Thurs 7 Dec '06 – VBC 2200 mts

The 8th anniversary of Dad’s passing away & I remember him fondly this morning as I rise at 08.00 am & take a short walk-about camp & reflect.

At 8.30 am we get confirmation that the 2 Otters will be here in an hour to take us out. We break camp in record time & as the pilots glide their winged angels to a halt beside us we’re ready to load & board. We get priority, get on the first flight & we’re soon on our way retracing the flight route that took us into Vinson what seems now, like an age ago.

We arrive at Patriot Hills (PH) within 70 mins & are shown to ‘special’ comfort tents provided by ALE to us & informed that they will provide our meals for the first 24 hrs of our time here while we await the Illyushin to get in & take us back to Punta Arenas. Once again the Waiting Game begins.

I go to the medics in the afternoon for examination of my fingers & their advice on whether I should continue with my burning desire to take part in the Last Degree. Their advice, not unexpectedly, is that I should not go because I would be putting myself at serious risk of immediate frost bite if I was to encounter any cold problems on the 10 day journey. This combined with my undoubtedly weakened physical condition has left me with much to ponder as I make my way back to the comfort of my tent.

Apart from the fact that I simply wasn’t prepared to take the very real risk of losing fingers, I also knew I was quite weak & will have lost considerable weight through going days without proper food. I also considered Joyce’s feeling & knew that whilst she was aware that prior to our incident it would have been unlikely that I would be home for Christmas, the situation had now changed & I knew she would prefer me to come home. My heart wanted to continue on but my head knew not to & I listened to it. But before I formally withdrew I wanted to try & secure a permit & place to come back next Dec 07 to complete the adventure to the Pole. This may not be as easy as you think because of the huge costs involved. Normally if you don’t go, you simply forfeit your opportunity & have to write a lot of money. But then after what I’d been through, money is only money & what was my life worth to me whilst I was stuck on the headwall? None the less I wanted to see what could be done. Peter Mc Dowell one of the partners in ALE was on site at Patriot & following a meeting with him he acknowledged the circumstances that brought about my need to withdraw & agreed to waive the flight costs for next year & would allow me to take part. Details are to be sorted out later but Yes! I was getting another opportunity to return to Antarctica & that places me in a very privileged position. This would now be my 3rd visit to this often bleak but still addictive continent.
Thursday passed without much further incident apart from the fact that the Illyushin didn’t arrive.