On 20. Of December 2019 when I arrived for Christmas to Czech Republic my biggest fear was not to catch any disease. In Czech were classical flu and cold epidemics. Many my friends were coughing and were sick. Addition to that it was a climate change for my body, when we arrived from 25-30 degree tropical Philippine climate to around zero in Prague. It was also a good opportunity to meet all my friends and family (potentially ill) which I haven’t seen for more than half a year. Yes, it was a stressful time and when we left with dad Prague on 30. December both healthy to Punta Arenas, I considered to be a miracle. Sadly, such a luck was not across all of our five-member team. Canadian investment banker Brian brought to start of the trip a solid flu.
On the way to Punta Arenas we made three stopovers which I made more interesting for myself by going out to see Madrid city. After about 38 hours on the way we finally arrived to hotel in Punta Arenas, little town on the very south of Patagonia not far from Tierra del Fuego. It is usually a base for Antarctic trips. I said hi to our guide Keith, who told me, that if I want to make it to the open store this year, then I have only 15 minutes. Exhausted after the long trip I was not really up for run, but we didn’t have any food so I pushed myself and I made it just before closing. I bought some cheese and vine with which we celebrated New Year’s Eve.
It was five of us. Same number as Amundsen’s crew, when he conquered South pole in 1911. Me and my dad were youngest and oldest teammates, then guide Keith from USA, businessman and English gentleman Dean. And ill, but tough man from Canada Brian, who planned besides this expedition also summit of Mt. Vinson. Those guys were around 50 and besides me all of them were before to North pole. It is probably more common that on such trip would go people older than me. Around 50 can be on the peak of their strengths if they work out, so they can make peak performance. Then it is not a cheap trip, so if they are successful, then they can have built house and repaid mortgage, older children so they can afford it and take longer leave for such adventure. I felt very privileged, that I can taste something so exceptional in my age.
Keith scared us from very beginning, that maybe we stay in Punta Arenas for several days or even weeks and that it is never sure, that Kazakhstan Illjusin takes off, because it requires perfect weather on runway and wind in Union Glacier camp cannot go over 30 knots. He told us a story how few years back they waited for good conditions for three weeks. It was of course applicable not just for the flight to Union Glacier, but also to the flight to 89° longitude and all flights back. Thinking about it made me sweat blood. We had planned only two days buffer and that was it. If it would take it longer, then we would have to re-booked the flight ticket to Prague, then re-booked the flight ticket to Philippines and I would have to explain somehow in office. To search for alternative for 7 flights around the world would not be very cheap I guess and I had no idea how would I contact anyone in office from Antarctica and tell him that after one month of holiday I will take another one or two weeks. I tried to ignore those thoughts and tell to myself, that everything will go smoothly. But I had this kind of stress connected with every flight in Antarctica a gave me nightmares. We had four such flights ahead of us.
Hooray! 3rd of January we find ourselves sitting in Illusin with boarding tickets issued by Antarctic Logistic & Expedition to Union Glacier in hands and we were taking off from runway in Punta Arenas heading south.
MCH off the road 