Day Four - The Horn

Day Four - The Horn

 

Last night we passed through a part of The Beagle Channel nicknamed Glacier Alley and witnessed the stunning beauty of the ice flows that extend towards the Pacific. By dawn, there was excitement on board. We left The Beagle Channel, to make our way to Cape Horn. The day before our arrival at Cape Horn, our sistership, the Mare Australis, was unable to land, the weather was the cause of their disappointment. We were the lucky ones and made landfall in the early hours of the morning.

 

Cape Horn is probably the most thought provoking place for any sailor. All sorts of emotions come to the surface, when you stand on this rocky island at the end of the civilised world. Historic explorers have come here in search of adventure and glory, Drake and Shackleton to name but two, have made historic voyages in the stretch of water between Cape Horn and Antarctica.

 

For sailors making Cape Horn from the Southern Ocean, including competitors in the Volvo Ocean Race and Vendee Globe. The Horn is a wonderful sight and a great relief. For them it means that they have survived the Southern Ocean. For the company of the good ship Via Australis, it was the end of a mind-boggling journey. through a land of devastating beauty.

 

Standing on the rocky point, you are compelled to look out to sea, to wonder about the profound and moving events that have taken place there. But I also took a moment to turn around and look north. Before me was the whole world, I have been fortunate enough to see much of it, but I still hungry for more.

 

This has been a wonderful trip and a huge thank you should go to the crew of Via Australis, they have been fantastic and are deeply passionate about their country. Canito - the sea lion, pictured below, proudly proclaimed that Cape Horn has always been part of Chile.

Day Two Land of the Giants - Terra del Fuego

Land of the Giants - Terra del Fuego

 

Last night as we passed out the Magellan Strait we had the first taste of the ferocity of the Southern Pacific Ocean. Although we were still inside the maze of islands, known as Tierra del Fuego. Seventy knots of wind had the Via Australis listing a fair few degrees. Horizontal snow and a pretty lumpy sea state required extreme caution. All of the watertight doors between decks were sealed but the ship handled the storm well and this morning, the storm has passed. To be honest, we pulled the pin at the bar, enjoying some excellent Argentinean Malbec, as the savage storm built up in the strait. Our course was west, beating into the teeth of the tempest, as we had to go around the glacial field which covers this area and the mountains, which reach over 2000 metres in height.

 

For now the weather is good but conditions change here rapidly. We are now well passed 54º south and the air temperature outside is barely above freezing, snow flurries are now virtually continuous. The landscape is becoming more barren and wildlife much more scarce.

 

The indigenous population of Tierra del Fuego has been virtually wiped-out, only about 12 people are left. But before Magellan, there were about 20,000 people living in this region. They had probably migrated here from the land to the north, searching for prey. They lived a nomadic lifestyle, travelling alongside prey living out of tents during the summer, before holding up in more substantial shelters in winter, covered in skins from the main diet of lamas. The origins of the name – Patagonia are believed to stem from the meaning 'big feet' and referred to the size of the people. Studies suggest that the Patagonian Indians average height was 40 centimetres more than the rest of the South American Indians.

 

 

Terra del Fuego, as this area is known was charted during The Beagle's second exploration but the area was first 'discovered' by Magellan for the Spanish in the early part of the 16^th century. Sir Frances Drake passed through the Magellan Strait to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe in the Golden Hind in the late 16^th century. As he passed through to the Pacific, a terrific storm blew them south and he discovered the ocean, now called the Southern Ocean.

 

But the Spanish, who charged a handsome levy, to pass through from the Atlantic to the Pacific, controlled the Magellan Strait. William Skelton and Jacob Lemaire decided that they did not want to pay and successfully opened up the route around Cape Horn and named it after the Dutch town in Friesland, called Hoorn.

 

Our next stop was the Pia Glacier in The Beagle Channel, which is in excess of 50 metres thick and moves at more than 14 metres per day. The Pia Glacier is just a few miles from the most southerly city in the world, Ushuaia. Fortunately we got a break in the weather to witness this marvelous glacier.

Survival of the fittest

Lesson One - Survival of the fittest.

