Welcome to the PolarExplorers Shackleton Crossing Dispatches! Follow along for daily updates on our team as they embark on an amazing voyage to and mountaineering traverse of South Georgia Island.
Today was big. The team officially set sail for South Georgia Island, and they hope to arrive by Monday morning . It may be a bit rocky onboard their ship, the Plancius. Winds in excess of 30 knots are expected once they motor out to open seas. Many of the team members are wearing motion sickness prevention patches as a precautionary measure. But a few waves can't dispel the team's excitement at being underway.
The team had spent the past few days in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is quite the launching pad. A friend just remarked that it reminds him of a James Bond movie set. And indeed it is a sight to behold -- a charming town set amongst dramatic mountains and seascapes.
Ushuaia is tucked inside a cluster of islands at the southern terminus of South America and the Andes Mountain Range in the region of Tierra del Fuego ("Land of Fire"), a name bestowed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. The modern city motto is quite fitting for an intrepid adventure like this one: "Ushuaia, end of the world, beginning of everything."
Thank you for following along, and remember to check back tomorrow for updates on their voyage!
Comments