Breaking: Antarctic tourist ship “Polar Star” on the rocks

by Jon Bowermaster on

The Antarctic tourist ship “Polar Star” is apparently stable after striking “an uncharted” rock off Detaille Island yesterday, several hundred miles down the Antarctic Peninsula. According to Captain Jacke Majer and a press release from the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) the ship’s outer hull was breeched.

Though free of the rock and reporting no oil leak, its inner hull apparently undamaged, booms were deployed around the ship to mediate any potential spill.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the ship’s passengers are being off-loaded by the Argentine Army.

The South Atlantic News Agency MercoPress reports that the accident happened early Monday in the Matha Strait, north of 67 South, west of the Antarctica peninsula.

“Apparently the cruise vessel ran onto a non-charted rock but managed to pull itself free with no major consequences because of its double hull.

“Any rescue or salvage operation is now in the hands of the Search and Rescue coordination centre in Punta Arenas, Chile, in the framework of the Argentine-Chilean Joint naval Antarctic Patrolling.”

There are 80 passengers and 35 crew aboard the 250-foot-long, Bahamas-flagged ship, which is owned and operated by Halifax-based Karlsen Shipping.

The “Polar Star” departed the tip of South America last week for a ten-day adventure and was expected back at port in Ushuaia, Argentina, on February 6.

Skier sets South Pole speed record

by Kraig Becker on

Norwegian explorer Christian Eide has set a new speed record for traveling to the South Pole on skis, smashing the previous record by more than two weeks and setting a new standard for Antarctic expeditions to follow.

Eide set out from Hercules Inlet, located along the Antarctic coast, on December 20th of last year and proceeded due south towards the Pole, a journey of more than 700 miles. Averaging 29 miles per day over some of the harshest and most extreme terrain on the planet, the skier completed the trip in just 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes, battling whiteout conditions and subzero temperatures along the way.

The previous speed record was held by American Todd Carmichael, who made the same journey back in 2008. Carmichael completed his expedition in 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes, which at the time seemed like a very impressive accomplishment. Eide’s new speed mark raises the bar substantially, and is likely to be a record that will remain unbroken for years to come.

To further put Eide’s accomplishment into perspective, when explorer Roald Amundsen, who was also Norwegian, became the first person to reach the South Pole back in 1911 it took him 58 days to make the journey. He also had the benefit of doing so by dogsled. Now, a century later, we have modern day explorers covering the same distance in less than half the time and under their own power no less.

We’ve come a long way in a hundred years.

[Photo credit: Christian Eide]

Travelers stranded in Punta Arenas, Chile due to strikes, road blocks

by Kraig Becker on

Thousands of travelers were left stranded in Punta Arenas, Chile over the past few days due to protests, general strikes, and road blocks throughout the region. Unrest exploded in the area late last week when the Chilean government announced plans to raise the price of fuel by 17%, which caused riots in the street and closed off traffic both in and out of the city. Strikes and protests were also underway in the nearby town of Puerto Natales. Both cities are located in the far south of the Patagonia region of the country.

Punta Arenas is a port city with a population of about 155,000 and is a major launching point for tourists cruising the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica each year. During the high season, which is currently in full swing, thousands of foreign visitors pass through the city as they come and go from their various cruise ships. Those arriving back to port over the weekend were greeted with violence in the streets, protestors carrying signs, and a virtual stand still to all travel.

Reports from the city indicate that many shops and cafes have been closed for the past few days, and food is in short supply. The airport has been closed as well and road blocks have made it difficult for travelers to leave by ground vehicle to other destinations. Some made plans to go by bus to Argentina to seek passage back to their home countries.

There has been some encouraging news however, as protesters have agreed to allow the passage of some vehicles on the roads and there are indications that the airport would begin to open for limited traffic as well. As a result, travelers were expected to slowly start to filter out yesterday and today, finally getting the opportunity to begin their journey home.

This story is another good reminder that anything can, and will, happen when we travel in foreign countries. Some of the visitors to Punta Arenas have been stuck there for as much as four or five days and while most have places to stay, food has certainly been in short supply. Hopefully normal air travel will resume today and they can finally begin to head home, but it sounds like it has been quite an ordeal for foreigners, who have been caught in the crossfire between the government and the local population in Chile.

[Photo credit: South Atlantic News Agency]

Photo of the day (01.07.11)

by Alex Robertson Textor on

An iceberg seems like the perfect image for today, at least from where I’m sitting in Brooklyn, NY, as I watch snow flurries float down every which way against the backdrop of a brick building. It’s winter, basically. Why fight it? This gorgeously detailed image of an Antarctic iceberg was taken by Gadling Flickr pool user SummitVoice1.

Got an image that showcases the majesty of cold landscapes? What about a pic or two that captures the misery of winter? Download ’em to the Gadling Flickr pool. You might just luck out and see your photo crop up as a future Photo of the Day.

16-year old girl climbing tallest mountain in Antarctica

by Kraig Becker on

While most girls her age are more concerned about which boys will be asking them out this weekend, Crina Popescu has loftier goals in mind. The 16-year old Romanina girl is currently in Antarctica, where she is climbing Mt. Vinson, the tallest mountain on that continent. If successful, she hopes to go to Everest in the spring and take a shot at becoming the youngest woman to complete the Seven Summits.

Standing 16,050 feet in height, what Vinson lacks in altitude it makes up for in challenge, due in no small part thanks to the extreme weather. Temperatures on the mountain can plummett well below zero, with -30 degrees Faherenheit not being unheard of. Throw in high winds and heavy snow fall and you start to see the difficulty climbers face. Additionally, due to the very low barometric pressure as you get closer to the South Pole, the altitude actually seems much higher than it actually is. Fortunately, the weather is fantastic on Vinson at the moment, which means a number of climbing teams, including Crina’s, are preparing to make summit bids.

The teenager has plenty of mountaineering experience under her belt, despite her young age. She has already climbed in the Alps, the Himalaya, Iran, and beyond. Vinson also marks the sixth mountain in her Seven Summits bid, which is an attempt to climb the tallest mountain on all seven continents. With Vinson out of the way, Everest will remain the only obstacle left in her quest.

If the weather holds, look for the Romanian teen to take her countries flag to the summit this weekend.

[Photo credit: Crina Popescu]