 

DAY 1: Aimirantarzgo Sound – Ainsworth Bay – Marinelli Glacier

 

As dawn was breaking we navigated through the Aimirantarzgo Sound and dropped the hook in Ainsworth Bay. It was snowing heavily but most of the ship's company decided to venture onto land. This first trip onto dry-ish land was very educational. The basic principle of Darwin's Theory of Evolution is survival of the fittest. Any worthwhile study requires a controlled environment and Patagonia certainly provides one. This is a bleak storm frequented place and only the strong can survive here but that doesn't mean that there is no life, far from it. Dolphin, penguin, Sealions, Chilean Skua, Pectral,  swift, geese

There are thousands of species of moss and lichen and other plant life, which thrive in these conditions. These plants cling to the rocks and to do so they secrete acid. This causes erosion, which eventually becomes soil, which is used by other plants, and so the chain of life goes on.

The weather deteriorated during our two-hour trek and by the time we returned to the zodiacs it was quite frankly bloody awful. As we boarded the RIBS, there was the boat chef, on the beach, braced against a tray of whiskies, which was in danger of being blown away. He didn't get many takers, getting out of sodden clothes was the greatest need.

 The trip back to Via Australis was freezing cold and to borrow a quote from one of my favourite films, Apocalypse Now. I muttered… 'never leave the boat!'.

 

However I am glad that I did and went back for some more in the afternoon with a RIB ride around Tucker Island to visit a colony of penguins.

Today we found out that there is a sound basis to Darwin's Theory of Evolution, in Patagonia it is all about survival of the fittest. But my God, what a beautiful place.

Louay

Pi,

Leaving Punta Arenas

Well we are off!

 This is my first attempt at using the satellite transmitter.

We are cracking along at about 15 knots. First glimpses of wildlife are big gannets swirling around the stern. The MV Via Australis is immaculate, beautifully maintained and I have to say I was surprised at the level of comfort.

We had a warm welcome given to us by the entire crew. The Captain announced that there are 85 passengers onboard from 18 different countries. We are a real mixture of ages, races and creed but there is definitely an air of excitement running through the boat.

Tomorrow morning we arrive at our first stop Ainsworth Bay and hopefully see a beaver damn and Magelland penguins

Just a quick update to see if the Xtra-link Explorer 110 is working.

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Proper howling

The northwesterly wind picks up pace as it rolls down the Andes and blasts into Punta Arenas like an avalanche. It is absolutely screeching, I would estimate that the wind speed in the protected main square is 40 knots, announcing its awesome presence in every gust.

Out to sea is a bleak and colourless landscape, from my room at Hotel Cabo de Hornos, I can see out over the Magdalen Strait and the shadows of land to the south. The weather has closed in and the sky has taken on a frosted appearance echoing the grey sea below.

The sea state is only slight, seemingly knocked flat by the incessant wind, however the water is white with foam, spewing into the air. It's bloody fresh!

There are a few people out in the open, being buffeted by the conditions, but life seems top go on as normal; the school bus is operational and shops are open but no wonder the buildings here are painted a variety of colours. If it weren’t for this spectrum of make-up, Punta Arenas would be viewed in black and white.

The old port here is now a memory of the past, it used to be the only umbilical chord for supplies from the outside world. Now most of the produce comes in by air.The waterfront is being redeveloped, a big children’s play area is a great idea but you have to wonder at the thought process that went into putting basket ball hoops outside in a place like this. Forgivable for sure, but the glass conference centre quite apply named – Dreams, which sticks out like a giant enormous glass pencil sharpener has got to be a mistake of white elephant proportions. Who on earth is going to use it? This area is rich in natural gas and you can probably guess that the edifice is a way of not giving all the money to central government. But I ask you, why not build and indoor sports complex for the local kids instead?

Perhaps my thoughts are turning grey and dull like the weather but outside it is difficult to hear yourself think, let alone raise your spirits in a place like this.

Today we leave the last vestiges of man’s attempt at rejuvenating land and head into the wilderness, I am looking forward to the adjustment to black and white, I have a feeling it may extenuate the colours of this land and its wildlife.

Boarding the boat in about this afternoon, to be honest with you, I have some feelings of trepidation, I can see the Via Australis cruise ship, because it dominates the port, due to its size. However, I am all too well aware that conditions on land are usually far better than at sea.

