Mount Vinson Massif Expedition — January 1998
Hear the calls from Antarctica

The Blue-Ice Runway
Climbers wait in Punta Arenas for a Flight to the Ice of Antarctica


Click to hear the call

Sunday, January 4, 1998 — 2 pm PST
Wally Berg reported by satellite telephone that the Alpine Ascents International expedition to the Vinson Massif is waiting in Punta Arenas, Chile for the weather to clear in Antarctica. The team members this year are Romolo Codesca of Milan, Stuart Peeke of New Hampshire, Mike McCabe of Denver, Brent Bishop of Bozeman, Brock Hanna of Chicago, John Svenson of Haines, Alaska, and, of course, Wally Berg, also from Colorado.
"The landing runway is several kilometers of natural blue ice... the plane is slowed not by braking but by a reverse thrust on the propellers..."
Recent radio reports from the staff meteorologist at Patriot Hills, Antarctica indicate continued problems with visibility at ground level. Wally was to have received a phone call at 6am if the pilots felt they could take off, but that call never came. When the weather does clear, the expedition will fly from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, a six-and-a-half hour plane ride. Upon landing, they will be only 680 miles from the South Pole and a short flight away from the Ellsworth Mountains and Vinson base camp.

photo
The blue ice runway at Patriot Hills [Click to Zoom] (photo: AAI)

According to Wally, a big part of this adventure is the flight itself. The landing runway is several kilometers of natural blue ice and wind is a critical factor. If the cross-wind exceeds 18 miles per hour, the C-130 Hercules plane cannot land, so it therefore carries enough fuel to return to Chile. If landing is possible, the plane is slowed not by braking but by a reverse thrust on the propellers. Adventure flying at its finest!

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