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TA
Peak performance
from TA in Antarctica
Exercise Antarctic Odyssey 11 was a Type 3
Adventurous Training (AT) Expedition that aimed to
climb Mount Vinson (4897m) - the highest mountain in
Antarctica.
The expedition was the sixth component of the HQ ATG
(A) sponsored 7 Summits Project that aims to climb the
highest mountain in every continent. Every expedition has
experienced 100% summit success and the overall project
should conclude with Mount McKinley (6194m) in Alaska in
June this year.
Despite civil unrest and a mass strike in Punta Arenas,
Chile, the expedition went without hitch.
They landed on the ice runway at Union Glacier on 4
January and hours later loaded onto a twin engined DC3 Basla
ski plane, for a 40 minute flight to the Branscombe Glacier
where they swapped onto a twin otter ski plane for a five
minute lift up to Vinson Base camp.
The soldiers moved up the glacier to Camp 1 the following
day, each dragging and carrying 50kg loads, including food
and fuel for 21 days. The next day it was up to Camp 2 to
prepare for a rest day. On the fourth day the team all set out
for summit, but two turned back as they had not acclimatised
properly. The remaining climbers continued and reached the
summit on the sixth day.
They had the mountain to themselves, so exploited the
opportunity to climb neighbouring peaks, Mt Shinn and Mt
Branscombe.
After 15 days on the mountain the team returned to base
camp to await a twin otter flight back to Union Glacier. Once
at Union Glacier camp they had a five day wait for a flight
back to Punta Arenas, waiting for a broken plane to be fixed
and a window in the weather. They used to opportunity to
explore some new lines up Mt Rossman under which Union
Glacier camp is established. They also had daily excursions to
climb the numerous gullies and complete the traverse of its
seven peaks.
Two days R&R in Punta
Arenas and some inpromtu
boat drills to visit a Magellan
Penguin colony to
concluded their trip
before they headed
back to the UK, to look
forward to the next
planned adventure, an
assault on Mt McKinley
Alaska in June.
22 THE VOLUNTEER www.nwrfca.org.uk