Mission Project

We finally made it to our ship, the Akademik Ioffe, and departed on the 22 of December. I was thrilled to finally be on our way. Due to the rough conditions of the Drake Passage that the ship had to cross in order to reach the Weddell Sea, I had "the patch" behind my ear, to prevent sea sickness. And let me tell you right now, that thing works miracles. We crossed the Drake Passage in 60 knot winds, along with uncomfortably rough seas. But, I still managed to get some pictures from the deck amidst all the weather, thanks to my hat and fleece.

A few days into our journey, Christmas day, the sea kayaks were finally broken out. A thrill pulsed through my body as I watch them being lowered into the clear, calm sea. We were to attempt to circumnavigate Half Moon Island, which is the site of an old, abandoned whaling station, weather permitting. But in Antarctica, the weather is always changing, so we had to be very careful the conditions didn't get too rough. As we paddled out from the shore, I watched the penguins dive in and out of the water, coming to just about two feet from where my boat sat in the ocean. Their wet feathers sparkled in the sun as I watched them happily play around my kayak. But, I kept paddling, and to my delight, the tiny penguins followed me. The wind was starting to pick up a little bit, so I caught up to the other thriteen kayakers on the expedition, and we paddled hard to reach the calmer waters nearer the shore.

After about an hour of paddling around the indescribably beautiful icebergs, we rounded the island and saw perhaps the best Christmas present I could ever have received. Two humpback whales were feeding only about thirty yards from where we sat, awestruck, in the kayaks. They were so graceful and magnificent, that we could do nothing but stare in wonder. The wind began to pick up, and we had to paddle closer to where I boat was, for our day's journey had neared its end. I was surprised when I noticed that I was still warm beneath my fleece and shell, even with the temperatures being around freezing, and the windchill well below that. But it seemed that no matter what, my gear could withstand anything I put it through.

In spite of all the fearsome conditions that I found in Antarctica, my gear and I managed to overcome all the weather that was thrown to us. I was very impressed at the level comfort that my hat, shell, pants, and fleece all gave to me throughout the voyage on the Akademik Ioffe. Thanks to Mountain Hardwear, whenever I remember that amazing trip, I don't have to think about the frightening wind speeds and the chilly air temperatures, because my gear was ready for anything. And so was I.