not totally sure at this point. The North and South Poles have always been of interest to me and to complete the Adventure Grand Slam (the seven summits plus the North and South Pole) would be an amazing feat. I have also recently had a calling to kite ski across Greenland, so maybe I will learn to kite this winter. There are countless Himalayan peaks I would love to climb and other mountains and adventures all around the world. Sailing around the world has always excited me and terrified me at the same time and good friend, who is a sailor, has often suggested we give that a try. For the next few months however, I think I will just enjoy being home with my family and soaking up the Ontario alpine ski season.

I am truly thankful for all that I have.

Summit Life! Scott.

Back at Union Glacier

We are now back at Union Glacier base camp. We arrived just in time for lunch yesterday. After a restful night at the base of Mt. Charles we packed up and started the ski back to Union Glacier base camp.

The initial part of the ski presented some tricky ground as the Sanchez, Union, and Driscoll glaciers collide. The ground was quite mixed up with ice waves and a lot of rock debris from Mt. Charles. Once past this, the skiing was slightly up hill but very gentle. It took us 2.5 hours to ski back. It was nice to see the tents of camp, but sad to see the end of the wilderness for this trip.

The ice marathon started on December 1^st with 32 people running the marathon. The fastest time was 3:47 (male) and 4:26 (female) beyond that times ranged up to 8:45. Two Canadians ran in the race. December 2^nd was the 100km run and six people set out for that. The fastest time was 14 hours and change, and some runners took close to 24 hours to complete it. I could hear runners finishing at all hours of the night as I slept in my tent at the side of the finish line. Temperatures ranged from -20° to -30°c for the run.

One runner set out to run 100 miles and completed his run in just over 24 hours. It is pretty amazing to see the runners accomplish this feat. They are all limping around Union Glacier today with sore muscles and blistered feet.One runner set a new world record for the fastest time to run a marathon on each of the seven continents; 25 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes. This beat the old record by four days.

Also of note was the fuel train that left here last night. As the twin otter planes have a limited flight range, they need to land and re-fuel for longer flights. A Piston Bully (snow cat) was hooked to 4 giant sleds for the 300mile/500km journey to The Fields re-fuel base. Four drivers and mechanics were ready for this two-week journey. The trip would take them through a wide variety of ground from gentle slopes to steep hills, from deep snow to ice and across crevasse filled glaciers. The train consisted of a utility and supply sled, a living pod, a sled of 150 forty-five gallon drums of aviation fuel, and a huge shipping container that will be used as a storage shed. They set off at 1am to cheers and wishes of good weather.

Today will be spent waiting for the plane to take us back to Punta Arenas. As of now, flights are grounded due to low clouds, but we hope this will change later in the day.

Hopefully my next blog will come from the hotel in Punta Arenas after a shower and a shave.

Please check out Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Ostrom Outdoors as they all played a part in the success of this trip.

What is your next challenge?

Summit life! Scott.

Mount Charles
Today has been a day of contrasts. From extreme cold and wind to complete stillness and heat. From hyperactivity to complete lack of movement.

The wind raged all night, but I slept through most of it. From 5:30am on I laid in my sleeping bag and listened to the freight train roar and watched the tent shake violently and to try to rip free of our anchors. Today was our day to climb Mt Charles. We waited for the wind to abate, but it was not happening so at 11:00 we decided to head out regardless. With jackets zipped up, goggles on, crampons on, and ice axes in hand we turned into the wind and started up.

The initial part of the climb was up a 35 degree snow ramp. The wind was fierce and made the otherwise easy climb about 30-40% more difficult. It did not take too long for us to reach the col where the wind intensified. It was blowing a steady 70-80kph with gusts over 100.

The ridge to the summit alternated from rock to snow and from gentle to steep. All along the wind tried to push us down. Close to the top we roped up as the drops on either side became more severe. We reached the top as a team and celebrated. We were treated to spectacular 360° views of mountains and glaciers for as far as the eye could see. We could even see the marathon track laid out on the ice as a snow cat slowly moved along grooming the trail. We took some photos but did not remain on the top for too long. The wind and the cold quickly drove us down.

With the rope floating freely in the wind we started down. The way down was much easier with gravity working with us and the wind at our backs. The final slope to the tents was beautiful as we looked out across the frozen sea of ice that is our temporary home.

Once back at camp we had lunch and laid down to rest. When I woke the wind had completely died and the sun has warmed our tent to an almost unbearable heat. We are only eight km from union Glacier base camp but have decided to stay on the ice one more night. It will be all too soon that we re-enter the chaos of civilization and we want to savour our final hours of peace and solitude on the ice of Antarctica.

