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December 2: The Falklands

Brian Morgan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:37:27 +0000

See rockhopper penguins up close on a Falkland Islands tour. Photo by: Jo Turner

An absolutely stunning day today! Due to departing Antarctica a half day early, the Expedition Leader requested permission for an additional landing in the Falklands. The landing was at Steeple Jason Island and the highlight was the largest Black Browed Ablatross nesting site in the world. Thousands of the enormous birds covered the beach and upland slopes – a literal sea of wings and squawking. Intermingled with these charismatic birds were Rock Hopper Penguins. Their yellow eyebrow feathers giving them a decidedly intriguing appearance.

After spending more than an hour just meters from this sea of wings, a few of us headed up the islands main mountain where more albatrosses, caracaras, and nesting giant petrals nested and swooped down the mountain. At times, these birds passed within a few feet of our heads, and two companions actually had the caracaras knock them upside the head, attempting to take off with their colorful skicaps.

Upon returning to the ship, the bar was filled with chatter and toasts to the best landing of our trip. Many agreed with me that this special request landing made up for many previous missed landings. Tomorrow, more albatross, more Rock Hoppers, and maybe even a few King Penguins.

On Toward the Falklands

Brian Morgan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:14:04 +0000

Kapitan Khlebnikov breaking ice. Photo by Paul Orenstein

Yesterday’s attempt at the Shetland Islands was a bust, again due to weather. Winds were blowing hard, and word was that all the ships in the area that had planned similar visits canceled their trips as well. This meant that we immediately turned toward the Falkland Islands and have now been at sea for over 36 hours. Expected land arrival is tomorrow afternoon, which will mean my longest time ever at sea – more than 60 hours. Most of the time, seas have been relatively calm with 3-5 meter swells. Passengers seem to be doing much better than during the southward crossing, and the lounge and library are full of people playing chess, looking at photos and enjoying each others conversation.

Lectures today have been great – with one about Shackleton’s early life and another about ice in literature – heaven or hell?

This afternoon calls for an hour workout in the gym and maybe some rolling ping pong!

Greetings from Antarctica

Beth Conway — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:31:28 +0000

Adventure Life Women explore Antarctica

Good morning great Adventure Life friends!!!

Just a quick note to let you all know that we have fallen in deep deep love with Antarctica. I will fill you in on all the details when we get back, but let’s just say … spectacular. Here’s a bit of our checklist: kayaking through icebergs, camping on the continent, humpback whales, albatross, chinstrap penguins, gentoo penguins, elephant seals, weddell seals and the most incredible landscape I have ever seen. Truly otherworldly.

We’ve been thinking about you all, HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

-Beth, Julia and Renee

Day 4 at Sea: First Emperor Penguin Sighting

Brian Morgan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:05:09 +0000

Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. Photo by Laurie Allread

This morning I woke to ice on three sides of the ship. Being trapped with ice all around made for a wonderfully peaceful night of sleep and I felt energized all day. Weather around the ship was beautiful – sun poking through the sky and relatively warm. Unfortunately, 20 miles away, surrounding Snow Hill, was a wall of clouds that made helicopter visits to the emperor penguin rookery impossible.

No worries! A couple dozen emperors made an appearance and tobogganed on their bellies past the ship. Plans changed for the day, and all the passengers, staff, and some of the Russian crew headed out onto the ice. We observed penguins, crab eater seals, skua, and snow petrels all day long. In the afternoon, we made a trek to a jagged iceberg two miles away.

Today was also my first ride in a helicopter. Fantastic experience! Seeing the ice, rocky islands, and ocean from the air really drove home how incredibly fortunate I am to be in Antarctica.

Finally, my day ended with talking with Victor, the radio officer. I’m trying to bring back some of my Russian, so I asked him to write down several Russian words. I’m trying these words out mostly with the
hospitality staff, and it’s been a blast. Even managed a simple conversation with one that spoke no English – only Russian and German. She lied and told me that I spoke Russian very well!

Tomorrow, we all hope to visit Snow Hill for our first experience at the Emperor Penguin rookery.

Day 2 at Sea: Crossing the Drake Passage

Brian Morgan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:55:44 +0000

Albatross cruising the Drake Passage to Antarctica

The ship has been rocking back and forth since around 2 am this morning.
Swells look to be about 12 feet high, and the crew calls this the Drake Lake. This is versus the Drake Shake which is what I’m hoping for on the return trip. A few of my fellow travelers hope for the same, but we’re
definitely in the minority. Most passengers are walking around with the little motion sickness stickers stuck behind their ears, and the seem relieved at the calm passage.

This morning I was up early and saw my first albatrosses – two Black Browed and one magnificent Wandering Albatross. Cape Petrels fallow our course and seem to joyfully follow the crests of waves around the ship. And I spied one stormy petrel around 10am this morning.

The lectures have both been fabulous. The first, regarding sea birds, was the most entertaining, and has me excited to spot as many of the mentioned birds as possible. The second was on geology and was enlightening, particularly on the source of tsunamis.

Food has been fantastic, and the fruit and veggies are several steps better than what we found in Ushuaia’s restaurants.

I find myself continually climbing from the top of the ship to the bottom in excitement. The Russian crew is super friendly and I find myself searching my brain for Russian words to speak with them.

All in all, and absolutely fabulous first day at sea!

All Aboard!!

Brian Morgan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:39 +0000

Leaving Ushuaia for Antarctica

Four hours to go to board the ship! Passengers are gathering in the hotel bar and conversation is lively as we wait the final hours for our Antarctica cruise to begin. By this evening, we’ll be cruising down the beagle channel and out to the Drake Passage crossing. Weather report is calling for a mild crossing – which bums me a bit, as I am hoping for at least a few hours of 60 foot waves. Yes, I’m probably in the minority, but if you’re going to be on one of the world’s strongest ships in one of the world’s worst weather areas, then why not get the full experience?

