the Shackleton Walk

7-3-2024

53’57S

037’07W

6kn

033

And so it ends, a week of adventure below the convergence zone. We where not allowed to land on Salisbury Plain because of the Bird Flue so we sailed past it. Even from the ship the thousands of king pinguins are an impressive sight! Prion Island was closed because of repairs to the board walk but it didnt mater any more. We all knew we where lucky with the hikes we had done so this was just a bonus. We did manage to get a good shot of a nesting pair of Wanderers on Prion so that would have to do! Yesterday we did part of the Shackleton Walk.

Stromness on the other side of Fortuna bay was closed, also due to the Bird Flue. Still a great feeling to follow in these footsteps. More so because that morning we had hiked up to Shackletons Pass and looked down into King Hakon Bay. This is where the Shackleton crew arrived after having set of from Elephant Island in their converted live boat 16 days earlier. We had scrambled up the 510 meter peak mostly in the dark with head torches. The evening before we had done a little scouting so the first part was known… Instead of 1 hill it turned out to be 3.

The Glacier that was drawn on the map had mostly retreated so that was our luck. I secretly had banked on this but had also packed a rope… Looking at the last face there was some doubt. But as the sky slowly started to show some blue and orange, pride overcame what ever doubt was left. We hurried on to beat the sun to the summit. My legs exploded on an ice slope trying to over take Tim. Great feeling but better saved for last. As there was more light to see now, I also noticed some cracks in the faces of the three 19 year olds so I didn’t give in and pushed on. Clouds came in when we finally made it to the top. No visibility… and no sun rise… But then without warning it was there! King Hakon Bay, the other side of South Georgia, we made it!!! We quickly got a group picture and let out some primal cheers. This really topped everything!

We have now entered a new chapter of our journey, the 3000 nml ocean crossing to Cape Town. Half way we hope to stop at the tiny Island of Tristan da Cunha. By that time al these activities wil have become stories like the pies in a pie the facts will be fiction. Stuff for legends!

All is well

Gijs

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