Day 5 - Vinson Base Camp (2,200 mtrs)

It turns out that this is really quite a luxurious trip - well at least in terms of the logisitics. There are tents in place at the various camp sites already, much of the food is pre-prepared at UG and then just needs re-heating on the mountain. This plus fuel is already stashed at the various camps.

There are two implications from this - firstly that apart from the weather this is going to be a very easy trip and secondly it is probable that there will be very little for us to do on the expedition. Whilst some people like this, you don't really learn much on such trips and nor do you get so much out of them as it can feel much more like a tour than an expedition. This feels a lot like Denali and a number of the guides are Denali guides which is a bit of a worry as I don't really like that style. We will have to see how it goes...

 

After breakfast we organise our gear and get our various systems in place for pulling sleds and climbing the mountain. In fact, there are only three camps on the mountain - base, low and high. Since we won't be caching any gear that means we will only have four walking days so it could be a pretty short trip if the weather stays good but we also have plenty of contingency in case of bad weather. From a look at the local map of the route, none of the days are tough or long either. This expedition is pretty much driven by the weather and your ability to deal with it. So far we have had blue skies and strong sun so dealing with heat whilst walking and avoiding sun burn seem like the key skills for the next few days - unfortunately I get too hot too quickly and usually burn so this will be good practice!

After lunch we go for a short walk on a nearby mountain - to stretch our legs, help acclimatise and get used to the walking conditions here. The scenery is stunning as usual but it is really hot as we are protected from the wind and I am soon down to one layer on top and bottom and my top is unzipped most of the way to my waist causing the guide to worry about me getting a sunburnt chest! This isn't helped when I take it off completely at one of the stops to try and cool down!

This is also used as a ski slope

Approaching the top

View back down

VBC as seen from above

View out over Antarctica

View out over Antarctica

Heading back down

 

We are walking at a decent pace but it soon turns out that this is to gauge our fitness and unfortunately we will be going slower on the mountain. We come out into the wind at the top (2,800 mtrs approx) and layer up rapidly before heading back to VBC. It's been a pretty good first trek here and certainly the guides are so far leaving us to our own devices quite a bit which is a good sign. 

We are heading off to Low Camp tomorrow but not until after lunch so we have a very relaxed afternoon as we can pack in the morning. Amusingly, we decide to play the 'mine' game - if you are heard saying the word 'mine' you have to do 10 press ups regardless of where you are. In extreme circumstances you have 5 minutes in which to complete the press ups. It is good fun and helps a new group bond quite quickly. 

Food:

Bacon and eggs
Bread with salami and cheese
Steak in a mushroom sauce