Summit life! Scott.

Yesterday we left Union Glacier base camp and started to ski across the Union Glacier. Our plan was to ski to the mountains in the distance and do some climbing. However after four hours and 15km we did not seem to be getting any closer. We set up camp in the middle of this huge glacier with nothing but space and mountains surrounding us. The silence was absolute and we slept until 9:30 the next morning. I think this was the best sleep we have all had since we landed in Antarctica.

Today we changed objectives and made a left turn towards a different set of peaks. After four hours of skiing we are finally at the base of a beautiful unclimbed peak we have named Sharks `Tooth because that is what it looks like. We have set up camp and will get an early start tomorrow and try to climb at least two peaks.

We are all doing well. My Adult Essentials Gummy vitamins taste good every morning (they have not frozen yet). My Sherpa clothing is keeping we very warm, and my Ostrom pack is helping me to carry it all.

We will stay out here for a few more days and then start to make our way back to base camp. It will be a long ski back.

They are getting ready for the Antarctica marathon in a few days. Over forty runners are flying in for the event. The course is set on the glacier and we skied across it on our way to the mountains.

We saw some photos from the emperor penguin expedition and it was beyond belief. One of the guides we know said it was a life changing experience for him. We will not make it to the penguins however. They charge $15k to start the plane and $10k per flying hour. The penguins are about four hours away and out of our budget.

This is an amazing place to be and I feel very fortunate to be here.

Thinking of you all.

Summit life! Scott.

Back in Contact (from Scott)
We are back at Union Glacier now. We have been experiencing email problems so I have not been able to send a blog until now. On Nov 21 we moved from base camp to low camp. It was a beautiful but long ski through a magnificent valley of 9km. We set up camp and spent the night.

On Nov 22 we moved up to high camp in a single carry. Our packs were heavy but this would save us time and overall effort. The headwall was 1200m of fixed line and while not technically difficult it was very tiring and took us around three hours to climb. We then ascended for another 90 minutes to high camp. We were quite tired when we got there. We set up camp and prepared for a summit push in the morning. 

On Nov 23 we set out for the summit at 9:30am. The route follows a gentle but exhausting valley for seven km. The sky was clear with a slight wind. Temperature was around minus 25. After six hours we made it to the summit ridge. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped to around minus 45 with the wind chill. The summit ridge was amazing, with a razor sharp top and steep drops on both sides. We made it to the summit at 4:30. It was amazing but difficult to enjoy with the cold and the wind. After a couple of bad summit photos all three of our cameras froze. We spent about 20 min on top.

The journey down was easy but tiring and took us around three hours. We made it back to camp had dinner and slept. On the 24th we made the long journey back to base camp. It was a fast, fantastic, and challenging climb. After a rest day we did some great skiing at base camp and then flew back to Union Glacier late last night. We will pack and head back into the mountains today to explore areas the have never seen footsteps. We are all having fun and enjoying our time in Antarctica. I will send more detailed daily journals when I have access to wifi.

Summit life! Scott.

Reflecting on Vinson

A post by Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals

"A special climb of a beautiful mountain in one of the most remote spots in the world. It has been a pleasure for us to be here in the highest mountain range of Antarctica.

Of special note on this climb; Scott Kress has completed his Seven Summits, finishing successful climbs of the highest mountain on each continent. He is just the 15th Canadian to do so.

Ron Sanga has just Australia now left before completing the Seven Summits! Nice work guys.

Also of note; Ryan Waters has now led expeditions to all, and most cases many times, of the Seven Summits. So a fun time for celebration and now we have built in time to explore remote areas on our skis and visit peaks that have had few or no visitors ever."

Back at Base Camp

Here is another update on the Vinson expedition from from Ryan Waters

"Everyone is feeling great and we are enoying the warm tents in the sunshine of Antarctica!
We had an awesome summit experience and enjoyed coming down today with all our gear in sleds behind us.

Rest day tomorrow, more soon!"


Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals    

Summit Success!

Congratulations to Scott, Ryan and Ron for making the summit of Mount Vinson! Scott is now the 15th Canadian to achieve the Seven Summits - the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Scott has not posted yet, but here is a brief report from Ryan  Waters of "Mountain Professionals: 
   
"The whole team reached the summit of Vinson today at 4:30 pm Chile time. We enjoyed very nice weather with clear skies and just slight winds on the summit ridge. We are all back in high camp and looking forward to a good rest before heading down in the morning to low camp and the to base. Good night from way up here in the bottom of the world." (Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals)

Communication from one of the most remote areas of the Earth is sometimes sketchy. We haven't heard from Scott, but here is an update from his teammate Ryan Waters: 

23 Nov, 11 - 20:01     
78.4941S,85.7390W
"Hello from high camp! A long day of awesome climbing up the headwall and a cool route up the col to high camp. We just had a big dinner of Real Turmat meals and a big hot drink. We can see forever up here. Looking back to the West we see the Nimitz Glacier sprawling below with small peaks poking out from a thin cloud layer.

