Here are some images from my 60 day kite ski and climbing expedition to the Spectre, in the Gothic Mountains. We left on November 15th, 2017 and returned January 15th 2018.
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- We got flown to the Union Glacier blue ice run way by ALE on November 15th, 2017
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- Then flown by Twin Otter, via a refuel, to 88 degrees south, about 200km from the South Pole
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- It was quite remote being left at 3000m and we figured we were possibly some of the most remote people on the planet.
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- After a 4 day storm, we started kite skiing towards the Spectre, with 180kg pulks (sleds)
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- The light is just majestic!
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- Camped on the Scott Glacier, among many large crevasses.
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- One of our pulks fell down a crevasse, which could have been very nasty!
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- Getting the rock climbing gear ready for an attempt on the Spectre.
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- Heading off to climb the Spectre.
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- The first few hundred metres was steep soft snow.
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- A rest spot, with the Sanctuary Glacier behind.
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- Steep, difficult mixed climbing on hard granite.
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- The clouds started to build.
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- But we kept going upwards on more and more difficult terrain.
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- Eventually the steepness eased and we could walk to the summit at 11:00pm.
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- Stoked to be on the summit via a new route, but also concerned about the weather, we didn’t stay long.
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- Winter is Coming!
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- Then it was back up the Scott Glacier, 1,400km to home. Heavy pulks and hundreds of crevasses.
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- But after 4 days we could kite upwind, on the hard blue ice.
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- Playboy styled New Year’s Eve photo!
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- At Christmas we cut down a sustrugi and decorated it.
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- Kiting towards a parhelia effect
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- The visibility wasn’t always good.
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- Kiting in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains
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- The finish line, 55 days after our last shower! 1700km and one hell of an amazing adventure!
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- The ‘Welcome Storm’. -35C and 20-40knts of wind.
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- The Welcome Storm starts to break up.
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- Man-hauling up the Scott Glacier with it’s HUGE crevasses.
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- Spectacular kite skiing
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- Spectacular parhelia, sun dogs or something god-like
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- Sustrugi watching over us
