Antarctica 2011: More Delays To Start Of The Season

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Yesterday I mentioned that there were delays to the start of the 2011 Antarctic season, but ALE was hoping to get their first plane out to the ice today. Turns out there won’t be any flights today either, as weather is continuing to cause problems for the teams hoping to head south soon.

Earlier today, James Castrission and Justin Jones tweeted an update from Punta Arenas, where they are preparing to set out on the Crossing The Ice expedition. The two Aussie lads were expecting to head out to Patriot Hills on Sunday, but snow covered the runway in Antarctica, so the flight was delayed until today. Apparently the runway has now been cleared, but a cold front has moved into the area, causing ALE to scrub all flights out today as well. There is no word on when they hope to make another attempt, but I know there are teams that are anxious to get started.

Meanwhile, ALE has posted a good rundown of all the expeditions for this season on their website. You can get a look at them by clicking here. You’ll see several “Centenary” expeditions, which are all a nod to the fact that 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the Amundsen-Scott Race to the Pole that resulted in the Norwegian becoming the first man to reach that point, while the Brit met a tragic end. There will be plenty more to share on that story in the weeks ahead, but it appears that there will be no shortage of teams celebrating the anniversary this year.

Unfortunately, none of those teams are able to get underway just yet. Perhaps tomorrow the weather pattern will change and flights can get underway, but I have feeling it will be another two or three days before things officially get underway.

Kraig Becker

1 thought on “Antarctica 2011: More Delays To Start Of The Season”

  1. We are planning an expedition to Antarctica for 2013. This winter we will be training in Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island to get accustomed to traction kiting and then in the spring of 2012 crossing greenland as part of the Martin Hanzalek expedition. Does anyone have any experience travelling in Antarctica with traction kite? What are the winds like there in December?

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