We are going for the summit tomorrow. Planning to leave around 9 am when the sun is on the route. It is a long day up 3600 feet to the summit so we must hit the sack." (Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals)

Vinson Base Camp
On November 19 we were delayed until 11:50pm for takeoff. The 4.5 hour flight landed us at Union Glacier at 4:30am. We had some food and waited to fly to Vinson. We got to Vnson Base Camp at around 4pm on the 20th and set up camp. It was -15c and sunny with light wind. We had dinner and went to sleep. 

On the morning of the 21st we got up and headed to Camp 1 around 12:30 pm. It was a long 9 km ski that took us five hours. It was cloudy with light snow as we skied. We got to camp in a light snow storm. It was cold and our hands quickly got cold as we set up camp. We got into the tent and made hot drinks and then dinner. By 9:00 pm Ron and Ryan were snoring as I read my book. I find it difficult to sleep with 24 hours sunlight. The forecast is not great for the next couple of days. Minus 25 degrees  at high camp with 10-15 knot winds and the summit is -33 degrees with 15-25 knot winds. Not great.

We will rest here at camp one today and then move to high camp tomorrow. We will then wait and see what the weather brings. All is good and we are doing well.

Summit life! Scott out.

Into the heart of ice and snow

I slept restlessly last night. Perhaps it was the fact that the hotel finally turned on the heat and I was too hot, maybe it was the dogs barking much of the night, it could have been the ambulance and fire truck that raced by my window with sirens blaring, but mostly I think it was energy and excitement. This is the day we fly to Antarctica. I am excited and a little anxious. There are a lot of challenges and potential hardships ahead of me for the next 30 days.

I always question myself. Am I ready? Have I done all I need to do? Will I perform well? How will my family be while I am gone? I think this questioning is natural, and that most people do it. I think it helps me to stay safe and to be well prepared. However, in the mountains there is no place for hesitation. One must be strong and confident and put 100% into everything that is done. Hesitation erodes commitment and lack of commitment reduces focus and the energy put into a task. In the mountains, hesitation can make bad things happen.

Our call from ALE came at 9:45 and we were told that all looked good, but that there was no flight schedule yet. Yesterday’s flight went well, but did not get back until 12:00 midnight. By law the pilots are required to have 12 hours of rest before they fly again. This means that realistically we will likely fly around 2:00pm. This is the same schedule as the Norwegians yesterday. ALE has said that they will call us again at 12:15 and give us an update. The weather looks good so we have our fingers crossed.

I took a last (I hope) walk around town before meeting Ryan and Ron at Lomito’s for lunch. There are some interesting things about this city. It is apparently quite a wealthy city with most of the money coming from oil and gas, but some from shipping. While there are a lot of cars there are even more taxis. It is like being in New York City. Any time you look down the road there are at least a dozen taxis coming at you and more are parked by the side of the road. I guess that many people do not have cars and use the cabs as their primary mode of transportation. 

There are some parking lots, but most parking is on the side of the road. There are no parking meters however. There are parking agents on every street. They have a small ticket machine around their neck and walk up to parking cars and sell the driver a ticket. It seems to work well, but I don’t really know the pros and cons of it. 

The last oddity I will write about is the street crossings. First off there must be no by-law against j-walking because people cross at will at any point in the road. Secondly, when crossing at a stop light it is often a little unnerving because the standard driving style here is to go full out and then slam on the brakes a few feet from the light. As a pedestrian, it is unsettling to see a car roaring towards you and to wonder if the driver plans to stop or now. Later than you would like they slam on their brakes and come to a stop with little space to spare. 

We just got the word that we will be picked up at 2:00pm. This means we will fly around 4:00pm. The next blog you get from me will be from the bottom of the earth. 

I am off now to do my final packing and to get dressed in my polar clothing. 

To follow the weather during the expedition follow this link: http://www.yr.no/place/Antarctica/Other/Union_Glacier/ 

Antarctica here I come.
Summit Life! Scott out.

Exploring Punta Arenas ...