Last night, in preparation for departure, Douglas Allan gave a fantastic presentation about his film making career. He’s one of the camera men responsible for SEVERAL of the Planet Earth episodes. We have several incredible people on board and I’m looking forward to all the presentations.

My next entry will be emailed by satellite connection from the Drake Passage. Wish me luck with the weather!

Brian Takes an Antarctica Expedition

Brian Morgan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:38:42 +0000

Polar Icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov by Henny Miltenburg

Mist from volcanic caldera

Antarctica, the Great White Continent, a land so distant from everyday life, so filled with myth, heroes, adventure, and tragedy that even today a journey to the mere edge of this continent is a expedition into the unknown. After ten years of working in the adventure travel industry and bringing thousands of friends, family and clients to the far edges of Latin America – to such sites as Bolivia’s Salt Desert, Huarani tribal territory, Belize’s subterranean caves, and more – the edges of Latin America weren’t so sharp and unknown to me anymore. I decided it was time to journey to the edges of my known world once again, and Antarctica would provide that first edge.

So, I asked Jonathan Brunger, Adventure Life’s resident Antarctica expert, “what is the most amazing Antarctica trip we offer? I want to do it.” He answered without thinking – the Kapitan Khlebnikov’s Snow Hill trip. The Khlebnikov is the last ice breaker still working in the tourism industry – the few others in the world are too busy exploring the arctic for oil and staking national claims for Russia, Canada, the USA and others. The Khlebnikov’s glory days of taking visitors to Antarctica are numbered too with the recent announcement that 2012 will be its last voyage open to travelers.

Ice-breaker travel is completely different than visiting on an ice-strengthened ship. Someone recently described the difference between an ice-breaker and an ice-strengthened ship as the difference between a MAC truck and a pickup – completely different technology, in addition to the shear size and strength difference! Less than two weeks ago I heard a report that the ship was stuck, yes stuck, in the ice for 3 days! It’s not a Shackleton story, but being aboard one of the world’s strongest ships and being stuck in the ice is about as close as one can get in today’s modern age. More on the Khlebnikov

My expedition to Antarctica is a 20 day voyage, including such landings as South Georgia, South Shetlands, Snow Hill Island, South Orkneys, and the Falklands. I’ll witness many species of penguins, elephant seals, whales, albatrosses, fantastic glaciers and icebergs, and more. But what am I looking forward to most? We’ll be crossing the Drake Passage, known for having the most severe weather on the planet. The ships description of this passage says, “…do not be disappointed if this crossing of the Drake Passage is smooth sailing.” What!? When I read this, I thought, oh, they are speaking directly to me! If we don’t get at least one storm with 60 foot waves, I probably will be disappointed. …although, I imagine that there will be many passengers aboard that will be happy with smooth seas.

I’m also looking forward to the complete disconnect from my very connected and often busy world. With only satellite phone/email, I’ll be limiting my connection to a maximum of one daily outbound email during that 20 days. I’ve told the Adventure Life office to not let the building burn down! Seriously, I’m so grateful to the incredible team at Adventure Life. Each one is super capable and the years of experience and talent they bring to their jobs is what is enabling me to take this trip. Thanks to you guys!

My next correspondence will be from Ushuaia, Argentina in 5 days, just before boarding the Khlebnikov. Please post any questions before then, and I’ll try to respond accordingly. Saludos!

PS Check out Laurie Allread’s journal and photo album from this same trip last year!

Polar Icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov, to Retire

Beth Conway — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:16:42 +0000

Polar Icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov by Henny Miltenburg

That’s right — one of the only passenger icebreakers in operation — the Kapitan Khelbnikov — has announced it will end its career as an expedition vessel in March 2012. The Kapitan Khelbnikov was built in Finland in 1981, and was originally designed for the rigors of northern Siberia. The ship has sailed to extremely remote corners of the globe with adventurous travelers since 1992. No other expedition vessel has navigated more polar waters than the Kapitan. It was the first ship ever to circumnavigate Antarctica with passengers in 1996-97. This vessel has captured the spirit of many adventurous explorers — she will definitely be missed by Adventure Lifers.

Accommodating only 112-passengers on only a handful of remaining expeditions, now is the time to bid a found farewell to this legendary ship. Adventure Life’s company president and founder, Brian Morgan, will be bidding his own personal adieu to the Kapitan; he is set to join the November 15, 2009, 22-day Emperors and Kings departure. This ultimate penguin expedition explores the habitats of eight different species of penguin.

Product Praise: The GoGirl

Beth Conway — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:23:25 +0000

GoGirl Motto: Don't Take Life Sitting Down

Sorry fellows, but this Product Praise is just for the ladies. There’s no real romantic way to describe this product, so I’ll dive right into it. Put frankly, the GoGirl allows women to stand up while peeing. There have been a few of these types of products floating around for a while — the FUD or female urination device — but I think the GoGirl has finally got it right. Designed for female campers, trekkers, skiers, road-trippers and adventure travelers, this product adds a little grace to the “go.” I would have absolutely loved my own personal GoGirl when I was hiking the Inca Trail — or on a weekend hike in Montana for that matter. I have already put my online order in; my own pink and personal Go-Girl should arrive early next week — cannot wait! The GoGirl is only $6.99 (or a pack of three for $18.99). It comes with a tissue and biodegradable baggie for disposal or storage (GoGirls are reusable). Check out the GoGirl website, it sold me. Truly, a great product for the girl on the go (pun intended).