Kayaking the Expansive Antarctic
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By Lara Bower
Antarctica. The most intense, frightening, and wild of all places. Looking back, it's hard to believe that I even went there, especially at only seventeen years of age. But I did. I sea kayaked my way around tiny islands in the Weddell Sea, playing with penguins and seals. I maneuvered the icebergs that littered the sea (in a good way), and encountered some of the roughest weather conditions that I will ever see. But, even when faced with incredible weather conditions, my Mountain Hardwear gear stood up to the challenge that is Antarctica.
When my family decided on a vacation spot for Christmas, of course Antarctica was the first place that came to my mind. But my dad, who gets seasick very easily, had other ideas. My mom and I lobbied for Antarctica, though, until it was a done deal. And we were off to Argentina (where our ship left the port) on December 18. The day before the expedition began, my family went on a trek near Usuaia, Argentina. Due to the extreme weather conditions in Ushuaia, it was important that I be very careful about my gear. I chose my Mountain Hardwear fleece, fleece lined hat, rain pants, and rain/wind shell to wear on the trek. As we hiked up steep mountains, with the wind blowing from all around, and stinging rain pelting us in the face, I must say that I was very fortunate to have all of this gear. The hat especially came in handy, due to the fact that most of the heat in our bodies leaves through the head. Even though the hike was fairly miserable, weather wise, it was still rewarding to see the crystal clear lake at the end of the trail, somewhere in Argentina. And I came out of my gear perfectly dry.