Another day in Punta Arenas is another day closer to flying to Antarctica. The Norwegian South Pole team was put on notice to be ready for a call to the Airport Friday morning between 6am and 9am. This means we are next and will most likely fly Saturday morning and then hopefully immediately to Vinson with no delay.

Today was cool, grey and windy, but what else is new in Punta Arenas. There was not a lot to do today. I sat around in the hotel and worked on my book for a while. Yes, I am working on a book and have been doing so for around three years. I think writing a book is an even bigger mountain to climb than Everest.

Around 11:30 I decided to go for a run. I figured that perhaps I should try to maintain some fitness while I am here, plus it would be a good way to explore the city. I put on my trail shoes, my smelly socks, my fancy new Lu Lu Lemon shorts that I got for my birthday before I left, my Sherpa shirt, by running hat and my iPod and I was off. I ran down the main street to the water and turned right. The smell of ocean was strong in my nostrils as I sucked in air.

The waterfront is similar to the waterfront of most port cities. There is a combination of industrial, manufacturing, shipping, residential and park lands. One great feature is a dedicated bike path and a separate walking/running path so that there is no mix of cars, people, and bikes. I ran past the Dreams Hotel and Casino. This is where the cruise ships come in and is the finest, and most expensive, accommodation in the city. After that I ran past the shipping docks that were full of containers, forklifts, cranes and for some reason thousands of bundles of rusted wire. Past the shipping docks it turned residential with nice, but not huge homes.

All the nicer homes in the city have tall concrete walls with spikes on top surrounding them and a large gate across the driveway. ADT security signs are everywhere and every store, even the grocery store, has security guards with bullet-proof vests. This makes me think that the city has a high crime rate, but I have seen no evidence of this and feel totally safe. The people I meet on the street are friendly, not overly so, but not distant at all.

Past the residential area the land opened up with a few large ocean-side parks. They are not quite as fancy and lush as the parks we might have back home, but they are nice and attract the locals for walking and beach exploring. The water is cold so there is no swimming, but there are plenty of shells to gather and a lot of beach glass as well.

One park was an exercise park and they have all these metal machines for people to use. I sat on and tried out all of the apparatus as I went by; partly out of curiosity and party because it was a good excuse to stop running for a few minutes. One machine was like an elliptical, and one was like a leg press, another was similar to a shoulder press. Basically it was every exercise contained on a Nautilus machine and set into a stand-alone machine. There were even a few machines that mimicked the exercise gimmicks advertised on late night TV. I half expected Susanne Somers to be there running fitness classes.

Moving on I passed another shipping yard and came to what appeared to be a graveyard for old ships. These were not little ships, but huge tankers and cargo ships. Five or six of them were run aground and looked like they had been there for quite some time. One huge cargo ship was easily 300-feet long and presented a massive hole in its side. Another was even longer and had four tall masts that once upon a time would have held sails. All the ships were extremely rusty and had been stripped of everything of value and that could be re-used on other ships.

As I walked the beach looking at the ships I began to notice all the shells, the pretty rocks, and the beach glass passing by my feet. I walked up and down the beach for a while collecting the nicest specimens and enjoying the view of the ocean. Eventually it was time to start my return run.

On the way back I picked up a friend to run with me. She was beautiful, in great shape, very friendly, and had gorgeous blond hair. She was also a dog. Punta Arenas has over 11,000 wild dogs and one had chosen to spend some time with me. She ran right beside me like we had been doing it for years. Every minute or so she would look up to make sure I was still there and that she was right at my side. It was fun to run with a partner for a while, but she was not much of a conversationalist.

Eventually I turned up away from the water and my partner decided not to join me on this last leg of my run. I ran up the second main street which moves towards the city centre square at a slight upwards slope. Just like the other main street this one has two lanes of traffic separated by a large boulevard in the middle. This boulevard is full of walking paths, sculpted trees, monuments, statues and busts of famous people. This presents a contrast in times as this was obviously once a rich, proud and special place, but today much of it is in disrepair, and graffiti covers many of the monuments.

Close to the top of the hill I turned right and followed yet another once beautiful boulevard back towards the direction of my hotel. Just over an hour later I returned to my hotel. Although I was not overly excited about going for a run when I first set out, I am glad that I did it. I saw parts of the city that I would not have seen otherwise, and I did feel good from the exercise as well.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Ron, Ryan , one of Ryan’s friends Eric (he is guiding the Emperor Penguin trips in Antarctica and has skied to the North and South Poles as well as climbed Everest – there are a lot of over achievers down here) and I went for a drink at the Shackelton bar which is in a famous hotel used by Shackelton and his team when planning his two South Pole Expeditions. After that we went back to the pizza jazz bar where we had dinner the other night.

