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North Patagonian expedition underway
4 December 2007
After eighteen months of planning, Sean Waters , a senior instructor at the Army Adventurous Training Centre, and Jo Kippax have headed off to the wilds of the Northern Patagonian Icecap where they hope to complete a traverse of the icecap from North to South.
In the middle of this expanse of crevassed ice is the peak which Sean and Jo spotted from a plane in 2003. The quest to identify and hopefully make the first ascent of this remote mountain has taken on proportions they never imagined when they first thought that it might be a good idea. They have ended up dubbing this mystery peak- ‘The Lost Tower’.
Far from being the usual, “set up a basecamp and hang around till you climb the peak” type of trip, the expedition has morphed into a full journey- access by kayak, then transmogrify the kayaks into sleds and drag them, with 40 days of food, fuel and gear, amounting to close to 100kgs, up the unexplored Gualas Glacier, before heading towards the peak 100kms to the south. After an attempted ascent, they will drag their boats off towards the SE corner of the icecap, also unexplored, to try and find a way off the ice. If the kayaks are still in one piece, they will paddle them down a terminus river and through the Chilean Fiords to the small fishing village of Tortel for a well deserved cup of tea (or a Pisco Sour).
The icecaps of Patagonia have a reputation for harbouring some of the worst weather on the planet, which should ensure they earn every step they take and give both their gear and their sense of humour a good thrashing.
You can follow the Expedition on Sean and Jo’s website http://www.summitfootprints.com/ where they will be posting updates via SAT phone from the depths of the icecap.
This page was last reviewed on 10 December 2007 and is current.
