Monday morning: Life at Union Glacier is just bliss. After weeks in Punta Arena it just stuns you to arrive here. As the flights never go in even half bad weather, getting here is enough to give you a heavenly feel. The Sky is clearer than anything you have seen and seems much higher, the cold is cold but dry and you fell you can befriend it. The landscape is just stunning and frames the whole experience. So stepping out of the almost windowless Ilyushin cargo plane is (almost) worth the whole trip alone!
Life too is great. You sleep in your tent, but all meals are served in the big ALE mess-tents. And it is ruled by Ronny. Ronny Finsås is the most extreme expedition ski sailor in the world, but also a wizard in the kitchen. He and his staff will provide food you’d be lucky to find in restaurants.
On top of this, the days waiting is used, skiing, climbing, testing and trying to get the hang of the ski sails and kites they will use from the South Pole and out.
But, this do not overshadow the fact that the only thing out friends want is to get to the starting point and begin the real adventure. Now it looks like the forecasted snow showers will not happen on Monday, so we may have an unexpected weather window! In which case they will go in with all available planes to be sure everybody gets out in one go!!!
We are excited, the pilots can’t wait to go and all fingers are crossed!
The Union Glacier Basecamp