After dinner Ron and I explored the main square and I took some photos of the architecture and the craft sellers. We also got a glimpse into the youth culture as they hung out on their BMX bikes and skate boards in the square. One interesting fact about life in Punta Arenas is that a very large percentage of the population, kids included, smoke. There are no smoking by-laws and the restaurants are thick with smoke. It is difficult for a non-smoker like me to adjust to. I have not had to deal with smoke while I ate dinner for a very long time (at least not in North America anyway).

We then wandered slowly back to our hotel and retired for the night. All in all not a bad day. Nothing that exciting, but still good. Every day is a good day.

Summit Life! Scott Out.

November 16
Today is the day we were supposed to fly to Antarctica. But alas we are still here in Punta Arenas along with countless others who are also waiting. Some are more patient than others, but this decision is beyond our control.

In the morning we had a team meeting to decide what to do with our time. After some back –and-forth we decided to look into renting a car and driving to Torres del Paine. The drive of 398km we figured would take us about 6 hours. We would stay the night, hike for a day and return the next day. Translated into English the Torres del Paine are the Towers of Pain and have earned their name for inflicting just that on its visitors. It is a spectacularly beautiful and rugged area comprised of crystal blue glacier fed lakes and piercingly tall and sharp granite spires. Hiking and climbing opportunities are abundant along with kayaking, fly fishing and mountain biking.

Just as Ryan left the hotel to investigate the rental car options one of the other teams got a call from ALE telling them the first flight of equipment and crew would go out tonight and that if all went well their flight may be pushed up by 12 hours. If they got pushed up then there was a good chance we would also get pushed up. I ran out the door and called Ryan back. After a brief discussion we decided that it would not be a good idea to disappear for a few days with the flight situation in such an uncertain state.

Torres del Paine was now off the table, so we switched to a more local and less time consuming activity; penguins.

With the assistance of our hotel staff we arranged to go on a penguin tour to Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos located on Isle de Magdalena in the Strait of Magellan. The Strait of Magellan is named after Ferdinand Magellan who in the year 1520, while in the employ of Charles I of Spain, discovered this shortcut that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific . Although the Strait is a difficult navigational challenge due to numerous islands and unpredictable winds it is an important shortcut that allowed early sailors to avoid the extremely dangerous task of sailing around the horn at the bottom of South America.

The tour would cost us 35,0000pesos each (about $70). We were picked up by a crazy van driver at our hotel at 2:00 and escorted to the port with a group of other tourists and stranded Antarctica people. There we boarded a boat for the 2:30 trip to the island. The wind was low and the seas were calm making for a comfortable crossing to the island. Cormorants (a large sea bird) and Dolphins accompanied us on our short voyage.

As we chugged across the water the 210 acre island came into view. This island is the home to over 140,000 penguins. Yes, you read that right, it is not a typo. There are 140,000+ penguins living on this island. In the early years after the Straight was discovered sailors and fishermen would seek shelter from storms on this barren island and they would collect Penguin eggs and hunt the Penguins (not an overly challenging task) to provide food for their voyages.

The island is barren of trees and the only vegetation consists of short tough grass that the penguins use to line their nests. It is quite a desolate place. As we landed at a small dock, the island was alive with movement. Penguins were everywhere.

Isle de Magdalena is home to the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) also known as the Burrow Penguin because they dig burrows in the ground where they live, lay their eggs and raise their young. They are a smaller penguin of about 2 feet tall and weighing about 144oz when fully grown. They have the classic penguin tuxedo look of black and white with bright brown and black eyes.

There is a narrow trail that rings part of the island and leads up to the old light house on the top which is now home to the island curator and a small museum. The trail is closed on both sides with wooden stakes and two lines of rope to create a small fence. Humans are not allowed to step off the trail, but the penguins dart back and forth at will.

As we slowly walked up the trail towards the light house the penguins went about their business like we were not even there. I think to the early sailors they would have been an extremely easy prey to hunt. Penguins return to this island in September as this is where they were born. They find a mate and will remain with that mate for life. The eggs are laid in October and are incubated for 40 days.

Penguins hung around in pairs and occasionally small groups. Frequently I observed penguins tugging at the tough short grass with their beaks trying to extract some insulation and padding for their nests. Others stood tall on their feet with their heads thrust to the sky and let out a series of hoots, brays and calls not unlike that of a wolf howling at the moon. I have no idea the reason for this display, but it was quite entertaining.

