This is Bob Guthrie with the Antarctica 2003 cybercast update for the 10th of January.

Our Dutch climbing mates said that much of climbing is setting up camp and packing. This is true, but it is the climbing that lingers in the memory, thank goodness.

Now that we are all shaking off the fatigue of 52 out of 96 hours climbing in the last four days, and basking in the warmth of our hard-fought, second successful summit attempt, which this is a new route on the southwest face, which we have named Double-03.

Congratulations go to Peggy Foster, who is the first woman to make a first ascent on a new route on Antarctica's tallest peak, Vinson Massif.

With the climbing stats in, and our strength coming back, courtesy of the Patriot Hills three square meals a day, our attention is now focused on the weather for a Punta Arenas departure.

The same katabatic winds that create the blue ice, Alleutian-plane-friendly runway, also escalate to unfriendly crosswind proportions. The winds and cloud patterns are ever-changing. And the semi-hourly updates are filled with carefully chosen adjectives. Billionaire American businessmen and Hollywood actor Richard Gere are powerless with the critical decision of when the Alleutian should depart Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills and return.

The waiting game is a challenge, but does not detract in the least from the beautiful expanse that is Antarctica.

Signing off, 'til tomorrow.

— Bob Guthrie, expedition member and MountainZone.com correspondent