We woke at 6am and were aiming for 0730 to get tents down and 8am to move off. Our training in Norway and Kerry was now starting to become second nature with 5 tents operating well with their camp-craft skills. Jokes and banter were being shared making the most of our adventure to date with Ned and Frank having the most distinguishable laughs.
Up and at em, tents dropped on time, sleds packed up we left for the trident with little visibility again. Off we walked and veered right after a few hundred meters in the hopes we had chosen the right col to climb. Pulling big sleds up any accent more than a slight incline proved to be like a days work in only 2 hours. We dragged ourselves on and prussiked to the sled traces helping in anyway we could to haul them up the soft deep snow. A zig-zag approach and short bursts of 10-20 meters was needed on numerous occasions to make any progress. Once we got close to the top, we had a feeling it was wrong as the col seemed icy and to our disappointment large sections of cornice, (snow and ice that gather hanging over an edge, quite dangerous) cementing home the reality we could not descend here safely. On our map it seemed this was the position that Shackle ton had made there mad decent on ropes after failing to get down on 3 previous attempts to the right further southwest along the trident ridge. The Trident pinnacles rise to 1300m, we were at 600m ASL approx. now and were faced with returning our path down to find the safe col.
The team knew things don’t always go as planned and need to be changed according to many variables. With the danger of moving on steep ground in bad visibility hitting home, we descended 200m and found a way across keeping some height and moved along the ridge. The winds were low enough thank god and provided us with a cooling effect in what was a really hot midday mist. We could feel any exposed skin burning and scorching and several applications of creams and lip blocks were applied probably too late, the sweat tends to wash it off after a while. As we ascended again pulling, trudging and often stumbling over, the ground got quite steep and seemed to come to a gully that did not look familiar to us. In 2006 visibility was excellent on day 1 and we had been in position ascending the right cool on the trident before the weather turned, this was much different, it was now snowing heavily and we had to stay very close just to keep an eye on everyone.
A decision was made to send a scout up the fairly steep gully which was climbable with a little minding instead of decending again which was out of the question. Charlie came back down and asked Pat to go up and confirm our position after an initial check. Our team sat tight while this happened and they dug out some seats and shelves for the sleds and themselves to rest a while. We were glad of the break from pulling our gear up and up this damn ridge. It was now midday and we were running out of time to get down of the trident god forbid the weather could worsen leaving us exposed. When they returned with good news that we were within reach of the safe col there was a sign of relief shared by us all, but we needed to setup a pully system and get everyone and everything safely up the gully first. Charlie, Pat & Ulisses directed everyone to carry their packs and use the now fixed rope as a guide just in case of loosing footing. Katy and I along with some of the rest of the group helped get all the sleds in position for the pulley system cutting down on valuable time.
Once everyone was up and safe we hauled up the sleds which took over hour and when the last sled came up there was a great cheer just as the cloud broke and provided us with our first views of the islands beauty. The teamwork really shined through during those previous few hours with clearly a gasp of relief also. We had a few minutes enjoying the precious moment of success to have crested the Trident before gear up and heading down the other side with a brilliant view overlooking the Crean Glacier and Antarctic bay.
On our steep decent Charlie took the easy way and slid down with is sled in front. I was down shortly after and looking back up the sun was silhouetting the ridge behind with a string of adventurers making their way down. There was some shouting and an orange sled could be seen rocketing down the slope out on its own. Luckily it had taken a fairly straight line and came to a halt before the slope steepens again into god know where. Then another skated off to the left due to being weighted to one side and passed our campsite in 2006 with me running full speed after it. Thanks god it came to stop when it did, it was perched on the last flattish area before the downhill spiral of Snow and ice for km’s into Antarctic Bay. I fell on the ground panting beside it before hauling it back to the group about 200m away. We took some photos and a decision was made to carry on across the Crean Glacier toward a ridge of rock separating the Crean and the neighbouring Glacier. Halfway across we were all reminiscent of the struggle Shackleton, Crean & Worsley must have had with limited gear, little or no food and at the end of their existence nearly. The winds were strong but ok and it was quite dry and good visibility. The dramatic spines of the trident ridge and in the other direction views up along our route for the next day toward Nunatak were spectacular.
Once across we made camp in fairly high winds funnelling down off the upper reaches of the Crean. Staking the tents down wind side then back and the 2 diagonal guys on wind before all raising the material along the poles and up holding on tight while one of would set the rest of the guy lines to secure the tent initially. Then we cover over the valances (snow skirts: extra material on bottom to seal out wind and snow), with snow to block as much wind from getting under and inside.
Frank was busy after they reached their tent taking some promo photos for his colleagues back home, and all the team were quick to get inside as light was fading fast. Patrick and Peter had me as teh Cook that night as we chatted away an hour before heading bed. Pat woke us handing in water for the following day at 2230, it was an early night and much needed.
