One giant leap!

Once again, I’m on my way to Antarctica.  Currently in New Zealand for some helicopter training (practicing on how to enter and exit a hovering helicopter – quite fun) and soon into the mountains to train on Search and Rescue with the New Zealand field team.  None of this training was available to us last …

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DapHne ’24

There were many times during the week of preparations for this trip where I thought, what the fuck am I doing? Time, money, effort, questions, problems, loneliness. I could be doing so many other things right now. I’d had all these thoughts before and knew it was worth it, so I kept on going, got …

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Denali (20,310′)

In June, I worked a NOLS Alumni course on Denali.  It was not a typical NOLS course and it was not a typical mountaineering experience.  I had wanted to climb the mountain for a long time, with various things getting in the way over the years.  At last, it was time to experience the mountain.  …

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back to the ice

And just like that I am back.  What am I doing here?  It’s still August!  But within minutes, I can feel myself adapting to life in a different place – a place that’s more familiar than home these last few years..  To get here at this time, I had to leave home, I had to …

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summer’s over

Well, that is that. Summer is over, I’m going back in time. I’ve left New England’s summer, first for New Zealand’s springtime. In a matter of days, I’ll leave here for the coldest time of the year in Antarctica. So far we’ve been delayed a number of times because the ambient temperature is below -45 …

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Winter Search and Rescue

After almost two weeks in NZ, feeling rested and refreshed with some wonderful adventures with the Noonsun crew (in wheeled vehicles), I got in touch with some Antarctic people to see if they still needed help with the winter Search and Rescue (SAR) team.  They had offered me a contract extension while I was on …

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McMurdo 22-23

The season in McMurdo is complete, but I don’t know how to put it eloquently into words.  There was too much stress, strong emotions, too many questions, and times where I just had to put the blinders on and keep going.  There were high highs that made me love the place, and low lows that …

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arrival on the ice

16 October 2022 I have arrived in McMurdo Station, Antarctica!  We flew in yesterday on an Australian Airbus A319.  While I missed the novelty and fun of flying in a C-17 US military cargo plane, having a window seat on the Airbus was awesome.  The weather cleared up just before we got to the continent …

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Boomerang

Up at 0500, pickup at 0630, 0700 change into ECW (extreme cold weather) gear, then weigh in luggage, get another briefing then carry-on security and person weigh in, bus to the plane, stand around a bit, get another briefing, load the plane, (a NZ Air Force 757), wait finally take-off and head south!  I was …

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