Hollinger in Antarctica

We have just had an extremely gruelling 48 hours hauling our 6 sledges and our poo sledge up to the top of the mountain pass. The view from our tents (photo posted yesterday) has to be one of the most spectacular in the world. We are 1,562m high with views across a mountain range onto the polar plateau. It is almost worth the effort it took to get us up here! We must have 4-500 kilos of kit that we have hauled to a point higher than Ben Nevis. Over the last two days we have dragged heavy sledges uphill for about 9 hours. Most sledges have involved at least 3 people pulling one sledge and some have involved all 6 of us. I can’t think how many times we have been up and down this mountain! Our bodies have taken an absolute battering. At some points our strides were just 10cm as we inched our way up, clinging on to each centimetre with our crampons. Last night we got to the top at about 11pm. We were all exhausted but as soon as we stopped our sweat froze making it was freezing cold. We then had to pitch tents at a bitterly cold -20 degrees. Believe me at that stage it was the last thing I wanted to do! We were all covered with frost with frozen hair (see photo) and barely functioning hands. Amy and I could hardly think and we kept putting the poles into the wrong places. Part of pitching our tents is to cover the side valances with snow to ‘dig them in’ in order to keep the tents secure in the wind. Digging snow up here on this pass was like digging concrete. It was brutal. After a 6 hour uphill haul with no dinner it was a real test to get our tent safely dug in. I’m feeling really proud of what we’ve achieved as a team over the last few days. It has been a huge feat to haul everything out of the canyon. To start with we didn’t think it was going to be possible, it really shows what can happen when you have 6 people who aren’t going to give up! Our guides were great motivational sources and Carolyn was on a personal mission with our poo sledge, dragging it up the mountain single handed. It was an inspiration to all of us! It was after midnight when we finally had dinner and didn’t get to bed at 2.30am as we were scraping ice from our boots and defrosting our clothes. We will now be heading down into Horseshoe Vally and then hauling ourselves and our Pulks back to Patriot Hills.

It was fantastic to speak to staff and students at Ballyclare High School as well as those at Tapton. While we have been here the only contact we have had is via the emails people have been sending. It is lovely getting emails from people but it is even nicer to hear voices on the other end of the line. Well done to all the excellent questions you asked me over the phone. I hope you will have even more to ask me in 2008! Ballyclare High School - unfortunately the line wasn’t as clear as hoped but I hope you enjoyed talking to an ex pupil over 20,000 miles away! Thanks for the emailed questions from Joel, George, Elliot, Jessica, Marcus and Tom. The coldest temperature we have experienced (if you include wind chill) is -60 degrees (pretty cold!). We are currently about 600 miles from the coast. It is so cold that nothing survives here so we haven’t met any animals. All the animals in Antarctica live at the coast. The highest peak in Antarctica is Mt Vinson which is 4,948m high. George – I am not sure how penguins can jump! The warmest outside temperature we have experienced is 2 degrees, although fortunately it has been warmer in the tent – probably stretching to a hot 20 degrees when we have had the stove on to melt snow for cooking! Since we have been in Antarctica it has snowed on about 3 days but it is much too cold for rain. I have taken lots of pictures and will show you lots more when I get back. Happy birthday to Thomas 13MF and Ben 12PW. Also, congratulations to Mr Rippon on the birth of his baby daughter.