From this evening, the blog will rely on a satellite fix for the BGAN Explorer 110 from Xtra-Link. The unit is about the size of a chunky paperback and it is made by Thrane & Thrane. The same company that produce the ‘bullet-proof’ sat.com and radio hardware for the Volvo Ocean Race. I have absolute faith in the kit, but getting a fix on a satellite at sea level surrounded by mountains, maybe a little tricky.

Louay

53º south

Punta Arenas, Chile, latitude 53°00'S longitude 070°51'W

There are less than 2 people per square kilometre in Patagonia and most of them live in the frontier city of Punta Arenas.

First impressions are of a really friendly town with very little crime. It's Spring here but they still get 70 mile an hour winds, just about every week. I took a stroll around town today and settled in at a coffee shop, the key was still in the front door, which goes to show that this is a very safe environment.

Winter time, life here is extremely harsh; daylight is just a few hours and the town gets absolutely battered by strong winds and sub-zero degree temperatures. It's fairly windy here today with bright sunshine but there is a massive cloud formation heading this way from the northwest.The main square is a focal point and there is one main street, which has a pretty good array of shops, no sign of the Colonel or the Golden Arches, which is very refreshing!

Punta Arenas lies on the eastern side of the Magdalen Strait. It is a long way south, under a 1000 miles from Antarctica.We are south of both Australia and New Zealand. Tomorrow, we start our journey by boat to Cape Horn. The cruise ship is a good 200 ft long and to be quite honest, I wouldn't like to take on this sort of environment in anything much smaller.

Drummer boys and Caiprinhia

Well I got my steak, served with some spicy mash and an excellent bottle of Cab.sav. Being out with a bunch of journalists the conversation was pretty up beat and we had a good night on the Bohemian district of Santiago. Including a round of 'best used press phrases' and an advanced session of 'exotic descriptions for Milton Keynes'.

Early on we were entertained by two street musicians, two young gypsies whirling around playing drums on their backs, producing a latin beat, similar to the foot-stomping rhythm reminiscent of a World Cup crowd.

A few Pisco Sours and Caiprinhias later, we explored more of the area, much to our shame, we ended up in an Irish Pub with the original name of 'Dublin'.

Santiago is over 20 degrees Celsius during the day but the expected weather in Ushuaia is barely above freezing, especially with a wind chill factor. In sharp contrast, (journo-soundbite fully intended) Ushuaia is a city of just 68,000 people, more of a frontier town than a financial metropolis.

Heading south, Punta Arenas next...yes that is how you spell it.

Louay

Santiago

Santiago. The Chilean capital and home to nearly 5 million people. Santiago lies at the foot of the Andes, the highest mountain range in the world, outside Asia. It is thought of as one of the most cosmopolitan of cities in South America.

First impressions? Smart med-style cafes and skyscrapers but they are in sharp contrast to the shanty towns near the airport. Santiago is a modern metropolis but this is most definitely a third world country.

Not much time to explore Santiago and to be honest, a hot shower and flaking out in the hotel room, after 15 hours in the middle row of cattle class, was the right move.

Tomorrow morning, we fly 1500 miles further south to Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world and the gateway to The Beagle Channel.

Off to dinner, definitely going to be a steak and some Chilean Cab Sav.

Louay

24 hours from Punta Arenas

The adventure starts today!

First leg of the journey is a short hop to Paris from Heathrow, followed by a 14 hour flight to Santiago, the capital of Chile. After that it's a 4 hour flight to Punta Arenas, where we will board the boat that will be our home for four days.

I can't help but think that this is a pretty tiring journey but Darwin's HMS Beagle left Plymouth in May 1825 and didn't return for five years. It was an epic journey just to get there.

The original captain of The Beagle, Pringle Stokes, couldn't handle it and in the desolate land of Tierra del Fuego, he locked himself in his cabin for 14 days and eventually shot himself!

Roughly 24 hours in an aeroplane is not exactly a ball of laughs, but I don't intend to go the same way as Stokes.

Speak to you on the otherside of the planet.

Louay

Oh yes!

In just a few days time, I will be following the trail of Charles Darwin through the glaciers of Patagonia to Cape Horn. Thanks to Xtra-Link, I will be able to blog along the way and send back pictures of the voyage.

I have to say, I am really looking forward, to what promises to be, a jaw-dropping adventure.

Louay