The walk to the light house took about an hour. Not because it is that far, but because I was walking very slow to take in the experience and to snap picture after picture. The return walk to the boat was a little faster, but there was always something new to see.

We spent about 1.5 hours on the island and then made our way back to the boat. The tide was going out so the gangplank was no longer usable so we had to climb over the side of the dock, step across some bumpers and into the boat. It was pretty simple for us climbers, but for the tourists it was a little more challenging. Eventually everyone was on board and we started to motor back to Punta Arenas. On the trip back they gave us wine and sandwiches and put on a movie "Walking Dead" about an American town that had been overrun with zombies. I did not watch.

We got back to town around 8:30pm. Ryan was meeting a friend and Ron and I went to the grocery store and bought a roast chicken, some fries, and an avocado for dinner. After dinner I made a skype call home and spoke with Susan and Amy and then I went off to bed.

As I have mentioned before, there is no heat in our hotel. Well there is heat, but they have not turned it on. It is cool in our room, but not too bad. Tonight when I opened the door to our room it was freezing cold. Somehow the window and the patio door had blown open and the room was the same temperature as the outside which was just above freezing. We left the door to the hall open for a while to try to warm it up, but there was not much else we could do.

All in all it was a good day. We did not fly and are now behind schedule, but I was able to experience the penguins which I would have not have done if all had gone as planned; the silver lining in the cloud.

Hi to Marg at Georgian Peaks and all the others who are following along.

Summit Life! Scott out.

Welcome to the world of big mountain climbing. Patience is the key.

I woke from the warmth of my cozy bed around 7:30am. Our room has no heat, but lots of blankets on the bed. I wandered down for breakfast which was pretty much the same as yesterday with the addition of cans of Root Beer. I have only had one sip of Root Beer in my life and I did not figure I would change that this morning. Who knows what a few days in the future may hold however.

After breakfast we wandered down to the ALE meeting. Today is about 10c with high winds and rain which is pretty typical for Punta Arenas in the spring. The hotel where the meeting was being held was down by the water and the wind picked up the closer we got.

About 40 climbers and ALE staff packed into the small meeting room. Peter, one of the ALE partners, showed a short movie depicting life at Union Glacier and on Mt. Vinson. It was quite exciting and inspiring to watch.


The basics of the presentation included:
The history of Antarctica: many countries have land claims in Antarctica, but instead of fighting it out as we humans usually do all the claiming countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1960. This treaty states that the continent will be governed collaboratively for the use of peace and science. All land claims were frozen from that point on. There are some groups that are lobbying to have recreation activities (climbing and skiing) banned from Antarctica because it does not fit within the peace and science guidelines.

Rescue: Rescue is not provided on the mountain and all teams must be self reliant. ALE does have 4 guides stationed on the mountain at any given time and they will help with rescue if necessary. All groups are expected to support one another. There has never been a death on Vinson, but there have been serious injuries, hypothermia and a lot of frost bite. There are several caches of rescue equipment available on the mountain if required. All teams must report in to the base camp manager once a day and all group locations and movement are closely monitored.

Environmental Protection: Antarctica is a pristine environment and those that manage it intend on keeping it that way. Virtually everything that goes into Antarctica also comes out. At the Union Glacier camp all garbage and human waste, including urine, is flown back to Chile. All gear must be checked for dirt, seeds and plants.

Flight to Antarctica: The flight to Antarctica from Punta Arenas is 3050km and approximately 4:20. We will fly in a Russian built Ilyusian 76TD aircraft. This is a very powerful cargo and transport plane that can carry 17 tonnes of cargo and 48 passengers. The plane is built for off-strip landing and take off. Although the ice runway is well maintained not all planes could negotiate it successfully. There is no in-flight movie or meal service. There is a porta-potty however.

Union Glacier: Union Glacier is the main jumping off location for all Vinson climb's and most South Pole ski expeditions. The base was moved from Patriot Hills last year to present a better wind direction for flying, and nicer conditions for those living at the base. The base is staffed by 45-60 personnel who will live in tents for their 2-3 month stay. Upon landing all expedition members are provided with a meal (if you are staying that long) and they can feed up to 120 expedition members at any given meal. They have three big snow melters that produce water for the camp. Only about 10% of the people who go to Union Glacier are women. There is a multi-purpose tent which has a library, and a medical tent with a full time doctor. The camp is laid out in zones of safety. The Green Zone includes the camp and the runway and is safe from hazards such as crevasses and avalanches. The Blue Zone has been surveyed with ground penetrating radar and is safe, but less so. The Black Zone is entered at your own risk. There is a lot do around camp if you are stuck there for several days including climbing and skiing day trips.

