Punta Arenas

Only another three days and Mike will be once again in Antarctica. It's been a busy time for Mike in Punta Arenas while he has been waiting for his flight. The airline company assures him that all is going as scheduled and on the 27th the twin otter will head south with Mike onboard.

These are days of intense preparation for Mike. The windy weather in this southern Chilean town has given Mike the perfect opportunity to test his kites. It is now, that important decisions must be made as to which size kite Mike must take. Mike's sled is heavily laden with around 200kgs of equipment and each item that can be discarded will make Mike's trek to the South Pole just that little bit easier. Mike's food alone weighs just over 100kgms! As well of this the other essentials, such as 30 liters of fuel, tent, sleeping bag, mattress, stove, pot, clothing, pharmacy, tool kit, etc must all be weighed. It's time to cut off handles, reduce quantities, anything at all that can reduce his load!

Mike is excited. The flight on the 27th will take Mike to Hercules Inlet and from there he will backtrack to the edge of the continent. He wants to explore the iceshelves and glaciers that are now being threatened by environmental changes.

Mike's dream to trek to the South Pole goes back to when he read the books of the South Pole pioneers, Shackleton and Admunsen. Mike like them, is drawn to these magical landscapes, the challenge to affront natures elements and the thrill of discovering new horizons, both internally and externally.

Mike is well equipped with tracker and communication equipment and will be sending us regular positions and messages from Antarctica. We'll keep you informed of his progress.