It was a mad scramble to weigh all of our gear and load it onto the truck. All told we have 540kgs (1,200 lbs.) food and equipment. When I think that we will be climbing with all of that, it is a rather daunting prospect. Yet each day we will literally eat our way up the mountain, as we consume both food and fuel. Soon our loads will become more reasonable and our bodies harder allowing us to focus on the mountains that await us.

First though, we must fly 2380 km.(1,800 mi.) across the dangerous Drake Passage, some of the roughest water on earth, and vast expanses of ice and snow. We will land on one of the few blue ice runways on the continent. This natural occurring feature allows us to switch aircraft at Patriot Hills(Lat.80degrees South). From there it's off to Vinson base camp in a much smaller Twin Otter aircraft, which is snow skis. Of course this whole scenario is possible only if the weather cooperates, so please keep your fingers crossed. And just maybe we're out of here today.

Totally Stoked Vern Tejas