Vinson: If all goes as planned (which is unlikely) we will fly to Vinson a few hours after we land at Union Glacier. The base camp will have a manager (Scott Woolums) who will check us in and give us our fuel. There will be 5 climbing periods this season with ours being V1 and V5 being at the end of January. Vinson is then abandoned for the season the Union Glacier is cleared out by mid February. I will provide more details on the mountain in the next few days.

Our Flight Logistics: When we fly to the mountain we will send our checked baggage 1-2 days in advance and this will be held until the flight. We will leave a "town" bag at the hotel with things that are not needed on the mountain, and we will have a carry-on of stuff we will need in-flight or upon landing. We will be dresses in all our polar gear so we are ready to face the elements when we land.

Now the bad news: due to the weather in Antarctica we will not be flying until November 19th at the earliest. This season has had a very stormy start and the runway is currently under two feet of snow. Union Glacier was scheduled to open around October 18, but they were not able to get the first flight in until the end of October. Vinson BC is usually open about a week before the climbers arrive, but this year the base camp staff will only go in about one day before us.

We now have a few days in Punta Arenas with time to kill. This will eat into our schedule and may impact what we can and can not due in the end. We do have several contingency days built into our schedule, but this delay will absorb most of them. While in town we will try to keep busy and maybe find time to visit Torres Del Paine National Park and maybe go visit some Penguins.

Although this is disappointing, it is not unexpected. On these trips you always plan, but then plan for the plans to change. If you have followed any of my previous expeditions you will know that few of my climbs ever go off as planned. Our main objective is to climb Vinson and that is not in any jeopardy. The ski back to Union Glacier I think will be especially cool, but this is what will need to be adjusted if necessary. This comes with the territory and control over the weather is beyond my control.

The afternoon was spent reading and working on the computer. At least we get internet here at the hotel. I wanted to send out a special hello to Michael who is following along on my blogs.

We went to the local grocery store and bought some food for lunch. Restaurant prices are pretty similar to what they would be back home so we don't want to eat out for every meal. The South Pole people who have been stuck here for over 2 weeks now are sick of eating out and I think their budgets have been blown as well. Tonight they were eating cereal for dinner. We are not at that point yet and just got back from a nice dinner of pizza and pumpkin soup.

Vegetables do not seem to be a big part of the meals down here. Not one meal that I have ordered so far has come with any kind of greenery. I did have some pumpkin soup tonight and Ron had a salad, but it is expensive and not a standard part of a meal. It is a good thing I have my Adult Essentials vitamins with me. They are providing me with what I am not getting from the food.

Due to the internet connection I have been able to call home with Skype and it is nice to see and talk to Susan and the kids. It makes me feel better and I'm sure it does them as well. Once we get over to Antarctica that will no longer be possible so I will take advantage of it now while I can.

We were talking at dinner about how much technology has changed expedition life. Just 10 years ago when you left on an expedition you were out of contact for the duration. Today it is easy and relatively inexpensive to keep in touch from virtually any point on the planet.

So now it is the end of another day in Punta Arenas. Not much was accomplished today, but we are one day closer to getting to Antarctica. We just don't know when that day will be.

Pray for good weather.

Summit Life! Scott out.

Expedition members Ryan Waters, Ron Senga, Scott Kress

Punta Arenas
I am now in Punta Arenas; the bottom of South America and the jumping off point for Antarctica. I am tired and somewhat dazed after a long journey here.

Leaving home was emotional as always. Going away for a month is hard on everyone. Amy and Colin were sad at the airport, but were strong. Saying good bye to Amy, Colin and Susan is always difficult, but as a family this is not the first time so that makes it a little easier I guess. Knowing that this is a significant trip, the last of my 7 summits, also makes it exciting and perhaps a little easier on the kids. For Susan my trips always add much to her plate, but she is very supportive and encouraging.

My flight from Toronto to Santiago left one hour late. I have no idea why, and no one seemed too concerned about it. The flight was uneventful and the movie/tv selections were exactly the same as what I had the previous week on my flight to and from Vancouver. The selection was poor then and did not seem any better now. As I rarely see movies I tend not to sleep on planes as this is my opportunity to catch up on pop culture. However, on this flight, thanks to the poor selection, I actually slept quite a bit.

