Gareth Brauteseth

I have said quite a bit about the Ilyusion IL 76 that is the mainstay of what happens in our corner of Antarctica, but that isn’t the only little machine that makes all the projects tick.

There are a few more vehicles that, for the lack of a better explanation, are larger than life.

The Perfect Parking Lot

Modified “Hilux for the Ice” is my natural favourite.

This incredible vehicle was made famous the world over when Jeremy Clarkson and his mates raced to the North Pole in a red one. Orders apparently started streaming in and now even you can buy one. For 100 000 euro you can drive one wherever you want because to be absolutely honest there is not much stopping you.

The Dashboard

One only needs to look at the accessory panel to realize what a crazy car this is. Compressors, heaters, winches, auxillary pumps, other pumps, fuel tank isolators and the list goes on.

A real collection of accesories

The modifications for the ice are actually crucial because without them they would just slide around and look like toys. One of the major aspects of the conversion is obviously the size of the tyres and the raised suspension. Each tyre has 437 metal studs that get drilled into them which have the same effect as crampons on ice.

The pilots are all Icelandic and if they are representative of the whole of Iceland, well then I think Iceland has the most helpful, friendliest nation on earth. Yeah, sure, they have volcanoes that mess up flight patterns in Europe, but they are awesome.

Arctic trucks are a team we will never forget. They winched our man out of a crevasse, they fixed our skidoos, they started our heaters, they fixed our skidoos again, they supplied Vodka and they did it all with a smile on their face. Big thanks to Gisli, Ayo, Frere, Gisli , Hlynar and Ghumi

Steph Husson climbing in Antarctica

So, I am finally back from a long stint on the ice.

Wow, an amazing experience of sheer vastness. If anyone asks me to describe Antarctica that would be it- VAST!!!

Everything is just impressive down there.

The Nunatak across the glacier from our camp was VAST, the high Polar Plateau was Vast, the view from the South Pole was VAST, the emperor penguins were VAST and the drinking ability of our neighbours in Queen Maud land was also vast.

It was an experience that will never be forgotten and over the next few weeks I will be bringing a few of the characters to life here on my blog.

The picture I have included above is just a quick sneak peak of our surroundings. Steph Husson climbing a pitch over a frozen lake with a 300m icefall in the background.

This was our playground!!!

My time In Antarctica is coming to an end, in ten days I will be boarding the Ilyusion and flying back to the Land of possibility the land that beats to its own pulse, Africa, and at the very tip our rainbow nation South Africa-MZANSI.

It has been an incredible trip and there have been some amazing experiences that I will definitely share in the coming days and weeks. I have come out of this foray on the ice once again feeling the spirit of adventure.

South Africa is alive with adventurers, some plan for months an execute first time solo descents of rivers, some fly for the first time of the 7 summits, some swim at the top of the world and some don their suits and head out to work.

I see this light burning in every African and it makes me proud.

2010 was a great year for the adventuring spirit, millions of us donned the gold and green of Bafana Bafana and waltzed down to a stadium, a TV screen or just a radio. Tshabala adventured his foot onto the side of a leather ball which found the back of the net that opened up the goals, voices and hearts of the World Cup. Lewis Pugh adventured to a high altitude lake and into a Speedo to show just what global warming is making possible and it is scary that it is a reality. My sister adventured back home after far too long a stay in Europe. Ryan Sandes adventured his way to victory in the desert races. Mike Horn is rounding the world on Pangaea.

We have had a good year!

With adventure life is real, and with life being real death also crops its nasty head.

I read today, bundled up in an Antarctic cabin, of the tragedy earlier in December on the Lukuga River in the Congo. Hendrik Coetzee, living to the beat of his heart was tragically killed by a crocodile while guiding an expedition. Thoughts and prayers to Hendrik’s friends family and everyone that was influenced by such a spirit.

The reality of adventure eventually comes calling, but I urge all of you to find that flame of adventure inside of you today, and feed it with some fuel and let it grow until we can see it sparkling in your eyes.

“We look at the dawn and it’s an African dawn, We feel how we feel because we are African Born”

Ilyusion Il-76

There are a few ways to get down to Antarctica.

The SA Agulhas is one.

The mother ship of all South African Antarctic research. Managed by SANAP, she has been making the voyage down to the Ice for almost 30 years. She is loved by science in South Africa and is a symbol for pioneering and a history of great research coming out of the rainbow nation.

Then, there is the Russian way…

The Ilyusion Il -76, a ship of a different kind, an air ship built for moving things. A monster machine build for transporting troops, tanks, refueling fighter jets and in times of peace, lifting scientists, and the White Desert team, to the ice.

These aeroplanes are tough, a bit like the Hilux of the skies. Making their mark in the 80’s, where they transported over 750 000 Russian troops into Afghanistan and surviving ground attack from Afghan rebels, the Ilyusion is now used by governments worldwide for research supply and anything where the ability for an aeroplane to be tough is paramount.

We will be sharing the ride with Russian scientists, a whole lot of kit, engineers and 4 pilots, who I really hope know how to fly this beast.

So, in a few days I head down to Antarctica.

When you type weather forecast Antarctica into your goggle search bar, the response is something staggering.

Obviously the temperature is something ridiculous with the average being somewhere around -49degrees C and the lowest ever recorded a chilly -89degrees C. When the wind doesn’t blow I am assured it is around the freezing point.

The wind has been measured at 200mph, that is strong, one sure way to dry the washing, but wait a minute, the washing freezes!

Luckily I am going down in summer where the sun will be up 24hours a day; yes that’s it 24 hours a day. So, a good pare of sunglasses is absolutely crucial.

That’s why I must say thank a million to my mates at BLUEYE.

BLUEYE is technology coming out of Australia that is amazing. The Injection molded PC Polarized Lenses have a track record of research coming out of your ears. But the proof is in the pudding. You suspend the lenses off the end of your nose and you experience a whole new level of Sun Shade experience.

The brand is specifically designed for extreme sports in mind, made from Polycarbonate material the lenses carry the best impact-resistant material available to
protect your eyes.

I have a few models to test out but what excites me the most are the Zoo frames that are going to be very handy for Kite Skiing on the ice. The lighter lenses won’t be very handy as the white of the ice is brutal, but the darker lenses will most definitely come into their own.

Adventure Chef Jenna Viney

I am a lucky member of a crew that is hosting guests down on the ice of Antarctica during the summer season of 2010/2011.

The opportunity to get down to the White Desert does not come around too often in ones life and I have been blessed with the opportunity that I have no doubt pounced upon.

“Whichaways” camp is based on the ice shelf and plays home base to White Desert. White Desert (www.white-desert.com) is the latest in adventure tourism and if you have the time, the money and the nerve I suggest you make a plan to get down, the waiting list is getting pretty long.

Besides the Ice climbing, the penguins, the leopard seals, the South pole and the Kite Skiing you will be spoilt by some of the most amazing food that adventure has to offer.
Jenna Viney (www.jennamayfood.com) is the award winning chef who splits her time between Antarctica in the European winter, Russia in the European Summer and Greece just for a good time. I had coffee with Jenna yesterday and it was a sign of good things to come. The team is going to be phenomenal and I can’t wait to meet the rest of the guys as they arrive in Cape Town to get ready for the Desert.