I arrived in Santiago and the chaos began. Finding my way through the airport was not too bad but I got into a huge line at immigration and everything was moving slowly. There were only two agents on duty and hundreds of passengers. As I was nearing the front of the line I heard some people talking about an entry fee and asked what this was about. So, I got into a different huge line to pay $132 before I could get back into the first line. I was not the only person to make this error as it was not very clear. It appeared that I had 50 minutes until my flight to Punta Arenas and at least three hours of lines. My stress level went up a notch. I am not usually one to cut lines, but this day would be different. I begged my way to the front of the entry fee line and most people were accommodating. I got a few dirty looks, but nothing too serious. Then I had to do the same in the immigration line.

Watching the immigration agent check his email on his iPhone between every person was stressful and a little infuriating, but I learned a long time ago not to pressure immigration. They can, and have, made my life miserable in the past and I had no time for an extended conversation with the authorities at this point.

Getting into the country had been stressful, but not difficult. Now I raced to retrieve my bags. Even though the Air Canada agent in Toronto had assured me my bags would go direct to Punta Arenas I had been told by others that this never happens. Sure enough, my bags were waiting for me on the carousel (having rotate several hundred times, I’m sure).

Throwing my bags onto a luggage cart I rushed to the elevator to get to the third floor departure level. After finding my way to the right line, I had to once again get out of the line and go to the self-serve ticket machine to get my boarding pass.

Back in line now with my boarding pass I had 20 minutes until take-off. I thought I was in the clear and then I was informed that because my bag was 5kg overweight I had to go and get in a different line to pay 18,0000 pesos for the extra weight. I argued that I was going to miss my flight, but they were unconcerned.

Sprinting across the terminal I ground to a halt in the next line. Nobody here seems to have any sense of urgency and the process of paying for my extra weight was deadly slow and extremely stressful. I had no idea how much 18,000 pesos was, but thrust my Visa at the woman behind the counter. She spoke no English and I speak virtually no Spanish so there was little talking. Apparently I showed no stress on my face, or perhaps she just did not care to notice, as she went tediously about her job.

Fees paid, I began to run for gate 32. At least it was not too far. Out of breath and with sweat on my forehead, I was the last person to board the bus that would take us to the plane.

I was not even 100% sure I was on the right plane as no one checked my ticket upon boarding, but when I saw Ryan seated a few rows back I was greatly relieved. I sank down into my seat and took in a deep breath. I had made it through Santiago.

Seeing Santiago from the air as we departed presents an interesting mix of farms, industrial buildings, and residential neighbourhoods all clustered together. There seemed to be no real pattern to it and no separation in land use. Splintering all of this up were dozens of long fingers of mountain that jutted into the land and broke up the settlement patterns.

The in-flight movie on the 2:50 minute flight to Punta Arenas was Captain America. Not really my cup of tea, but I watched it anyway. Looking out the window as we flew over the mountains was a beautiful site. I began to relax and enjoy the experience.

As we began our descent into Punta Arenas the landscape became lunar in appearance. The ground is windswept and barren with very little evidence of human habitation except for the cluster of development around the water’s edge that is Punta Arenas.

Navigating the Punta Arenas airport was relatively easy as it is quite small. Ryan and I found a small taxi van and tossed in all our bags. The ride to town was about 25 minutes and Ryan and I spent some time catching up as we had not seen one another since our climb in Russia in the summer of 2010.

Ron was not yet with us as his flight out of Dallas had been cancelled when a bird went through the engine of the plane.

We arrived at our hotel, the Condor de Plata, and unloaded our bags from the taxi. Ryan speaks Spanish and began the check in process. As we were being escorted up the stair to our rooms, I had the feeling that we were one room short and mentioned this to Ryan. When he asked for clarification this was confirmed. Apparently the reservations had been messed up and there was only one room for the three of us (Ron and I were going to share one room and Ryan would be in the other).

This reminded me of an old Seinfeld episode when Jerry and Elaine arrive at the car rental desk to learn that that there were no cars. Yes, he had a reservation, but that did not mean that there would necessarily be a car.

We too had reservations and the emails to prove it, but that did not mean there was a room. As the Spanish became more heated it was clear the hotel was taking no responsibility and there were no rooms.

Ryan and I headed out to book him into another hotel. Ron (when he arrived) and I would stay in the Condor and Ryan would stay in a different hotel about a five minute walk down the street. Not ideal, but it is rare on these trips that everything goes as planned and you must learn to roll with it.

Once settled into our separate hotels we went out for dinner at Lomitos which is a very popular hamburger restaurant. The cheese burgers were excellent and the beer was cold and thus ended a long day-and-a-half of travel.

At 10:00 I made my way to my room and quickly fell asleep to the sound of dogs barking and road traffic.

It is good to be on expedition once again.

Scott.